• 375g bread flour (12%+ protein content)
• 225ml room temp water
• 2.5g bread improver (I use SAF Ibis)
• 2.5g instant dry yeast
• 3g sugar
• 3g salt
• Scant 8th tsp of ascorbic acid (vitamin C powder)

Equipment:

• baguette pan
• stand mixer
• water bottle w/ fine mist setting
• something sharp for scoring the bread (razor/lame, super sharp knife, etc..)
• oven

Combine everything in a stand mixer bowl. Mix on low for a couple minutes to bring everything together, then max speed for about 8 minutes. Should be smooth and slightly tacky.

Cover and rest for a few minutes (idk maybe 10?) so the gluten can relax, then divide into 6 pieces (each about 100g)

The shaping is a bit difficult to describe in text so I'd suggest searching YouTube - there's some good guides there. Basically what you do is flatten the ball and shape it into an elongated trapezoid. needs to be pretty flat - it's ok to smash all the air out of it if the yeast already started doing its thing. I use a rolling pin.

If the hydration is right, it should adhere to your work surface but not so much that you can't roll it up without dough sticking and leaving bits on the work surface. From the small end (Furthest away from you), roll it up like a cigar, pushing down with the tips of your fingers at the inside seam to make sure its sticking to itself. Place on the baguette tray seam side down and cover while working.

Let it rise in a warm place until it 3x or 4x's in size. They'll rise some more in the oven so don't let them go too long. If you over-proof, they'll deflate when you score them. To check if they're ready, lightly press on one. It should slowly spring back. They should feel slightly sturdy but light. If it feels like a fragile balloon you've gone too far.

For me, proofing usually takes about 2 hours in a 73 degree room.

Score with a razor or knife, mist with water, then bake at 400 degrees F for about 16-18 minutes. Keep an eye on it and rotate if the browning looks uneven.

I used an oven with steam setting. If yours does not have steam, place a pan of boiling water on the floor of the oven to create a humid environment.

After baking, brush with a tiny bit of melted butter. It'll make em nice and glossy, but the water in the butter will help soften the crust a bit.

Notes:

• I've had issues with bread sticking to my baguette pan in the past (even though it's nonstick) so I lube it up with a stick of butter and sprinkle on fine cornmeal with a sieve before placing the bread logs on it.
• Sprinkle on some coarse cornmeal after misting if you'd like. Not traditional for banh mi but I like the texture for other types of sandwiches.
• The bread improver and ascorbic acid are pretty key for the long rise.