The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

First baguette bake!

leslieruf's picture
leslieruf

First baguette bake!

Well I finally gave in, the temptation was just too much.  Today I had other tasks in the kitchen so thought I could work this in around them.  The recipe I followed was txfarmers baguette, just a simple yeasted dough.  I started with much trepidation, followed her recipe as closely as I could.  Here are my first baguettes ready to proof

The shaping actually went better than I thought it would and I baked at 230°C for 10 mins with as much steam as I could, then 15 minutes without. 

Couldn't resist and had to cut one to see how it was for afternoon tea. so here is crumb shot.

It was still warm  but I thought it tasted good.  Shaping has a long way to go I think, would appreciate feedback on crumb as well as shaping.  

Next time I might make the baguettes a little larger (thicker) - these were 220 gm each.

Wanted to insert link to txfarmers blog for the recipe but don't know how to do that.

Leslie

Comments

loafsniffer's picture
loafsniffer

Ah, that looks really good! The crumb looks really soft and creamy, I'm hungry now...

leslieruf's picture
leslieruf

surprised myself in fact.  it was hard not to just keep on eating, lol.

Leslie

alfanso's picture
alfanso

The crumb looks just great and shaping, for a first-timer, is really good.  Scoring is another beast altogether.  Comes with time and practice, but you already have the basics in place.  

The crust looks as though it could benefit from a little more steam, so a double dose of something along the lines of Sylvia's Steaming Towels or the old lava rocks in a pan trick should give them that added burst of steam.  

Edit: Oops - I can see from the photo that you have an electric oven.  Never mind the following, although it may help someone else...  However, if you are working with a gas oven, steaming is a bigger problem due to the superior venting necessary for that type of oven.  kendalm has been successfully toying with a workaround on that front.

You can't go wrong following txfarmer's extraordinary skills and her attention to detail in her write-ups.  

As far as links, here are two options:

Happy to read another baguette journey underway.  They ain't as hard as they might seem, and keeps us from becoming too entrenched in reliance on banettons and Dutch Ovens.  Introduces the world of couched proofing and helps to expand our repertoire greatly.  All good in my tiny little book (for my tiny little brain).

alan

leslieruf's picture
leslieruf

not sure how fast it will be, but getting over the hurdle of the first bake is great.  I agree about the steam, I did have rolled up towels steaming away but I didn't spritz them either. I know some folks do and others don't.  I think my oven is a bit like a gas oven and vents too much (it is a wall oven and the ventilation fan is always going even if the convection fan isn't. I think this is why I always get a better result with a DO).  the scoring was a challenge, the dough was so soft. maybe next time I need a new blade.

your baguettes seem bigger, how much dough do you normally use? txfarmer's recipe rolls them to 40 cm and I did that and I can fit 4 baguettes into my oven.  thanks for the tips they are a big help.

Leslie

alfanso's picture
alfanso

as I load my dough in head first.  baguettes usually weight 350g-375g, so I do make them chubby for their length.  When I'm in a rambunctious mood, I'll go up to 450g each and call them Gros Baguettes.

I can fit 4 across the width of the oven, and on occasion I can also squeeze in a batard on the side, but that's pushing it.

IceDemeter's picture
IceDemeter

Oooh - very nice!  You got some really good shaping, especially for a first try, and such a nice colour on the crust!  The crumb looks great, too, and it has to taste wonderful.

Thanks for sharing - and can't wait to see the evolution of your baguettes over the coming weeks / months!  I'm betting that they are just going to keep getting better and better...

Keep baking happy!

Laurie

leslieruf's picture
leslieruf

long way to go but it is fun getting there. I really enjoyed the bake. and yes I was pleasantly surprised about the crumb...

Happy baking

Leslie