3 cups (15-ounces) unbleached, all purpose flour |
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast. Add water. Mix well with Danish Dough Whisk, wooden spoon, or in a food processor or heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the dough hook until mixture is uniformly moist, without dry patches.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Allow mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins ro collapse, approximately 2 hours, depending on the room's temperature and the initial water temperature. A portion of the dough can be used at this point. However, the flavor and consistency improves immesurably over time.
On baking day, cut off about half of the refrigerated dough, and place it on a well floured surface. Dust the top of the dough with more flour and shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Add more flour as needed to produce a cohesive ball. Because the dough is so wet, this will take a fair amount of flour. Once the dough is cohesive, pat it out on a floured surface into a rough rectangle. Fold the dough in half lengthwise, and seal the edges with your fingers or the heal of your hand. Flatten the dough slightly, and fold and seal again. Continue this process 4 or 5 more times, until the desired length is achieved, and the final product is smooth and cohesive.
Place the baguette, seam-side down onto a parchment-lined sheet perforated French bread pan. Heat an electric oven for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Turn off oven. Cover the baguette lightly with a floured towel and allow to rise in an electric oven that is turned off, until it has become very puffy, about 2 hours.
30 to 45 minutes before baking, remove the French bread pan from the oven. Preheat the oven to 500° F, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray or cast iron pan on the bottom shelf of the oven.
Paint water over the surface of the loaf with a pastry brush, or spray the surface with water. This prevents the knife from sticking in the wet dough when it is slashed. Slash the loaf with longitudinal cuts that move diagonally across the loaf, using a serrated bread knife.
Carefully lift the parchment paper with the loaf, and place it directly onto the hot stone. Pour 1½ cups of hot tap water into the broiler tray or cast iron pan, and quickly close the oven door. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until deeply browned and firm to the touch.
Allow to cool on a rack before cutting or eating. Yield: Two baguettes, plus a little.