La baguette: finale

Last time I left you here:

I'm not sure what you chose to do with the collards, but today we will turn that dough into something wonderful. When you pull that big bowl out of the refrigerator, the dough should look something like this:

First things first, pull out about 1/4 of the dough and plop it on a well oiled counter (I used olive oil). Shape it into a rough oval, cover it with oiled plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes, just to come a bit closer to room temperature. During this time, the dough might begin to contemplate the fact that it now is an individual. This change in identity and the separation anxiety from the rest of the dough, now back in the refrigerator, might be a bit much so be sure to give it some quiet time alone to think this through and begin to appreciate the magnificent loaf that it will soon become.

 

Look at all of those holes! This is looking good! After your dough has rested for 15 minutes, we need to form the loaf. Begin by turning the dough so that is is longer right to left:

Next, fold the far side over to meet the near side and seal the seam with the side of your hand.

 

Repeat this step, and you should end up with a slightly elongated tube of dough.

Cup your hands over it and gently roll it back and forth until it reaches 12 or so inches.

Place it on your baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper, cover with the oiled plastic wrap again, and let rise for 1.5 hours.  Again, a warm, moist environment will make it all that it can be. About 1 hour in, begin preheating your oven to 450F. It must be fully preheated before putting the loaf in.

 

After rising is done, make 3 or 4 slashes diagonally along the loaf. Use a sharp knife and slice with intent. If you shy away from it, the slices will not get through this tender dough.

Spritz the entire loaf with water. At this point, fill up the broiler pan, or a jelly-roll pan with water and slide it in your oven on the bottom rack. Put the bread in the oven on the middle rack. The steam from the water will ensure a crunchy, crackly crust.

Finally, bake for 20-30 minutes, watching carefully from 15 minutes on. When the bread develops a deep golden brown crust, it's ready! Let it rest on a rack until it is safe to handle. Mmmmmm, you just made bread. Can this baguette rival those in great french bakeries? No. Can it top a Wegman's baguette? No. Is it a great substitute when you live far, far away from either of those? Absolutely. The quality of this loaf is leaps and bounds above what is available in my rinky-dink local grocer. And you get the added benefit that your entire home will smell like freshly baked bread. Go ahead, impress yourself with your bread-baking prowess. If a baking illiterate like myself can do it, so can you!