This weekend I baked 4 French Bread boules (a recipe by Danielle Forestier from a PBS segment with Julia Child). Iv'e always had good success following this recipe, but these loaves were great. They did not collapse during the final proof. I scored them in one stroke rather than my normal hacking several times. The crust was golden, crisp and actually "sang" as I pulled them from the ovens (I had begun to think you guys were all high when you mentioned this could happen). The crumb was perfect, and they tasted great.

I kinda wish I had taken pictures, but you all know what a good loaf looks like. Some of you get those kind of results repeatedly. While I'm still very much a novice, I finally had the courage to follow the advise of some of those of you I consider the superstars (Mini-O, Mike Avery, Floyd, Susan from San Diego, and a bunch of others); I still weighed everything but trusted what I 'felt'.

I held back some of the flour because the hydration seemed just right without it. The kneading time changed a bit to suit the mixer I was using. I let the first rise go a bit longer than called for because the bread was not ready based on conditions in my kitchen. The final proof went a bit longer for the same reason.

It's not like I climbed Mt Everest or anything, but I turned a corner in my baking experiance. I guess that's why a lot of us bake bread. It's a personal sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, and has the added benefit of being able to share the end result with family/friends.

If I ever get a good as a some of you, I hope I am as patent and willing to share as you all have been with many of us that ask the same rookie questions again and again. Thanks for the help! This is a great forum.

Scott (Phxdog).

We were planning to cook dinner out on the grill this evening, but it was wet and dreary here today, so we changed plans and pulled some French onion soup out of the freezer instead. I opened Hamelman's book this morning to make the Baguettes with Poolish, only to be reminded that the poolish needs overnight fermentation, so I switched gears and mixed the straight French Bread dough instead. The loaves turned out feather-light and much tastier than anything I could have bought at the store. Given enough time, I would have chosen a bread with a pre-ferment, but under the circumstances these fit the bill perfectly. Since the formula is easy to access in Bread, a Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes (page 233), I'll give my favorite recipe for French Onion Soup instead. This freezes very well. Enjoy!

Famous Barr's French Onion Soup

3 pounds onions (5-pound bag, peeled)
4 ounces butter
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 quarts beef bouillon
1 cup dry white wine (optional)

Slice onions thinly. Melt butter in large soup pot, and saute onions slowly for 1 1/2 hours. Add all the dry ingredients, and saute over low heat 10 minutes more. Add the bouillon and wine, and simmer for 2 hours. Adjust color to a rich brown, if desired, with caramel coloring or Kitchen Bouquet. Season with salt to taste. Refrigerate overnight.

To serve: Heat soup. Fill fireproof casserole or individual fireproof bowls. Top with French bread and swiss cheese. Place under broiler until browned.

About ten years ago, my wife and I participated in a study-abroad program in Strasbourg, France. We were reminiscing today when the topic of bread came up (of course!). Every day on the way home from class, I would pick up a loaf of "Pain Moulé" from the Boulangerie for my girlfriend and her flat-mates. 

I don't remember anything about this bread, other than it was white and had a softer crust than a baguette. It was big enough to survive dinner with four hungry girls and myself. We would smother it in Nutella, sweet cream butter (sinful, I know!) or dip it in olive oil. Dessert was sweet-as-candy North African Clementines, a delicacy then not widely available in the United States.

I know a few of you are from France or live in France, so I was wondering if you know anything about this bread? Is it widely available, or is it specific to Alsace? Does the name simply describe the size and shape, or is it a specific recipe? 

With appreciation,

Eric

WOW! Made my first hand-milled loaf... and my arm'd tired but we are HOOKED on the taste!!!

Well, always looking for a challenge, I'm now wondering if I dare work hand-milled into the family THanksgiving I'm hosting (I know, nothing like last minute planning). I'll be doing French bread with the appetizer, which I usually make with KA all-purpose flour... anyone made French bread with hand-milled? Should I use hard white wheat? Would it make more sense to mix hand-milled with store-bought?

And I'd like to try at least one of the pie crusts with hand-milled - I assume I need soft wheat for that? Any special challenges I should look out for?

Any tips appreciated!

Amy

Hello,

Has anyone here tried the recipe for "Pain de Campagne Poilane" from Bernard Clayton's "New Complete Book of Breads"???

I made the starter last night, and followed the recipe exactly as it is in the book (page 226)

This morning I looked at the starter. It seems to be fermenting quite nicely, but hasn't risen even the slightest. And is this starter supposed to be

so watery? It just seems rather watery and thin for a starter. And the author makes no mention as to how it should be until after the "sponge" is

added.

So if anyone has any insights on this recipe, I'd really like to hear it. Thanks.

Tory 

So it has been a while since my last post, I guess it was a busy summer, LOL.

I made some simple baguettes today. I did a 4 hour poolish and then mixed up an ordinary french bread recipe (water, salt, flour, poolish). I then put the dough in the refrigerator, since I wanted to go to bed (9pm). My wife took it out at five this morning and this is what it looked like at seven, when I got up:

I cut the dough into four somewhat equal pieces and shaped them into logs; I set aside the fourth piece for my next batch.

Then I let them sit on the "bench" for an hour.

After pacing around drinking coffee for the longest hour ever, I flattened out all of the air...

...and rolled them into baguettes.

Now, I usually cover my french bread with a big pot, to emulate steam injection, but alas, these baguettes were too long! My solution was to start off at 550 degrees preheated for an hour and then carefully pour 1/2 cup of water into a small cast iron skillet, closing the door quickly. I think the key is keeping the oven above 450 degrees the whole time, since the evaporated water will make the temp drop dramatically. My water never stopped boiling and the steam cloud upon opening the door was impressive. CAUTION: A lot of steam comes out of the oven when first opened up, don't go sticking your face down there!

After proofing for another hour I scored and then brushed them with plenty of water. Once they hit the stone I turned the temperature down to 500 degrees for four minutes, then removed the skillet and turned the temp down to 450 for the remaining time.

I am pretty happy with the results, although they could be darker, but they taste wonderful!

I am making a country style next, with the old dough I saved from this batch!

Happy Baking!

These are the "famous" french baguettes from the Kayser bakery rue Monge in Paris.

I upped the hydration level, but didn't really calculate. The recipe here is the original and I don't know how it would work with american flour, so if anyone wants to try, keep an eye on the dough.

I also would leave them to rise a bit longer next time, but we were in a rush to go on a picnic (the fated one where I broke my pinky!) I thought the crumb should be a bit more open. They are really good, though. Obviously not sour because the sourdough doesn't have the time to react, but it sure gives great oven spring.

Baguettes "Monge"

500 g farine T65 (or maybe just white bread flour?)

100g liquide starter at it's peak

5g fresh yeast (or about 3/4 tsp fast acting package yeast I think)

10 g salt

270 ml water at 20°C

Mix the fresh yeast with water and leave 20 min to ferment.

Then make a regular dough using your method. Put the dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Let it rest 20 min.

Take the dough out and divide it into three pieces. Form three equal size balls and leave them on the counter to rise, covered with a damp cloth, 40 min.

Form three baguettes with pointed ends, place them in a baguette banneton or on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

Cover with a damp cloth and let rise 1 1/2 hrs.

Preheat oven to 220°C. Sprinkle flour on the baguettes and do the incisions. Do the water thing (coup de buée) and place your baguettes in the oven.

Leave them to back around 20-25 minutes.

I realize that I seriously risk tanking my whole grain cred, here, but lately ... I've been taking a shine to poolish. It'd been a long time since I'd worked with yeasted pre-ferments, and aside from an occasional baguette here and there, I'd not make a serious white bread in quite some time.

But after the New Year, in the course of just a couple of days, I made three poolish baguettes and one poolish ciabatta.

I used Jeffrey Hamelman's masterpiece Bread as a guide.

I've only had the pleasure of visiting San Francisco twice, and both times it was on business. But I made sure to stop by the ACME Bread Co.