The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Benny’s Baguettes

GlennM's picture
GlennM

Benny’s Baguettes

I tried my hand at Benny’s baguette method again using low protein flour and long bulk in the fridge. I miscalculated the formula and had too much flour ( looking at the spreadsheet on my phone ).

I recalculated the percentages and made the necessary adjustments. They came out of the oven with a good oven spring!

I was surprised how much easier these are to shape doing it this way!

link:  https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/65460/baguettes-au-levain-set-no-15

 

Benito's picture
Benito

Wow Glenn, superb bake, better oven spring than I ever get!!!! So well done.  I’m sure these will have an amazing crumb too.

Benny

GlennM's picture
GlennM

I was late with starting and the next day was filled with obligations so they were in the fridge 36 hours. I barely hit 25% in the aliquot jar, these two things may be the difference?

Benito's picture
Benito

Whatever you did Glenn keep doing it.  You must also have shaped really well with lots of circumferential tension to get oven spring like that.  So great.

Benny

Grumpy's picture
Grumpy

They look great.

alfanso's picture
alfanso

Pan au levain baguettes with long retard are the best.  Really nice work.  (I've been known to be partial to baguettes!)

One other comment if I may.  Your oven spring was lovely.  But you can avoid those "bubbles" coming out of your scoring by getting a greater overlap on the scores.  Not having sufficient overlap is most often the reason for those.  Not a complaint, barely a quibble, just an observation.  Here is Ciril Hitz demonstrating exactly that.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QdzHuhJ-ls

Keep going, you'll only get better and then scare the rest of us off ;-)

GlennM's picture
GlennM

Thanks for the comments.

I have struggled with both shaping and scoring. I watched the video alfanso posted and he barely overlapped his score lines.  The comment from Alfanso says to get a greater overlap?

i would like to get this nailed down, which is correct?  I know Alfanso is the baguette king and I’m excited that he is willing to help!

Benito's picture
Benito

I agree with Alan about scoring baguettes.  Imagine the baguette divided lengthwise into three lanes, your scores need to start and stop in the middle lane not going into the outer lanes.  Then your scores should overlap by about ⅓.  I’ve shared this diagram before that I’ve drawn, I don’t draw well but you should get the idea from it.

alfanso's picture
alfanso

maybe a little louder than some others.  But there are a lot of folks here on Isle TFL with super baguette skills, especially after last summer's (Northern Hemisphere, that is!) Baguette CB.  Lots to chew on, so to speak!, and I gladly share any accolades with all.

Here are a few on my countertop awaiting their fate, and displaying overlap.  

 

 

Blade angle, however subtle, and depth of score are also some key ingredients that will come naturally over time - except for the few fast learners.  Benny qualifies.  For some of us it is like the story of the "overnight success" after 20 years of working in small clubs.

You can follow Benny's progress in the CB "booklet" I posted on TFL after the CB.  David Snyder, dmsnyder, one of the early baguette stars on TFL, and someone to whom I paid a lot of early attention, posted a scoring handbook somewhere on TFL with videos inserted.  

GlennM's picture
GlennM

Sorry, double post