Sourdough Baguettes

Feeding Starter:

1. Remove all but a couple of tablespoons of the starter from the jar. You can use the discard for other recipes or if you have chickens you can feed it to them!
2. Add 150 g of all-purpose flour and 150 g of lukewarm water to the jar and stir it with a long silicone spatula or another clean kitchen utensil until well combined. It should be the consistency of a thick pancake batter. Loosely place the lid on the jar and let rise in a warm spot for 6-8 hours. I like to put mine on top of my fridge.

Dough:

1. To a large mixing bowl, add 125 g of active starter and 350 g of lukewarm water. Whisk the mixture with a dough whisk until the starter is somewhat dispersed in the water. It doesn't have to be a homogenous mixture.
2. Add 10 g of salt and 500 g of bread flour. Stir with the dough whisk until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes. I like to use a shower cap to cover my bowl and banneton so I don't use a bunch of plastic wrap and they're easier to fit around the bowl.
3. Use a silicone bowl scraper to pull the dough away from the bowl edges. Gently stretch the dough between your hands. Then fold the dough in half, grab the sides with the seams, and stretch it in the opposite direction. Repeat until dough starts to feel tight and resists stretching, about 3-4 times. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
4. Repeat the stretching, folding, and resting process 3 more times. Cover the dough and let it sit on the counter overnight, about 8-12 hours.

Shaping:

1. In the morning, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 3 equal portions.
2. Shape each piece of dough into a ball by folding the edges of the dough towards the middle and sealing the seams together. Flip the dough ball over and use a bench scraper to pull the sides of the dough under the bottom. This creates surface tension on the outside of the dough which helps it rise better.
3. Cover the dough balls with a clean kitchen towel and let them rest for 1 hour.
4. Working with 1 dough ball at a time, gently shape the dough into a rough rectangle by pressing down with your hands.
5. Flip the rectangle over and fold it in half lengthwise. Gently shape the dough into a rough rectangle again. It should be a little bit longer than the last rectangle.
6. Flip the rectangle over again and fold it in half lengthwise. Gently shape the dough into a rough rectangle again. It should be a little bit longer than the last rectangle.
7. Seal the seams by pinching them together.
8. Using both hands, roll the dough away from and towards yourself in the middle of the dough. Continue rolling towards the ends of the dough until the dough is about 12 inches long and an even diameter. Taper the ends so that they are slightly more narrow than the rest of the baguette. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
9. Line a baguette pan with parchment paper. Gently transfer the baguettes to the pan, seam side down. Cover the baguettes with another piece of parchment paper and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Baking:

1. Gently transfer the parchment paper with the baguettes to a sheet pan, without disturbing their shape. Keep them covered with the top sheet of parchment paper and return the pan to the fridge.
2. Place the baguette pan on a sheet pan and place it in the oven. Heat the oven to 500°F. Once the oven is heated, leave the pans in the oven to heat for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the baguettes from the fridge. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and set it aside. Using a sharp razor blade or bread lame, score the dough several times at an angle, about every 1-2 inches.
4. Remove the baguette pan from the oven. Gently transfer the parchment paper with the baguettes onto the hot baguette pan, making sure they lay flat in the baguette shapes.
5. Place the extra sheet of parchment paper on top of the baguettes. Place the pan in the oven on the heated sheet pan. Bake for 12 minutes.
6. Remove the top piece of parchment paper and continue baking for 10-12 minutes, or until the outsides are golden brown.
7. Remove the baguettes to a cooling rack and let them cool completely at room temperature before slicing. Enjoy!

Sample Schedule:

1. 10 am: Feed the starter.
2. 6:30 pm: Make the dough. Cover the starter with the lid and refrigerate for up to a week before feeding again.
3. 7 pm: Stretch and fold the dough, and cover the bowl.
4. 7:30 pm: Stretch and fold the dough, and cover the bowl.
5. 8 pm: Stretch and fold the dough, and cover the bowl.
6. 8:30 pm: Stretch and fold the dough. Cover the bowl and leave it on the counter overnight.
7. 6:30 am (next day): Divide and shape the dough into dough balls and let them rest for 1 hour.
8. 7:30 am: Shape the dough balls into baguettes and refrigerate.
9. 9:30 am: Place the sheet pan and baguette pan in the oven and preheat the oven.
10. 10:15 am: Score the baguettes and bake.
11. 10:45 am: Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack.
12. 6 pm: Eat!