We’ve had a lot of new folks come in. I’ll welcome everyone properly soon. But @Randal Borgerding caught my eye. Not because of a loaf he baked, but because he’s a dad showing up for his family. That hit home for me. Randal, you’re in the right place. And to everyone new… same deal. This isn’t about likes. It’s about getting better. Let’s get to work. 🔥 ~Henry⭐🔥

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.

My name is Scott, and I am very excited to be a part of this community! Bread is my FAVORITE food, though I have never made much of it yet. I cannot wait to get started here and share my creations as I go!

Hello I'm Julianna. I like to bake breads but im fairly new at it. However I dont give up easily. I am following all of these posts. I can't wait to get started with this.

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.