Facebook Group Bake - French Baguettes - 2/2 to 2/8/2009

Hey Eveybody,

Just starting a thread for the Facebook Group Bake - French Baguettes

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=46925141177

Please post pics, recipes, successes, and or failures...

Tim

Here's my version of Anis Bouabsa's baguettes. My version does not use any refrigeration or retardation of the fermentation process... I reduced the amount of yeast, and increased the time... Here's the link to the original recipe.

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/8242/anis-boabsa039s-baguettes

My recipe is as follows:

All purpose flour: 450g

Bread flour: 25g

Whole wheat flour: 25g

Ice cold water: 375g

Kosher salt: 10g

Active dry yeast: 1/16 tsp

Instructions:

7:00pm - Measure (weigh) out dry ingredients (flours, salt, yeast) mix well in large bowl. Add iced water and mix into scrappy dough, cover and let autolyse for 20-30 minutes.

7:30pm - Knead dough in bowl for a few minutes until smooth with slightly wet hands, and there are no lumps. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface, turn dough using stretch and fold method, roll into ball and place back into large bowl, cover and let rest for 20-30 minutes. Use scraper if dough starts to stick to the work surface. Try to add as little flour as possible...

8:00pm - Turn dough and cover

8:30pm - Turn dough and cover

9:00pm - Turn dough and cover

Give dough one final turn before you go to bed...

7:00am next day, or before you go to work - turn dough and cover. Go to work.

6:00pm when you return from work - Place baking stone on center rack of oven, turn on to 550F. Divide dough into 3 portions and shape into small batards, cover and let rest for 10-15 minutes.

6:15pm - Final shaping of baguettes. The should be about 14" long. Place in couche, cover and let proof for 30-45 minutes.

7:00pm - Transfer baguettes to peel, slash, and place in oven. Bake for 2 minutes at 550F, then turn oven down to 480F and bake for remaining 18 minutes, rotating baguettes halfway.

7:25pm - Take baguettes out of oven, check to see if internal temperature is between 205F to 210F. Let cool before cutting and eating...

looks beautiful. did you remove the dough from fridge before work, or after?

Thanks.

There was no fridge involved... This was all room temperature, countertop fermentation using even less yeast...

Tim, those look amazing! I am baking on Sunday and was planning on following the Greenstein recipe (after all, I set up the bake, so I figure I should use the recipe I picked), but I think maybe I'll do a couple batches now so I can do the Anis ones, too.

I noticed that your baguettes sitting on the couche are seam side down. How do you get them onto the peel? I've always put mine seam up and flipped them onto the peel.

Phyl

...Make your own Flip board bro.
Mine is home made to match the width of my bread cloth.
I made it with very smooth brown wall board from Lowes.
It's cheap, only about $12 for a 4x8 panel and it does not stick to bread on the smooth side.
Salute,
Mark

Thanks!

I got them onto the peel by just picking them up... Fortunately they didn't stick to the couche so they were easy to transfer. They are also not very long, about 14".

I was going to get a flipping board earlier last night after work, but just got lazy... I will the next time I bake these baguettes.

I was at an art supply store yesterday and found something suitable for a flipping board. In the hobby wood section where they sell balsa wood. I forgot the company name, maybe "midwest" or something... Anyways, they have basswood planks that are 4" x 3/16" x 24" long, and 6" x 3/16" x 24" long... The 6" wide plank is maybe about $8.00. I was going to get the flipping boards from SFBI.com, but now that I have this local source, that will be unnecessary.

Looking forward to seeing your breads...

Mine is made from cardboard and covered with a clean section of old pantyhose. Cost: zero.

I believe Howard came up with this rather nifty idea.

Oh, by the way, they were yummy... I have one left for tonight... I'll probably bake these again later in the week to see if I can get the recipe to work again...