Sourdough Baguettes Sandwich Rolls Recipe 435

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the water, starter, and 3 cups of the flour, mixing until smooth. Stir in the salt, sugar, yeast, gluten and ascorbic acid powder (if using) then an additional 1 1/2 to 2 cups of flour. Stir until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, adding only enough additional flour as necessary; a slack (sticky) dough makes a light loaf. Knead the dough for about 7 minutes in a stand mixer; or 8 to 10 minutes by hand, on a lightly greased work surface. You may also knead this dough using the dough cycle on your bread machine; once it's finished kneading, transfer it to a bowl to rise, as directed below. Turn the dough into an oiled bowl, cover the bowl, and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, about 90 minutes. Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into six pieces (for thin baguettes) or three pieces (for thicker Italian loaves). Shape each piece into a 16-inch long loaf, and place the loaves, at least 4-inches apart, on parchment-lined baking sheets, or in lightly greased baguette pans (French loaf pans). If you're using baguette pans, make the loaves 15-inches long. Note: I shaped my rolls about 6-inches long and got 8 rolls. Cover the loaves with lightly greased plastic wrap, and let them rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until they're nice and puffy. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 450°F. If desired, gently brush the loaves with egg yolk glaze (which I didn't do, this time), and sprinkle them generously with Pizza Seasoning, artisan bread topping, or the toppings of your choice. If you're not brushing the loaves with egg yolk, spray them with olive oil spray; this will help them brown. Note: I use the olive oil spray and placed the rolls on parchment paper and onto a bread baking stone. For a classic look, make three diagonal slashes in each loaf, cutting about 1/4-inch deep. For taller, rounder baguettes, don't slash. Note: I made one long slash down the middle of each roll. Bake the baguettes for about 25 minutes, or until they're a rich golden brown. Remove the loaves from the oven. Turn off the oven, crack it open a few inches, and return the loaves to the cooling oven, without their pans. Letting the loaves cool right in the turned-off oven helps preserve their crunchy crust. Yield: 6 baguettes, 8 rolls or 3 Italian-style loaves.

Steps:

• Feed sourdough starter and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.
• Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl. Add 4 cups all-purpose flour, sourdough starter, sugar, and salt. Cover and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
• Mix remaining 1 cup of flour with baking soda in another bowl. Stir mixture into dough slowly, adding just enough to make dough stiff. Knead dough, adding flour mixture as needed, until smooth and shiny. Shape into two baguettes and place on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Let dough rise again until double in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Brush tops of baguettes with cold water and make several gentle slashes along the tops of the loaves.
• Place a small, oven-safe, pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake baguettes in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush each with melted butter. Continue baking until crisp, 3 to 5 minutes more.