high protein baguettes

after 20 minutes, combine the yeast mixture with the autolyse. mix by hand until fully incorporated – this will take some horsepower, but i believe in you. when the two are entirely homogenous, form the dough into a ball and let it rise, covered in the bowl, for 30 minutes.

after the first rise, perform a series of stretches and folds on the dough to develop a strong gluten structure. rise for 30 more minutes, then repeat the process of stretching and folding.

now we are ready for the preshaping step. flip out the dough onto a well floured surface and begin tightening the exterior gluten network. essentially, you are tucking the outside of the dough under itself to ensure a proper shape.

rest the dough on your countertop, covered, for 15 minutes. then, flour the top of the dough and flip it over. divide into 3 equal parts (6 parts for demi baguettes), and tuck each piece into a smooth ball. allow them to rest on the counter top for at least 30 minutes.

to shape, grab a ball and de-gas it gently to reach a slightly flattened, widened shape. fold the dough down and roll into a burrito, sealing as you go. ive linked a tutorial here to give you a visual guide through shaping.

at this point, you may choose to cold ferment the shaped baguettes for more flavor development. place the dough in your fridge, covered, anywhere from 12-24 for maximum flavor development.

when you are ready, set the dough out to proof at room temperature. in the meantime, preheat your oven, as well your bread-baking vessel of choice*, to 450°F.

once the baguettes are proofed, gently lay them onto a parchment sheet and score with a razor blade or bread lame. bake on the center rack for 25 minutes, or as dark as you prefer your crust (i usually bake it a bit dark). turn once halfway through for even browning.

when finished, allow your baguettes to cool COMPLETELY before slicing in. i know it’s tempting, the thought of warm fresh bread out of the oven, but i promise you’ll regret it – slicing the bread before it’s completely cooled can ruin the crumb structure that you worked so hard to achieve! to be safe, i allowed my loaf to cool, covered with a towel, overnight – but anywhere around 1 hour is fine.