Make Beautiful Baguettes With Claire Saffitz | Try This at Home | NYT Cooking 

Help. It was way too sticky to work with. Almost a thick liquid. I weighed everything carefully.

Is your oven temp on convection?

I would like to have the measurements please, if is possible cups, teaspoons etc. thx you.

Claire, I love your videos! Please make a video making this baguettes using sourdough starter.

Step 1
Make the poolish: The morning of the day before you plan to bake
the baguettes, combine the ⅛ teaspoon yeast and 60 grams/¼
cup water (at 75 degrees to 80 degrees) in a plastic lidded
container (preferably quart-size, or anything with straight sides
and a similar capacity) and stir briefly to dissolve the yeast. Add
the flour and mix, scraping along the sides of the container, until
thoroughly combined and you have a thick, sticky paste. Smooth
the surface, cover and mark the height of the mixture on the side
of the container using a tape or rubber band. Let sit at warm
room temperature (preferably around 75 degrees) until it triples
in volume, and the surface, which should teem with fine bubbles,
is slightly domed, 6 to 7 hours (but possibly more or less
depending on the ambient temperature).
Step 2
Mix the dough: When the poolish is ready, scrape it into a large
bowl and add 375 grams (a scant 1¾ cups) water, at 75 degrees to
Producing a classic baguette with a thin, shattering crust and tender, slightly sweet interior at home
requires both practice and a few pieces of special equipment (see Tip) — using a scale is highly
recommended — but it’
s an incredibly rewarding process. For the greatest flexibility, start the recipe in
the morning the day before you want to bake and refrigerate the dough overnight. Y ou can bake the
loaves at any point the next day.
sea salt
Semolina flour, for dusting
80 degrees, and ½ teaspoon yeast. Stir to dissolve the yeast and
as much of the poolish as you can, then add the flour and salt.
Using a bench scraper or flexible spatula, mix, making sure to
scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, until all of the flour is
moistened and you have a soft, shaggy dough.
Step 3
Holding the bowl stable with one hand, use your other hand to
knead the dough, grasping a handful at the edge of the mass,
pulling it upward and pressing it back into the center. Continue to
knead, rotating the bowl as you work, until the dough has firmed
up slightly and starts to give you some resistance, about 5
minutes. At this point, the dough will still be sticky and textured
but should somewhat hold its shape. Scrape down the sides of the
bowl, then, scrape all the dough into a straight-sided lidded
container with a 4-quart capacity, if available to you, coated with a
bit of water or very thin layer of neutral oil to prevent sticking. If
not, scrape the dough into a single mass in the bowl. Cover the
container or bowl and use a piece of tape to mark the height of the
dough on the side.
Step 4
Bulk fermentation: Let the dough sit at warm room temperature
(preferably around 75 degrees), for 1 hour, then give it a series of
folds: Uncover the dough and, using damp hands, scoop
underneath the dough along one side of the container or bowl
with both hands and slowly lift it up and out of the container or
bowl to stretch it, then lower it back down so it folds onto itself.
Repeat this folding process three more times, rotating the
container or bowl 90 degrees each time and rewetting your hands
to prevent sticking. (You’ll notice the dough will now feel stronger
and smoother and hold its shape better.)
Step 5
Cover the dough again and let it sit, repeating this series of 4 folds
every 30 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic, has
grown about 50 percent in volume and has lots of bubbles beneath
the surface, 1 to 2 hours. Give dough a final series of folds, then
cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
Step 6
Finish bulk fermentation: On Day 2, remove the dough from the
refrigerator and take a look at it. If it hasn’t doubled from its
original size during its rest in the refrigerator, let it sit out at room
temperature until it reaches this point, 1 to 2 hours. If it looks
doubled right out of the fridge, proceed to the next step.
Step 7
Divide dough: Lightly dust your work surface with flour, then
gently scrape the dough onto the floured surface. Use a bowl
scraper, bench scraper or knife to divide the dough into 3 equal
portions. (To ensure even loaves, use a scale; each should weigh
about 330 grams.)
Step 8
Preshape the dough: Very lightly flour the surface of each piece
of dough. Working one piece at a time and, using floured hands,
gently pat the dough into a square measuring about 6 inches
across. Working from the side farthest from you, roll the dough
toward you into a tight cylinder. Place the cylinders on the floured
work surface seam-sides down, leaving several inches of space
between them, and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rest for
20 minutes.
Step 9
Prepare the oven: While the dough is resting, arrange one oven
rack in the center position and another in the lower third. Place a
20-inch-long baking stone on the middle rack and a large cast-iron
skillet on the lower rack. Heat the oven to 500 degrees.
Step 10
Prepare the cloth: Place a thick kitchen towel (or, if you have one,
a linen couche) on a rimless baking sheet that’s at least 18 inches
long (or, if you don’t have one, an upside-down rimmed baking
sheet). Generously dust the towel with flour and set aside.
Step 11
Shape the baguettes: Lightly flour the work surface, then use the
scraper to quickly lift one of the cylinders and turn it over onto
the floured work surface so it's seam side up on the floured
surface. Very lightly dust the dough with flour and use floured
hands to pat it down gently, popping any larger bubbles and
flattening it into a rectangle with the short ends oriented to the
left and right. Fold the long end opposite you down over the
bottom half, leaving the lower third of the dough uncovered.
Rotate the dough 180 degrees, then fold down the uncovered third
of dough (the side farthest from you) so you have a long cylinder
of dough with a seam running through the center. Starting at one
end and working your way to the other, fold the dough in half
lengthwise by bringing the top half down over the bottom and
pressing firmly along the seam to seal. Throughout the shaping
process, if the dough sticks to your hands or the surface, dust
with just a bit more flour. Applying light downward pressure with
both palms and starting in the center and working outward, roll
out the dough to a length of 18 inches, doing your best to make it
as even as possible and tapering the ends.
Step 12
Transfer the shaped dough to the floured towel, placing it seam
side up in the middle. Pleat the towel on either side of the dough
to create a barrier, then repeat the shaping process with the 2
remaining portions of dough and place them on the floured towel
on either side of the first so all 3 pieces are sitting snugly next to
one another. Fold the ends of the towel up and over the dough to
cover. (Use a second towel if necessary.)
Step 13
Proof the baguettes: Let the baguettes sit at warm room
temperature (preferably around 75 degrees) until they’re about
50 percent expanded in size, 30 to 60 minutes. To check if they’re
proofed, poke the dough gently: If it takes a couple of seconds to
spring back and holds a slight indentation, it’s proofed. If the
dough springs back quickly, it’s not quite ready, so let it go longer.
Step 14
Boil water for steam and prepare the parchment: While the
dough is proofing, bring 1 cup water to a boil in a kettle or
saucepan, then set aside. Place a piece of parchment paper about
the size of your baking stone over a rimless baking sheet or a thin
wooden board and dust lightly with semolina flour.
Step 15
Transfer the loaves: Uncover the dough and pull on the ends of
the towel to flatten the pleats, separating the loaves. Lightly dust
the tops of the dough with flour. Working one at a time and using
the towel to help you, flip one of the outer baguettes onto a thin
wooden board measuring about 20 inches long and 4 inches wide
(also called a baguette transfer peel; you can also have one cut at
your local hardware store) so it’s seam side down, then slide it
gently onto the parchment paper, orienting it lengthwise. Repeat
with the remaining loaves, spacing them out evenly on the
parchment. (If the dough is covered with lots of flour from the
towel, gently brush it off with a pastry brush, then brush it from
the parchment.)
Step 16
Score the loaves: Use a razor blade or bread lame to score each
baguette 5 times at a diagonal, angled down the middle of the loaf
and parallel to one another. Try to slash deeply, confidently and
quickly, as the blade will want to drag through the soft dough. For
the best shape, hold the blade at about a 30-degree angle, rather
than cutting straight down into the dough.
Step 17
Bake: Carefully slide the loaves and parchment off of the baking
sheet or board and onto the heated baking stone. Slide the lower
rack out a couple of inches and pour the 1 cup boiled water into
the cast-iron skillet and immediately close the door. (The water
will instantly turn to steam, so protect your arms and work
quickly so it doesn’t escape.) Bake for 10 minutes, then open the
oven briefly to let out any steam. (Some ovens hold steam better
than others, so there may not be any left at that point.) Reduce
the oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake until the loaves are
deeply browned, another 10 to 15 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to
remove the baguettes from the oven and let cool.
TIPS
Baguettes are best eaten within several hours of baking, but you
can prolong their life by storing the loaves in a paper bag. To revive
stale bread, spray the crust lightly with water and place in a 400-
degree oven for about 7 minutes.
You’ll need a 4-by-20-inch wooden transfer peel for moving the
loaves and a 13-by 20-inch wooden board for sliding them into the
oven: Both can be bought online from a specialty baking site, or
you can visit your local hardware or home improvement store and
have pieces cut from ¼-inch plywood. A rimless baking sheet or a
pizza peel also work, but make sure they’re at least 18 inches long
and 12 inches wide.

Hi! I'm at 5,250 feet above sea level, does this recipe still work or should I add more water and less rise time? What would you suggest?

The best explanation of the actual process I’ve ever witnessed… and I’ve witnessed a ton of baguette how to’s. Thanks!

This video is twice as long as it needed to be…

Always promothing thier own tribe

@csaffitz, do you recommend a bread knife? Thanks!

Is baguette also the plural? So people never say baguettes? I just noticed you were saying that. Lol

The vocal fry… oy

Yea. Her recipie is clear and easy to follow. Thanks

Baguette is not a mass noun. It's plural is baguettes.

ngl this looks kinda tricky, but I"m up for the challenge

Is it possible to use a sourdough starter instead of polish?