Same Day Sourdough Demi Baguettes
These sourdough demi baguettes are naturally leavened with a stiff sourdough starter and can be baked the same day. Demi baguettes are a shorter version of the classic French baguette, and therefore easier to bake in conventional home ovens. They have a crisp, crackly crust and a soft and airy crumb.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Baguette pan
- Tea towel
Ingredients
For the leaven:
- 30 g Sourdough starter
- 30 g Water - lukewarm at around 30° C
- 60 g Flour - all-purpose
For the main dough:
- 100 g Active leaven
- 345 g Water - lukewarm at around 30° C
- 200 g All-purpose flour
- 235 g Bread flour
- 10 g Salt - fine sea salt
Instructions
- The evening before, prepare the leaven: Dissolve the sourdough starter in the water. Add the flour and mix to combine. Briefly knead until there are no dry patches of flour left. Let the leaven sit on the counter overnight at room temperature for about 8-12 hours until doubled in size, bubbly, and active.
- The next morning, make the main dough. Mix the active leaven with the water and stir until almost fully dissolved. Add the flour and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the mixing bowl with a damp tea towel and let it rest on the counter for 30-34 minutes. Add the salt, dimple it into the dough with wet fingers and knead the dough for a few minutes, until it feels smooth and elastic. Cover it and let it rest in a warm spot (26 - 28° C) for about 2 hours. The dough doesn’t need to double in size during this time, but you should start to see some fermentation activity and small bubbles throughout the dough.
- Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 3 equal pieces (about 290 g each). To pre-shape the baguettes, lightly flatten each dough piece with the palm of your hand into a rectangular shape. Fold one of the short sides into the center and repeat with the other side. Then, take the top part and roll the dough up into a cylindrical shape. Repeat with the other two dough pieces and cover them with a damp tea towel. Let them rest on the bench for 30 - 45 minutes.
- For the final shaping, flip the pre-shaped dough pieces over on your work surface. The seam side is now facing up. Gently flatten each piece into a rectangle again. Then, fold the top third of each rectangle down toward the center and lightly seal the seam with your fingertips. Fold the bottom third up toward the center (like folding a letter). Then fold the dough in half lengthwise again and seal the edges to create a seam. For the full shaping process, please refer to the video below. Roll the dough into a long strand (about 35 cm). Place the baguettes into the pan with the seam side down. Cover the baguettes with a damp tea towel and let them proof in a warm spot for about 3 hours, or until they have increased in size and look puffy and airy. If they look dense, let them proof longer. Start to pre-heat the oven to 230° C during the last 30 minutes of the proofing time.
- Before baking, slash the baguettes with 3-4 short cuts lengthwise down the center line. Bake with steam for the first 10 minutes. Then release the steam and finish baking for another 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool for about 20 minutes.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 556kcalCarbohydrates: 114gProtein: 17gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gSodium: 1301mgPotassium: 150mgFiber: 4gSugar: 0.4gVitamin A: 2IUCalcium: 26mgIron: 4mg