Ingredients
You need very little, so quality and accuracy matter.
Ingredients 🫙
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Ripe 100%-hydration sourdough starter: Scant ½ cup (100 g)
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Bread flour: 3½ cups (420 g)
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Water, room temperature: 1¼ cups (300 g)
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Fine sea salt: 2 teaspoons (10 g)
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine the ripe sourdough starter with the room-temperature water. Stir until the starter is mostly dissolved and the mixture looks cloudy. Dissolving the starter first helps it distribute evenly through the dough.
Add the bread flour and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until no dry flour remains. The dough will look rough and slightly sticky, and that is exactly right at this stage.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 to 45 minutes. This rest, often called an autolyse-style rest, lets the flour absorb the water fully and makes the dough smoother and easier to handle.
Dampen your hands slightly. Grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward gently, and fold it over the center. Turn the bowl and repeat on all four sides.
Cover the dough and rest it for 30 minutes. Repeat the process three to four times, leaving about 30 minutes between each set. Over time the dough becomes smoother, stronger, and more elastic.
After the final set of folds, cover the bowl and leave the dough at room temperature. You are looking for the dough to increase in volume by approximately 50 to 75 percent, look airy, and show bubbles along the sides of the bowl.
Expect this to take roughly 4 to 7 hours in total, depending on your starter’s strength and your kitchen temperature. If the dough is already very bubbly and relaxed, do not wait for it to double completely. Overfermented dough can turn slack and sour.
Lightly flour your work surface and gently turn out the fermented dough. Divide it into four equal portions. A kitchen scale helps here, since equal pieces bake at the same rate. Handle the dough gently to preserve as much of its internal air as possible.
Shape each portion into a loose rectangle. Fold the top edge toward the center and press lightly to seal. Fold the bottom edge toward the center, then gently roll each piece into a short cylinder.
Cover the portions with a clean kitchen towel and let them rest for 15 to 20 minutes. This rest relaxes the gluten so the final shaping goes smoothly.
Working with one piece at a time, gently flatten it into a small rectangle. Fold the top edge toward the center and press to seal, then fold the bottom edge over it. Fold the dough in half lengthwise and pinch the seam closed.
Roll gently with your hands, working from the center outward, to create a slender baguette with slightly tapered ends. Repeat with the remaining portions.
Place the shaped baguettes seam-side up on a lightly floured linen couche or clean kitchen towel. Use folds in the cloth to support the sides so each loaf holds its shape.
Cover loosely and let them proof for approximately 1 to 2 hours, until they are noticeably puffy and slightly springy when pressed gently.
For deeper sourdough flavor, refrigerate the shaped baguettes overnight and bake them the next day.
Preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C). Place a baking stone or heavy baking sheet inside to heat thoroughly. If you are using a steam pan, put an empty oven-safe metal pan on a lower rack while the oven preheats.
Carefully transfer the baguettes seam-side down onto parchment paper or a lightly floured baguette peel. Use a sharp bread lame or razor blade to make three to four shallow diagonal slashes along the top of each loaf. Keep the cuts slightly overlapping for that classic baguette look.
Slide the baguettes onto the preheated baking surface. Carefully pour about 1 cup of hot water into the preheated metal pan, avoiding splashes and rising steam, and close the oven door immediately.
Bake with steam for about 10 to 12 minutes. If possible, remove the steam pan, then continue baking for another 8 to 12 minutes, until the baguettes are deeply golden brown and crisp.
Move the baguettes to a wire rack and let them cool for at least 30 to 45 minutes before slicing. The interior finishes setting during this time, and the crust stays crisp.
Use a serrated bread knife to slice the loaves. Enjoy them fresh with butter, turn them into small sandwiches, or serve them alongside soups and hearty meals.