Today we're baking baguettes. If you've been waiting for the right week to try them, this is it. Here's how the working thread runs: drop in throughout the day, share where you are in the process, post photos, ask questions as they come up. I'll be in and out answering. The whole point is that nobody bakes alone today. A few things to keep in mind before you start: Hydration matters. Baguette dough is wetter than a sandwich loaf and that's on purpose. Don't fight it with extra flour. Trust the folds. Shape with intention. The pre-shape sets up the final shape. Rushing the pre-shape is the number one reason baguettes come out lumpy or uneven. Score with confidence. One quick motion, blade angled almost flat to the dough. Hesitation gives you a torn loaf instead of a clean ear. Steam is non-negotiable. Whatever method you use, get steam in that oven for the first 10 minutes. No steam, no crust, no shine. If you need the recipe, here it is: https://pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/ Drop your starting time below so we can see who's mixing when. Photos welcome at every stage. Floury counters, ugly pre-shapes, perfect oven spring, all of it. Let's bake. Perfection is not required. Progress is. Henry ⭐🔥

Sweet Stiff Levain - 5g stiff starter - 30g water - 60g bread flour - 10g sugar Dough - 100 g active bubbly Levain - 375g warm water - 20g olive oil - 500g Bread Flour - 20g salt - Zest of 1 lemon mixed with 1Tb sugar Blueberry compote Lemon glaze Sooo.. good!

Good morning, bakers. This is our home base for today. 🔥 Two versions, same bread, same 80% hydration, no shaping, no scoring, all flavor: 👉 Yeasted with Poolish: pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/rustic-italian-ciabatta 👉 Sourdough with Levain: pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/sourdough-italian-ciabatta (Swap these for the trackable community links from the recipe card share button.) 🧭 How to use this thread: 📸 Post your poolish or levain photo first thing. Show me what you woke up to. 💬 Drop questions in the comments as you go. Mixing, fermentolyse, coil folds, bulk rise, divide and cut, final proof, bake. Every stage. I’ll be in here all day. 🏷️ Tag your photos with the stage so we can all follow along.“Poolish ready,” “Coil fold #2,” “Just divided,” “In the oven,” “Crumb shot.” ⚠️ A few reminders before you start: 👀 Watch the dough, not the clock. 50 to 70% rise on bulk, not doubled. Doubled means overproofed, and ciabatta will go flat on you. 💧 Wet hands and a wet bench scraper are your best friends today. Don’t add flour to a wet dough. Trust it. 🎥 The coil fold video I posted yesterday is pinned. Watch it once before your first fold if you’ve never done one. 🔥 Steam matters. Cast iron skillet of hot water on the bottom rack, or a Brod & Taylor dome — either works. Don’t skip it. 💡 If your bake doesn’t come out picture-perfect, post it anyway. We learn more from honest bakes than from highlight reels. 🚀 Let’s go. Drop your starting photos below. Perfection is not required. Progress is. Henry ⭐🔥

Good morning, bakers. If your ciabatta feels soft this morning, that’s normal. Thin crust, high hydration. It doesn’t hold that crackle overnight. Let’s fix it. 🔥 Quick Oven Refresh (This is the move) • Preheat your oven to 375°F• Lightly mist the loaf with water or run it quickly under the tap(Don’t soak it. Just dampen the crust.)• Place it directly on the rack• Bake 5–8 minutes You’ll hear it start to crackle again. That’s what you want. 🔪 Already sliced? Same approach: • Light mist• Into the oven 4–6 minutes• Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t dry out 🚫 Skip the microwave It’ll turn your crust leathery. Not what we’re after. 🔥 Level-up option Slice it and toast cut-side down in a hot pan with a little olive oil. Now you’ve got something better than yesterday. Keep going. You’re learning how bread behaves, not just how to bake it. Henry ⭐🔥

You all were more impressive today than I've ever seen. Every week the bar moves up, and today you cleared it again. Poolish, levain, 80% hydration, no shape, no score, real ciabatta from real bakers in real kitchens. That's not nothing. Quick one before bed — give me a sentence or two: What was your biggest takeaway from this bake? Maybe it was the poolish and what slow fermentation actually does. Maybe it was learning to trust a wet dough and stop adding flour. Maybe it was the coil folds, or the couche, or finally understanding what 50 to 70% rise feels like in your hands. Drop yours below. Reading every one. Perfection is not required. Progress is. Henry ⭐🔥