Traditional baguettes by hand

Step 4 Preparing the loaves

Once your dough has risen, gently scoop it out of the rising bowl with your scraper onto a floured counter or workspace.
Divide the dough into two pieces.
Roll into baguettes by pressing each piece into a rectangle.(Not too hard, just lightly press) Fold one third of the rectangle into the middle, and press down along the edge to seal. Fold the other third into the middle, and press to seal. This gives the bread a strong "spine". Then fold the log lengthwise in half again, and seal.
The slide show I linked in the previous step has pictures of this step towards the end of the slide show.
Flip your baguette over and place on a lightly floured parchment lined baking tray, seam side down.
Once on the tray, use a sharp pair of kitchen scissors or a razor to slice 5-7 slices in the top of the loaf.
Cover your prepped baguette with a lint free and floured tea towel, tucking a bit of it between the loaves to keep them from touching during the second rise if necessary.
Let rise for about an hour in a draft free and warm spot. (I pop mine back into the oven where I did the first rise, but don't add any additional heat.)