Vegan Bread Recipes, Vegan Brunch Recipes, Vegan BBQ Recipes

Twisted Sourdough Baguette with Tomato Salad

Name: Twisted Sourdough Baguette with Tomato Salad
Total time: 1785 min
Yield: 2 baguettes + 4 servings of salad
Ingredients: For the baguettes:; 120 g (4.25 oz) active sourdough starter; 380 g (1.66 cups) water; 450 g (3.75 cups) wheat flour (type 550); 50 g (0.5 cup) whole wheat flour; 11 g (2 tsp) salt; For the tomato salad:; 5 vine tomatoes; 15 cherry tomatoes; 0.5 red onion; 1 garlic clove; 2 tbsp olive oil; 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar; 1 tbsp agave syrup; salt; pepper

A recipe by Anna Germek | Photos by Anna Germek

There are side dishes that always stay in the background. And then there's baguette. With soups, salads, dips, or simply on its own with good olive oil: a crispy baguette pretty much always works, no matter the occasion. Today, we're finally giving this all-rounder the leading role it deserves. Alongside a tomato salad that's just as easy as the bread itself.

Why Sourdough Instead of Yeast?
If you've been following our blog for a while, you already know: we've had sourdough fever ever since our Easy Overnight Sourdough Rolls. Sourdough isn't just a little healthier and easier to digest, it's also just really fun to work with. And since our baguette dough rests in the fridge overnight, you'll barely have to think about it during the day.

Don't Have a Sourdough Starter Yet?
No problem. In our Starting Your Own Sourdough Starter guide, we'll show you step by step how to make one from scratch. If you're short on time, you can also buy a starter at some bakeries or in the supermarket.

How Does the Starter Feeding Ratio Work?
For this recipe, it's best to feed your sourdough starter in the morning so it's active and ready to go by evening. The ratio 1:5:5 means: 1 part starter, 5 parts flour, 5 parts water. To end up with 120 g (4.25 oz) — and have a little extra left over to keep baking with — you only need about 13 g (0.5 oz) of starter in the morning to start your feeding. So: 13 g (0.5 oz) starter + 65 g (0.5 cup) flour + 65 g (0.25 cup) water = approximately 120 g (4.25 oz) for the recipe + 20 g (0.75 oz) as a reserve.
On hot summer days above 30 °C (86 °F), we even recommend a slightly higher ratio of 1:6:6, since the warmth makes the starter become active more quickly.

Do I Need to Stretch and Fold the Dough?
Nope – and that's exactly what makes this recipe so easy to fit into everyday life. You let the stand mixer knead the dough thoroughly once, let it rise at room temperature, then pop it in the fridge overnight. No extra steps needed – perfect if you don't want to spend your whole evening in the kitchen.
Don't have a stand mixer? You can also knead by hand for 20 minutes, though the result for this recipe will probably turn out better with a stand mixer.

Is the Dough Supposed to Be This Wet?
Yes! The amount of water in this recipe is pretty high, so the baguette turns out nice and airy even without stretching, folding, or a long resting time. That's why the dough is quite wet when you first mix it – but thanks to the long kneading time and the rest in the fridge, it'll be firm enough to work with the next day.

Is Baking with Steam Complicated?
Not at all, we promise! Just place a heatproof dish with water in the oven, or pour water directly onto the oven floor (as long as your oven can handle it) – and there's your DIY steam oven.

Need More Sourdough Recipes?
If that's not enough for you yet: our sourdough bread with potato & walnut and our easy pumpkin sourdough bread are already waiting for you.

Sourdough starter from the jar is added to a bowl of water, and flour is added.

The dough is kneaded in the machine and then covered with a kitchen towel in the bowl.

The dough is turned out of the bowl, divided, and shaped.

Twisted Sourdough Baguette with Tomato Salad

2 baguettes + 4 servings of salad

approximately 15 hours (20 minutes prep + 14 hours rising time + 25 minutes baking time)

Ingredients

For the baguettes:

120 g (4.25 oz) active sourdough starter
380 g (1.66 cups) water
450 g (3.75 cups) wheat flour (type 550)
50 g (0.5 cup) whole wheat flour
11 g (2 tsp) salt

For the tomato salad:

5 vine tomatoes
15 cherry tomatoes
0.5 red onion
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp agave syrup
salt
pepper

Instructions

Feed the sourdough starter so it's active and ready to bake by evening. If you're feeding it in the morning before work, use a ratio of 1:5:5.
Put the starter, water, flours, and salt in a bowl and knead for 10–20 minutes, ideally with a stand mixer. Let the dough rise at room temperature for approximately 1–2 hours, until it's grown a bit. In winter, place it somewhere warm.
After the rising time, cover the dough, for example with plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge overnight (approximately 10–16 hours).
In the morning, turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, dust with flour, and divide into two strands. Pinch the open edges closed, then carefully twist the strands together. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 230 °C/445 °F (convection).
Bake the baguettes with steam for 10 minutes: either using an oven with a steam function, or by placing a heatproof dish on the bottom of the oven while preheating and filling it with hot water just before baking. Alternatively, simply pour water directly onto the oven floor, as long as your oven can handle it. Finish baking for another 15 minutes without steam.
Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes, dice the onion, and chop the garlic. Whisk the garlic together with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, agave syrup, salt, and pepper to make a dressing, and pour it over the vegetables. Let the baguettes cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.