Baguettes

OK, Here is the deal. Bread in America is about 98% pure crap. I can't do it anymore. I am determined to make all the bread my family consumes, as well as the bread I serve my clients.

Today's experiment was the baguette. This picture was taken just prior to the bread hitting the oven. twenty minutes later I had one of the better baguettes I have had in years. Not perfect mind you, but leaps and bounds better than what I can get anywhere in my market. I will nail this loaf soon. The recipe I used is from a Le Cordon Bleu textbook written by Wayne Gisslen.

The recipe is as follows:

Baguette

2lb 2oz Bread Flour (people please, use un-bromated organic please!)

.67 oz Salt (I thought it could use half again as much more)

.75 oz Yeast

1 lb. 7 oz water

Technique: Assemble all ingredients in a stand mixer with the dough hook in place. Blend for 3-5 minutes at the lowest speed. I let it rest for 5 minutes at this point and then let it knead for another 5 minutes. Then into a proofer for 1 hour at 80 degrees and a good bit of moisture. Then form the loaves in 11 oz cuts (the recipe made 5 baguettes), shape by rolling out flat and the folding together upon itself. Spray release on the baguette frame and place loaves in pan. I put it back in the proofer for 30 minutes, pulled them out a gave them a spritz with water and then baked at 475 degrees with a pan of water at the bottom of the oven for 20 minutes.

So there you have it. I am going to produce a multi grain pullman style loaf, a ciabatta loaf, and a sour dough rye for every day consumption, and who knows what for the catering side. We did a wonderful Meyer Lemon-Galanga Sabyon Tart with a macadamia nut crust last week for a cater that was wicked good, damn I forgot to take a picture.

People bake bread! Don't settle for mass-produced crappy bread!