Rye Baguettes

 1/3 lb white flour

1/3 lb rye flour

2 Tbs cocoa powder

2 Tbs caraway see

1-1/2 tsp kosher salt

3 Tbs blackstrap molasses

2/3 cups water (100 F)

1/3 cup water (100 F)

1 package yeast

Use a rubber spatula to stir, until dissolved, yeast in the 1/3 cup water

Stir all the dry ingredients together.

 

Stir in the molasses and 2/3 cups water into the dry ingredients. Then stir in the dissolved yeast mixture.

Dump mixture out onto floured surface. Let rest for four minutes.

Start kneading by using a scraper to scrape and flip, scrape and flip. Let rest 2 minutes. Then knead by hand by slapping the dough down on the counter. Add flour as necessary to get a good consistency. This process should take 8 to 10 minutes.

Place in clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise to 7 cups. This will take hours.

Hint: mark on bowl the seven cup level.

Dump out on floured surface and pat out into about a 10 inch circle. Then fold near to far, left to right, and near to far. Place back in bowl and let rise to 7 cups again.

Dump onto floured surface and cut into two pieces. Let rest five minutes.

Form about a 6 x 8 inch rectangle. With the edge of the hand, form a trench in the middle the length of the rectangle. Fold over almost to the edge so you have about a 4 x 8 inch rectangle and use the heel of the hand to seal.

Now roll into a cylinder about 18 to 20 inches long and place in floured cloth to proof.

Let rise until puffy.

Transfer to baking vessel. Use a razor blade to cut three scars along the length of the baguette.

Using a spray bottle, spray water on baguettes until moist.

Place in lower level of 450 degree oven.

At two minutes mist the loaves with water using the spray bottle.

At four minutes mist the loaves with water using the spray bottle.

At six minutes mist the loaves with water using the spray bottle and move loaves to upper third of oven.

Bake additional 17 to 19 minutes.

Cool loaves in vertical position.