Aloha
Hi everyone
I discovered this site two weeks ago and suddenly I'm obsessed with making bread! OMG I am making more bread than we can eat.
I finally got up enuf courage to make baguettes and started off with JMonkey's poolish baguettes recipe on Saturday and couldnt wait the 12 hours and mixed up the dough at 10 hours. Althou I started a stretch and fold I ran out of time last night at 11 so I stuck the whole thing in the refrigerator for about 12 more hours. Next day I took the dough out of the frig and let it sit for about 1.5 hours covered on my stove top. Then I began the stretch and fold of Anais Bouabis ficelles via David Snyders post. Did the 3 series of stretch and folds before shaping and rising. Got my oven and stone all nice and hot, got my water ready for steaming, and scored the loaves. Then I ran into big trouble trying to get the loaves into the oven. I'm afraid that the movement into the oven took out all the shape and scoring. They look more like snakes than bread. Nonetheless, while they look less than lovely, they have the most beautiful crispy crunchy bit and beautiful holes!
I'm so happy with them and thankful to all of you whose combined knowledge and wisdom is so great! Thanks!
Moya
they are difficult to get from one place to another, especially if you are working with hot ovens! The only suggestion I have come up with is to make them smaller in length, after all they will still have the taste, the crunch and the crumb just be shorter and easier to eat! Mine only work well on the stone I have if they are about 12 inches max! Any longer they hang over the edge, and I can only get maybe three on at one time, need a larger rectangular stone, not the round Pizza one!
Thank you Eva - I'll try to make mine shorter. I watched all the recommended videos on how to shape and their loaves all look beautiful and looooong..ah well maybe some day ;).
Moya