To make sourdough baguettes you will need a sourdough starter. You can read a little about converting wheat/rye based sourdough starters here.
This recipe was designed specifically to be made with Bakers' Magic gluten free flour. The finished baked product will not be the same if you use another gluten free flour and you will need to adjust the recipe, particularly if the flour you're using contains rice flour.
Sourdough Starter
50 g of previous days leaven
50 g Bakers' Magic Gluten free flour
100 g Lukewarm water
50 - 70 g Roasted sweet potato
Optional - ~1 tsp sugar (it makes the culture more active)
The remaining 150 g of the previous days leaven I either use to make bread (below) or put it on the humus heap.
I'm not gentle when it comes to mixing the starter - I find the easiest way to mix is with a stab blender. It's quick & gets the lumps out.
Roasted sweet potato - I usually bake it whole for 1 - 1.5 hours (depending on the size). I blend it with a food processor & freeze it in ice cube trays. Two of my roasted sweet potato ice cubes weigh ~70 g. I've fed my culture on one ice cube of sweet potato however the culture is not as active. The water content of the roasted sweet potato will vary & may affect the final shape.
Ingredients
400 g Bakers' Magic Gluten free flour
150 g Sourdough starter (leaven)
10 g Psyllium husk powder
1.5 - 2 tsp Salt
10 - 16 g Sugar
350 - 420 g Warm water
50 g Oil (I use Rice bran Oil)
Extra Oil
Optional Sesame seeds or poppy seeds for sprinkling on top
Psyllium husk powder - Makes the dough easier to handle. With the addition the dough can be rolled.
Sugar - The amount of sugar added will depend on how active your sourdough starter is. If you don't want to put sugar in you will need to put in a sugar source ie. roasted sweet potato, roasted pumpkin or mushed sultanas (other dried fruit). If this is the case decrease the amount of water by the amount of puree you put in.
Water - I wouldn't add any more water than the 420 g as it increases the likelihood of holes (big ones). Baguettes made with 350 g water are more dense.
Method
Lightly oil 2 double baguette/french bread pan(s). My baguette pan is not perforated however if you have added the psyllium husk powder a perforated pan would be fine to use.
Thermomix
Place all ingredients in the TM bowl. Mix @ 37o C for 2.5 mins at speed 4.
Ensure all ingredients are incorporated. If not, scrape down the sides and briefly mix again.
Stand Mixer
Place all ingredients into the mixing bowl. Combine ingredients using the flat beater until a uniform consistency is achieved. You may need to stop the mixer and scrap down the sides. This make take longer than 5 mins.
Both Methods
Divide the dough into thirds. The dough made in a Thermomix will be slightly softer than the dough made with a stand mixer. Put a little bit of the extra oil on your hands & roll the dough out into a sausage shape. Make the length of the dough sausage just a little smaller than the length of the pan. Carefully transfer the dough sausage to the baguette pan. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Let the dough proof for 3 - 5 hours in a warm moist environment. From time to time lightly spray the tops of the dough with water. The length of proofing time will depend on how active your sourdough starter is.
Baking the baguette
The temperature of the oven will in part determine how crispy the outside of the baguettes are. The higher the temperature the thicker the crust. I have baked them at 180 C, 200 C & 210 C with & without steam. Using steam when baking will produce a thinner (& slightly chewy) crust. If I want a thinner crust I will bake at 180 C with steam. To bake with steam put a slice tray/baking tray in the bottom of the oven & add boiling water to it.
Before putting the baguettes into the oven ensure that the dough has risen ~1.5X.
Baking time will vary depending on the temperature. At 210 C bake for ~30 mins or bake for ~40 mins if the oven temperature is 180 C. The time will vary depending on the individual oven. If your oven has a hot spot turn the bread halfway through baking.
Take out of the oven & cool the bread on a cooling rack. The bread should slide out of the baguette pan; if it doesn't don't force it out, wait until it cools.
Ensure the bread is sufficiently cooled before cutting into it.
Enjoy!
