Baguette de Tradition

Mix:

In a large mixing bowl, add the water, flour, salt and yeast in that order. Stir with one hand and turn the bowl slowly with your other hand. As you are mixing, slide your fingers down the sides of the bowl, then grab the dough from the bottom of the bowl, lift it up and fold it back onto itself. Do this until the dough feels even and not lumpy. It will be shaggy and stringy. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. With a kitchen thermometer, take the internal temperature of the dough— it should be between 74 and 76 degrees. The warmer the dough is, the faster it will ferment. Maintaining a consistent temperature is very important for this recipe to work correctly.

Folds and Bulk Fermentation:

With wetted hands, grab the right side of the dough and fold into the center of the dough. Repeat from the left and overlap the previous fold. Repeat this from the side of the dough facing away from you and then from the side closest to you. The dough should now look like a package with four folds overlapping in the center of the dough. Allow to rest for 20 minutes.

Repeat this series of folds 4 more times, allowing dough to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes between each folding. Continue to monitor the temperature of the dough, trying to maintain a temperature range of 74 to 76 degrees. After the last fold, let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees with a pizza stone on the bottom rack.

Shape:

Dust the dough and your work surface. Scrape dough with a flexible bowl scraper or rubber spatula gently onto dusted work surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour. Using a metal bench scraper, divide the dough into 4 roughly equal square pieces. For each piece, starting with the edge furthest from you, lift and fold the dough to the middle. Repeat the same motion from the edge closest to you, but bring the two edges of dough together to form a seam (use flour if the dough is sticking to your hands or the table). Now roll the loaf so the seam is on the bottom. Drape a large kitchen towel over the back of a sheet pan or large cutting board, dust with flour, and place the shaped loaf with the seam on the bottom. Repeat with the other 3 pieces and give each piece 2 inches between each other.

Proof:

Cover loosely with plastic or a lightly dampened kitchen towel if the loaves are developing a dry skin. Proof at room temperature for 1 hour.

Bake:

With two hands, stretch each piece of dough gently, wiggling until 12 inches or so long. Place two loaves on a wooden paddle or the back of a sheet pan dusted with flour. Place the other two back on the pan used for proofing. Gently score the loaves diagonally all the way down their lengths with a razor blade or serrated knife. Be careful not cut too deep. Re-cover the two baguettes on the pan until their turn to be baked.

Slide the two loaves onto the hot pizza stone. Using a clean spray bottle filled with water, immediately mist very heavily all over the loaves and oven. Close the door. Repeat misting twice, every 30 seconds (see note on steam at left). Then keep the door closed and bake until golden brown, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

Repeat with the last two baguettes. Cool completely before slicing.