Main ingredients:
250g of a mixture of high-gluten flour and whole wheat flour; 150-175g of ice water; 8g of instant dry yeast.
Additional ingredients:
5-6g of salt; appropriate amount of spices; appropriate amount of dried fruit.
Flavor: Sweet; Process: Baked; Time: Several hours; Difficulty: Easy.
Baguette Baby Food Cooking Steps
Except for optional ingredients, put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, and place the yeast and salt separately. The purpose of adding ice water is to delay fermentation, and the amount of ice water can be adjusted according to the water absorption rate of the flour. Knead until the surface is smooth and can be stretched into a thick film. The dough is quite sticky, which is different from the dough for making sweet buns. Then add spices and dried fruit.
Knead the dough well with a scraper, put it in a bowl, and let it undergo the first basic fermentation (cover it with plastic wrap and let it ferment at room temperature. Don’t rush to activate the fermentation function. This slowly fermented bread has its own taste and charm. You can do whatever you want and it won’t affect the fermentation. Ferment until it doubles in size. No need to deflate, just divide it into 3 portions and use flour on your hands if necessary.
Roll the dough into a rectangle and roll one side thin. Roll it up from bottom to top, tighten the surface, and pinch the seam. If it is not pinched tightly, it may burst during fermentation and baking.
Repeat with the other portions and let the dough relax for a while.
Dust the surface of the dough with flour, and then use a sharp blade dipped in water to cut the dough at a 45-degree angle along the longitudinal axis of the dough, making two or three cuts according to personal preference. Note that the angle between the incision and the longitudinal axis should be as small as possible.
For the second fermentation, put it directly into the oven. When the bread dough has doubled in size, it is ready, which takes about 40 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees, place an empty baking tray on the lower rack of the oven, and pour a cup of boiling water into the tray. When you hear a sizzling sound, it’s ready. Put the fermented dough on the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 25 minutes. You should be able to hear a slight cracking sound during the baking process.
The crust is very crispy and becomes more fragrant as you chew. After baking, take it out and place it on a wire rack to cool. A successful baguette has a crispy and hard outer shell, a soft and fluffy interior, and small and large air holes. You need to use a serrated knife to cut it into pieces.
The interior is soft and chewy, and the salty bread occasionally has a mix of spices, which tastes great! However, the size of the holes is not obvious enough, so more effort is needed.
