high protein baguettes

combine the flour (330 g), gluten (150 g), and water (330 g) in a large bowl. mix with a soaking wet hand until a shaggy/rough dough comes together, then sprinkle the salt (12 g) on top. allow it to sit and hydrate, untouched, for around 20 minutes. in the meantime, prepare your yeast mixture and allow it to sit out for the remainder of the autolyse time.

after 20 minutes, combine the yeast mixture with the autolyse. mix by hand until fully incorporated – this will take some horsepower, but i believe in you. when the two are entirely homogenous, form the dough into a ball and let it rise, covered in the bowl, for 30 minutes.

after the first rise, perform a series of stretches and folds on the dough to develop a strong gluten structure. rise for 30 more minutes, then repeat the process of stretching and folding.

now we are ready for the preshaping step. flip out the dough onto a well floured surface and begin tightening the exterior gluten network. essentially, you are tucking the outside of the dough under itself to ensure a proper shape.

rest the dough on your countertop, covered, for 15 minutes. then, flour the top of the dough and flip it over. divide into 3 equal parts (6 parts for demi baguettes), and tuck each piece into a smooth ball. allow them to rest on the counter top for at least 30 minutes.

to shape, grab a ball and de-gas it gently to reach a slightly flattened, widened shape. fold the dough down and roll into a burrito, sealing as you go. ive linked a tutorial here to give you a visual guide through shaping.

at this point, you may choose to cold ferment the shaped baguettes for more flavor development. place the dough in your fridge, covered, anywhere from 12-24 for maximum flavor development.

when you are ready, set the dough out to proof at room temperature. in the meantime, preheat your oven, as well your bread-baking vessel of choice*, to 450°F.

once the baguettes are proofed, gently lay them onto a parchment sheet and score with a razor blade or bread lame. bake on the center rack for 25 minutes, or as dark as you prefer your crust (i usually bake it a bit dark). turn once halfway through for even browning.

when finished, allow your baguettes to cool COMPLETELY before slicing in. i know it’s tempting, the thought of warm fresh bread out of the oven, but i promise you’ll regret it – slicing the bread before it’s completely cooled can ruin the crumb structure that you worked so hard to achieve! to be safe, i allowed my loaf to cool, covered with a towel, overnight – but anywhere around 1 hour is fine.