OMG those look so good

April

Those look great..good for you! Try the sourdough, you'll be hooked

Those do look good

Those are without doubt the best looking anciennes I have ever seen.  I am hoping the Dr. can fix what ails my anciennes.  I was just curious, do you follow the recipie exactly as in BBA?  I have found that if I don't give it 3 or 4 folds I get, for lack of a better word, goop.  I noticed you were even able to slash yours.  I made this bread Sat. folded 4 times and had better luck although it took a long time to warm up.  The flavor and reddish crust put this bread  at another level in my opinion.

Thanks Da Crumb Bum    

I just made ancienne for the first time and was a bit disappointed, too. Very nice taste, but very flat, sort of long skinny ciabatta. My son was clearly trying hard not to laugh...

Crumb bum; when do you fold? After it's got up to room temp and resumed fermentation? It's a seriously goopy dough, that's for sure!

thanks,

edh

The author says slashing may be difficult, and not required since it is a relatively slack dough.  I tried serrated knife and lame..very hard to do.  Taste was great, didn't get a good crust however.

SDbaker 

Hey Edh

I take it out of the fridge and let it warm up for an hour or so untouched.  I then start folding every 45 min or so.  I have tried not folding at all.  The bread this made would be great if you knew of people trapped in a room in which there was a 3/4 crack between the door and floor if you know what I mean.  I have given it a few folds while it was cooling in fridge.  By the time it warmed up though it felt as though it had never been folded.  Folding after it comes out of the fridge helps in warming up the dough a little quicker as well.  I have never in my baking life gotten this to turn out as baguettes.  I have had my best luck with a ciabatta shape.  Hope this helps.

Da Crumb Bum

Crumb bum,

Thanks, that does help. I was getting kind of nervous because a certain small someone has been noodging at me to make it again, and it was so depressing the first time. I'll give it another shot soon.

edh

Why do you add 1 TBLS of rye flour--what does it do?  Thanks, Jay 

Those are beautiful.

I have never been able to make baguettes, no matter how many times I have tried. Maybe you could forward me that recipe, who knows, great baguettes might happen one day from my kitchen! :-)

I know I'm WAY late but its funny you should mention you cracked the oven lightbulb.  I did the exact same thing with the exact same recipe!  Too funny.   Your baguettes look way better than mine though!

June 

I'm in Denver and usually a small addition of flour and reduction in yeast fixes my breads but I tried the BBA Pain Ancienne and even in the fridge the dough tripled in volume overnight.  I think it probably overproofed even in the fridge.  Any suggestions other than to further reduce yeast?

WOW! My pâte fermentée is done. Tomorrow I'm baking my baguettes. I hope they come out as beautiful as yours.

hmmm... 

I just mixed up the Pain a L'ancienne and have it in the refrigerator.  I am not as optimistic as I was say 15 minutes ago before I read this thread....  I'll let you know how it goes.  My dough was rather stiff though, not goop at all.  I had to add a few tablespoons of water in the mixer to get it to stick  to the bottom.  I am using organic flour, 10 oz of which are fresh milled red fife.