Finally nailed my baguette crust after a decade of baking

I watched a baker in Lyon shape his dough with a much faster, lighter touch and realized I'd been overworking mine for years. Anyone else have a simple technique that fixed a long-standing issue?

3 comments

3 Comments

fionanguyen2d ago

Oh man, the steam thing is a game changer. A spray bottle is way better than the ice cube tray I used to throw in the bottom of the oven. It just makes a more even crust.

mason.drew3d ago

That's a huge win, congrats. The light touch thing is so real. Honestly a lot of home bakers miss that the dough is still alive and moving while you work it. Seeing a pro do it fast makes you realize you're fighting it, not guiding it. My big fix was finally getting a cheap spray bottle for steam instead of tossing ice cubes in a pan.

dianawilson2d agoTop Commenter

Totally agree about the dough feeling alive. Makes me wonder if we're all overthinking the shaping step because we see it as a final step. It's not a sculpture, it's just tucking a living thing into bed for its last nap. The tension comes from the dough's own weight settling, not from how hard we pull the skin.