A different kind of post today. I'll be back to baguettes tomorrow. Some of you have followed Ryan's track and field journey through posts here over the years. He just won his third Conference Carolinas Championship in the javelin, set the conference meet record, and was named FMU Team MVP for the third year in a row. In three weeks he competes at the NCAA Division II National Championships at Welch Stadium in Emporia, Kansas. Two weeks after that, he receives his master's degree. The NCAA is covering his trip. I'm covering mine. I'd like to be in the stands. A handful of folks have asked how they can help. Here's what I've put in place. Cleared in writing by FMU compliance. None of it goes to Ryan. Every dollar is for parent travel. If you want to follow Ryan's story, his page is here: https://faith-field-flow.lovable.app If you want to chip in for the trip: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-cheer-ryan-at-ncaa-nationals Sharing helps as much as giving. Thank you for being part of this. Back to baguettes tomorrow. — Henry ⭐🔥

I need someone to bake this and tell me how it turns out. I’ve never seen anything like this in all my born days. I need to know.

I went hunting for shaping video this week and a perfect one popped up in my own archive. Me, sub rolls, same exact technique as a baguette. Don't let the size throw you. Sub rolls are about the same length as a full sub sandwich, which is right in the baguette range. The shaping move is identical. Pre-shape, rest, fold, roll, taper. That's the move whether you're making a 14-inch baguette or a 12-inch sub roll. Watch the hands. Heads up: this is an older video with music, no narration. Hooked on Classics. The pace is a bit quick because I'm running through a batch. Watch it twice. First time for the flow. Second time to catch the moves. The step-by-step below tracks exactly what my hands are doing. Here's what I'm doing, step by step: Pre-shape. I'm shaping the dough into a rough log already. Pre-shape isn't a round for baguettes. It's an elongated shape because that's where the dough is heading anyway. Less work on the final shape if you start it pointed in the right direction. The rest. Bench rest 15 to 20 minutes. The dough relaxes. Skip this and the dough will fight you on the final roll. Stretch the ends. Take the dough by the two ends and stretch it gently. Just a little. You're waking up the length without tearing the gluten. First fold. Fold the two ends in toward the center, about an inch or two each. You're building structure. Top to center. Fold the top edge down into the middle. Flip and repeat. Turn the whole thing around and fold the new top edge down into the middle again. You're stacking layers of tension. Seal it. Take the top edge one more time, fold it all the way over, and press the seam closed with the heel of your hand. That seam is what holds the shape during proof. Roll and taper. Hands flat. Start in the middle, roll outward, narrow the ends as you go. The roll elongates the loaf. The taper points it. Where it goes next. In the video I'm placing my rolls in silicone molds because that's what I'm baking in. For your bake Saturday, you're going onto a couche, seam-side up, with the linen pleats supporting the sides. Same shape. Different proofing surface.

So, some of you know, I tried really hard today to mess this recipe up. Forgetting my Poolish on the counter until it was all over the counter, forgetting about my dough after the first coil fold. It was a mess, but here’s how it turned out.