Hi everyone,
 Here’s a recipe that I put together for baguettes using sourdough starter. I couldn’t find any simple recipes for sourdough baguettes when I did a web search, so I combined a couple of recipes, took a chance and voila… it succeeded! I took these over to my friend’s house to share at the delicious Christmas feast that was prepared yesterday.
Sourdough Baguettes
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 cups active sourdough starter
1 cup cool water
corn meal for dusting sheet pan
Procedure:
1) In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, starter and water
2) Remove mixture from bowl and knead for 8 minutes on a floured surface
3) Put dough back into the bowl, cover w/ plastic wrap and bulk ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes
4) Weigh dough into 3 equal portions then shape into tight balls, cover w/ plastic wrap and let bench rest for 1 hour
5) Shape into 14 inch baguettes by rolling from the center out using the palms of your hands
6) Lightly dust baguettes w/ some flour and place them on a parchment paper lined sheet pan that is generously dusted w/ corn meal
7) Cover w/ plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight
8) Let stand at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours prior to baking (since it is winter here and my kitchen is cool, I placed the baguettes in the unheated oven w/ the light on to give them some warmth)
9) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
10) Dust baguettes w/ flour and dock w/ a serrated knife – hold knife at a 30 degree angle and make 4 or 5 diagonal cuts
11) Place a container of hot water at the bottom of the oven
12) Place baguettes in oven on middle rack and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown  – – quickly pour 1/2 cup of water onto the bottom sides of the oven right after placing baguettes in
13) After 1 minute quickly pour in another 1/2 cup of water – repeat once again 2 minutes later (the steam helps promote the “oven spring” and crust gloss)
14) Remove baguettes from oven and let cool
15) Share the bread w/ your friends!
**Â yields 3 baguettes
 I hope everyone is having an enjoyable holiday season! If you’re feeling stressed, I recommend breaking away from the holiday hustle-bustle, slowing down to relax, bake this bread, break out a nice bottle of wine and some cheese and sit down w/ some of your favorite friends to enjoy a peaceful moment together. That’s what I did and I feel so much better!!
Happy holidays to all… see you in 2008!!
 Bruno