Sourdough Baguettes

Method

1. Mix & autolyse: Mix the flour with 330g of the water until no dry patches remain. Cover and rest 45 minutes — this is the autolyse, and it makes the dough far more extensible for shaping later.
2. Build the dough: Add the starter and salt with the remaining 30g water, and squeeze and fold until smooth and combined. Aim for a dough temperature of around 25°C.
3. Bulk ferment: Over the first 2–3 hours give the dough 3–4 sets of stretch-and-folds, 30 minutes apart, until it's smooth, elastic and full of strength. Then leave it until risen by about 30–50%, domed and airy. In my 22–23°C kitchen that's around 4–5 hours total — watch the dough, not the clock.
4. Divide & pre-shape: Tip out gently, divide into 3 equal pieces (about 320g each), and pre-shape each into a loose cylinder. Rest 25–30 minutes, uncovered, so the gluten relaxes.
5. Shape the baguettes: Working one at a time, gently pat into a rough rectangle, fold the top third down and the bottom third up, then roll into a tight log, sealing the seam as you go. Taper the ends with your palms by rolling them out a little thinner. You're after even, taut baguettes with good surface tension.
6. Into the trays: Dust your half baker's trays with fine semolina and lay the baguettes seam-side down, leaving room between them to expand. The semolina stops them sticking and adds a lovely crunch to the base.
7. Cold proof overnight: Cover loosely and chill the trays down in the fridge overnight (8–16 hours). I use a fan-assisted fridge, which firms the surface beautifully — they hold their shape and, crucially, score cleanly straight from cold.
8. Set up the oven: This is my trick for an even, deck-oven bake at home: put two pizza stones in the oven — one on a middle shelf for the baguettes to bake on, and a second one on the shelf directly above to reflect the heat back down onto the tops. Preheat as hot as your oven will go (250–260°C) for a good 45 minutes so both stones are thoroughly heated.
9. Score 3 times: Take the baguettes straight from the fridge. Holding a sharp blade at a low angle, make three long, shallow, overlapping cuts down the length of each one — each slash slightly offset from the last (see our scoring guide). Cold dough scores far more cleanly.
10. Bake with steam: Slide the baguettes (still on their semolina) onto the lower stone and introduce steam — a tray of just-boiled water or a handful of ice cubes on the oven floor, or a few good spritzes of water. Bake 20–25 minutes until deep golden and crackly, and the internal temperature reaches ~98°C. The top stone reflects heat down for an even colour and a thin, crisp crust.
11. Cool & listen: Cool on a wire rack — you'll hear the crust crackle and "sing" as it cools. Baguettes are at their absolute best within a few hours, so eat them the day you bake.