Ingredients

• Bread flour 500g
• Water 270g
• Salt 10g
• Instant dried yeast 6g (1 ½ teaspoon)
• Butter 50g, at room temperature

Procedure

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 200g of flour with the yeast and 200g of warm water and mix until completely blended. Cover and leave overnight at room temperature. About 12-14 hours later, the mixture should be bubbly and about tripled in volume.
2. Add the remaining flour and salt and, while mixing, add the remaining water and the softened butter. Mix until you have a soft, pliable dough, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 2 hours at room temperature.
3. Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a baguette shape (or you can make 2 buns form each half). Place the baguettes onto a baking sheet dusted with flour (I prefer to use semolina flour for this step, but regular flour works just as well), cover with a kitchen towel and leave at room temperature for 1 – 1 ½ hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 220^oC (395^oF). Use a sharp knife to make slashes along the length of the baguettes. Bake for 20 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool.
5. This bread will stay at room temperature for 2 days in a plastic bag. It can be frozen for longer storage.