Sourdough baguette

[jackal10]

In "Apprentice" you describe the modified Gosselin method for making baguettes.

In "Crust and Crumb" you describe a more conventional method. Which do you prefer now?

I'd like to make a baguette with all sourdough. Is this possible, and which method shoud I follow?

I've tried both, but despite high hydration, the crumb is still quite tight, rather than the large open structure I'm looking for. I use a silpat baguette form, and I wonder if this is the problem, as I've heard that one of the key elelemnts in crumb texture is high bottom heat form contact with a hot stone. I've no problem with achieving good texture in conventional sourdough boules, baked on the oven floor.

[Peter Reinhart]

I think I missed this earlier so let me get to it now before bedtime. The type of baguette I prefer depends on my mood and the function. I like both methods but they are different. The Gosselin method is difficult to do at home for baguettes and makes better small ficelle-style sticks than full baguettes--but the flavor is extraordinary. If you want nice looking, French-style baguette loaves, go with the other formula. It's a tough call, and even personal preference can vary from day to day.

As for sourdough, I'd go with your favorite San Francisco style (white flour) sourdough recipe and use that to make the baguettes, treating them like regular baguettes when you bake them off. Just be sure you get a really good first rise before going to the shaping stage. This is the most common error, following the timing in the recipe rather than "listening" to what the dough needs. The holes are really determined in the first rise, followed by gentle shaping and a proper final rise. Sourdough almost always takes a lot longer to rise than yeasted French bread so just be patient and wait for the visual signs.

Let me know if this helps.