Leader's "Baguette a l'ancienne"

Leader's Baguette a l'ancienne

Leader's Baguette a l'ancienne

Baguette a l'ancienne crumb

Baguette a l'ancienne crumb

In my ongoing quest for delicious, home-made baguettes, I baked the "Baguettes a l'ancienne" from Daniel Leader's "Local Breads" today.

Unlike the "Pain a l'ancienne" in BBA, Leader's is a sourdough baguette made with a (very) liquid levain - about 125% hydration. I started refreshing and activating the starter with my usual (these days) firm starter: 50 gms starter, 130 gms water, 100 gms Guisto's Bakers' Choice (T55-style) flour, then fed it twice more with 130 gms water and 100 gms flour at 12 and 8 hours. The starter was incredibly foamy. Leader says it should have a "mildy tangy aroma." Mine smelled strongly of acetic acid!

The dough is made with 150 gms water, 300 gms flour (I used 50gms whole rye and 250 gms Guisto's Bakers' Choice), 310 gms liquid levain and 10 gms sea salt.

Mix the flour(s) and water and autolyse for 20 minutes. Then add the salt and levain and mix to window paning. This is a very slack dough. It is fermented for 3 hours, with one folding after the first hour. Form the baguettes and place on a parchment paper couche, well floured, and refrigerate 12-24 hours.

Warm at room temperature for 2 hours, then bake at 450F on a stone in a well-heated oven with steam for 20-25 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove from the oven still on the parchment, and let cool 5 minutes before removing from the parchment. Eat warm.

I had some of the bread for lunch with a salad and some Laura Chanel chevre. The crust was crisp. The crumb was chewy-tender with a nice, complex flavor. It had a pronounced sour tang, especially as an aftertaste.

David

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Beautiful baguettes and a gorgeous crumb!

David

I just wrote you out the basic sourdough recipe I make in the French perpective discussion. I'd really like you to try it out to see what you think now that you have your liquid starter. I forgot to tell you that I use T110 a semi-whole wheat flour. It's quite white right now because I have been feeding it white as I'm out of T110, but that doesn't matter.

Your baguette receipe is intersting. they look great! Have you tried the Kayser "Monge" baguettes? They're very nice! My family loves them and the three I make disappear during a meal.

I am making baguettes on a poolish this morning with fresh yeast (I already told you in the other message). I might just start showing some of my creations as a blog entry. I really enjoy seeing the creations you all do aover there!

Jane

Hi, Jane. Thanks for your comments. I'll check your message in the "perspectives" topic. I need to find out more about T110 flour. I wonder if it is at all similar to any of the high extraction flours I can get here. Or can I duplicate it with a combination of a white flour and some whole wheat? Hmmm ... Where is the recipe for what you refer to as "Kayser Monge?" I have Reinhart's version of "pain a l'ancienne" from BBA, which is a yeasted bread with cold retardation after mixing and fermentation but before dividing and shaping. Leader's "pain a l'ancienne" uses a levain and cold retardation after dividing and shaping but before final proofing. I have no idea which method is more like what Eric Kayser actually does. I would like to be able to make a really beautiful and tasty baguette. The truth is that the local boulanger - a Frenchman who married a student from this area when she was studying in Paris and immigrated when his wife got homesick - makes outstanding, very traditional baguettes. But you know the pleasures of having made your bread yourself. I can't refuse the special challenges presented by baguettes. Please let me know about the "Kayser Monge" baguette recipe. If it is not in one of the books I have, could you share your recipe? Thanks!
David

I'll write it out for your my tomorrow morning! Promise!

Thanks! I'm looking forward to seeing it.
David

I hope it isn't a big deal that it's all in metric! These are among the most popular baguettes in big French cities these days.

500 g farine T65 (or maybe just white bread flour?)

100g liquide starter at it's peak

5g fresh yeast (or about 3/4 tsp fast acting package yeast)

10 g salt

270 ml water at 20°C

Mix the fresh yeast with water and leave 20 min to ferment.

Then make a regular dough using your method. Put the dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Let it rest 20 min.

Take the dough out and divide it into three pieces. Form three equal size balls and leave them on the counter to rise, covered with a damp cloth, 40 min.

Form three baguettes with pointed ends, place them in a baguette banneton or on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

Cover with a damp cloth and let rise 1 1/2 hrs.

Preheat oven to 220°C. Sprinkle flour on the baguettes and do the incisions. Do the water thing (coup de buée) and place your baguettes in the oven.

Leave them to back around 20-25 minutes.

Thanks, Jane!This looks almost too easy. (Famous last words!) Metric isn't a problem at all. There is really almost no primary fermentation. I wonder if they have enough time to develop good flavor.I will give this a try.
David

Well, I figure that if the French like them... who wouldn't? But I realize that there are huge cultural differences! And for the moment I haven't actually noticed that prefermenting really makes better bread! I made the poolish baguettes yesterday and I still like the sourdough + yeast ones WAY better. Anyway, give it a try. I will not take it badly if you don't find them great. I just think the comparison is interesting. And I won't be able to try your flour or you mine, so we'll never REALLY know! Ha ha!

Hi, Jane. My remark about "almost no primary fermentation" was not about "preferments" like poolish or pate fermente but rather about the bread being allowed to rise after mixing but before dividing and forming the baguettes. I am definitely going to try this recipe. "Well, I figure that if the French like them... who wouldn't? " I'll let you know. ;-)
David

Oh, excuse me. Yes, in fact, that's the whole thing about his baguettes... he does it backwards! Short then long, rather than long then short or equal lengths of time. I don't know why!