Recipe: Country Baguettes

COUNTRY BAGUETTES

FOR THE POOLISH:
1 cup lukewarm water
1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1 cup all-purpose flour, preferably unbleached
FOR THE BREAD:
2 Tbsp. amaranth
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cups light buckwheat flour
4 1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, preferably unbleached
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
2 Tbsp. flaxseeds
1 Tbsp. salt
Coarse semolina or cornmeal for dusting

MAKE THE POOLISH 24 TO 36 HOURS BEFORE YOU WISH TO BAKE:
Place the water in a bowl and stir in the yeast so it dissolves well. Stir in the flour until you have a smooth batter. Let stand for at least 6 hours, or as long as overnight, as convenient.

Place the amaranth in a bowl and add lukewarm water to cover. Let soak for 10 minutes, then drain it in a fine sieve and set aside.

Place the 1 1/2 cups water in a large bowl and dissolve the poolish in it. Add the buckwheat flour and stir it in. Add 1 cup of the all-purpose flour and stir to make a smooth batter. Sprinkle on the amaranth, sesame seeds, flaxseeds, and salt and stir in. Add flour, a cup or so at a time, until the dough is too difficult to stir. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, incorporating more flour only as needed, until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes.

Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover with plastic, and set aside to rise for at least 12 hours, or overnight, whatever is convenient.

TO SHAPE THE DOUGH:
Flour several cotton or linen cloths, such as large dish towels, with all-purpose flour, rubbing it in, then add a dusting of flour to each.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut it into 6 equal pieces. Keeping the rest of the dough loosely covered, shape one loaf: Flatten into a rectangle about 6 inches by 12 inches, then roll up from one long side to make a cylinder about 14 inches long. Place seam side up a few inches from one end of one of the cloths. Make a wrinkle clown the length of the cloth on either side of the bread to cradle it. Place a long, straight heavy object, such as a stack of tall books, against the end of the cloth to support the rising dough.

Shape another loaf and place it on the cloth, separated from the first by the wrinkle in the cloth. Repeat, laying the breads side by side in these improvised couches, and supporting the length of the last loaf on each cloth with another long solid object. Let rise, loosely covered with plastic, for 2 hours.

MEANWHILE, 45 MINUTES OR SO BEFORE THE BREADS HAVE FINISHED PROOFING: Place a stone or unglazed quarry tiles, if you have them, (or a baking sheet) on a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees; it should reach the proper temperature at least 20 minutes before you put in the breads. Fill a sprayer with water.

Dust a peel (or the back of a baking sheet) with semolina or cornmeal. Roll a bread onto the peel so it is seam side down. Using a very sharp knife or a razor blade held at an angle to the bread, give it 2 or 3 long diagonal slashes. Spritz with water and place on the hot stone, tiles, or a baking sheet. Repeat with as many breads as will fit; bake in two batches, if necessary.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until pale brown spotted with darker brown. (The breads will not have dark edges when done, so be careful not to overbake them.) The crusts will be thin and crisp, and the breads will sound hollow when tapped on the bottoms. Cool on a rack.

Once the breads are completely cool, store them, well sealed in plastic, at room temperature, or in the freezer. Leave out overnight to defrost.

Makes six (14-inch-long) baguettes with a pate crust and crumb, flecked with amaranth, flaxseeds, and sesame seeds.

Source: Home Baking: The Artful Mix of Flour and Tradition Around the World by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid