June 20, 2010 - 7:07pm
Drying Baguettes
A while back, I bought a bag of Baguette Bites at World Market. They were very light and crisp, and just the slightest bit toasted. I baked some baguettes today and want to try to replicate Baguette Bites. I'm thinking of letting the oven cool while the baguettes cool, then slicing the baguettes and putting them back in the warm oven to dry overnight.
Does that sound like it will work? Any other ideas?
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Hi, gaaarp.
I'm not familiar with the product you are trying to replicate, but I dry out baguette slices frequently for onion soup, etc. I bake slices on a sheet pan at 250ºF for 15 minutes, then turn the slices over and bake another 10-15 minutes. They are then pretty much totally dehydrated. Thinner slices would dry faster of course.
For use in onion soup, I drizzle the slices with a little olive oil when I turn them. I rub the slices with a garlic clove when they are finished drying. (We love onion soup, but these croutons are pretty munchable on their own.)
Now, at 250ºF, the croutons do not brown. If you want them lightly toasted, bake at 350ºF, probably for a shorter time.
What you proposed should work, too.
David
when stale, or half dried out. Just cut and dry. Store dry and before serving brush each with herb/garlic butter and crisp in a hot oven to give them color and put aroma in the house.
My nephews go one step more and combine sourcream and grated aged cheese dribbled chaotically over the piled up chips and give them melting 'till bubbling time. Then serve hot in a shallow large plate.
Mini
Thanks for weighing in, David and Mini. I dried them in the oven overnight and they turned out like I had hoped.
On a completely unrelated note, I met Peter Reinhart tonight! He was teaching at a local cooking school. What a wonderful, humble, sincere man. And an excellent instructior to boot.