Baguettes

I recently found a great recipe for baguettes from a master chef. Here it is with ALL of the things that are kept an intentional secret. This recipe is courtesy of "The Bread Book" and Chef Pierre Koffmann.

The most important thing to keep in mind with this recipe is that the flour temperature, room temperature, and the water temperature must all total the number 190....I repeat, 190....so if the room is 72, the flour temperature 72, then the water has to be what?.....exactly....46* Fahrenheit.

4 to 5 cups white bread flour (unbleached and stone ground)
3/4 cup of cake flour
4 teaspoons of kosher or flaked sea salt
1 cake compressed fresh yeast (.6 ounces)
1 3/4 cups of water
saltwater to glaze

Combine 4 cups of bread flour, the cake flour , and the salt in a large bowl. Calculate the different temperatures like mentioned above. Put the yeast in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the chilled water, stir until smooth, the stire in the remaining water. Put 3 cups of the flour and salt mixture in another large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the yeast mixture. Gradually work the flour into the liquid, using your hand, to make a sloppy batter.

Cover with a damp dish towel, or put the bowl into a large plastic bad and tie closed. Let it stand for 4 to 5 hours at room temperature and away from drafts. The batter will become frothy, rise up in the bowl, then collapse back down.

Work in the rest of the flour mixture, plus a much of the remaining bread flour (about 1/4 cup at a time) as is necessary to form a very soft dough. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes, or until the dough becomes firmer and springy, adding more bread flour if needed.

Wash, dry, and oil the bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn the dough over so the top is oiled. Cover with a damp dish towel and let rise at cool room temperature until doubled in size, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Punch the dough down. Dive the dough out to 3 equal pieces.

roll them into cylinders that are about 12x3 inches. Cover them with a damp towel and let them rise again for about an hour.

During the last 15 minutes of this rising preheat an oven to 450 degrees. After the 15 minutes score the top of the loafs with a sharp knife or razor blade on a diagonal. Then using a squirt bottle spray the oven sides and bottom with water...just so that it will create a steaming effect. Bake the loafs for 20 minutes, brushing them with salt water and spraying the oven sides after 10 minutes. At the end of 20 minutes, spray the oven again with water and reduce the oven temperature to 400F.

Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until the loaves are crisp and they sound hollow when tapped underneath.

NOTE: You can use 2 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast but fresh yeast gives a much better result.