Sourdough Baguettes in Challenger Bread Pan
These sourdough baguettes are my newest baking obsession. With their crunchy outside and airy, chewy crumb, they're simply sourdough perfection. In this detailed step-by-step recipe, I'll guide you through the entire process.
Equipment
- Challenger Bread Pan
- Digital kitchen scale
- Cooking Thermometer
- Mixing Bowl
- Brød & Taylor Proofer Box
- Baguette Couche
- Curved Lame
Ingredients
Levain
- 14 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 30 g all-purpose flour
- 30 g water at 80°F/27°C
Main Dough
- 370 g manitoba flour
- 259 g water at 80°F/27°C
- 74 g levain
- 8 g sea salt
Instructions
Levain
- Add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine. Place the levain in a warm spot, ideally at around 78°F/26°C, for 4-5 hours or until it reaches its peak (doubled/tripled in size).
Main Dough
- When the levain has peaked: In a large bowl, add water, levain and flour. Use your hands to mix just until it forms a shaggy dough. This shouldn't take longer than a minute or so. Cover, and autolyse/rest for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes: sprinkle salt on top of the dough. Mix with your hands for 4-5 minutes until all the salt is incorporated and the dough feels bouncy and smooth. Watch the recipe video above to see how I like to hand mix my doughs.
- Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover, and proof at 78°F/26°C for 4-5 hours. After the first hour of proofing, you want to perform the first coil fold. With wet hands, slide both hands under the dough in the center until your fingertips touch. Slowly lift the dough up and towards you until the dough lets go of the bowl. Fold the dough underneath itself by lowering your hands. Turn the bowl 180° and do the other side. Turn the bowl 90° and repeat (basically folding all four sides). Repeat every hour (3-4 folds total).
- The dough should be jiggly and strong at the end of the first proof. It should have risen about 60% in volume.
- Transfer the dough to the fridge, and let it cold-proof for 12-36 hours.
Pre-shape
- Place the dough on a floured work surface and divide it into four equal pieces (approximately 175 grams each). Use your kitchen scale to make sure they are of even size.
- Gently roll each dough piece into cylinders, as demonstrated in the recipe video.
- Cover, and rest for 30 minutes.
Shape
- Stretch/flatten each dough piece slightly. Use your hands and fingertips to tightly roll the dough down towards you, sealing the seam as you go. Roll the cylinders with your hands until it reaches the desired length, 10-11 inches/25-28 cm.
- Place the shaped baguettes, seam side up, in a floured baguette couche or thick kitchen towel. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let the baguettes proof for one hour. Meanwhile, preheat your oven + challenger bread pan to 500°F/260°C for one hour.
Bake
- Bake two baguettes simultaneously: Place the baguettes, seam side down in the preheated Bread Pan. Make 3-4 elongated scores down the baguette using a curved lame.
- Cover with the lid and bake for 10 minutes. Then, remove the lid, turn down the heat to 430°F/220°C and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Repeat the process for the two remaining baguettes.