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Two-Day Artisan Baguettes
The secret to bakery-quality bread at home is a slow, two-day fermentation that builds incredible flavor. You'll use a blend of stone-ground wheat and Manitoba flours, plus a touch of chestnut honey, to give the crumb a rich, earthy character. It takes some patience, but the resulting chewy interior and crisp, golden crust are entirely worth the wait. You won't want to buy store-bought loaves again.
Ingredients
- 1.3 lb (625 g) water
- 15 oz (430 g) stonemeal wheat flour
- 6 cups (1.4 L) water
- 2 lb (1 kg) stone-ground wheat flour
- 3 lb (1.375 g) Manitoba meal
- 0.8 oz (25 g) chestnut honey
- 0.7 oz (20 g) compressed yeast 2.2 oz (65 g) fine salt
Instructions
- 1Combine the initial water, stonemeal flour, and a small pinch of yeast (about the size of half a sugar cube) in a large bowl. Blend well with a whisk. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the mixture rest at room temperature for four hours, then move it to the refrigerator overnight to develop flavor.
- 2Transfer the chilled preferment to a stand mixer the next day. Add the remaining water, stone-ground wheat flour, Manitoba meal, chestnut honey, and compressed yeast. Mix on the lowest speed for four minutes, then increase the speed and mix for another four minutes. This builds the initial gluten structure.
- 3Add the fine salt to the dough and continue mixing at the higher speed for four more minutes. Adding salt later prevents it from inhibiting the yeast too early. Transfer the dough to a clean container, cover, and let it rise for two hours.
- 4Divide the rested dough into 1-oz (130-g) pieces. Shape each piece into a 10-inch (25cm) oblong loaf. Cover the shaped loaves and let them rise for one and a half to two hours.
- 5Bake the baguettes in batches in a preheated oven at 480°F (250°C) for about seven minutes until the crust is golden and crisp. Let them cool slightly before slicing.
Notes
- Storage: Keep baked baguettes in a paper bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. Avoid plastic, which softens the crust.
- Freeze: Once completely cool, wrap individual loaves tightly in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and refresh in a hot oven for a few minutes.
- Equipment: A baking stone or steel will help achieve a crispier bottom crust.