The more the merrier (or better quality)

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kendalm on 5 Oct 2016 at 11:29

Today I made 10 baguettes instead of the usual 4 and found that the more loaves to roll out the less time I spend obsessing over style and the end result is better loaves overall.  I spend less time planning each score, less time prepping the final shaping, faster docking.  In general it seems a good idea to increase volume as a way to improve style.

Just wonding if anyone noticed the same thing - ie, if you make a lot of loaves as opposed to just a few, although you may be pressed for time, the end product is much better ?

 

 

Tks, it's always fun slicing a sacrificial loaf to inspect the crumb.  Used to be one in about 10 bakes would produce good crumb with 9 downers.  I'm usually pretty confident they'll look like this now.  Also, I only ever bake with imported french T55 or T65 now - it's so amazing - this flour only takes 3 minutes of final mix to produce such silky smooth elastic dough.  I started off using King Arthur Bread Flour and on occasion their AP.  in both cases I found that you really have to torture this dough to get it to the right point of elasticity and then it would never crack open at the scores, just stretch to eternity.  The french stuff seems to want to be a baguette - highly recommend trying some from an importer - you never go back !

Where do you acquire the French T55 and T65 flours ? I looked online and saw on L'Epicerie. Do you have other sources for US buyers ? Thank you for any info. Your loaves are really perfect. c

Exactly - this place I think is about the only source I know of for the real deal. Ots run by a guy name phillippe - very nice guy who will take you calls and questions. I have it shipped from NYC to Los Angeles and is expensive however, pound for pound its about the same as KA organic flour which goes for 9.99 here for a small 5lb bag. I end up with 30lbs from l'epicerie for $60 including shipping and I also go through that 30lbs pretty quickly so in my opinion there's no contest. It is so much more enjoyable an end product from flavor to spring and texture I dont ever want to bake with KA again :) its also important to note that l'epiceries flour is grown and milled in France (some French millers import flour). You get the picture - totally worth it !

I think the price is excellent for what one is getting and if I use ground shipping in colder weather like we are set to have should be no problem. Glad to hear the shop is a good one. Wish I had gone there when I was in NYC frequently...no more so will bear the shipping charge. Thanks again and great baking to you. 

Oh....mind sharing what formula you are using ? c

Hi, if you order which I hope you do, please tell Phillipe that Geremy in LA recommended - no perks or anything for me, just helps build rapport :)  Also, btw, I recommend their T65 over the T55.  He sells T55 in 4kg and 10kg and there's a minimum order that will mean you need to at least get a 10kg plus a 4kg.  I originally opted to get 10kg T55 and 4kg of T65.  Now I just order 10kg + 4kg of T65 as it has more character and flavor.

Ok, as for method and recipe, it's a 72% double hydration with cold ferment by Louis Lamour.  He's in Paris and if you email him, he's a cool dude who will respond and help out with any challenges.  If you don't speak french it might be a bit hard to follow, so, if needed, please message me and I'll translate for you (I was a Japanese and French language major / minor in college and spent enough time in France when I was young) But the video is here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkHsbchF2-g

Here's the summary but if you want full translation let me know !
1. Flour and 72% of water minus 10% on reserve.  Mix for 4 minutes on slow.
2. Autolyse for 20-30 mintues
3. Add 0.8% fresh yeast and 2% salt and mix again on slow for 8 minutes.
4. Mix on high speed for 3 minutes and slowly incorporate the remaining 10% of water.
    * I find that on a home kitchen aid this step requires 3.5-4 minutes with dough hook on highest speed or until the dough coalesces.   If it is still sticking to the bottom, keep mixing then stop immediately after it becomes a ball.  It should be absolutely smooth, shiny and delicately elastic.
5. Ferment for 1 hr in mixing bowl
6. Stretch and fold once.
    *** note he simply turns the mixer one time to simulate a stretch and fold 'rabat' but you can do a traditional 'SF' as it's kind of funky turning a small mixer.
7. Ferment again for 30 minutes.
8. Stretch and fold and store in refridgerator for a minimum of 6 hours.
9 onwards - the usual preshape, shape, score and bake at around 480F

Other options

At the beginning he mentions and discusses the laws of 'Baguette de tradition' including flour content which stipulates that flour may contain 0.5% wheat malt, 2% fava flour and 0.3% soy flour.  Since the flour at L'epicerie already contains wheat malt (which is fantastic because domestic usually contains barley malt), you can if you like add a small portion of fava flour and soy flour - in fact that's what I usually do and I prefer it that way as I think it adds a nuttiness to the final loaf.

Regarding cold ferment, he says minimum of 6 hours, however, if you can swing 18 hours or even 24 hours, it's worth the wait.

Definitely email him - he's a cool guy and recipe

inside and out.  Really nice crumb.  The scoring is definitely there.  As we discussed, there is no substitute for repetition.  Perhaps you'll join the, admittedly minuscule, ranks of "baguetteers" and we can show folks that the task is not so daunting.  Nothing more than the desire, the acquiring and practice of a few techniques and the willingness to slog through the tasty but not ready-for-primetime early output.

alan

We all know that Alan is the master so I humbly request entry to the club. Please kindly approve ! Btw - yes I agree desire is key but you also need to be able to understand your own desire to be a baguetter and I think the answer is universal - because the traditional baguette is the absolute greatest loaf on the planet ! Ita an enigma because the last one percent of perfection yields 99% of the flavor and quality :)

The only time someone in front of me bows is when they have lost a contact lens and are looking for it.  Thanks for the thought, and I'm glad I can help.  But I'm just another doofus baker having fun doing this at home.

Ok you might win. I need to hunt some good oldies. I think my interiors are pretty good especially since I got experimental with malts and other 'improvers'. I'd cut open hoping for impressive results and got a horror show instead ... Please stand by ...

You get into a good rhythm with more reps.  I make 50 baguettes almost every Monday.  I have noticed great results that way, although making a few is refreshingly easy.

I used to work in a pizza joint and slung probably 10,000 pies. There comes a point where suddenly things seem ridiculously easy and its just that - repetition. In a way that's why I decided to start doing baguette at home in larger quantity - it creates a rhythm and if you make too many - give them neighbors - they love it !

require some kind ff rare:  Bordeaux, cheese, cured and smoked meats and butter.  Otherwise what is the point of going though all the work to make them so well?  Hope you enjoy thenm as much as I would.  

Well done and happy baking.

Generally speaking I will only eat these with Kerrygold butter as regular stuff just spoils the treat.  As for other toppings, a good jam, or one slice of salami, or simple oven baked ham makes for some unreal eating - of course a good brie.  Last weekend we did Kipper salmon,onions tomato and cream cheese and it was magic

But!, I do admit, I put Skippy smooth peanut butter sometimes.  I know it's processed to high hell and contains emulsifiers etc however, there's something about it that just works.  I'm ashamed, but it's only non-sophisto food that is allowed on them !!!

from all over the world, all over the world, for years and years and Kerrygold always won the taste test.  Something is that Irish green grass that those cows eat every day that makes a special butter, Swiss and Ancient Cheddar cheese,  I worked for the Irish Dairy board for 20 years and know good butter when I taste it!  Ireland is also one of the greatest places on earth to visit and people don't realize this but Guinness is the sweat off of God's b*lls.  He is obviously a very large, black man.....and one not to be trifled with either:-) 

Actually I like kerrygold mostly because I grew up in Australia (until teens) and then came to California not realizing that butter which I knew of as yellow was white and tasted like oil and cheese which I knew as white was yellow and tasted like plastic. So for me its an acquired preference. I'm still freaked by foods here even though in Australia I was the 'yank' (with one parent a native Sam fransiscan). So much sugar on everything and still cant understand why sandwiches have chilled meats and cheese - cheese should sweat and meat has no flavor when the fats are at 40f. However USA is awesome because if you look hard enough you can find anything. The hard part for transplants to get over is that the standard fair is so average. But yes kerrygold is great butter - the regular market butter here seems like its made from vegetable oil - really just ok :\

summer butter (yellow)  then winter butter (much lighter due to dried feed).  ... tell me you didn't know that butter (and milk fat) changes throughout the year.  

Did not know that ! Yes I changed seasons going from south to north. It was mid summer when I l left and mid winter when I arrived - never noticed butter coloration throught the year though - interesting !

Having just got back from a visit to Ireland, I'd agree that Irish butter is simply wonderful. However, we then went to the Borough Market in London and bought some cultured butter at Neal's Yard cheese shop, which is a pretty close contender as well!

Of course, in the South (near Cork), one doesn't drink Guinness, but Murphy's. :)

Considering that Australian butter is almost identical to Irish and that the landscapes are so strikingly different I imagine that kerrygold is a product of method more so than grass and feed. Interstingly keerygold cheddar is also very much like the cheese I used to eat as a kid. One thing that I noticed is that when this type of cheddar melts it sweats a lot and those oils are really what I remember as the hallmark of a good of cheddar. Btw, Kraft makes a 'new York aged cheddar' which is fantastic - if you like kerrygold cheddar five the Kraft ny aged a shot. It comes in a black wrapper and you can see the white color through a window in the wrapper. Actually an Australian friend I used to work with stormed into my office one day and slammed down a brick of it and said 'LOOK! its whiiiite!' And ever since then have been a fan. Good bread, butter and cheese is just so divine !