Baguettes and French Kiss Sandwiches

Ingredients

Starter
• ¼ teaspoon active yeast
• ½ cup warm water (around 115 degrees)
• 1 cup all purpose unbleached flour
Dough
• 1 cup warm water (115 degrees)
• 1 teaspoon yeast
• All of the starter
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 3 ¼ cups flour
For the French Kiss Sandwiches (for two sandwiches)
• 4 – 6 slices of Jamon Serrano (or prosciutto or thinly sliced ham)
• 8 thin slices of brie cheese

Instructions

1. Start the starter the night before. Combine all the ingredients for the starter in a medium bowl and stir. This should form a sticky dough. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside overnight – about 14 hours will do it, though the starter is forgiving.
2. To make the dough
3. Combine the warm water, the yeast, and all of the starter. Mix until the starter is mostly incorporated. Add 3 cups of the flour and the salt. Combine to make a shaggy dough and then knead the dough for 6 minutes on a floured surface. Add a bit of the remaining flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to you. Shape the dough into a ball and put it back in the bowl.
First Rise
4. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes.
Second Rise
5. After 45 minutes, punch the dough down (deflate it). Cover it again and let rise for 1 hour.
Shaping the Dough and Preparing it for Baking
6. After the second rise, deflate the dough again and cut it into four even sections. (You can also divide it into two sections or six sections – depending on how many baguettes you want to make). Roll the sections of dough into rectangles and fold them into baguette shapes, placing the seam-side down.
7. Place the shaped baguettes on a lightly greased baking sheet.
8. [The baguettes may spread a bit during the final rise– so if you want more classically shaped bread, you can place the baguettes on parchment paper or a clean dishtowel and pull up a bit of parchment paper or dishtowel between each baguette to help it keep its shape. If you do this, when it’s time to bake, you’ll need to gently roll the baguettes onto a greased baking sheet.]
9. Cover the baguettes with plastic wrap and let rise for 50 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees 20 minutes before the end of the final rise. To get a nice crispy baguette, it helps to have a very hot oven.
10. Once the baguettes have completed the final rise, transfer them to the baking sheet (if you need to) and then place them in the oven. If you have a spray bottle with water handy, gently spray the baguettes, being careful not to spray your oven’s element. Bake for 20 minutes or until the baguettes are a golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Turn the oven off, crack open the oven door, and let the baguettes sit in the oven for 10 minutes after they are done. This helps get an even crispier texture on the outside.
11. Let the baguettes cool for at least 30 minutes. When they are cool, to assemble a sandwich, slice the baguette in half and place the brie and jamon on the baguette. Enjoy!