Okay, so I made these a couple months ago, but they were pretty awesome! My life has been kind of crazy lately and I’m back at school without a kitchen, so I apologize for the lack of updates lately. Don’t worry though, I am graduating in less than 2 weeks and then I will be FREE from university and life without a kitchen FOREVER! I hope. Believe me, though, I plan to make up for my lack of updating this summer and when I move to Prague in August.

I can’t completely take credit for these though, as these Ultimate Sourdough Baguettes are pilfered from Recipezaar. I didn’t quite cook them as the recipe described, but that’s because I was in a rush to catch a ferry back up to college.

Sourdough Baguettes

Yummy homemade sourdough baguettes.
Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
  • 2 cups proofed sourdough starter
  • 5-6 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 4 teaspoons yeast
  • 4 teaspoons vital wheat gluten

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl combine the water, starter, and 3 cups flour, mixing until smooth.
  • Stir in the salt, sugar, yeast, and gluten then add 2 more cups flour.
  • Continue stirring until the dough starts to pull away from sides of bowl, add only enough flour to make a slack, sticky dough.
  • Knead 5 minutes and turn into an oiled bowl to rise 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
  • After the first rising is done, deflate and divide dough into 6 thin or 3 thick baguettes or several rolls and place at least 4 inches apart from each other on parchment paper or something else that won't stick. Each one should be approximately 18 inches long.
  • Place a lightly greased piece of plastic wrap on top and let rise 1 hour (don't forget this part or you'll end up with a mess!).
  • Brush with water/very diluted cornstarch and sprinkle w/ desired topping (optional, try sesame or poppy seeds).
  • Sprinkle baking tray/preheated baking stone with fine-ground corn meal and carefully transfer baguettes to it.
  • Bake at 450°F oven for 20 min with a tray filled with water in the oven to create steam.
  • Remove from oven, place rack at top of oven then put bread back in and broil till deep golden brown in color, watching closely.

Tada!