alfanso's blog

For all the hundreds of baguettes that I’ve made these past 5 plus years, it is a curiosity that I have never made a traditional French baguette.  For the record, as enticing a standard French baguette may be, they are often too unexciting, flavor wise.  

We have a boatload of new participants on TFL, many drawn, or reacquainting themselves, to bread baking in the era of quarantine.  This write-up is for you!

I go back to basics once in a while, and re-familiarize myself with my baguette roots.

I’d last made this bread just over 3 years ago.  A long enough gap, too long in fact, to have gone without another bake.  On the last dance, I was in the middle of my 125% rye levain waltz.  For this bake I changed it around in several ways, hence this new posting.

Today is my niece's birthday, and part of my "gift" is to send her the link to this blog entry.

Background  - years ago dabrownman christened me Donnie Baggs here on TFL.  I had written this at some point in response to one of his comments.  But decided to resurrect it here with updates.

Recently I baked Abel's pain au Levain baguettes and included a Ziggy.  Which sadly didn't not spring open and grigne at me.  Wrong combination of too high a hydration and too much AP flour.  Well, can't have that.  

Our neighbor’s daughter-in-law Yumi returned from her annual trip to Japan where she lived until a few years ago, and was thoughtful and kind enough to bring me back two 1K bags of different Japanese AP flours.  I’d make a set of baguettes with her 11.5% protein flour before and they came out just dandy.

keeping busy, kinda.  My wife wanted something with fruit and nuts for a next bake.

Forkish FWSY Field Blend #2, alfanso style.  This one uses a 100% hydration all AP levain and toned down to 75% overall hydration.  First time adding anything to this wonderful bread, but the match seemed made to order.

Being in the higher risk category, age-wise, I decided to put my generally lazy normal life on hold.  Instead I'll remain at home almost all the time, and become even a bit lazier.  Given that, I'll probably be more in the mood for the occasional sandwich.

This is a 1200g rye with caraway, which should make some great sandwich bread and some even finer toast.

25% rye, 73% hydration. 

100% AP levain Hamelman WW with raisins.

Too lazy to convert my 100% hydration to a Hamelman 125% hydration AP levain.  So I changed to formula to use my existing levain.  That was easier!

I was also too lazy to refresh it, so it came out of the refrigerator and was used as is, last refreshed at least a week ago.  I had enough so I just scaled it out first and let it assume room temp.  That was easier!

and I made a big fat sesame semolina long batard @1000g, and placed a full sized apple in the photo for size comparison.

And a tray of Cinnamon Buns, alfanso style.  These are made with laminated croissant dough, and I haven't been able to locate elsewhere where such dough is used for these buns.  Therefore these are alfanso style.