The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

XXIII – Here at Last! ; The First Experiment with T65

lumos's picture
lumos

XXIII – Here at Last! ; The First Experiment with T65

 All the experiments I’ve done with T55 since I got my hands on with the flour was to get used to the temperament of much softer French flour than we are used to in UK…..to make baguette with T65.  After the initial disaster of ciabaguetta incident and subsequent trials & errors with playing with formula adjustments, I felt I was gradually getting a hang of dealing with soft T55 flour to incorporate in my regular formula, though it’s faaaaaaar from perfection.

 And now that I’ve finished two bags of T55 (still one left in the freezer!), it’s time to brush with my dream flour, T65. ……Well, maybe I should’ve continued my experiments with T55 until I can make a decent baguette with 100% T55, as I suggested in my last blog on the baguette  obsession quest,   but to be frank, I just got bored!!  Needed a new toy to play with. :p 

 So I stepped into a new territory of T65 now.  Reckless, perhaps, but here I come!

T65 I used was one of 6 bags of flour my daughter was forced to bring  brought back for me from Paris. (3 x T55 + 3 x T65)   It’s again probably a bog standard one from the supermarket shelf as the T55s,  but at least it’s organic this time. The protein level id 10.8%, so it’s a tiny bit stronger than the T55 earlier (=10.5%).  It has distinctive yellowy tint, just like T55.

The formula I used is exactly same as my new revised formula of my regular Hamelinet poolish baguette, which you can find here,  with 1/3 of flour used for poolish.  As in the base formula, I used strong flour with small amount of rye for poolish and all the flour for main dough was replaced by T65.  No added WW this time, because the whole point of adding WW was to emulate T65. Everything stayed the same.

It was easier to work with, less sticky and the dough got good strength. With the previous experiences with T55, I sometimes felt like giving it a set or two of letter-folds after cold retard to give it more strength, but with this flour it was nice and firm, yet supple, after the cold retard. Not sure 0.3% difference in protein was responsible for it, or the difference in the ash contents between the two flours.  But it’s easier flour to handle, nevertheless. And here’re the results. (Excuse the weird colours. Taken under night lights.)

 

(yeah, I know….my same old crossed-baguettes picture….:p)

 

 

 

And the flavour?  ….Not bad. Definitely had more depth and complexity than than T55,  and was slightly sweeter, too.  The crumb got more sheen, as well. 

If I’d made very basic baguette without pre-ferment like poolish nor long fermentation, I’m sure the difference of flavours between the ones made with T55 and the ones with T65 would be more apparent. But with my formulae both of them benefit quite a lot from the combination of both pre-ferment and long, cold retard, the difference in the flavours may not be standing out as much. Still, this one definitely taste better than T55.  I’m now really intrigued how better tasting better quality T65 would be….

btw, the title 'At Last!' means just 'at last' I reach the first step on T65 journey. It'll be another hundred years until I can reach anywhere near the perfection and proclaim 'at last!'.....if I'm lucky.....

 

 lumos

 

 

 

 

Comments

asfolks's picture
asfolks

Lovely bake, lumos!

All of your hard is paying off, they really look great.

Alan

lumos's picture
lumos

Thank you, Alan.......but not quite there yet! :p 

Still not quite happy with the crumb structure.  Will soldier on.....;)

PiPs's picture
PiPs

I am intrigued and maybe a little envious of the flour choices available on the other side of the world :) Must be fun experimenting.

The results speak for themselves. nice one.

Phil

lumos's picture
lumos

Thank you, Phil. :)

A few artisan millers sell T55 here, but T65 is difficult flour to get in UK, too.  As far as I know, there's only one miller who sells it in UK market.

So T65 was my dream flour for a long time, and when my daughter told me she's going to Paris with her friends as their own graduation trip, the first thing I told her was 'Get a bag of T65 for me!!' :p

As I said, the one I got was just a bog standard one from the supermarket shelf, so I don't think it's anywhere near quality flours, especially flavour-wise.  Still it's interesting to use different types of flour. French flour does feel very different from UK flours I've been used to, for sure.

 

varda's picture
varda

and scoring.   Lumos, your baguette making skills are fabulous no matter what flour you use.   I'm in awe given that I can barely shape a passable batard.   Glad you are enjoying experimenting with French flours.   You didn't mention whether the taste triggered your memories of baguettes you've eaten in Paris.  -Varda

lumos's picture
lumos

Hi, Varda, Thank you!

Flavour?....ummmm, yes and no....  It definitely had better, more complex flavour than T55 and also diffrent taste profile than UK flours I'd used before.  It's hard to explain how different, but....it has a sort of cleaner taste but with more comlexity.  (I don't blame you if you don't understand what I'm talking about, because I don't know how to explain it! :p)   The best baguettes I'd had so far (a few in France, more in Tokyo, actually) had more complex and deep flavour... more distinct.   This one tasted like a veeeery distant relative.  Maybe because different kind of wheat is used, or maybe because it's basically a vary basic standard flour.

Still, it's fun experimenting with French flour, though. ;)

 

 

breadsong's picture
breadsong

Hi lumos,
Love what you did with your new flour; beautiful baguettes, wonderful scoring and crumb.
:^) from breadsong

lumos's picture
lumos

Thanks, breadsong!

I'm still faaaaar behind you in the 'making beautiful bread' department. But I'm enjoying the experiments, nevertheless.:)

codruta's picture
codruta

Lumos, As you know, i just started my baguette journey/obsession. It's good to have you here, for inspiration. Obvious you learned a lot on your way and I'm grateful that you share your experience. Your baguettes are improving from post to post. (though, if you ask me, these are perfect, I wonder what more can one want?- maybe a sourdough version?)

Keep posting about it, I'm curious what's next step...

best wishes, codruta

lumos's picture
lumos

Welcome to the club! Let's soldier on together......though I have a feeling your skill will improve at tremendous speed and over take me very soon. ;)

lumos

p.s.  I think the crumb of my baguette is a lot to be improved.  And no, not sourdough baguette for me.  I've tried, but to me sourdough doesn't produce texture I'd like for my baguette; too heavy and sticky. It's completely personal taste, I think, I prefer baguette made with yeast, especially poolish.