I've prepared the "regular" KAF-recipe baguettes many times before; I trust this one will be "top notch" as well.
I saw someone asking about steam/spritzing and I wanted to add a note of advice about that.
Concerning "Steam" (for people without ovens that can steam):
What I do is I place two 13x9 rectangular baking pans, filled 1/2-way or 3/4 of the way with warm water, in the oven *while the oven is getting up to temperature. It is not a waste to put the water in before the bread, because the water must ALSO be "up to temperature" (boiling and giving vapor) just as much as the oven needs to be "up to temperature" (which is, I guess, the reason why I fill the pans 1/2-way to 3/4 of the way up with water: otherwise, as I've experienced so many times, the pans will dry out before your baguette is finished baking).
When the oven is up to temperature, I CAREFULLY (the steam escaping the oven CAN burn - and HAS burned me; even if it doesn't burn you, it can give you a good scare) open the oven door to place the cookie sheet on which I (usually) have proofed my baguette/s; then, close the oven door.
Note: Follow the advice of covering the baguettes with a greased plastic covering - especially if you live in an arid climate like where I live. The first time I followed that piece of advice (before that, I used to cover the baguettes, while they were proofing on the cookie sheet, with an upside-down 13x9" tray over it, with wetted napkins to cover the gaps between where the 13x9" pan and cookie sheet did not meet [through which moisture could escape - leaving you with a dry baguette which cannot give you a good result, as I've learned from experience]) was *the best results I'd gotten, bar none, from all the entire time of baking the "normal" KAF-recipe baguettes. It is definitely worth it!
Excellent!
Thanks for the advice from us and our readers, Daniel! Elisabeth
August 25, 2013 at 8:31am