bread baking challenge #14 FRENCH BREAD=BAGUETTE

 

BREAD BAKING CHALLENGE #14    FRENCH BREAD=BAGUETTE

"French bread abroad. Sold with an American accent," The Economist, September 27, 1997, U.S. Edition:

 The baguette is unmistakably French.  The baguette was invented during Napoleon's campaign in Russia.   Traditional round loaves  “boules”  took up space needed for extra clothes. Napoleon, therefore, ordered a new shape of the bread to be designed that could be carried down the soldiers' trouser legs.    

  The French word for the baker is Boulanger, he who makes boules, or round loaves, not a "baguette" who makes sticks.  In fact, changing baking technology was partly responsible for the baguette's introduction. By the 1920s most French bakeries were equipped with the steam ovens needed to caramelize the starch on the surface of the loaf to give it a golden, slightly translucent crust.  In October 1920 a new law came into force that prevented bakers from working before 4am, which meant that they did not have time to bake a fresh boule for the breakfast table. They thus turned to the rapidly prepared baguette.

Baguette is the bread that I grew up with, it was and it is my normal everyday bread. A few years ago when we went to visit some friends in Paris, she used to buy for every meal a few baguettes: breakfast, lunch, and dinner...

This is why I enjoy it so much to bake this bread!

I started the night before, to make patee fermentee, flour, yeast, and scolded water. I kept it overnight in the refrigerator, and take it out about one hour before I start making my french bread.

Start with patee fermentee from the refrigerator, cut in about 10 pieces, to warm up at room temp.

Add to these 10 pieces, flour, yeast, and warm water, to make a dough

Add the paddle, to mix all the ingredients.

Add the hook attachment to the kneed, and make a silky, smooth dough, after 10 minutes, at medium speed.

The dough will rise double, after 2h, room temp.

Divide the dough into 3 equal portions, to make 3 loaves.

There are a few shapes for french dough, the most common is a baguette, you press and pull the dough; then fold it as a letter, and then shape it in a long form. The standard diameter of a baguette is approximately 2 inches but the bread itself is usually about 23 inches, in length.

For the remnants, we shape them in the same way, but because are smaller,

 it is called "battard".

There is another rise, one hour, in between plies of cloth, or parchment paper.

Raised, shaped, cut, egg washed (or not) and ready to bake:

375F, 30-40 minutes, depending on how crusty you like the bread.

Baked to perfection, crusty, and with butter is a real dream.... at least for me!!!