The first rising will take a couple of hours, depending on how warm a spot the bowl is left in. You can let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight if you prefer.
Other shapes are certainly possible. A round loaf can be made by tucking the sides of the “lump” under to form a round, smooth loaf. A baguette is just a thinner baton.
A salty crust is something many eaters prefer. Two possible techniques are to paint the loaves with a mixture of 1 egg white, about 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1/4 cup or so of warm water; or spray the loaves lightly with some water and sprinkle on coarse salt. For a really salty crust combine both approaches (paint first, then sprinkle).
Another technique is to put a pan of water on a bottom rack for the first 10 minutes. If you have a gas oven, the moisture levels in the oven will be higher naturally than for an electric oven. A real baker’s oven is ideal but they cost something like $12,000.
