This Weekend We're Baking Baguettes (Building on What We Just Learned)

⭐

🔥

This weekend we're going to baguettes. And there's a reason we're getting to them now.

Look at what we've done the past two weeks. We learned the couche on ciabatta. We built a poolish for that same ciabatta and watched what an overnight pre-ferment does to flavor and extensibility. Both of those skills carry straight over to baguettes. We're not learning new things this weekend. We're putting the same tools to work in a new shape.

That's the method. Each bake builds on the last one. Nothing wasted.

Three recipes in the Recipe Pantry. Pick the one that matches where you are.

🥖 New to baguettes? Start here. Classic French Bread Baguette — four ingredients, overnight cold ferment, 72% hydration. Two loaves, cleanest entry point in the pantry. No pre-ferment, no starter. Just dough, time, and shape. https://pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/french-bread-baguette?utm_source=skool&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=recipe-share

🥖 Liked the poolish ciabatta? Run it back. Classic Poolish Baguette — same poolish you just built, in a new shape. 12 to 16 hour pre-ferment, 75% hydration, three baguettes. If you nailed the ciabatta, you already know how this dough is going to feel. https://pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/classic-poolish-baguette?utm_source=skool&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=recipe-share

🥖 Sourdough bakers, this one's yours. Sourdough Baguettes — overnight levain, 75% hydration, three baguettes at 265g. Same shaping rhythm we practiced on the ciabatta couche. https://pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/sourdough-baguettes?utm_source=skool&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=recipe-share

The method behind the madness

Over the last few weeks we focused on hydration and the couche. Last weekend we added the poolish and watched flavor develop overnight. This weekend we add scoring and the controlled roll-out shape.

That's the path. Couche, then poolish, then scoring. Each one a small step. Nothing thrown at you cold.

The boiled breads and pretzel bake are coming, but not yet. We've got brand new folks who just joined, and I want everyone to get reps in on shaping and scoring before we add boiling water and lye solutions. Build the foundation first.

Three things to focus on this weekend

The shape. Pre-shape, rest, then roll. Don't fight the dough. If it pulls back on you, give it five more minutes and try again. Same patience the ciabatta taught you.
The score. 30 to 45 degree angle. Three to four overlapping cuts. Confident and quick. Hesitation shows up in the crust.
The steam. Crust sets in the first 10 minutes. Hot water in a pre-heated pan, door shut fast. Same physics that built your ciabatta crust.

Drop your bake in the feed

Post your photos all weekend. Tell us which version you picked and what felt different from the ciabatta. If something feels off before you bake, post it. Easier to fix dough than crust.

Perfection is not required. Progress is.

— Henry ⭐🔥

276 comments