Specialized Baguette Equipment

To proof shaped baguettes, bakers cradle them in the folds of a piece of heavy raw linen called a couche. A couche will wick away moisture, helping create a crisp crust, and release the dough without tugging it out of shape as cotton or synthetic will. Our favorites are made of 18-inch, heavyweight linen, which have a good body without being too stiff. Alternatively, you can use a double layer of 100 percent linen tea towels that are at least 16 inches long and 12 inches wide.

To move baguettes from the couche to the oven, professional bakers use a long narrow piece of wood called a flipping board or transfer peel. While they aren’t terribly expensive (around $12 dollars) we found that a homemade substitute, made by taping two pieces of clean, stiff cardboard (4 inches wide and 16 inches long) together with packaging tape, works equally well.

Bakers slash loaves before baking because this allows the interior crumb to expand fully in the right direction. For the typical round boule requiring straight slashes, a serrated knife or razor blade will work. But baguettes require slashes that taper at the ends and open wide at the center, with an edge that peels back into a crisp ridge or “ear” that lends both flavor and texture. To achieve this, you must slash the loaf at a low angle, something much more easily done with the curved blade of a lame. Alternatively, an unused box cutter blade will work.

This tool is essential for straining out the larger pieces of bran in whole-wheat flour for our baguettes. The wheaty tasting germ is added to the recipe to give the baguettes a more authentic French flour flavor.

We stack two 16 by 12-inch disposable aluminum roasting pans to trap steam from the baguettes during the first 5 minutes of baking. Steam creates a crisp crust on the leaves, and allows for the initial expansion (oven spring) of the bread.