Pain Ordinaire in Baguette

The breads of France are beguiling, but only for their high-faluting nomenclature. Flour and water and yeast and salt. Last night’s fellowship dinner for Calvary we served the following loaf, a fail safe, I do believe. This is the basic bread in the new book, the Village Baker from my bread guru, out of print!

Pain Ordinaire in Baguette

Adapted from The Village Baker

• 6 cups flour
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 2 pks active dry yeast (I used a cup of sourdough starter)

Mix the flour + water. rest 20-30 mins.

Mix in everything else ~ 4-5 mins.

Rest first proof: either overnight or (he says 1 1/2 – 2 hrs til doubled)

Punch it back and let rise again 30 -45 mins.

Divide dough in half and one of the halves in half again so recipe makes two baguettes and one round—the round I’ll report tomorrow.

Shape each piece into tight balls. rest 15 mins, covered.

Shape the loaves, and leave to rise ~45mins – 1hr till doubled, scored and baked in preheated 450degrees F oven on a baking stone that has been preheated for an hour. 20 – 25 mins for baguettes and 40 – 45 mins for the round (till golden brown and hollow sounding).

Glaze with egg white and one tablespoon of water. 

5 stars. Impossible to mess up. I made one whole loaf and one squat, the extra dough was needed for a recipe forthcoming.