This is my second attempt to bake the perfect sourdough baguettes.
I published a post about baking sourdough baguettes in November last year.
I wasn’t happy with the result, something I also mentioned in the post.
The oven spring was poor, and the crumb was not as open as I wanted.
When I wrote that post I was quite satisfied with the crumb, but after having studied other baguettes, I realized that it was not open enough.
So I made a promise to continue my trials to get the perfect sourdough baguettes.
Have I reached that goal?
No, I haven’t, but I think the result has improved a lot.
This is a photo from the previous post.
And this is the second attempt.
As you can see, the oven spring is much better, and the crumb is not bad at all.
MORE STEAM
So what did I do differently from last time?
Well, to improve the oven spring I did two things.
I reduced the time for the final rise, and I added much more steam to the oven.
My idea was that if the dough was slightly under proofed, then I would get better oven spring. I think it helped, but it also back-fired a bit, something I will come back to later on.
When I bake bread formed as boule or batards, I use to cover them with a big metal hood. It works like a Dutch oven as it traps the steam from the bred, helping it develop a nice oven spring.
But I didn’t have anything big enough to cover the baguettes.
So I loaded a big metal dish with lots of metal parts, like nuts and bolts, and placed it in the bottom of the oven. I preheated the metal parts together with the oven, and when it was time to bake I poured some water on it. This method is not new to me, I have used it before. But this time I increased the amount of metal and water a lot.
And suddenly I got the oven I spring I wanted.
Well, almost.
One of the baguettes expanded where it was not supposed to. It cracked in the bottom. That indicates it was a bit too much under proofed.
It seems that the timing when to stop the final fermentation is very important when it comes to baguettes.
GENTLE HANDS
To get a better crumb, I decided to try to handle the dough more carefully.
I decided not to use the dough mixer and not to overwork the dough during bulk fermentation with too many stretch and folds.
A big part of the dough had been sitting on the counter overnight and already developed a lot of gluten and elasticity. Instead of making four or five stretch and folds, I only made two. After that, I checked the dough, and to my surprise, it passed the windowpane test.
So during the rest of the bulk fermentation, I left the dough alone.
There is one more thing I did differently, and that was to exclude the extra starter and sugar I added to the dough in my first attempt. I’m not sure if that had any impact on the final result, but I think I should mention it.
ABOUT FLOUR AND STARTER
I used a wheat flour with 11.5% protein content. I also used a wheat starter with 100% hydration.
LEVAIN
I mixed 225g wheat flour with 150 g water and 50g starter to a dough that I left to ferment for 8 hours at a temperature of 72ºF / 22ºC.
MIXING THE DOUGH AND BULK FERMENTATION
I mixed the dough by adding 320g water and 450g wheat flour to the levain.
Because I didn’t want to risk to overwork the dough, I used my hands instead of a dough mixer.
I let the dough rest for 1 hour, and after that, I added the salt and performed a set of stretch and fold. After that, I performed another stretch and fold session after 30 minutes. But after that, I left the dough untouched for the rest of the bulk fermentation.
The Total time for bulk fermentation was 4 1/2 hours at a temperature of 75ºF / 24ºC.
SHAPING
I divided the dough into 4 pieces on a lightly floured working surface.
After that, I preshaped each piece to a small boule and let them rest for 15 minutes.
I try to use the same technique as shown in this video when forming the baguettes. I say try because I need much more practice before I can compare to these guys.
When I had formed the baguettes, I placed them on a baguette plate, and I also covered all of them with an additional kitchen towel. You can cover them with plastic like cling film to prevent the dough from drying out. But be prepared that the dough may stick to the film.
FINAL RISE
Total time for the final fermentation was 1 hour and 15 minutes at a temperature of 75ºF / 24ºC.
BAKING
I preheated the oven together with a baking stone and the equipment mentioned above to create steam. I scored the baguettes and baked them for 30 minutes. It’s a good idea to open the oven lid and ventilate out the steam after 15-20 minutes. You can also lower the temperature if necessary.
As mentioned earlier in this post, I still haven’t baked the perfect sourdough baguettes. And perhaps I never will.
However, I do think this is an improvement compared to my previous trial. They provide a nice appearance with just a hint of sourness combined with a rich, delicate taste.
Am I satisfied?
Of course not. My quest for the perfect sourdough baguettes has only just started.
That is why I will end this post by saying, To be continued.
Sourdough baguettes
Ingredients
Levain
- 150 gram water
- 50 gram sourdough starter
- 225 gram Wheat flour
Baguette
- 320 gram water
- 450 gram Wheat flour
- 13 gram sea salt
Instructions
Levain
- Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Make sure that all flour is hydrated. Cover the dough with cling film and let it ferment for 8 hours at a temperature of 72ºF / 22ºC.
Baguette
- Mix water and flour with the levain and let the dough rest for an hour.
- Add salt and perform one stretch and fold session. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes and perform another stretch and fold session.
- Make a windowpane test and check if more stretch and folds are required. Otherwise, let the dough rest during the rest of the bulk fermentation. Total time for bulk fermentation for these baguettes was 4 1/2 hours at a temperature of 75ºF / 24ºC. You may have to adjust the time due to the strength of your starter and ambient temperature, etc.
- Lightly flour your work surface and dump out the dough. Divide it into three pieces with your bench knife. Flatten the dough gently with your hands. Fold one side against the other and repeat with the other. Form the dough to a baguette by rolling it gently against the work surface. There's a link to an excellent video showing how to form a baguette in the recipe notes.
- Preheat your oven to 480ºF / 250ºC.
- Let the baguettes ferment until they pass the finger poke test. Total time for the final fermentation for my baguettes was 1 hour and 15 minutes at a temperature of 75ºF / 24ºC.
- Score each loaf 3 or 4 times and place them in the oven. Add a lot of stem with your preferred technique. Bake the baguettes for 30- 40 minutes. Open the oven lid after 15-20 minutes and ventilate out the steam. You may also lower the temperature if necessary.
- Let the baguettes cool on wire racks.
33 Comments
Thanks for the flour info as well as the nature of your starter. Many chefs leave that out as well as mentioning if the starter was unfed ir fed. Thanks I look forward to try your changes.
I’m so glad you liked it, Bruce.
To be honest, I never mentioned if I fed my starter before baking in the post. I promise to be more specific about that in the future. However, normally I always take out my starter and feed it a least 3 hours before it’s time to mix a levain or dough. Sometimes I feed it in the evening before I go to bed, so it’s strong and vital in the morning.
Do you bake the baguettes directly on the baking stone or place the baguettes pan on the stone?
Great job! I really enjoy your posts. One question, by wheat flour are you referring to white bread flour or some kind of whole wheat flour. Can you be a little more specific on the type of flour. Thanks again!!!
I’m glad you liked it, Eric.
When I write wheat flour, I mean white bread flour. If I use whole wheat I always mention that.
But I promise to be more specific in the future.
As English is not my native language, I’m very grateful for this kind of input. It helps me to write better content, so please continue to point out if anything is unclear.
Mine burnt on the tops at 480F even before the first 15 min was up! Any ideas why this happened? Or should I just bake at a lower temp next time?
Try to lower the temperature or place the baguettes in the lower part of the oven. The actual temperature can vary a lot between different ovens.
Do you bake the baguettes directly on the baking stone or place the baguettes pan on the stone?
I place the pan with baguetts on the stone.
Hi. Are you actually baking the baguettes in the shown pan or just using it for final proofing? Thanks!
Hi Clayton.
I use the Baguette pan for both final proofing and baking.
Good morning Tomas, morning here in Washington State USA anyway. I am working to make baguettes as nice as yours, This will be my third or fourth try, they are improving. One question about your instructions, where you discuss: “MIXING THE DOUGH AND BULK FERMENTATION” you state “But after that I left the dough untouched for the rest of the bulk fermentation. The total time for bulk fermentation was 4 1/2 hours …”. My confusion is this: When do you consider the bulk fermentation to have begun? Was it at the point that you mixed the levain with the remainder of the dough ingredients? when you added the salt? Perhaps it would be clearer to me to say how long you let the dough bulk ferment after you added the salt. Thanks for all your help.
Hi Paul,
I always consider the bulk fermentation to start when I mix the levain with flour and water. That’s when the fermentation starts. So here I let the dough ferment for 3 1/2 hour after I added the salt. Please be aware that you may have to adjust the time. You may have to let it ferment longer or shorter, depending on the status of your starter, temperature, and lots of other things. So trust your eyes and feelings more than my recipe. It’s only guidelines.
Hey there, a question for you. Can you leave the levain to ferment for longer than 8 hours? Thanks!
Hi Erin,
Yes, you can. 8 hours is just a recommendation. You can always extend the fermentation time if you place the dough/levain in a cooler environment. You can also extend it by adding less starter and increase the amount of flour and water.
Also, I used whole wheat flour because my starter had whole wheat flour. Is that going to be ok?
You can use whole wheat. But you have to be prepared that the crumb will be denser. It’s also a good idea to add some more water as whole wheat is more absorbent than wheat flour. You will, however, get more taste with whole wheat.
How long is the stretch and fold session? (How many minutes, or how many folds)
One set of stretch and fold consists of four stretch and four folds in most of my recipes. You grab the dough, stretch it and fold it back. Rotate the dough a quarter turn and repeat.
Hey
I have a premade levain that I usually use for other breads.For your recipe how much levain to be added?Any idea how do you calculate it?
Hi Sim,
It’s not easy to give a straight answer to that. It depends on the hydration of your levain. It quite much levain in this recipe, so it will make a difference if your levain differs much in hydration from mine.
If it does not differ too much, I would say use the same amount and see how it turns out.
Hi Tomas,
Lovely recipe, I’m doing it at the moment!
Just wondering, 24 degrees for 4h30. Any idea how long I should do the fermentation for 21 degrees by any chance?
Thanks so much!
Steeve
Hi Steeve,
I’m afraid that’s very hard to say. It depends on so many things. Temperature is one aspect, but then you have to consider the strength of the starter, quality of flour, etc. If I had to guess I would say 1 -2 hours times longer fermentation. But that’s just a guess.
Wow just made these after being rusty on the Sourdough front. So delicious. They look like your first set, so I consider that awesome! Thank you for your beautiful website and videos!
I’m glad you liked it, Beth.
You state you are using bread flour. I used all purpose because my bread flour is 12.5 to 13.0 protein and you mention 11.5 protein as your flour. I am fermenting now and the dough is horribly sticky after 2 stretch and folds per directions in your recipe. I am very worried that I will not have a bakeable dough in 3 or more hours.
If your dough is that sticky, I suggest you use your bread flour next time. You can also use your all-purpose flour with less water. The hydration of this dough is about 70-71%, and that is not that much. Even all-purpose flour should be able to handle that hydration, but I don’t know the strength of your all-purpose flour.
Thanks. My all purpose flour is 11.5 protein. I did plan to use bread flour next time. I did extra stretch and folds and after the 4 1/2 hours, I put the dough into the refrigerator and did another (Second)overnight cool fermentation. The dough was considerably less sticky the next morning and handled and baked well, with a excellent crust and a uniform, although smaller holed, crumb. Flavor was good. Surprisingly it did not appear to be overproofed. I will try the recipe with bread flour.
You can also let the dough autolyse for an hour or two. That also makes it easier to handle.
Tomas, I baked these today for a family dinner and all agreed the bread was delicious. Question, is it possible to retard the dough overnight in the fridge to increase its sourdough flavour? Thank you. Ada
Hi Ada,
I’m so glad to hear that you and your family liked the Baguettes.
When you say retard the dough overnight, do you mean during the final rise or bulk fermentation?
Retarding the dough during the final rise works just fine. I have never tried to retard the dough during bulk fermentation (1st rise), But I can’t see any reason why it should not work. You just have to plan for some extra time for the final rise since the dough is cold and the fermentation process is not very active when it comes out from the fridge.
These baguettes are fabulous…crusty, great crumb…perfect in every way a baguette should be! Because I was to be serving on Christmas Eve and I had so much to do, I fermented the bread in the refrigerator for 2 days and it was better than fine. Pic is on my Instagram: Foodiefanatic50.
Great to hear that, Maria. Keep up the good work, and happy baking.