Banh Mi Baguette

Mix the bread/all purpose flour, rice flour, sugar, yeast and salt.

Add water and oil/lard. Mix until a very soft, sticky dough forms.

• Dough should be wetter than regular bread dough.

Mix in a mixer for 7-8 minutes. Target dough temp is 76-78°F.

• Dough should become smooth, elastic, and still slightly tacky.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover. Let rise for 1-1.5 hours until doubled.

Lightly spray your work surface with oil, then invert the bowl onto your surface to put the top of the ball onto the table. Cut it into 4 equal pieces.

Flatten with hands and smack against the counter or roll with a pin. Roll up so that the center is thicker, similar to a croissant. Pinch the seam then roll until the seam is incorporated into dough. 

Place onto a baguette pan, cover with a towel and let rise for 30-40 min until puffy but not doubled.

Preheat the oven to 475°F.

Put boiling water in a tray and place on the bottom rack.

Spray water on top of each roll, splash about 1 cm deep on top of each roll with the blade held horizontally/flat.

Bake for 12-15 min. The bread should be pale golden, very light, with a crackly crust.

Remove from the oven, cool on a rack. The crust will crisp further as it cools.