Results from the Baguette “Test”
For the most part, I was pleased with the results.
The day before I baked, I made the sponge, mixed, scaled, and formed the dough into the classic baguette shape. I put in a lot effort in creating as much surface tension as I could, otherwise, the finished product could be quite flat and blob-like. I threw the shaped dough in the fridge, and forgot about it until the next morning.
After the loaves were finished baking the following morning, I was happy with the shape, color, and most of all, the nutty aroma that comes along with freshly baked french bread. The texture of the crust worked for me as well. However, the crumb needs to be improved, as it was missing that light airy quality that is so essential for baguettes. I will tweak this recipe next weekend and try to go for that cloud-like baguette crumb I am after.