I labored over this Bread Baker's Apprentice french bread- dealt with preferment and several risings and steaming the oven, but it didn't turn out as I planned. I mean, it was fine. Good for the tomato mozzarella pesto sandwiches we ate on them, but not so amazing alone.
I let the dough rise and then cut it into 3 parts, shaping two into baguettes and one into a batard (french for torpedo, I think- basically a fatter shorter baguette. it's in betweeen the boule (a round loaf) and the baguette on the evolutionary chain.) then they rose again on parchment paper, nestled between a can of spray oil and a paper towel tube.
When I tried to transfer them to the baking sheet, a lot of air escaped and the tops looked wrinkled. I placed a baking pan in the oven during preheating, and when I placed the baking sheet with the dough on a baking stone near the bottom of the oven, I poured a cup of water into the pan at the top to create steam, then shut the oven really fast. Then I misted the walls of the over with a spritzer of water at 30 second intervals 3 times. This helps with the formation of the crust, if I understand correctly.
Like I said, it was involved. And slightly dissapointing. I will surely try again.
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