Sourdough baguettes

Ingredients

makes 4

• 200g sourdough starter
• 900g bread flour, white or wholemeal
• 600-650 ml water (650ml is at 75% hydration, 600ml is at70% hydration)
• 15g sea salt

Directions

1. The day before baking, in a large bowl, mix the flour and water into a rough ball of dough. Leave to rest for 1 hour.
2. Add the starter and mix well. Cover and let the dough rest for 1-2 hours.
3. Add the salt mixed with 25g water and dimple your fingers into the dough to allow the salty water and salt to distribute evenly throughout the dough. Leave for 10 minutes. Next, wet your hands then lift and fold the dough over, do a quarter turn of the bowl and repeat three more times. Repeat 3 times at 30 minute intervals with a final 15 minute rest at the end. After the final fold, leave the dough to rest for another 2-3 hours.
4. Gently tip the dough onto a lightly floured bench and cut it into 4 even pieces. Take one piece and form it into a square. Take each of the four corners of the square, and bring them, one by one into the middle to create a little parcel. Flip this parcel upside down so it’s seam side down and then cup this gently in between your hands and rotate it around and around on the bench to form a ball.Leave the balls on a floured bench, covered with a tea towel, for around 2-3 hours until slightly puffed. If your kitchen is on the cooler side, the dough may need to be left for longer.
5. Place a linen tea-towel in a baguette tray and lightly dust it with rice flour. To shape the dough, grab a dough ball and place it seam side up on a floured work surface. Gently form it into a horizontal rectangle. Take the bottom third of the dough and fold it up to meet the middle, then seal it together. Rotate the dough 180 degrees, and do the same to the top third of the dough. Now starting at the top right corner, fold over the top layer in small increments. Each bit you fold down, push it in and elongate the dough. Then start rolling it on the bench to lengthen it. Place the baguettes in-between floured towels in a baguette tray. Place in the refrigerator for 8-20 hours.
6. The next day, preheat the oven to 220°C. Once the oven is up to temperature, remove the baguettes from the fridge and gently remove from the towel and placeon to the tray. Sprinkle with a little flour and give at least 3 big angled slashes in the dough to allow the air to escape. Pour some water in a tray in the oven below the baguettes to create a crust. Bake the baguettes for 30-35 minutes until browned.