baking baguettes in the definition of simple but hard. maybe try the basic yeasted version first then graduate to something more complex. For structure you really need to focus on yeast control and keeping the activity low and slow and then really giving it a massive oven kick. If you nail a baguette in 3 tries it would be a worlds first, very hard loaf but you are off and running :)
- use parchment to peel onto the stone but make sure you get something that can handle higher temps. Optionally move the stone to the range (get some pliers) then peel directly to the stone and then quickly get the whole stone and loaves back in the oven.
- make sure you microwave the towels so they steaming already. Cold towels with suck up much of the heat that loaves should be receiving.
- may need to push your oven to 500f
- gauge your bake by how long it takes - should take 18-20 minutes. If it takes longer then bake fewer loaves at a time or jack the temp up.
- if steam is escaping (coz you have a gas oven), then you are somewhat screwed because it absolutely must be trapped to get a good crust. The option is to plug the vent but that will eventually kill your oven. A good option is to turn it off and try to use residual heat for the first 5 or so minutes (if your stone is thick and you have bumped the temp initially to 550f). It can be done this way.
Ok, now all of the above is just the oven and bake portion of the process. As you can see its complicated in just one phase here. The loaf will thrive if every step is performed well, you got mixing, proofing, resting, shaping, scoring etc etc that can all go south before even getting to the oven. To get this loaf right you gotta go commando - good luck !
In order to get off the ground with baguettes, I recommend that you stick with the simplest formula until you can get a handle on the bread. That would be the traditional French Baguette. Just FWS&Y. Or, if you already have a facility with levain breads, find one that is straightforward, like dmsnyder's SJSD Sourdough baguette.
Chad Robertson presents a sophisticated method for building his baguettes with a double preferment, but that is already an advanced technique. Try to limit the problems to solve by staying "close to home", with a hydration of somewhere between about 65% and 68%. Ether with a direct dough or by using a poolish.
There are a fair amount of TFL folks who produce top notch batards and boules. But when it comes to baguettes - that's usually another story. If you Google "baguettes" and then go to images you'll see quite the panorama of what people post. From good at-home bakers and professionals to not-so-good amateurs. So for most of us, it isn't so easy. This is a case of staying the course for most of us to be successful at baguettes.
Since it's the crumb you seem to be having an issue with, these things come to mind: 1. Are you using bread flour? If not, do. You want the higher gluten content. 2. Are you allowing the gluten to develop enough? Make sure to use an autolyze phase and knead to the "windowpane" state. 3. Is the dough wet enough? The wetter the dough, the more open the final crumb structure will be. Make it as wet as you can while still being able to handle it. 4. Try a different recipe. I think Tartine is overrated (there are much better bakeries here in the Bay Area) and their recipes are a bit convoluted. I had great luck with baguettes when I first started seriously baking years ago using Bread Baker's Apprentice's recipe.
re bread flour, although its true gluten development is really important, a lower protein flour is what baguettes are made from, even lower than AP in fact. Bread flour will just make shaping more of challenge. Regarding hydration, Alfonso mentioned lowering the hydration since too high a hydration although you'll probably see improvement on crumb again makes shaping very difficult. You made a good point on autolyse - typically they say 20-30 minutes but for a newbie it can't hurt to push 40 mins even an hour. That will make the dough easier to handle. Well everyone eventually figures out what works for them amd each person has their own personal objectives. Alfonso and I are both coming from a spot of really perfecting these dang loaves and even after 100s even thousands of loaves i for one still strive for improvement - the quest continues ...
the crumb looks a bit overproofed (again, seeing how the cuts open would help with this assessment)
I second the recommendation to stick with lower protein flour
same goes for keeping it simple to start with, and not worry too much about slavishly following this or that formula or procedure, as things like judgement of dough development and proofing, and producing good steam, will make the biggest difference across approaches
Too many very helpful comments to reply to them all--so I hope you don't mind my doing a group 'thank you so much.' I do use a gas oven--and it is a very old and 'leaky' one, which I love for my everyday cooking, so I lose steam, no doubt. I shall definitely take the majority advice and step back to the simplest possible recipe, and hope to improve from there.
baking baguettes in the definition of simple but hard. maybe try the basic yeasted version first then graduate to something more complex. For structure you really need to focus on yeast control and keeping the activity low and slow and then really giving it a massive oven kick. If you nail a baguette in 3 tries it would be a worlds first, very hard loaf but you are off and running :)
- use parchment to peel onto the stone but make sure you get something that can handle higher temps. Optionally move the stone to the range (get some pliers) then peel directly to the stone and then quickly get the whole stone and loaves back in the oven.
- make sure you microwave the towels so they steaming already. Cold towels with suck up much of the heat that loaves should be receiving.
- may need to push your oven to 500f
- gauge your bake by how long it takes - should take 18-20 minutes. If it takes longer then bake fewer loaves at a time or jack the temp up.
- if steam is escaping (coz you have a gas oven), then you are somewhat screwed because it absolutely must be trapped to get a good crust. The option is to plug the vent but that will eventually kill your oven. A good option is to turn it off and try to use residual heat for the first 5 or so minutes (if your stone is thick and you have bumped the temp initially to 550f). It can be done this way.
Ok, now all of the above is just the oven and bake portion of the process. As you can see its complicated in just one phase here. The loaf will thrive if every step is performed well, you got mixing, proofing, resting, shaping, scoring etc etc that can all go south before even getting to the oven. To get this loaf right you gotta go commando - good luck !
In order to get off the ground with baguettes, I recommend that you stick with the simplest formula until you can get a handle on the bread. That would be the traditional French Baguette. Just FWS&Y. Or, if you already have a facility with levain breads, find one that is straightforward, like dmsnyder's SJSD Sourdough baguette.
Chad Robertson presents a sophisticated method for building his baguettes with a double preferment, but that is already an advanced technique. Try to limit the problems to solve by staying "close to home", with a hydration of somewhere between about 65% and 68%. Ether with a direct dough or by using a poolish.
There are a fair amount of TFL folks who produce top notch batards and boules. But when it comes to baguettes - that's usually another story. If you Google "baguettes" and then go to images you'll see quite the panorama of what people post. From good at-home bakers and professionals to not-so-good amateurs. So for most of us, it isn't so easy. This is a case of staying the course for most of us to be successful at baguettes.
good luck
Since it's the crumb you seem to be having an issue with, these things come to mind:
1. Are you using bread flour? If not, do. You want the higher gluten content.
2. Are you allowing the gluten to develop enough? Make sure to use an autolyze phase and knead to the "windowpane" state.
3. Is the dough wet enough? The wetter the dough, the more open the final crumb structure will be. Make it as wet as you can while still being able to handle it.
4. Try a different recipe. I think Tartine is overrated (there are much better bakeries here in the Bay Area) and their recipes are a bit convoluted. I had great luck with baguettes when I first started seriously baking years ago using Bread Baker's Apprentice's recipe.
re bread flour, although its true gluten development is really important, a lower protein flour is what baguettes are made from, even lower than AP in fact. Bread flour will just make shaping more of challenge. Regarding hydration, Alfonso mentioned lowering the hydration since too high a hydration although you'll probably see improvement on crumb again makes shaping very difficult. You made a good point on autolyse - typically they say 20-30 minutes but for a newbie it can't hurt to push 40 mins even an hour. That will make the dough easier to handle. Well everyone eventually figures out what works for them amd each person has their own personal objectives. Alfonso and I are both coming from a spot of really perfecting these dang loaves and even after 100s even thousands of loaves i for one still strive for improvement - the quest continues ...
it would hep to see the crust
the crumb looks a bit overproofed (again, seeing how the cuts open would help with this assessment)
I second the recommendation to stick with lower protein flour
same goes for keeping it simple to start with, and not worry too much about slavishly following this or that formula or procedure, as things like judgement of dough development and proofing, and producing good steam, will make the biggest difference across approaches
Too many very helpful comments to reply to them all--so I hope you don't mind my doing a group 'thank you so much.' I do use a gas oven--and it is a very old and 'leaky' one, which I love for my everyday cooking, so I lose steam, no doubt. I shall definitely take the majority advice and step back to the simplest possible recipe, and hope to improve from there.
Hello Mohall
are you manually kneading ir using machine ?