Easy mini-baguettes

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How about a stock of easy mini-baguettes ready for tasty sandwiches or as bases for something grilled on toast? 

The key is that :

• they should be easy to make
• the emphasis should be on the 'easy'
• they should be easy to cut
• they should be crusty and crispy
• they should be just the right size
• they should be able to survive life in the freezer, thawed at room temperature and be just as good as the day they were baked.

Straightforward ingredients: 

• strong white bread flour to give you a tasty, soft crumb.
• 66% hydration
• olive oil - the magic ingredient to keep them soft even after being frozen and thawed

So, let's make them. 

Ingredients

550 gms strong white bread flour

366 gms warm water

12 gms fine sea salt

15 gms olive oil

8 gms instant active yeast.

NB. You can easily make these in different ways:

• Knead everything by hand, prove in an oiled bowl, shape and second proof at room temperature and then bake
• Add your ingredients to your bread machine, choose the dough programme, shape and second proof at the end and then bake
• Start your mixer on low and add the water to the dry ingredients, leaving the yeast until last. Continue to knead on medium for 10 - 12 minutes before proving in an oiled bowl, shaping, second proving and then baking. 

We're going to follow the first method, but it's up to you. 

METHOD

Add the oil to the water and yeast, then mix well. Leave it to one side. 

Add the flour to a large bowl, add the salt and mix well. 

Slowly incorporate the liquid/oil/yeast mixture and bring together.

Continue kneading for 10 - 15 minutes until you have a smooth, silky, and elastic dough. 

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm place until it has doubled in volume. 

Tip the dough out onto a lightly-floured board (semolina flour is perfect for this) and weigh the dough.

 Divide into eight portions of approximately 118 gms each. 

Shape each portion into a boule, cover and leave to rest for 10 minutes. 

This is a double mix 

Now, flatten the dough out into an oval and bring the top long edge down to two-thirds of the way over the oval. Take the bottom edge and fold it over to the top. Make sure all your edges are secure. 

Now bring both sides together and seal the seam. 

With the seam downwards, gently roll until the baguette is long enough for your liking. Not too long as you also want it to expand to create the perfect envelope for your final choice of sandwich filling. 

Place the mini-baguette on a prepared baking tray, into a towelling couche or onto a baguette former, leaving a space between the ends of the baguettes. 

Cover and leave to puff uo, expand and almost double. 

Preheat the oven to 200⁰C (390⁰F) Conventional and add a tray of water to make steam. 

Just before baking, slash the baguettes lengthways and spritz with water or brush them lightly with a little oil. 

Bake until golden brown. You can remove the tray of steam for the last five minutes. 

Wedging open the oven door for five minutes when the oven is off but the bread still within can help to increase the crustiness. 

Cool on a baking rack. 

Remember, what you don't eat strightaway can be frozen and then thawed at room temperature. If you want a crusty baguette, then simply wet the baguette and warm for a few minutes in a hot oven. 

Happy baking.