[Unofornaio]

You need to have a board as long as the baguette, actually a little longer to transfer the dough to the peal. At first a stiff piece of cardboard will work ( but doesnt last long). It also helps if you are making them traditional length to have a longer peel. Putting them at an angle on a smaller peel makes the transition to the hearth very difficult and you will quickly get frustrated as well as have crooked sticks. Be sure to add plenty of cornmeal to the peel prior to transferring since the loaf is longer you need to have it nice and loose and pull back in one smooth motion...this will take practice. The worse that will happen on your first few is that the loaf will be longer than it started out to be..no biggie. Don't be afraid to make the series of slashes, this too will deform the loaves till you get the hang of it. The proper slash should be as if you are skinning the dough slightly above the surface not a down ward slash..this also takes some practice but is essential to keeping the stick uniform. good luck post some pics...