INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Make and ferment the poolish: Combine the water and yeast in a medium
bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then stir with a wooden spoon until yeast  is
dissolved. Add the flour and stir until the consistency of a thick
batter. Continue stirring for about 100 strokes or until the strands
of gluten come off the spoon when you press the back of the spoon
against the bowl. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber
spatula. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a
moderately warm, draft-free place until it doubles in volume.  Mix and
knead the final dough: Measure the remaining ingredients.  Measure and
transfer 1 cup (9 ounces) of the poolish into a 6-quart  bowl. (Discard
remaining poolish) Add the water and yeast. Break the  poolish up well
with a wooden spoon and stir until it loosens and the  mixture foams
slightly. Add 1 cup of the flour and stir until well  combined. Add the
salt and only enough of the remaining flour to make  a thick mass that
is difficult to stir. Turn out onto a well-floured  surface. Knead,
adding more flour as needed, until the dough is soft  and smooth, 15 to
17 minutes total. The dough is ready when a little  dough pulled from
the mass springs back quickly.  Ferment the dough: Shape the dough into
a ball and let it rest on a  lightly floured surface while you scrape,
clean, and lightly oil the  large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and
turn once to coat with  oil. Take the dough's temperature: the ideal is
78 degrees. Cover  with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a
moderately warm  (74 to 80 degrees) draft-free place until doubled in
volume, and a  slight indentation remains after pressing a finger into
the dough.  Divide the dough and rest: Deflate the dough by pushing
down in the  center and pulling up on the sides. Transfer the dough to
a lightly  floured work surface and knead briefly. Cut into 4 equal
pieces.  Flatten each with the heel of your hand and shape into a tight
ball.  Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a
moderately  warm draft-free place for 30 minutes. Shape the dough into
loaves:  Flatten each with the heel of your hand on an unfloured board.
Shape  each into a 14-inch loaf. Proof the loaves: Place the loaves
seam  side up in a well-floured couche. Cover with a clean damp towel
or  plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm draft-free place until
increased in volume about 1 1/2 times, or until a slight indentation
remains when the dough is pressed with a fingertip.  Bake the loaves:
45 minutes to 1 hour before baking, preheat the oven  and homemade
hearth or baking stone on the center rack of the oven to  450 degrees.
The oven rack must be in the center of the oven. Gently  roll the loaf
onto a lightly floured peel, seam side down. Score the  loaf with a
sharp razor blade or serrated knife making quick shallow  cuts. Using
the peel, slide the loaves onto the hearth. Quickly  repeat with the
next 2 loaves. Quickly spray the inner walls and  floor of the oven
with cold water until steam has filled the oven.  Quickly close the
door to trap the steam and bake 3 minutes. Spray  again, closing the
door quickly so that the steam doesn't escape.  Bake until the loaves
are a rich caramel color and the crusts are  firm, 15 to 20 minutes. To
test the loaves for doneness, remove from  the pans and hold them
upside down. Strike the bottom firmly with  your finger. If the sound
is hollow, the breads are done. If not,  bake 5 minutes longer. Cool
completely on a wire rack.  Yield: 4 baguettes, 12 to 14 inches long
Converted by MC_Buster.  Recipe by: COOKING LIVE SHOW #CL9294
Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

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Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
----------------------------------------------
Calories: 2340
Calories From Fat: 64
Total Fat: 7.6g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 27.4mg
Potassium: 859.8mg
Carbohydrates: 485.2g
Fiber: 22.3g
Sugar: 1.7g
Protein: 72.7g