The Fresh Loaf

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The Dog Ate My Baguette

varda's picture
varda

The Dog Ate My Baguette

I have been making a lot of baguettes lately.    I had a particularly promising one the other day - took a bite, left the room, came back to find the dog eating it.   That's what happens when you make a lot of baguettes, I suppose.   

My husband asked me if I was driving myself crazy with making all these baguettes.   The answer?   No, I'm just trying to learn how to do it.   And you have to make a lot to learn.   So there it is.    And fortunately unlike some of my rye-ier efforts, he actually likes to eat the endless series of practice rounds.  

Today's entry?   A lower hydration overnight retarded sourdough version.   It rolled out a lot longer than I expected - 20 inches - as I did a long rest after the preshape.   It surprised me that the shaping was much easier with this long rest and it didn't seem to get overproofed.    As my baguette trays are 16 inches long instead of proofing on the tray, I placed it diagonally on a 16 inch sheet seam side down, covered with couche, and supported the sides.  

It sang like crazy coming out of the oven and looked ok if a bit mottled - I'm not sure why.

I was thrilled with the taste.   My best yet without question.   This had exactly the smooth creamy crumb texture that I have been striving for with an absolutely crisp and brittle crust.   The sourdough gives it a deep flavor, with not a hint of sour.  

Since I rolled it out so thin it had a bit higher ratio of crust to crumb for every bite, than I might have hoped.   So at least a shade thicker and shorter next time.  

      Final   Starter   Total Baker's %
KAAP15042192 
Water1002812867%
Salt3 31.6%
Starter70  22%
   323 
     
Mix all by hand - a couple minutes 
Bulk Ferment 1 hour  
Stretch and Fold in bowl  
Seal container and refrigerate for 13 hours
Remove and preshape  
Place upside down in couche  
Rest 1.5 hours   
Shape and place diagonally on 16 inch sheet
Cover with couche and support on both sides
Proof for 1.5 hours   
Slash and bake at 450 for 30 minutes 
steam at beginning   
Rotate at 25 minutes  

If you ask am I likely to be posting any more on baguettes, I will have to quote Winston Churchill.  

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

After all, I still haven't fully explored hydration or yeast vs starter or retardation time or starter plus biga or...

And just in case you are wondering if my dog story is a bit too shaggy...

Does this look like a shaggy dog?

 

 

Comments

Laura T.'s picture
Laura T.

Haha this reminds me of my dog so much! He loves bread, especially homemade!

The crumb looks great on this and the shape & look are brill :)

varda's picture
varda

have any trouble "retrieving" the bread from the table.  He looks like a big one.   My dog barks at me when I take bread out of the oven and put it out to cool.   Apparently I have a lot of nerve.   Thanks so much for your comments.  -Varda

Laura T.'s picture
Laura T.

Haha yes he's a great dane. And that's why he isn't allowed in the kitchen! ;)

Juergen Krauss's picture
Juergen Krauss

And I like that innocent look on your dog's face

varda's picture
varda

He also looks innocent when he's chewing up the rugs and/or my shoes.   Thanks so much Juergen.  -Varda

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

as apprentices as wieners :-)  Yours looks innocent but, mine does too and she is guilty of everything - even the stuff she makes me do!

I think it is a fine baguette Varda.  I think it should taste sour, even a tiny bit though, if is a sourdough - especially with the long retard.   I would feel robbed!  The crumb is nearly perfect except for the big holes and where the sour probably went since you can't taste the holes

Your quest is yielding results any apprentice would love to eat)

Happy baking Varda.

varda's picture
varda

DA,   I didn't say that the starter doesn't provide a lot of flavor.   It does.   Just not sour flavor.  Fie on sour baguettes!    (Or should that be a pox on sour baguettes?   It's hard to decide.)   And the holes are definitely where the flavor is.    It will just take a physicist to explain how that works.   Obi Wan is NOT my apprentice.   He is banned from the kitchen for all time.    Ok.   Maybe I'll let him in for a minute, but just so I can scratch his ears.   Thanks so much for commenting.  -Varda

grind's picture
grind

!!!

varda's picture
varda

he's lucky.   If you look at that picture again, you'll see that he's lounging on our best comforters.   How does this happen?   -Varda

golgi70's picture
golgi70

Well Done. Those look professional from shape to score to crumb.

I've decided there are a few "best baguettes". The sweet yeasted French,  the sour crunchy, and the "itslian" wheaten.  all perfect in their own place. Sure do like the results baguettes get from cold bulk fermentation

 

n happy baking. 

Josh

varda's picture
varda

Josh, Here I am just hacking away in my kitchen, so your words are very encouraging.   And interesting that you are saying there are multiple best baguettes.    That makes me feel so much better, as I won't have to give up one thing I like for another thing I like.    So helpful.   Thank you.  -Varda

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

Your dog sure looks like he got caught in the act!  How old is he?  Very pretty indeed.  I love wymaroners (spelling is my best shot at the breed....spell check says no misspellings but I can't believe that!) almost as much as golden retrievers   :-)

Loaf is beautiful.  You sure have made great strides.  How are  you hanging in baking in the heat or is it cooler where you live?  (We are in the high 80's and 90's so it's baking in the garage for me.  Thank God for the Cadco!)

Take Care,

Janet

 

varda's picture
varda

Hey Janet,  He is 6 months old, and has just started to think things over when he wants to jump up and nip me just for fun.  So now he isn't always in trouble - just sometimes.    But truth in advertising, I took this picture today, and the baguette nicking incident was a few days ago.   Here he was just having his little nap when I took the shot, and I think he was a bit put out.   Thanks so much for your comments.   The worst of the heat wave seems to be over.   The house is air conditioned, so the baking goes on.   I did a few bakes in my outside oven right at the peak of the heat wave and it's safe to say that I got extremely hot.   -Varda

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

My spell check is really not working....wonder what has happened to it?  A computer mystery.

Anyway, thanks for the spelling correction.  Great name.  You are brave to invite a puppy into your home!

Janet

Wild-Yeast's picture
Wild-Yeast

He had to wait through the whole process and you weren't considerate enough to realize that his patience only could stretch so far. He took action, it was immediate, without guilt, and evidently very satisfying from the look on his innocent looking kisser...,

Appears you're French lessons are beginning to pay off. You must have good taste now...,

Wild-Yeast 

varda's picture
varda

is Master Obi Wan Kenobi but I really think the Master part is premature, as he is really just a Padawan learner at this point.   That's just his standard innocent face.   He's a trouble maker at heart and always wreaks havoc with a doggy smile.   I wish I hadn't forgotten my French, but perhaps with all the baguette making it will come back to me.   Thanks so much for commenting.  -Varda

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Varda, what a lucky doggy to get to sample your fine looking baguette!  I usually find overnight retardation helps the flavor too.  Looks like you are starting to get the hang of it.  Nice looking crumb and crust.

say hello to your taste tester for me :)

Ian

varda's picture
varda

You got off the plane.  (Sorry to remind you.)   Thank you Ian.   He did get a nip at this one (the one small remaining piece somehow vanished) but after I wrote this post.    The one I was referring to was a few days ago, and he ate almost all of it.   He's going to get fat.  -Varda

breadsong's picture
breadsong

Hi Varda,
Lovely baguette, and I smiled when I saw the picture of your dog.
I was looking at the picture, wondering where the crumbs were :^)
- breadsong

varda's picture
varda

If this had been a shot of him after eating the baguette there would not have been any crumbs either.   I should just stop cleaning up my kitchen and let him do it.    Thanks so much breadsong.   -Varda

ananda's picture
ananda

Too good for dogs, Varda!

All good wishes

Andy

varda's picture
varda

but clearly he doesn't think so.   Thanks for checking in.  -Varda

evonlim's picture
evonlim

your dog is too cute. beautiful baguette! 

nice..

evon

varda's picture
varda

Thank you Evon.   -Varda

gmabaking's picture
gmabaking

Well if there was one, you would surely win! I've just worked my way up to croissants, someday I will try making baguettes and hope they are this good looking, and tasting too.

Your bread taster may join the canine assitant union one day and graduate from taster to tester. He will add all sorts of things to your dough and can be counted upon to take the blame for almost anything. If they ever write a book about us, will they call it The Yelp?

varda's picture
varda

but I don't think young Obi Wan is cut out to be a tester.   He has been known to chew happily on dried toad carcass and never looked happier.   Can't wait till I get my copy of "The Yelp."   Very funny!  -Varda

Bluwberry's picture
Bluwberry

He looks sooooooo guilty!

Did he really say,"Who me?"

Bluwberry

varda's picture
varda

I am not going to answer any questions unless I have a lawyer present, but then again, he has such a strong German accent, I'm not 100% sure.   -Varda

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

can be very determined and impatient..... but they want to pumpernickel everything!

 

varda's picture
varda

is the least of my worries with this one.   I think he considers our house and home to be "slumming it" and is always talking about the manor this and the manor that.   It gets irritating.   -Varda

(BTW, Thanks for lending me your humor.   It comes in very handy.)

Mebake's picture
Mebake

Lovely looking baguette, Varda! It takes many trials to get baguettes right, and you have done a fabulous job. Crumb and crust are excellent.

What an innocent looking dog ;)

-Khalid

varda's picture
varda

Hi Khalid,  I'm still trying to figure out this baguette thing and get some consistency going.   Thanks so much for your comments, and I'll pass your kind words along to Obi Wan.  -Varda

PiPs's picture
PiPs

Baguette looks great Varda,

Just wait ... when Obi Wan is fully grown he will be consuming 2kg miches in a single gulp!

Cheers,
Phil

varda's picture
varda

And scary thought about an even larger bread thief in the house.   Eek!  -Varda

Syd's picture
Syd

Well Varda, apart from having a butter wouldn't melt in his mouth look about him, your dog has good taste.  I wouldn't mind a bite of that baguette myself.  

I almost missed this post.  Glad I spotted it.  

Hope all is well.

All the best,

Syd

varda's picture
varda

Hi Syd,   We could always trade some bread - a baguette for one of your sourdoughs for instance - but we'd have to figure out how to deal with that pesky time space continuum.   Thanks so much for commenting, and would love to know what you are baking nowadays.  -Varda