First ever baguette using Anis' recipe - Thanks Mark!
I have this thing about everything being perfect that I've been trying my whole life to just get over. Well, I'm finding baking bread is helping in ways I never imagined.
This is my first ever attempt at baguettes. Mark at The Back Home Bakery suggested I use Anis' recipe for baguettes (if my ciabatta I was making on the weekend didn't turn out - it did.) I decided today I'd use the recipe but make baguettes. I was getting confused looking at all the videos out there on kneading, folding, shaping, etc. I finally decided to use the French fold that I saw on the Gourmet website as I wanted to see what it felt like. I started making the dough yesterday and the folding was interesting. It was very cool how the dough finally (just a tad longer than on the video - ha) came together. Not as smooth and silky but I didn't want to overknead. Put the dough in the fridge and counted down the hours until about 3pm today.
Here's where the perfectionism comes in. I didn't think it had risen enough but went ahead shaping. I decided to go with the shaping technique I first saw in one of Mark's videos but, again, concerned I'm not shaping tight enough, too tight or just plain wrong. Let them proof and then managed to roll them out into a baguette shape. Put them in the oven and when I took them out I thought... boy, one's too brown and one is too light on the sides. I put them on a rack to cool and just walked away for awhile. Came back and cut a slice to see not a bad crumb. Took a bite and decided right then and there that it's not about being perfect. It's about the satisfaction of baking bread from scratch, experimenting and trying new things.
It's been an epiphany and it feels good.
Cheers,
Janet
Beautiful color and crumb. Excellent scoring, too!
Thanks! It was fun to do. I don't have a lame so I'm using a Grohmann knife that I sharpen each time. Seems to work as long as I remember to sharpen otherwise it drags.
Hi, Janet.
Your baguettes look wonderful! Nice shaping and scoring. The crumb looks (please excuse the expression) perfect. I can see the light reflected off well-gelatinized starch in the bubble walls.
These baguettes can have a wonderful flavor. I hope you found them pleasing to eat.
David
Thanks David. Yes the taste was incredible. My husband came home just as they were ready to sample and just grinned. However, we both have decided we're going to have to give up sugar in our coffee if we're committed to eating bread like this on a regular basis :-)
Janet
I'm sure a lot of the baking veterans will agree when I say that you're setting the bar very high for beginners with your 'first attempts'. Very nice job again.
One method for developing your dough that many people on this site use is the 'no knead' method. It works very well for stickier doughs like this one, and can be used for small or large batches of dough - larger than any regular home mixer could handle anyway. I haven't seen any videos of it, but the technique is more complicated to describe than actually do. If there aren't any around, I'll make a quick one to post on here.
-Mark
Mark - thanks for you suggestions and hints. I did a snoop around for no knead and I think it's basically mix dough, give it a few folds then refridge anywhere from 10 to 24 hours before preshaping, proofing, final shape and bake?
If that's correct, I can try it next time. If that's not it, if you could post something that would be most excellent!
Thanks,
Janet
Janet,
Jim Lahey's original no-knead method, which is what got me interested in baking good bread in the first place, is:
Mix dough simply and quickly, cover bowl with plactic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. You then do a single fold on a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 15 minutes, then shape lightly and put in a proofing basket for the final rise.
This works fine for a simple boule. The dough is very wet, and there is not much of a skin, so slashing is optional, and not very easy to do. If you have the skill, as you obviously already do, and want to make other shapes, like batards or baguettes, or you just want to make a prettier bould, then you probably want to develop the dough a little more for better shaping.
Oh, the other thing, because of the long room-temperature fermentation, Lahey uses very little yeast: 1/4 tsp for a 1 1/2 lb. loaf.
Dave
you're teasing us all, right? A beginner? You shame me! I've been playing around here for about 3 years and am still on the fence to try baguettes.
Very, very nice..you've got the natural talent. Keep sharing.
Betty
Hi Betty,
Thanks. I think the phrase is beginner's luck! Nothing like jumping off the deep end and trying baguettes. Come on in, the water's fine.
Cheers,
Janet