completing the traveling trio
I'd mentioned that I was probably going to bake a batch of SJSD (or as I use my own levain mix, soSJSD) baguettes for my wife to feed to the hungry in-laws up north later this week.
The trio are the Hameleman Pain au Levain, the (soSJSD) David Snyder Italian sesame, and these. Once more the explosive nature of the bloom on these baguettes, as with the Pain au Levain, is really quite something.
The final shot here is the minor horror show demonstrating why a good preshape is essential to the final product. The second that I was done preshaping, I knew that it was game over for this poor soul. The shaping was subsequently affected, and so just for the fun of it, I did a single score down the length of the beast and baked it anyway.
Now, by this time, I think that a fair portion of you will agree that I can roll and score a baguette reasonably well, but this little fellow is proof positive that a good preshape is so important to the eventual final shaping and scoring of the dough. Submitted as Exhibit "A", your Honor.
As I decided to bake 5 baguettes together, the width of my oven was barely able to accommodate them. But if you take a close gander you may be able to see that the sidewalls are too lightly colored, thanks to their left/right proximity during the bake. They never touched, and it doesn't matter that the oven and baking stone were at 460dF, the baguettes themselves provided insulation that was unwanted. Exhibit "B". I rest my case.
alan
Comments
it's better looking than most of my freak show slashes :-)
Looking good as usual Alan
Ill do it just as soon as your assistant get's that upload/download app out in the marketplace. Unless, that is, she is still working on the world dominance one. Sneaky and conniving little beasts they are...
The bloom on your loaves is beautiful and the crust baked up nice and blistered. Your shaping and scoring technique is really good. It is a skill I am still aspiring to. It does take longer to learn new things, when you are only baking a loaf every week though.
Your post has inspired to try David Snyder's Italian SD formula. I don't know if I am up to baguettes yet, but may try a batard. I will, however use the dough handling methods I used on my last boule bake as these worked for me. The flavour from the semolina and flavour kick from the sesame seeds sounds like a great flavour combo.
Happy baking! Ski
Yes, thanks. This is another bread that just about wants to explode in the oven, hopefully in all the right places! This SJSD formula yields a tender crumb with a crackling crisp crust. I've also made this as a batard a number of times as well, and it works wonderfully.
For shaping batards I use the technique I learned from watching Martin Philip on this King Arthur Flour video starting at 6:27. It's really pretty straight forward and easy to get down well. Starting as a round preshape. But I never would flatten the dough as he does. I'm not in a position to say what someone at his level should or shouldn't do and maybe his dough is highly active, but I'd never degas as he does. Here is what the Italian sesame bread looks like as a batard.
Yes, give the semolina dough a try. The dough will be moist and slick (from the olive oil) when kneading, but will start to feel drier as you go through each of the Letter Folds and the oil is absorbed.