I have determined that, for best results in making French bread, a mixture of three-quarters bread flour to one-quarter pastry (soft wheat) flour is advantageous. It is not strictly necessary to use the pastry flour for these baguettes, but I believe the flavour is closer to the genuine loaves when it is included.
2 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 tsp granulated sugar
4 tsp salt
1 quart water
8 cups flour
Proof yeast in sugared water. After 5 minutes stir in a little flour with the salt. Add more flour, beating very well. Continue adding flour until mixture is too stiff to beat and cleans sides of bowl. Turn out & knead, using more flour if necessary to make a fairly firm dough. Knead very diligently. After about 10 minutes, slam the dough hard on the work surface to compress the CO2 bubbles – so as to give the dough a better skin. Continue kneading until little blisters appear under the dough’s skin. Place dough in warm in lightly greased bowl; cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. Deflate the dough, and divide into portions, shaping each portion into a baguette. Sprinkle baking pans with cornmeal – or, as I do, lightly spray perforated baguette molds. Using a razor blade, score a series of shallow diagonal cuts along top of each loaf. Cover loaves with a tea towel, and let rise until nearly double. Bake in 375° oven (which has been misted with water 2 minutes before the loaves are put in; then again after they’ve been entered) for 20 minutes. Brush with salt water or with egg white beaten with a little water; return to oven and bake about 20 minutes longer.
While the loaves are still warm, I like to melt Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese into them. Chopped, sautéed garlic can be added, too. Superb!