Coastal Scent Baguette

A crisply baked Swiss baguette with aromatic thyme, fine crumb, and elegant fragrance thanks to a carefully managed poolish.

Preparation

1. For the poolish, mix 200 g of wheat flour with 200 g of water and 1 g of fresh yeast in a bowl until lump-free. Cover and let it ferment at room temperature for 12-16 hours until the preferment is airy, bubbly, and at its peak of fermentation.
2. For the main dough, briefly mix the ripe poolish with the remaining wheat flour, spelt flour, 170 g of water, and the remaining 1 g of fresh yeast until no dry spots are visible. Let the dough rest covered for 30 minutes for autolyse.
3. Now add the salt and the finely plucked thyme, and knead the dough for 6-8 minutes on the first speed and 2-3 minutes on the second speed until it is smooth, elastic, and slightly shiny. The ideal dough temperature should be around 24-25 °C.
4. Place the dough in a lightly oiled container and let it bulk ferment at room temperature for 2 hours. During this time, stretch and fold the dough once at 30, 60, and 90 minutes to build tension in the gluten structure and create a beautifully irregular crumb later on.
5. Carefully transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 3 equal pieces. Gently pre-shape each piece, let them relax covered for 15 minutes, and then shape into long, slender baguettes without pressing out the trapped air.
6. Place the shaped baguettes seam side up in a well-floured baker's linen and let them proof for 45-60 minutes. Meanwhile, thoroughly preheat the oven with a baking stone or tray to 250 °C (482 °F) top/bottom heat.
7. Turn the baguettes onto a peel or a tray seam side down and make 3-5 shallow, slightly overlapping slashes lengthwise with a sharp blade. Immediately slide them into the hot oven and create steam.
8. Bake the baguettes for 10 minutes at 250 °C, then release the steam, lower the temperature to 230 °C (446 °F), and bake for another 10-12 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack so that the crust remains crackly and the crumb stays moist.