A fresh Italian baguette is simply a pleasure. 

A fresh Italian baguette is simply a pleasure. 
© Julian Kutos

Italian Baguette

A fresh baguette is simply a pleasure: whether plain, with herbs from Provence or, in Italian-style, with sun-dried tomatoes and olives.

Julian Kutos

For the pre-dough:

Ingredients
200 g wheat flour T700, or white bread flour
200 ml water
2 g wheat germ
  • Mix all the ingredients together.
  • Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours, then put in the fridge overnight.

For the dough:

Ingredients
400 g starter dough from above
200 ml water
375 g durum wheat semolina
15 g Fleur de Sel salt, or sea salt flakes
3 g wheat germ
50 g sun-dried tomato
50 g olives, pitted
  • For the autolysis, briefly knead the pre-dough, water and durum wheat semolina and leave to rest for 30 minutes. Then add the remaining ingredients and knead for 10 minutes.
  • Cover and let the dough rest for 2 hours. 
  • Roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes and olives and add to the dough. Knead again to mix in.
  • After 2 hours turn out the dough and cut into 3 rectangles, shape each rectangle into a cylinder.  Leave to rest for 20 minutes.
  • To flatten the dough, place your finger in the middle of the dough cylinder and fold the dough over your finger and press together.
  • Form the dough in to a baguette and allow to  rise again for 30 to 40 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 250°C hot air. Bake the baguettes for about 20 minutes with steam. After 15 minutes release the steam.  (see Tip if your oven doesn't have a steam function)
  • Let the baguette cool and slice cold.

Tip:

Baking with steam:

  • Oven with steam function: 3 bursts of steam
  • Combi oven: Bake for 15 minutes with 70% moisture
  • Bake for 5 minutes with 0% moisture
  • Without steam function: Heat up a deep tray. Before baking, pour a glass of cold water into the oven, insert the baguette and close the oven door immediately.

Photo gallery of the preparation:

Julian Kutos
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