¾ cup, lukewarm filtered water |
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In a large bowl, combine the water, starter, and 1 cup of the flour, mixing until smooth. Stir in the salt, sugar, yeast and gluten; then add the additional 1 cup of flour. Stir until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, adding only enough additional flour as necessary; a slack (sticky) dough makes a light loaf.
Knead the dough for about 7 minutes in a stand mixer; or 8 to 10 minutes by hand, on a lightly greased work surface. You may also knead the dough using the dough cycle on your bread machine. Correct for the water and/or flour content. Once its finished kneading, turn the dough into an oiled bowl, cover the bowl, and let the dough rise in a warm location until doubled in bulk, about 90 minutes.
Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into two pieces for the baguettes. Shape each piece into a 16-inch long loaf, and place the loaves, at least 4-inches apart, on parchment-lined baking sheets, or in lightly greased baguette pans. If you're using baguette pans, make the loaves 15-inches long. Make three diagonal slashes in each loaf with a sharp knife or razor blade.
Cover the loaves with lightly greased plastic wrap, and let them rise in a warm location for 1½ to 2 hours, or until they're nice and puffy. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 425°F.
If desired, gently brush the loaves with egg yolk glaze. Bake the baguettes for about 25 minutes, or until they're a rich golden brown. Remove the loaves from the oven. Turn off the oven, crack it open a few inches, and return the loaves to the cooling oven, without their pans. Letting the loaves cool right in the turned-off oven helps preserve their crunchy crust. Yield: 2 loaves.
Note: This also makes delicious rolls. Scale dough into 2-ounce portions and allow to rise on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 13 rolls.