In Search of the Perfect Loaf: A Home Baker's Odyssey by Samuel Fromartz

of your baking stone. If it resists, don’t pull it—the dough will rip. Do the same with the second loaf. You can straighten out the edges by gently repositioning the loaf with your dough scraper, but don’t fuss too much. Open the oven and slide the parchment paper off the cutting board or baking sheet and onto the baking stone. The loaves will bake on the parchment paper the entire time. Close the oven. Take the 1 / 2 cup water and pour it onto the baking sheet, being careful not to get burned by the steam. Shut the oven door.
    Bake for 18 to 22 minutes. Do not open the oven until at least 18 minutes into the bake. Bake until dark brown. Using a peel, or oven mitts, remove the loaves to a cooling rack, and let them stand for at least 20 minutes before eating. Repeat the baking method with the second two loaves.
    These loaves are best eaten within four hours. If you do not eat all the bread, the loaves can be frozen in a plastic bag. When you’re ready to eat a loaf, remove it from the freezer until it defrosts and bake it for 5 minutes in a 400˚F (205˚C) oven to crisp up the crust. Once reheated, it will go stale relatively quickly.

Levain Baguette
    ( DIFFICULT )
    Makes 4 loaves
     

    This recipe closely follows the one I used to make the winning baguettes in the contest. It might be intimidating, but experienced home bakers will likely recognize the steps. Beginners will need to be patient—to start baking bread with this recipe is like jumping into calculus after third-grade math, so try the
stirato
first. If you don’t yet have any
levain,
you’ll need to make it first.
    The
levain
baguette is a wet, slack dough that is challenging to shape. If you end up with something that looks like a twisted branch, don’t despair. Scarf it up—the rich flavor, bubbly internal crumb, and crisp crust will likely surprise you, even if it does not approach the ideal of a Parisian baguette. For additional tips and links to videos showing techniques, visit my Web site at ChewsWise.com.
    Tools
Bowl
Spatula
Plastic dough scraper
Rectangular baking stone
Rimmed baking sheet
3 kitchen towels or a
couche
(linen baking fabric that holds the shape of the baguettes as they rise)
Parchment paper, cut to the size of the baking stone
Single-edged razor blade,
lame
, or knife
Cutting board or second baking sheet, to move the loaves to the oven
Cooling rack
    Levain
Ingredients
25 grams ripe sourdough
50 grams unbleached organic all-purpose flour
50 grams water
    Final Dough Ingredients
90 grams
levain
2 teaspoons instant dry yeast (reduced to 1 teaspoon in the summer)
420 grams water
590 grams unbleached organic all-purpose flour
10 grams organic whole wheat flour
12 grams sea salt
Olive oil, to grease the bowl
Flour, to dust cutting the board
    Morning, First Day
     
    Mix the ingredients for the
levain
and let it ferment for 7 to 8 hours, until it has risen but not yet collapsed.
    Evening, First Day
     
    Pour the starter and the yeast into the bowl. Add the water and mix together with a spatula or your hand until the starter breaks up a bit. Add the white and whole wheat flours and mix with a spatula or your moistened hand for a couple of minutes until barely incorporated. The dough will be heavy and shaggy. Make a slight indentation on top of the dough, then add the salt and 1 tablespoon of water in this small well so the salt can hydrate. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 20 minutes.
    Moisten your hands and use the dough scraper to loosen the dough from the bowl. Stretch out one side of the dough, then fold it into the center, moving around in a circle as you do so. Using a pinching action, squeeze the dough between your thumb and fingers to help incorporate the salt. Fold the dough into the center again, moving around in a circle 10 to 12 times, and then turn it over in the bowl, so that the smooth side of the dough is facing upward. Cover and let the dough rest 20 minutes.
    Do the stretch-and-fold action 2 more times, with a 20-minute