Ingredients
Scale
- 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!