Whether with soup, as a side dish to grilled meat or salad, for breakfast with jam, cheese or sausage - the baguette is one of those favorites that is simply part of our everyday lives. The French delicacy allows us to enjoy every dish in a completely different way and can be prepared traditionally in white, but also healthier with whole grains. And “preparation” is also today’s key word, because in today’s article we are devoting ourselves to exactly that: how can you bake a delicious baguette? And so that there is something for everyone, we offer you both traditional versions with yeast and a yeast-free version that is particularly quick to make.
Can you bake baguette without a mold?
Whether you need a baking pan depends on the consistency of the dough. If it is elastic like typical bread dough, you can easily shape it and bake the baguette without a mold. However, if you have batter that spreads, you should use one. For this purpose, you can also easily make a mold out of aluminum foil, which you then line with baking paper so that the dough can be placedno contact with aluminumhat.
Recipe with fresh yeast
Fresh yeast gives every pastry a very special and airy taste and should therefore always be the first choice, even if it seems a little more complicated. How to bake your own baguettewith fresh yeastlet us now explain:
For 2 baguettes:
- 720 g flour, possibly more
- 720 ml lukewarm water
- 2 tsp fresh yeast
- 2 tsp salt
Start preparing the evening before by mixing all the ingredients together. To do this, first mix the dry ingredients and then add the water. Once a nice dough has formed, cover the bowl with foil and let it rise for 12 to 20 hours.
During this time, a sticky and moist dough will form, which you then shape into two baguettes with floured hands. Beforehand, line a baking tray with baking paper and flour it. If the dough is too sticky to shape, add a little more flour. Place the baguettes on the tray, sprinkle them with a little flour, cut them with a sharp knife and cover them with a clean kitchen towel to let them rise in a warm place for one to two hours.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and place a deep baking tray with 500 ml of hot water on the lowest shelf to make the baguettes crispier. Then put the baguettes on the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes, taking out the tray with the water after 10 minutes.
Bake your own baguette with dry yeast
You don't always have fresh yeast at home if you don't bake regularly. WithDry yeast as an alternativeThings look completely different because they can be stored for longer. Our first recipe explains to you how you can bake an excellent baguette with dry yeast.
For a baguette:
- 1 tsp dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 360 ml warm water (40 to 45 degrees)
- 480 – 540 g Flour
- 2 ½ tsp salt
Put the water in a bowl and slowly crumble in the yeast and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes or until liquid becomes foamy. Then stir in 240 g of flour with a wooden spoon or spatula, followed by the salt and another 240 g of flour. If necessary, continue kneading with your hands until a tough dough forms.
Flour your work surface and hands and continue kneading the dough for at least 8 minutes. This should result in an elastic dough that does not stick. If so, add the remaining flour little by little. Oil a bowl, form the dough into a ball and roll it back and forth until it is completely covered. Cover the bowl with foil and let the dough rise at room temperature for about an hour and a half. It should be twice as big.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Punch the dough onto the work surface and shape it into the typical baguette shape. For this amount of dough, you should aim for a length of approximately 50 cm and a thickness of 7.5 cm. Then place the loaf on a greased piece of baking paper and let it rise for another half hour.
Then score the top with a sharp knife and brush the top with a little water. Now you can bake the baguette - for 30 minutes on the middle shelf. Once it turns golden, take it out of the oven and let it cool.
Bake quick baguettes without yeast
You can make a particularly quick baguette yourselfbaking without yeast, as the dough then doesn't have to rise. Use the following ingredients instead:
- 360 g Flour
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 240ml water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, preferably organic and freshly squeezed
- 50 ml olive oil
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and then add the water, lemon juice and olive oil. Form a sticky, elastic dough, which you then knead on a floured work surface. Then shape the baguette and score the top with a floured knife. Line a baking tray with baking paper, then bake the baguette at 200 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.
You can get recipes for delicious grilled breadin this article.
