Batard Bread
Batard bread, the humble sister loaf of the much more well known baguette, is quite simple to make. Chances are you have had a loaf like this many times over at the dinner table, you just weren’t aware of the name.
What makes batard bread different from a traditional baguette?
Instead of being long in length and small in width, this bread is shaped more like a football, making it great for sandwiches, garlic bread, or even making it perfect for a Sunday football theme.
I’ll definitely be making a loaf for the Super Bowl!
What Is Batard Bread?
Batard or “half bread” (I’m going with the nicer term on this one) gets its name from being the inferior bread to the baguette.
Though, I’m really not sure why, this bread is just as delicious! Aside from being different in shape, the recipe is essentially the same.
What Flour Should I Use?
I will say, your flour choice is the most important thing in this recipe. Batard bread must be made with bread flour for it to be the right texture.
Bread flour has much more protein, creating more gluten in the dough, which yields that bread-like quality that we all love.
For this recipe, and most of my bread recipes, I use King Arthur bread flour. You can find this flour at most grocery stores, and I’ve even seen it at Target.
How Do I Knead Dough By Hand?
To knead dough, simply push the dough away from you using the heel of your palm, fold it over itself with your fingers, pull it back, and repeat.
Repeat this motion for at least 5-10 minutes, and this will ensure there is enough gluten in the dough to make a chewy loaf of bread.
What If I Don’t Have A Spray Bottle?
Spraying the loaf with water creates that deliciously crispy, crunchy crust. If you don’t have a spray bottle, wet your hands and gently press them onto the loaf, until it is evenly coated with water.
Batard Bread Recipe
Yield: 2 loaves
Prep/Rise Time: 3-5 hours
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lukewarm water
- 3 ½ cups bread flour
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast and 1 ½ cups of lukewarm water. The water needs to be around 110°F, which should be slightly warm on your wrist. Too hot and it will kill the yeast.
2. Stir in the salt with the flour. Once the yeast looks frothy, add your flour and salt mixture to the bowl until it is well incorporated.
3. Knead the dough either by hand or a stand mixer with a dough hook for a few minutes until it forms a bouncy consistency and pulls away from the sides of the bowl or counter. If the dough bounces back when you stick a finger in it, it is ready.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 3-5 hours. Once it has tripled in size, it is ready for the next step.
5. Lightly dust the counter top and your hands with bread flour.
6. Punch down the dough and pour it onto the floured surface. Cut the dough into two pieces.
7. Mold the dough into a slightly oblong shape. It should be smaller than a foot, so don’t stretch the dough beyond that length.
8. Turn the dough over to the “rough” edge and then fold the sides of the dough inward, so they make a trench in the middle.
9. Once the football shape is made, you can roll the dough back and forth to even it out. Then make sure the ends of the dough are also evenly rounded.
10. Let dough rise for 30 more minutes. While it does, preheat your oven to 450°F.
11. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and lightly dust it with flour, then place the shaped dough on the sheet.
12. Using a sharp knife or razor blade, Slash the top of the dough three times. Spray the top of the dough with water.
13. Cook the bread for about 20 minutes or until perfectly golden brown. Enjoy!
Batard Bread
This bread is soft in the middle and perfectly crusty on the outside, making it the perfect canvas for butter, cheese, or bread dip!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lukewarm water
- 3 ½ cups bread flour
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast and 1 ½ cups of lukewarm water. The water needs to be around 110°F, which should be slightly warm on your wrist. Too hot and it will kill the yeast.
- Stir in the salt with the flour. Once the yeast looks frothy, add your flour and salt mixture to the bowl until it is well incorporated.
- Knead the dough either by hand or a stand mixer with a dough hook for a few minutes until it forms a bouncy consistency and pulls away from the sides of the bowl or counter. If the dough bounces back when you stick a finger in it, it is ready.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 3-5 hours. Once it has tripled in size, it is ready for the next step.
- Lightly dust the counter top and your hands with bread flour.
- Punch down the dough and pour it onto the floured surface. Cut the dough into two pieces.
- Mold the dough into a slightly oblong shape. It should be smaller than a foot, so don’t stretch the dough beyond that length.
- Turn the dough over to the “rough” edge and then fold the sides of the dough inward, so they make a trench in the middle.
- Once the football shape is made, you can roll the dough back and forth to even it out. Then make sure the ends of the dough are also evenly rounded.
- Let dough rise for 30 more minutes. While it does, preheat your oven to 450°F.
- Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and lightly dust it with flour, then place the shaped dough on the sheet.
- Using a sharp knife or razor blade, Slash the top of the dough three times. Spray the top of the dough with water.
- Cook the bread for about 20 minutes or until perfectly golden brown. Enjoy!
