If you remember my post about sourdough baguettes from a few weeks ago, you’ll know that while the recipe is successful, it doesn’t go into much detail about how to properly form a baguette loaf to achieve the best texture.

In my original recipe, I did minimal shaping, simply cutting the dough into (mostly) equal pieces and gently rolling to achieve an elongated shape. This created a fluffy, but slightly misshapen loaf, as you can see below. While this works, Steph and I did some experimenting to determine which shaping method resulted in the best loaf.

The Experiment

While I was visiting Steph, we decided to complete a blind taste test with some of our friends in order to determine which shaping method for baguettes they preferred. Those included:

1. minimal shaping, simply cut the dough and generally morph into a baguette shape
2. mid-level shaping, rolling the dough a bit to create a more uniform shape and adding flour as necessary to assist in the shaping process (this is what I used in my original recipe)
3. “proper” baguette formation using additional flour to keep from sticking and using a mixture of rolling and folding to create a uniform shape.

As you can see, from left to right the baguettes become more uniformly shaped, have a higher rise, and a more uniform gluten structure inside. The second method had less of a rise but overall similar structure to method 1.

According to our blind taste test, everyone unanimously decided that method 3 produced the best loaf. It was chewy and had a great texture. So, moving forward, let’s use this method when creating my baguette recipe.

My Updated sourdough baguette recipe

Recipe For A Mild Sourdough Baguette

This recipe is great for those who don’t love an intense sourdough flavor or for baking in the summer when fermentation happens quickly.

• 100g of Sourdough starter
• 400g of luke-warm water
• 500g of bread flour
• 12g (3 tsp) of salt

Recipe For A More Intense Sourdough Flavor

This recipe is exactly the same as Steph’s Sourdough Bread Recipe. This is best for the lovers of sourdough flavor or in the winter months to give your dough an extra boost of yeast.

• 300g of Sourdough starter
• 300g of luke-warm water
• 400g of bread flour
• 12g (3 tsp) of salt

The Process

1. Mix all of your ingredients in a large bowl. It’s best to mix the starter and water first, then add the flour and salt together.

Knead, Rise, and form the sourdough:

1. Once combined, knead every 30-45 minutes between 3 and 4 times, as Steph outlined in her recipe. (results in 1.5 to 2 hours of kneading and sitting)
2. Allow dough to rise, covered, for 3-5 hours (depending on the time of year) or until dough has doubled in size.
3. Knead once more and form into 4-8 equally sized baguettes (depending on your desired size) cover with a dish cloth or plastic wrap on a cookie sheet or baguette pan before allowing it to sit for another 2-4 hours.
   • I formed my baguettes on a floured countertop, rolling and folding the dough as I formed it. Follow this YouTube video for a tutorial on how to shape the baguette.
4. Once they have had time to do a final rise, cut slits into the loaves and move on to baking.

Baking Sourdough Baguettes:

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees
2. Place the pan with your baguettes into the oven on the top shelf. On the bottom shelf, add another pan with a few handful of ice cubes to keep the baguettes hydrated.
3. Cooking should take about 30-35 minutes, but keep an eye on them and remove when they are a golden brown color.
4. Once removed from the oven, place the baguettes on a wire rack to allow for proper cooling.

This baking method has worked great for me in the past, however, for the experiment that Steph and I conducted, we actually used her new pizza oven, which she talked about in her most recent blog post. Check it out to learn about how amazing this oven is.

I hope you enjoy this updated recipe and let me know if you make it! -Hailey