Hi Peggy! I am SO glad you tried these again and that it worked better for you this time! Hmm.. yeah, sometimes different brands of parchment paper can do that if it gets condensation on it overnight. If you notice that again, you can definitely swap out for fresh paper. A baguette pan works, too, but often people still use parchment paper with the pan to help prevent sticking, too, so while that would be fun it won’t necessarily “solve” the problem.

Hi again, Peggy! I’m so glad the flavor turned out! That’s actually a great sign that your fermentation wasn’t too far off. It sounds like a few things may have been at play here. First, it’s normal that shaped baguettes won’t rise a ton in the fridge, the cold fermentation mostly slows everything down. You should see a slight puff, but the big rise will mostly happen during the bake (thats the oven spring). If you didn’t get much rise while baking, it could be due to under-proofing, or possibly that your dough was slightly over-fermented before going into the fridge, which can make it harder to get a good rise in the oven. The hard crust and lack of browning make me think steam might be the issue. Did you bake with steam (like adding water to a hot pan or baking in a covered vessel)? Steam helps the crust stay softer during the initial bake, so it can expand properly and brown better. If your dough felt too wet and was hard to shape, then yes, adding a bit more during the stretch and folds can help next time. You want it tacky but workable. Honestly, it sounds like you’re so close. These kinds of hiccups are super normal, especially when switching to a new style like baguettes.

Hi Peggy! Yes, this dough is definitely higher hydration than typical French bread, so it will feel wetter and a bit trickier to handle. That said, it should still be able to hold its shape. If it’s spreading too much, you can absolutely add a bit more flour during the stretch and folds to help it firm up. Also keep in mind that room temperature, humidity, and how active your starter is all play into how the dough behaves. In warmer months especially, it’s easy to over-ferment without realizing it, which can make the dough feel extra slack and hard to shape. Fridging the shaped baguettes will actually help make them easier to score and bake.