more Anis baguettes
Sometimes when you find a recipe, it takes a little adjusting to make it turn out how you would like. Sometimes after lots of adjusting, you come back to the original recipe and find out it was great how it was. This is the latter. If you'd like to find the recipe, and method, both Jane (janedo) and David (dmsnyder), among others, have written about it quite a bit here, and have both had much success with this recipe and variations of it. Anyway, using that as a baseline, I'll mention the adjustments I made to the method, and/or explain the pics. Oh, and just as a reference, i made (4) 16 oz baguettes in 24" wide pans.
-pic 1 during the first 60 minutes when it is mixed/folded 3 times, I left it in the mixing bowl for the entire period. After the initial mix, I scraped the hook and bowl and covered them to rest for 20 minutes. At 20 minutes, I put the hook back on and let it 'mix' for 5 seconds to allow the machine to do the folding. I repeated this process for all 3 folds. I was trying this in an effort to avoid adding any extra flour late 'into the game'.
-pic 2 shows the 4 baguettes after scaling and 23 hours in the fridge
-pic 3 directly after preshaping, they were placed on a canvas, seams up, for 45 minutes and into the proofer (78 degrees, low humidity)
-pic 4 final shaping them 45 minutes later. I shape them the same way I shape my loaves with the seam away from me.
-pic 5, 6 To experiment, I final proofed two on a canvas and two directly in the pans. All 4 were placed in the proofer together and all 4 baked on the baguette pans at 415 for 23 minutes (convection).
-pic 7 The top two rose in the canvas, the bottom two in the pan. It's hard to tell from the picture, but the bottom two are slightly wider with flatter bottoms, the top two look a little more 'uncontrolled'. Probably could've used a longer final proof to mellow them out a little more.
Anyways, the flavor is great with these baguettes and they have replaced my previous recipe as 'The Back Home Bakery' baguette. Thanks to Anis, Jane, and David for making this possible.
-Mark
Pre Shaping and Final Shaping
Comments
I have to try that recipe! I have not had time but going to make time. Mark, those look wonderful, David, Jane and you are setting a standard in baguette making. I think David said he stretches his for a final shaping. When you say "seam away from me" are you rolling or streching?
Thanks
Eli
When I pick them up from the canvas after they've rested, I stretch them a bit, then I re-seal the seam with my fingertips as opposed to the heel of my hand (that's when the seam is away from me). Then I roll them to even them out a little.
-Mark
"Sometimes when you find a recipe, it takes a little adjusting to make it turn out how you would like. Sometimes after lots of adjusting, you come back to the original recipe and find out it was great how it was."
I laughed when I read this. So true!
The baguettes look beautiful. I've been making the poolish baguettes out of Hamelman's book; I think I need to try this variety instead.
SOL
I've taken recipes and adjusted the hydration up and down so many times, then gone back and re-figured it out and it's EXACTLY what the recipe called for in the first place. Then I think to myself, "Maybe Hamelman does know what he's talking about..."
-Mark
I know I ask alot of questions and I apologize. I read and re-read and may have misunderstood. How long was your final proof?
Thanks,
Eli
www.elisfoods.wordpress.com
The final proof was for 45 minutes. Seeing how the top two looked a little bit 'blown out', I was thinking it could've been a little longer. Sometimes when you get blowouts in places other than the scored areas, it's because the dough is 'too tight' or not relaxed enough when it goes in the oven.
-Mark
Those are both very nice Mark. I'm going to try the folding in the mixer or rather a very short mix of a few revolutions. It would simplify the method some.
I'll be the guy who begs for a video showing your shaping method and handling in the final stages. I think that would be very helpful as this mix is so slack and your videos are soooo good!
Eric
Eric,
I think you'll be able to tell pretty quickly how well it's getting 'folded' in your mixer. As much as I like working with dough, I'm not real crazy about sticking my hands in stuff that's over 70% hydration, so this method was born from that (and watching Calvel use it for his autolyse). I did this method the day after doing it the 'folding on the table' method, and couldn't see any difference between the crumb or crust. I seem to get the same results with the 'no knead' method, but this is just a little easier.
On Wednesday I'll be making some more of these baguettes and I'll try to shoot a short video of the pre and final shaping. Basically it's just a modification of my regular shaping, but it works well with this recipe.
-Mark
Now I'll be waiting for your video Mark!
Jane
Hi, Mark.
Those are gorgeous! The crumb is stellar.
Let me make sure I understand your mixing:
Mix in a mechanical mixer.
Rest 20 minutes.
Mix with hook for 5 seconds x 3 at 20 minute intervals.
Retard 23 hrs
etc.
I've been doing all the mixing in a large bowl by hand - 20 folds each time. I never add flour as I might be tempted to using a French fold on the bench. Actually, a couple of times I've added water when the dough seems too stiff.
I should give your method a try, though. Believe it or not, I've thought I have over-mixed at times, which the method I use shouldn't really do.
I sure wish I had an oven that would accommodate full-size baguettes.
David
David,
Just so you know, my first mix is 4 minutes on speed 1 and 2 minutes on speed 2. Basically, I came about the 5 seconds by watching how it was working. On my 20 qt mixer, in 5 revolutions (as opposed to rotations) it had just finished grabbing all of the dough, folded it and was about to start kneading it, if you know what I mean. This all took 5 seconds. On my larger mixer (60 qt), the revolutions take twice as long on speed 1, so I suspect the 'folding' would take closer to 10 seconds instead of 5.
Just another point of reference, after the first 5 second fold, 1/2 of the dough was on the hook. By the last 5 second fold, the dough was on the dough hook and could be entirely lifted out of the bowl by the dough hook.
-Mark
Mark is this a 100% yeasted recipe? I know David has been using a SD component in some of his.
Eric
That's right, this is yeasted, with no starter in it. Though because of the long ferment it has a pretty low amount of yeast - in this 4# recipe there was 1/2 tsp.
-Mark
Beautiful work, Mark (as usual). I agree that the Anis baguettes are exquisite. While I've only made them three times over the weekend, the baguettes had the most open crumb I've ever been able to produce. Each batch surprised me because the crumb results were so consistent, something I've not been able to manage with the l'Ancienne baguettes I've regularly made (whose crumb has never been as open as the Anis).
I'm not sure how everyone else is doing the fold and stretch inside the bowl, but I've been using the technique described by Hamelman in his unkneaded six-fold French bread recipe: simply using my dough scraper to fold the dough on top of itself 20 times during each 20-minute interval. Actually, I love working with this dough and feeling it come together so I'm not inclined to use my mixer.
I am curious about the baguette pans. Are the results the same as if the baguettes were baked on a hot stone? While I've had no problems loading the Anis baguettes into the oven, when I tried David's suggestion of adding 100 grams of my sourdough starter, that changed the hydration. I wound up with very wobbly baguettes and lost one when loading them into the oven. Nothing like having to fish out a crumpled baguette from the bottom rack of a 500F oven.
Are your pans perforated? Is there any benefit to using a perforated pan?
I believe David uses the same method as you for folding the dough. Sounds like it works for you, and like they say, if it aint broke, don't fix it. I've never used a baking stone, except to cook pizzas on, so I can't comment on the results from that. I know in Hamelman's book he has pictures of baguettes from all of the different baking scenarios, but who knows how many baguettes he went through to make his point.
At the bakery I used to work at in VT we baked them on sheet pans filled with cornmeal; I got these pans for free when I bought the proofer, so now I'm using these. I always thought of them as pans for nubies who couldn't shape, but now I think they're great. They are perforated which allows the bottoms to get nice color, plus because the bottoms end up rounded, they're nice and strong.
One negative is if the baguettes aren't the 'right size' for the contour of the pans, they get hindered from opening up like they should during ovenspring. As you can see in the pictures, these baguettes are relatively thin (by American standards anyway) for their length. If they were any fatter, they'd try to open up, but the pans would keep them somewhat closed.
-Mark
Thanks, Mark. I guess I'll have to scout around and look at a baguette pan in real time to get a sense of the sizing issue.
Wish I had a lip on the back of my stone!
Mark,
Well I tried your method for machine folding on a 4 Lb batch of 75% french dough for baguettes. Using my DLX with the solid hook from the start, It worked great. I also baked 3 on the stone and 3 in the baguette pan. That 21 hour retard is a charm. They were really good baguettes and I just used normal steam.
My sister and her 2 daughters were visiting today so I got up early (by my standards, not yours) and removed the dough from the fridge and shaped as per your photos. I pre shaped all 6 in the couch and after shaping I final proofed the 3 in the baguette pan in a warm microwave and left the remaining 3 on a sheet pan/parchment at room temp to slow them down slightly.
The oldest daughter is just freshly back from 6 months in Europe and is a grad student in food science at UC Davis. She thought the Baguettes were every bit as good as any she had eaten in France. We all thought the crust and creamy open hole crumb was exceptional. I would say these were the best I have ever made. What a stroke of good luck my sister happened to be here to enjoy my success.
I should mention I swapped 5% (50g) of white rye in the Gold Medal "Better for Bread" flour. The most simple ingredients and easiest method possible resulted in fantastic bread. Life is good!
Eric
But I do hope that when she complimented your baguettes, you simply said, "But of course" (That would be in a French accent), and played it off like they always turn out like that. Glad to see the machine folding worked out for you. I don't know if that would fit under David's 'minimalist baking', but it would certainly fit under 'simplified baking'.
-Mark
Hi, Eric.
Lovely shaping!
So, did you find any difference between the batch baked on the stone and that baked in the pans? From the photo, I wouldn't want to guess which is which.
Are you going to show us the exceptional crumb?
Also, for both you and Mark: Did you test the dough for window paning before retarding it? I'm still not sure how much gluten development is ideal with this dough.
Not to nit pick, but you didn't seem to get a lot of bloom. Any thoughts about that? Scoring technique? Over-proofing?
Did your neice bring you back any T65 flour? ;-)
David
I didn't test them for window paning, but I noticed a marked difference each time they were 'folded'. I'm also not sure what I'd be looking for as far as that goes; some say window paning, some say that's too far. I do know what the dough felt like when I pulled on it, so at least I'll be able to duplicate it.
-Mark
Mark,
I didn't test the development but that would be a good idea. If anything I may have over done the folding cycles. I wanted to make sure I was getting a well developed dough so I let it run for a little longer than might be necessary. The DLX is a different device so I'm really out on a limb here. Then I did a few slap and fold at the end just to be sure.
For as slack as the dough is, I don't think the spring and bloom would be affected by a little extra handling before pre shape and baking. It's an hour and 45 minutes between the two events.
I have been thinking all day about the machine folding concept and how I might employ it with my other breads. The multi-grain comes to mind as one that would benefit. I make that in 8 pound batches and it needs to be developed or it can be dense. The sweet dough also would be a lot easier if I didn't have to get my fingers into it. Hmmmm.
Eric
I get a real kick out of these types of experiments and what a revelation things can be in an area where we think the "masters" knew best. They are our inspiration, as in the art and music world, but we also have our own wings!
I'm sure sourdough breads would do wonderfully with this method and many other breads. I have been doing sort of the opposite these days for experimental purposes. I have been doing extremely high hydration doughs (around 80%) but with T65 and some rye, so they absorb a bit more than a T55. I knead it in a mixer quite fast until they windowpane. I took a picture of my dough which is a huge sheet because it is so wet and can stretch. It makes amazing bread! But for these baguettes, after so many experiments, I'm sure that it is the lower gluten development, not quite to windowpane and then the retarding that makes that incredible crumb!
Jane
David,
The three on the left were baked in the pan the three on the right were done on a ston with parchment. The first batch was the pan bake which by the way was placed on the hot stone.
The slashing was clumsy in both cases I'm afraid. They could have been deeper cuts. Since I didn't want to bake them at the same time, I had to try to slow down the second set by leaving it at room temp. I'm not very confident when slashing 75% dough. Maybe I should break out the single razor again for these.
The crumb was very nice but not as open as Marks. Unfortunately between what we ate for lunch and what I bagged for my sister and her girls for road food on the drive up to Houghton MI and a loaf to be dropped at my other daughter's home, well, I'll just have to try again, it's all gone.
Eric
First, I'm really pleased Mark has adopted Anis Bouabsa's recipe.I regard that as a very strong endorsement, considering the source.
I'm really curious about how Bouabsa mixes his dough. I bet Jane could give us more information about that. I've been using Hamelman's stretch and fold in the bowl method, but I can't see that working for commercial quantities. I wonder how Mark's mixing translates to home-size mixers - KitchenAid, DLX or Bosch. Again, I'm handicapped by not being able to feel Mark's (or Anis'!) dough. If I had the "target" in my sights ...
I've liked the mixing in the bowl technique, but I'm intrigued by Mark's 5 seconds every 20 minutes method. I want to see how my dough would develop in the Bosch.
Window paning as a criterion is relatively objective and is attractive just for that reason.
Suas, in AB&P, illustrates 3 degrees of window paning, which I find helpful as a reference.
The point he makes about the relationship between gluten development via mixing and gluten development during bulk fermentation is one I need to pay more attention to. The lesson for the Bouabsa baguettes, with their long, slow fermentation, is to avoid over-mixing and to use folding during bulk fermentation. Hamelman talks about folding dough hourly once or twice at the start of an over-night cold fermentation. Hmmmm ....
It's time to re-read Suas' chapters on mixing and fermentation a few more times. Meditate on Hamelman. Re-center and bake some bread.
David
David,
With you being familiar with the way your 'no knead' folding effects the dough, I bet as soon as you start the Bosch 'machine folding', you'd be able to tell how long is the right time. As soon as it starts, you'll see it doing something and very soon, you'll think, "That's enough." Same with the DLX. I think with the KitchenAid, you'd have to scrape the bowl in towards the hook right before you turn it on. That way it would have something to grab on to. Otherwise the hook would just play with itself in the center.
-Mark
Now, where have I beeeeen??? Thanks Eric for filling me in on what I've been missing. Guess I've been hung up with Christmas and sick kids.
OK, now..... BEAUTIFUL! Both Mark and Eric. Mark knows I have been waiting for MONTHS to se his results with the Bouabsa baguettes.
Here, I'll let you all in on the "secret" of the mixing. Anis has a very expensive but very wonderful professional mxer that has a huge bowl with two long "arms" that replicate the action of arms diving down in to the down and folding it. He does what Mark does... frasage + some mixing, 20 min. rest, mixing a bit (just to fold) 20 min rest, etc. He called it "folding", so when we talked about how to do it at home, he said to do the slap and fold kneading, then let it rest 20 min and then do regular folding. The Hamelman technique gives a fantastic result. But I'll definitely try doing the same thing in the mixer. I haven't tried simply because I figured the action wasn't the same. But Mark has proved that it will work just fine!
Thanks for sharing you guys and I think we'll all be baking up a ton of baguettes to wow our holiday guests.
Jane
Jane,
I was going to title this thread "Are you happy now, Jane?" but I decided to go with "more Anis baguettes" instead. I know the type of mixer you're talking about that he uses, and I think those do the most accurate job of 'folding' if you were to compare it to folding it by hand.
You know what's funny about your post above, is we tend to latch onto a specific part of a master's recipe/instruction about mixing, proofing, or whatever. Chances are, if they were in our kitchen using our ingredients, they'd be making adjustments here and there, and we'd be saying, "But that's not what you say to do in the book!"
Thanks again for introducing this recipe and technique!
-Mark
Yep, I'm happy now! Just one thing... have you tried the sourdough-yeast version? I do love the 100% yeast baguettes because they have better taste than any baguette I've ever tried and they last longer than most bakery baguettes, but the sourdough version, especially with the rye, is pretty deadly. Maybe not in a baguette shape, you could do it like a light rustic rye type thing, or David's pain de campagne. What do you think?
Jane
..that you were going to ask something about that. Back before I was doing the Anis baguette, I was doing a 'Hamelman type' baguette, and before that I was doing basically my Rustic White recipe as a baguette. Oddly enough those ones (Rustic White) always ended up looking the best with the ears and all that stuff, but the crust to me seemed too 'chewy' for the lack of a better term. Not crispy enough. The dough just seemed to be more of a loaf type dough rather than a baguette type dough. So anyway, now that you got me doing these Anis baguettes, don't go suggesting something else or I might go off the deep end.
-Mark
Jane,
The thing I recall of those wonderful Baguettes in France is first, the crispy delicate thin crust. The second is the flavor that wouldn't stop making me want more. I have baked a few hundred baguettes trying to get to that crust without success. The Anis method is the only one that delivers that crust and with a nice sheen and color. You can't imagine how happy I am to have learned this recipe/method.
The extra bonus is that this was done using a common grade bread flour available inexpensively anywhere in the US. In fact today it was the cheapest flour on the shelf (sale). That would be Gold Medal Better for Bread with 5% white rye added.
We should find a way to thank Anis for sharing his methods and enabling us to make this wonderful bread.
Eric
I still haven't managed to get that crust!
I can't complain about the crunchy, crisp crust I've been getting, but it's not classic French baguette crust.
So, Eric, what's the secret?
David
David,
I'm hesitant to expound on why this works. It feels like describing the meaning of life, if you know what I mean. That said.
I think the crust is thin because so little extra flour is worked into the outer surface, and, the steaming is effective. I have tried to follow Marks suggestion to use just the bare minimum when pre shaping and none when final shaping. That can be a little dicey for me and it does tend to be slightly sticky on my laminate counter top. A wood work surface would be better I'm sure.
Then, I have been using a very basic steaming method. A pan in the bottom shelf with a brick on the bottom is pre heated (I use a 480F conventional oven) with the stone. I load the dough quickly, all at once using parchment and toss 3/4 Cup warm/hot water in the pan. I have an electric oven with a vent I can block with a towel, which I do for 10 minutes. After the steam time, I remove the blocking towel and set another 5 minutes on the timer. Then, at the timer (15 minutes total bake time) I rotate the paper and loaves. The bread is usually perfect looking at a total of 19 minutes. I then use a spatula to open the door a crack with the heat off for 3 additional minutes to crisp up the crust slightly (a trick I learned from you).
NOTE: I think it matters that the door stays closed until rotating the breads. While I like the results the cover delivers, I've been trying to replicate the conditions a French baker would have. Minimalist, as you say.
Eric
So anyway, now that you got me doing these Anis baguettes, don't go suggesting something else or I might go off the deep end.
Maybe... but you won't regret it! I think the bread that most makes people go "Wow!" (after a great baguette) is a beautiful, shapeless rustic rye. When I went to that bakery near here, run by the MOF, his BEST bread was a rustic rye. Nury's signature bread is that rustic rye. People love the shapelessness of it and then when they cut open that dark crust, inside is pure olfactory heaven. And of course the taste, well, it's absolutely addicitive.
Eric, I think I'll send him a Christmas card, with some pictures.
David, I kind of like a substantial crust, THIN, but not paper thin. I wonder if crust isn't sort of a relative thing. Thin for someone might by thick for another. I don't know. I think the French baguette thin crust comes from the flour with stuff in it. Looking at both yours and Erics and Mark's baguettes, I think you're all getting what I'd call a PERFECT crust!
Jane
OK Jane, now you've got me thinking...
And that would be great if, as Eric suggested , you could give Anis all of our thanks. By the way you portray him, in addition to being a master baker, he's also a teacher and would get a kick out of his methods being used and adapted by us.
-Mark
Jane, Are you saying the Nury's rustic light rye is that bread? I have a batch of it going now and I like it but it only has 10% rye. If this is not what you are referring to do you have a recipe for this bread? As you know I have been in a rye and savory mode recently and this is exactly the kind of bread I want to perfect.
Eric
Eric,
The bread from the bakery with the MOF baker is a very dark, "burnt" crust, shapeless, no incisions bread. I asked the woman and she said it had some rye in it. The crumb was exactly what the Nury's rustic rye is like, the only difference that they are baked in wood fire ovens while we do them in home ovens (in general). That type of baking changes everything. Anyway, to me, it's the same bread... high hydration, sourdough, some rye, shapeless and baked until dark. When you buy it at the bakery, you choose the piece you want because they aren't all the same weight or shape.
It's a pretty common bread here.
Jane
Hi, Mark.
Why don't you just take the plunge? It's really fun here in the deep end. It's getting crowded, but it's a fun crowd.
David
I think I've been treading here for a while, meanwhile just pretending to be watching from the lifeguard chair. I thought you looked familiar.
-Mark
Mark,
Thanks for taking the time to make the video. I have adopted your boule shaping already, but haven't tried your baguette shaping (you explained it to me), but my table isn't oiled, yet, and dough sticks way too much. That could be a project for the holidays!
Jane
Jane,
Well if you want me to send you some of that 'Boos Mystery Oil' for your table, let me know. Hey, I could put them in an international flat rate box and put in some palmiers also! Then you'd be the first person in France to be eating French treats, made in Montana.
-Mark
Hi Mark.
I also tried your machine mixing method today. I'm making a batch of the Bouabsa formula adaptation that Jane and I co-evolved:
450 gms white flour (I used KAF Bread Flour today)
50 gms whole rye flour (Giusto's)
375 gms Water
100 gms Active Sourdough Starter
1/4 tsp Instant yeast
10 gms Sea Salt
I had been mixing by hand in a bowl. Today, I followed the machine mixing procedure you described above, using a Bosch Universal Plus mixer. I mixed each time for something like 6-10 seconds. The effect was pretty much identical to "20 strokes every 20 minutes" for an hour. I was impressed. The dough had very nice gluten development.
It's retarding now to bake mid-day tomorrow. I have great expectations.
David
I'm interested in hearing about your results, David. Having never used a Bosch mixer, I'd like to hear how it goes. Sounds like you've already got it figured out (or I should say at least close to figured out).
-Mark
So, this is my variation on Bouabsa's formula, as described above and strongly recommended (from the deep end of the pool):
Bâtard and two baguettes
The baguettes were scaled to 9 oz. The bâtard was about 18 0z.
Baguette Crumb
I tried using your shaping technique, Mark. I like it a lot, but I think I was a bit too heavy-handed. The crumb was not as open as I think it should have been. Practice, practice, practice. Otherwise, I like the mixing method. The dough was great to work with - Very extensible, considering I used a pretty high-gluten flour. I'm going to try it with some other breads.
I had some baguette with lunch - some plain and some with stilton cheese. This is a wonderful tasting bread. You must try it! (I have spoken!)
David
Excellent work, David. Just to get some perspective on the length to weight of your bread: Is that a half-sheet pan underneath, if not, what's the length of them?
I'll have to try it.
And by the way, next time I make the Anis baguettes, I'm doing the initial mix for 4 minutes speed 1, no speed 2. I think they were a bit overworked last time.
-Mark
Yes, half-sheet pan. I think the loaves were about 14 inches long.
I don't know how to compare mixing times in different mixers. I find the manufacturers' recommendations less than helpful. I think there is a chart comparing mixing times for different machines in Hamelman, but you still have to "listen" to what the dough is telling you.
I have been using my KitchenAid for most jobs, reserving the Bosch for bigger batches and stiffer doughs. As a consequence, I feel I can judge what a dough mixing in the KA needs - water, flour, time - really accurately. I don't have anything like that feel when mixing with the Bosch.
This batch of dough convinced me that I should start using the Bosch regularly in order to get to understand it better.
David
has me rethinking this weeks bread baking. This exchange reads better than any fiction for me!
David at what hydration do you keep your starter?
thanks,
Judy
I feed my starter with 3 parts water to 4 parts flour to one part starter.
David