Why would you make a baguette at home if you can get it cheap in every bakery or supermarket?
Because it is even cheaper. It is simple and easy. It is almost no work to do. And you know exactly what you put in the baguette and what you eat.
This recipe is also called 4-hour-recipe. Yes it takes 4 hours to make these baguettes – so making your own baguette is nothing for spontaneous people ;) BUT – and that is the good thing – the work you actually have to do is much less – it is basically waiting and let the yeast do it’s work. The result is a delicious baguette with a crisp crust – perfect for a BBQ or as a side for a nice salad – or just to eat with some butter and some cold cuts :)
Note: I bake baguette and bread on a pizza (bread) stone – it is a nice gadget you can buy for your oven to turn it into a more “professional” bread baking oven. Or you can just use it to get a better crust for your pizza :P The hot stone gives the baked good instantly the heat it needs to develop a great crust – and who does not want a great crust ;)
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
1 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water, no more than 90°F
1/4 tsp. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. dry yeast
3 1/4 cups (415g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup ice cubes
360ml warmes Wasser, max. 32°C
1/4 TL Zucker
1 1/4 TL Trockenhefe
415g Mehl (Type 405)
2 TL Salz
1/2 Tasse Eiswürfel
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
2. Add flour and stir with a fork until a dough forms and the flour is absorbed completely. Let sit for about 20 minutes.
3. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and add the salt on top. Mix in and knead for about 10 minutes until you get a smooth and elastic dough (you can also let a food processor do the work). Transfer dough ball to a lightly greased bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place bowl in a cold oven and let dough rest until doubled in size – about 45 minutes.
4. Transfer dough again to a lightly floured surface and shape into a rectangle. Fold the long sides toward the middle, then fold the shorter sides toward the center to get a small package. Return to the bowl, seam side down, cover with plastic wrap and return to the oven. Let rise for another hour.
5. Remove the dough from the oven and place a cast iron skillet (or baking dish) on the bottom rack of the oven and another rack with a baking stone in the middle (a regular baking sheet works as well). Preheat the oven to 475˚F (245°C).
6. Cut the dough into 3 equal pieces and shape each piece into a 14 inch (38cm) rope. Flour a sheet of baking parchment and place ropes evenly spaced on the paper. Lift paper between the ropes to form pleats. Place two rolled kitchen towels on the sides to support the loaves. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for about 50 minutes.
7. Using a sharp knife or scissors, slash the top of each baguette couple times. Slide the loaves with the baking parchment on the baking stone (or baking sheet) and place the ice cubes in the skillet (or baking dish) – the ice cubes will produce steam to let the loaves rise fully before a crust forms. Bake the baguettes until dark browned and crisp for about 20-30 minutes. Let cool before serving.
2. Mehl zugeben und mit einer Gabel verrühren, bis sich alles verbunden hat. Für weitere 20 Minuten stehen lassen.
3. Den Teig auf eine bemehlte Fläche geben und das Salz darauf verteilen. Alles zu einem glatten und elastischen Teig verkneten – etwa 10 Minuten lang (kann man auch die Küchenmaschine erledigen lassen). Teig in eine leicht gefettete Schüssel geben und mit Plastikfolie abdecken. In den kalten Ofen stellen und Teig für ca. 45 Minuten gehen lassen – das Volumen sollte sich verdoppelt haben.
4. Teig wieder auf die bemehlte Fläche geben und zu einem Rechteck formen. Die langen Seiten zur Mitte falten und dann die Kurzen Seiten darüberschlagen, so dass ein kleines Päckchen entsteht. Zurück in die Schüssel legen (überlappende Seiten nach unten) und mit Plastikfolie abdecken. Zurück in den Ofen stellen und eine weitere Stunde gehen lassen.
5. Die Schüssel aus dem Ofen nehmen und eine gußeiserne Pfanne (oder Metallbackform) auf ein Gitter im unteren Bereich des Ofens stellen und darüber auf ein Gitter einen Pizzastein (ein normales Blech tut es aber auch). Den Ofen auf 245°C (475°F) vorheizen.
6. Den Teig in drei gleiche Stücke teilen und jedes Teigstück zu einer ca. 38cm (14 inch) langen Rolle formen. Ein großes Backpapier mit Mehl bestäuben und die Teigrollen mit genügen Abstand darauf legen. Das Papier zwischen den Teigrollen hochziehen, damit sich eine Falte bildet. Zwei Küchentücher aufrollen und an die Seiten legen, damit auch hier das Backpapier nach oben gebracht wird. Abdecken und für ca. 50 Minuten gehen lassen.
7. Wenn der Teig gegangen ist, die Oberfläche der Laibe mit einem scharfen Messer oder einer Schere mehrmals einschneiden. Die Laibe zusammen mit dem Backpapier auf den Pizzastein (oder das Backblech) legen und die Eiswürfel in die Pfanne (Backform) füllen – die Eiswürfel produzieren Dampf, der die Laibe fertig gehen lässt, bevor sich die Kruste bildet. Baguette für 20-30 Minuten backen – die Oberfläche sollte dunkel und knusprig sein. Vor dem Servieren abkühlen lassen.
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Print
Easy Peasy Baguette
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 240
- Yield: 3 1x
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water, no more than 90°F
- 1/4 tsp. sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp. dry yeast
- 3 1/4 cups (415g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup ice cubes
Instructions
- Whisk together warm water, sugar and yeast in a large bowl and let sit until yeast is foamy – takes about 10 minutes.
- Add flour and stir with a fork until a dough forms and the flour is absorbed completely. Let sit for about 20 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface and add the salt on top. Mix in and knead for about 10 minutes until you get a smooth and elastic dough (you can also let a food processor do the work). Transfer dough ball to a lightly greased bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place bowl in a cold oven and let dough rest until doubled in size – about 45 minutes.
- Transfer dough again to a lightly floured surface and shape into a rectangle. Fold the long sides toward the middle, then fold the shorter sides toward the center to get a small package. Return to the bowl, seam side down, cover with plastic wrap and return to the oven. Let rise for another hour.
- Remove the dough from the oven and place a cast iron skillet (or baking dish) on the bottom rack of the oven and another rack with a baking stone in the middle (a regular baking sheet works as well). Preheat the oven to 475˚F (245°C).
- Cut the dough into 3 equal pieces and shape each piece into a 14 inch (38cm) rope. Flour a sheet of baking parchment and place ropes evenly spaced on the paper. Lift paper between the ropes to form pleats. Place two rolled kitchen towels on the sides to support the loaves. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for about 50 minutes.
- Using a sharp knife or scissors, slash the top of each baguette couple times. Slide the loaves with the baking parchment on the baking stone (or baking sheet) and place the ice cubes in the skillet (or baking dish) – the ice cubes will produce steam to let the loaves rise fully before a crust forms. Bake the baguettes until dark browned and crisp for about 20-30 minutes. Let cool before serving.
Notes
- Enjoy baking!
I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;)
