When I was planning out recipes for this month, I was really excited to make a recipe for one of my most anticipated games this year. But, when I was playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, I couldn’t find any food in the game other than giant pieces of meat for some reason(?), so I was nervous that there wasn’t going to be anything for me to make. But, in fact, the recipe was staring me right in the face, quite literally.
The baguette is the quintessential French food, so it’s no surprise that Sandfall Interactive, a French Video game studio, would include it in their game set in a fantasy version of Belle Époque France. Specifically, the baguette is found in the game nestled safely on the back of the appropriately named Baguette Outfit, that every character has access to, usually by defeating a challenging Mime enemy. And although this baguette has no purpose other than looking visually nice, I have heard that one might be able to get a functional one by buying it from the boulangerie in Lumiere…
Speaking of, of course, it certainly might be easier and faster to buy a baguette from your local boulangerie or bakery, but like with all of our other bread recipes, there’s nothing like freshly baked homemade bread. Plus, with you in control of the ingredients, you are able to adjust your bread to your liking, such as proofing it for less or more time, depending on how many large open holes you want in your bread. I got a bit distracted when making this and I actually overproofed my dough a bit during the pointage, so my bread didn’t stretch and expand as much as I would’ve preferred in the second rise and it didn’t develop as much crumb as I normally like, but the bread did still taste very delicious. So, if you plan on making this recipe and you don’t succeed right away, just like with the challenging game it comes from, just keep trying it again and again, and eventually you’ll be successful.
Speaking of the game, in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, you play as members of Expedition 33 who set out to destroy the Paintress, a being causing the yearly Gommage, slowly erasing everyone in the world at or above a certain age. This turn-based RPG is honestly already one of my favorite games of all time because of its amazing story and unique blend of realtime parrying and deep, strategic turn-based combat, in addition to the amazing music and about a million other things as well.
We are actually currently playing through the game for the Variety Show, but we are taking a little bit of a break since we just finished Act I. Though, we will be heading back to the game in a few weeks, so if you are watching this video when it has come out, you have plenty of time to catch up before we delve into Act II and learn even more secrets and revelations about The Paintress and the members of Expedition 33.
But back to the recipe, for any leftovers, they of course won’t be as good as they would be fresh, but you may leave them out on the counter for a few days. Or, you can wrap them in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze them for up to 3 months, and they should stay relatively fresh. All you then have to do is defrost them in the oven at 400°F for 6-8 minutes to bring them back to being warmed and toasty.
But regardless of if you are attempting to take down the Paintress or if you just want to make some yummy food, this delicious recipe will be a great addition to any meal or a great snack to share with those who come after.
Ingredients:
- Some poolish, which you can make with
- 3.5g (½ packet) instant/active dry yeast -or- 1 tbsp healthy sourdough starter (if you have some)
- 120g (½ cup) room temperature water (or warm water if using active dry yeast)
- 120g (1 cup) bread (or all-purpose) flour
- 3.5g (½ packet) instant/active dry yeast
- 240g (1 cup) room temperature (or warm) water as needed
- 420g (3½ cup) bread (or all-purpose) flour
- 12g (2 tsp) salt
Step 1: Prepare Poolish & Let it Ferment At Least 45 Minutes Up to 12 Hours (or 12-24 Hours in the Fridge)
First, we’ll prepare the poolish, so in a mixing bowl, add in your 120g of water and mix in your starter or 3.5g yeast (letting it rest for 10-15 minutes in the warm water to activate it if using active dry yeast).
Then, once your yeast is bubbling and active (or if you’re using instant yeast or the sourdough starter), mix this with your 120g of flour until everything is well combined.
Then, cover this with a towel and let this proof on the counter for at least 45 minutes up to 12 hours or 12-24 hours in the fridge.
Step 2: Mix Fermented Poolish w/ Rest of Ingredients
Once your poolish has risen, dropped back down, and is now covered in bubbles, it’s ready to be mixed with the rest of the ingredients, so in a large mixing bowl, add the poolish along with the rest of the yeast, water, flour, and salt, and fully mix all of the dough, using a whisk or your hands, until all of the flour is mixed together.
You can of course skip making the poolish and just mix everything together all at once if you are short on time, but this extra step does help to impart a ton of delicious flavor.
Then, once your dough is ready, place it back into the bowl, cover this with a damp towel and let it rest for an hour or two.
Step 3: Let Dough Rest for 1-2 Hours & Perform Stretch & Folds Every 30 Minutes
During this time, while not strictly necessary, I recommend every 30 minutes to stretch and fold the dough by grabbing a corner of the dough and pulling it up to the center until you’ve stretched all parts of the dough.
This step will help to develop more gluten without overworking the dough, increasing the total volume and height of your bread when it bakes. So, if you have the time, I recommend doing this four times, or every 30 minutes during this 2 hour period.
Even if you can only do the stretching and folding once or twice, your dough will still benefit from the extra gluten development.
Step 4: Perform Bulk Fermentation for 2-4 Hours (or 6-8 Hours in the Fridge) Until Dough Doubles in Size
Then, after a couple of hours, once you’re ready to perform the Bulk Fermentation, or in French, the Pointage, cover the bowl with a towel and let it rise at room temperature, about 2 to 4 hours, or in the fridge for 6-8 hours.
The dough will be ready when it has about doubled in volume, which might be a bit sooner than you’re planning if you live in a warm, humid environment, so just keep an eye out to prevent it from over-proofing.
Step 5: Divide Dough into 3-4 Pieces, Gently Shape Dough into Batard Shape, & Let Rest for 5-10 Minutes While Preparing the Couche
But, once the dough is ready, onto a lightly floured surface, scoop out your dough from the bowl, placing it bottom side up, and divide the dough into 3 or 4 pieces.
Then, gently shape each piece of dough into a cylindrical or batard shape by folding the top of the dough down to the center, pressing it gently with your fingers. And then, make another fold in the same direction.
If the dough is sticky, dust it lightly with the flour and continue to gently fold the dough. If you have a bench scraper, you can use this to push the dough underneath, pulling the dough to create tension, making a nice smooth surface across the entire dough.
Then, once all of your dough is shaped, let it rest for 5-10 minutes while we prepare the couche.
Step 6: Fold Dough into Final Shape, Place Onto Couche, & Let Rest for 1 Hour or So
For the couche, grab a dry cloth towel and lightly dust it with some flour to keep the dough from sticking to the towel. And then, for each piece of dough, place it seam-side up, giving it a tap to pop any large fermentation bubbles, and then fold the top down about a third of the way, sealing the edges with your fingers. And then, in the same direction, fold the top down again with your hands and then roll your dough into its final shape, about 8-12 inches or so, tapering the edges, as desired. Then, place your dough onto your floured couche and cover them, letting them rest for an hour or so, depending on how much crumb you prefer.
Step 7: Prepare Baking Stone & Water Bath Trays & Preheat Oven to 475°F
While we wait, we’ll prepare the oven, so place a baking stone or flat tray in your oven and place another tray on the bottom to use for your steam bath and preheat your oven to 475°F.
Step 8: Dust Dough w/ Flour, Score the Dough; Carefully Transfer Dough to Preheated Oven, Pour Boiled Water into Water Bath, & Bake Bread for 15 Minutes; Then Release Steam & Bake for Another 3-5 Minutes
Once your oven is done preheating and your dough has finished proofing, carefully transfer your dough to a piece of parchment paper on top of a cutting board, dust it with some flour if you wish and then using a sharp knife or razor blade, add some shallow ¼ to ½ inch cuts to score the dough with 3 parallel lines at a slight 45° angle, with the lines slightly overlapping by ⅓ of the length.
Then, boil some water and once that’s ready, transfer your bread and parchment paper onto your baking stone and then pour your boiled water onto the bottom tray and quickly close your oven, and bake this for 15 minutes.
Then, once your bread is baked, open your oven to release any steam that’s still lingering and then close your oven again and let it bake for another 3-5 minutes to develop a nice crust.
Step 9: Remove Bread from Oven, Let Cool, & Enjoy!
Then, once your bread is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool, and with that, your Baguette is ready to eat.