Sourdough Baguettes

a closeup shot of the crumb of a sourdough baguette

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4.49 from 79 reviews

By: Eileen Gray

This Sourdough Baguette Recipe produces two artisan loaves with a crisp crust and chewy crumb. Makes 2 baguettes.

Prep Time: 30

Bake Time: 20

Rising Time: 12

Total Time: 12 50

12 servings

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Ingredients
US Customary - Metric

8 oz active sourdough starter
5 ½ oz warm water
10 oz unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon table salt

Instructions

Combine 8 oz active sourdough starter, 5 ½ oz warm water and 5 oz unbleached all purpose flour of the flour. Mix with the paddle on low speed until it forms a wet dough. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30-60 minutes.
If using a stand mixer, change to the dough hook. Add 1 teaspoon table salt and 5 oz unbleached all purpose flour and mix until the dough begins to form a ball around the hook. Knead the dough for 5 minutes on medium high speed. If mixing by hand, add the flour using a wooden spoon and/or a plastic bowl scraper. This dough is quite sticky so if you are mixing by hand you can skip the kneading step for a "no knead" bread.
Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat the dough. Cover the bowl and set it aside at room temperature.
After 30 minutes uncover the bowl, lift one side of the dough and fold it into the middle of the dough. Repeat with the other three sides of the dough then flip the dough over. You're basically turning the dough inside-out to redistribute the yeast. Cover the bowl and every 60 minutes repeat the procedure again.
After about 3 hours the dough should be lively, elastic and airy. If the dough is still sluggish give it another hour or two at room temperature. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight or proceed with forming the baguettes to bake the same day.
Sprinkle a baking sheet or baguette pan generously with cornmeal. If you will bake on a baking stone use a baking peel or use the back of a baking sheet so you can transfer the bread to the baking stone.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and dump it onto floured surface. Cut the dough into two pieces. Gently stretch each piece of dough into a 8” x 4” oval. Tightly roll like a jellyroll then use flat hands to roll the dough from the center out to form a 16” long baguette.
Place the two loaves side by side onto the baking sheet or into the baguette pan. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and set aside to rise until almost doubled in size, about 1 - 3 hours. The rising time will vary depending if the dough is cold from a night in the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 475 °F. If you have a baking stone put it in the oven to preheat. Place a shallow pan on the bottom of the oven to preheat. Just before putting the bread in the oven, pour a ½ cup of hot water into the pan on the bottom of the oven and shut the door to capture the steam.
Sprinkle the tops of the baguettes with flour. Use a very sharp knife or razor to make 3-4 diagonal slashes on top of each loaf. Bake until deeply browned and if you tap on the bottom of a loaf it sounds hollow, about 15-20 minutes. The interior temperature should be 200°F.
Transfer the loaves to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature before slicing.