Hello readers, Today I’m sharing a sneak peek into my cookbook, This Better Pan Out, featuring a recipe illustration I can’t wait for you to see! Food illustration is my passion, and if you’re looking to hire a food illustrator for your cookbook or magazine, I’d love to chat. I’m Anna Lena, and I create illustrations that turn every dish into a visual feast.
Learn how to bake classic French baguettes from scratch with easy-to-follow food illustrations that bring the baking process to life.
This baguette adventure yields eight delicious loaves. It takes a while to get there, but the dough, once shaped, will be ready to pop into the oven in less than 2 hours.
Ingredients:
Pre-fermented dough:
450g strong white flour
7g salt
290ml water
5g fresh yeast (or 2.5g/generous pinch dried yeast)
Main dough:
500g strong white flour
10g salt
300ml water
10g fresh yeast (or 5g dried yeast)
Day 1: Let the dough waltz
Begin by combining flour and salt in a clean bowl—where it all begins. Crumble fresh yeast into water and let it dissolve. Pour the yeasted water into the flour, creating a doughy mixture. Knead the dough on a clean surface for 3-4 minutes—embrace the stickiness! Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover it with cling film, and let it chill in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
Day 2: The dough’s encore
Bring the pre-fermented dough out of its cool night in the fridge. In a big bowl, combine strong white flour and salt for a new dough. Crumble fresh yeast into water, stir—are you deja vuing or what? Pour the yeasted water into the flour and break the pre-fermented dough into the mix. Knead until the dough achieves the windowpane effect—meaning you can look through it but it doesn’t break—about 8-10 minutes. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover it, and let it rest in the fridge for 18-24 hours!
Day 3: The grand finale
Remove the dough from its overnight slumber and knead it briefly. Divide the dough into 250g portions—these are the baby breads. Shape each portion into a ball and let it rest for 5 minutes. Begin shaping the baguette in a series of stages—let the dough rest and relax between each. Roll the dough into baguette perfection, about 30-35cm in length. You begin rolling in the middle and press down as you get to the edges, but gently. Let the baguettes prove for 50-60 minutes, either in a couche or a well-floured tea towel.
Preheat the oven to 240°C and place a baking tray in the base. Gently roll each baguette onto the baking tray, seam side down. Cut with a super sharp knife (aka score the baguette) with four lines at a slight diagonal—a doughy artwork. Bake for 20-25 minutes, creating a burst of steam in the oven for that perfect baguette crescendo.
Wow, you overachiever! You did it! You made baguettes from scratch and now instantly must play French chansons.
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