Bacon Epi Bread with home bakery

Instructions

• 1. Measure carefully, placing all ingredients (flour, salt, sugar and water) in your home bakery machine. The dry yeast probably needs to be placed in a dedicated compartement. Select Dough/Manual cycle and press start.
• 2. When the dough cycle is complete, remove and place it on a floured surface. Punch the dough down and divide it into 4 equal pieces. Cover it with a dry cloth. Take bench time for 15 to 20min.
• 3. On the floured surface, roll out a piece to a 18~20cm long oval shape with a rolling pin. Then spread the bacon (50g each) on the dough.
• 4. Fold the dough onto itself length-wise : the right-most side onto itself and the left-most side onto itself. Both meeting along the centerline. Roll over the dough to flatten it lightly.
• 5. Fold the dough length-wise once more closing it onto itself form both sides again. Only this time, we are shaping it into a log (instead of aiming for flat). Pinch it with your fingers a little along the centerline to 'stitch' it together. Make all 4 logs in this way.
• 6. Place the dough logs side by side but not too close on a lightly floured cloth, seam side down to rest. Lift up the cloth between baguettes into a pleat to help the dough hold its shape. Let it rise for about 40min in a warm place or until it about doubles in size (the volume increase actually depends on the temperature).
• 7. Pre-heat the oven to 230℃.
• 8. Once the logs have risen, gently transfer them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (seam side down).
• 9. Flour the dough logs lightly and start cutting them : Using a pair of clean kitchen scissors, make deep cuts in the dough at a 45 degree angle. At each cut, slide-push the dough alternatively to the left and then to the right.
• 10 Bake for 15~20min until the crust is browned.