Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add the bread flour, rice flour, salt, yeast, and sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer. Give the dry ingredients a quick stir to combine. Add the water and oil. Mix on low speed for 3 minutes until the dough comes together. Turn up to medium speed and knead for 7 minutes. When it is done, the dough should be smooth and slightly sticky. It will feel softer than bread dough you may have made before. That is intentional. Mixing by hand: Stir until the dough comes together, then turn it out onto a clean counter and knead for 10 to 12 minutes. You will know it is ready when the surface feels smooth and the dough stretches without tearing.
- Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Leave it at room temperature for about 90 minutes, until it has doubled in size. Do not rush this step. The flavor develops during the rise.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean counter. Do not flour the surface. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Each piece should weigh about 178 grams. To shape each piece: press it gently into a rough rectangle with your hands. Fold the two long edges in toward the center, like closing a letter. Press the seam closed with your fingertips. Then roll it gently back and forth under your palms until you have a cylinder about 9 to 10 inches long with slightly tapered ends. Place each shaped baguette seam-side down in the baguette pan. The dough is soft, so work gently.
- Cover the shaped baguettes loosely with plastic wrap. Let them rise for 45 to 60 minutes. They are ready when they look puffy and a light poke with your finger leaves a dent that fills back in slowly. While the dough is rising, set up your oven. Place your baking stone or steel on the middle rack. Place an empty metal pan on the bottom rack. Set the oven to 475°F. Let it preheat for at least 45 minutes. The stone needs a full 45 minutes to heat through. This is the step most home bakers skip, and it is why their crust does not turn out right.
- Using your lame or razor blade, cut 3 to 4 diagonal slashes across the top of each baguette. Hold the blade at a shallow angle and cut with one clean motion. Do not saw back and forth. The scores allow the bread to expand in the oven. They also create the ridged surface that is characteristic of a proper bánh mì baguette.
- Have your cup of boiling water ready before you open the oven. Slide the baguette pan onto the hot stone. Immediately pour the boiling water into the empty metal pan on the bottom rack. Close the oven door quickly to trap the steam inside. Bake for 8 minutes with the steam. The steam is what makes the Glass Crust possible. It keeps the surface of the dough moist during the first phase of baking, which allows the bread to expand fully before the crust sets. Take the steam away too early and the crust thickens. Leave it too long and the crust never gets crispy. Eight minutes is the target.
- After 8 minutes, carefully remove the steam pan from the oven. Lower the temperature to 450°F. Keep baking for 12 to 15 minutes until the baguettes are deep golden brown. To check if they are done: pick one up and tap the bottom. It should sound hollow. The crust will feel hard when you pull it out. That is what you want.
- Transfer the baguettes to a wire rack. Wait at least 20 minutes before cutting into them. The bread is still finishing inside during this time. Steam is escaping through the crust, and that process is part of what makes the Glass Crust set properly. Cut too soon and the inside will be gummy. Twenty minutes is worth it.
Notes
A note on measuring: use a kitchen scale. Volume measurements like cups and tablespoons are not precise enough for bread. Weight is the only way to get consistent results.
Read the full recipe before you start.