Finally managed a baguette after 11 years

I started baking about 11 years ago, and have long been intimidated by baguettes, suffering many horrible failures. This week I finally seem to have cracked the code. Feedback of course welcome, particularly on how to shape it to be a little less lumpy. But overall, I’m thrilled, and though I usually don’t feel compelled to share, this time I had to.

Recipe is:

100g ripe starter (100% hydration 50/50 AP/WW)

415g flour

300g water (~72% hydration)

8g salt

– Mix starter, flour and 275g water until shaggy.

– Add salt and 25g water to top.

– Let autolyse for 30 mins.

– Knead in mixer with dough hook until smooth and salt and added water are fully mixed, usually 2-3 mins.

– Coil fold every 30 mins for 90 mins, or until you can get a very thin windowpane.

– Bulk at room temp until noticeably risen with bubbles on top, usually 3-4 hours

– Pop in the fridge for at least 3 hours, up to 48

– Turn out and divide into two ~400g pieces

– Form into tight balls and bench rest for 30 mins, covered with a linen towel

– Flour dough and hands, press into rectangles, fold top third to the center, bottom third to the center, then fold top over bottom, using palms to seal the seam. Flip over and roll to ~14” long

– Place seam side up in floured couche or towel (I’ve been using a towel with three aluminum foil containers underneath creating two beds for the dough), and cover with linen or towel

– Let proof until the dough is noticeably puffy and a small poke in the center takes ~30 seconds to spring back

– Preheat oven with baking steel on middle rack to 425deg F

– Turn onto parchment paper and score three times lengthwise at a 45 degree angle, overlapping each score

– Load parchment onto baking steel and spray dough with light water mist (I’ve been using my wife’s continuous spray hair mister! Need to get my own…)

– Bake at 425deg F with steam for 12 minutes (I have a Samsung wall oven with a steam resevoir, and use steam bake with ‘high’ steam), then turn up to 450deg F and bake without steam until golden brown, about 10 minutes

– Let rest at least 20 mins, until crust is crispy but no longer hard