ficelles and half ones

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Submitted by holds99 on October 21, 2008 - 7:24am.

I'm a total convert to the abundant use of flour, particularly on high hydration doughs when they're placed into bannetons, couches, etc. After baking the excess flour on the loaf can always be brushed away.

Best of luck to you with your baking endeavors and keep posting your bread experiences, I'll do the same.

Howard

Submitted by holds99 on October 15, 2008 - 1:25pm.

Thanks Kees

Thanks for sharing that great video by the professional bakers showing terrific gluten development. There was also a second video from a home baker, in England I presume, who really understands the process and produced 2 beautiful baguettes. As you said, "...no pressure at all. just love".

Howard

Submitted by keesmees on October 21, 2008 - 6:23am.

Howard. one more significant

Howard.

one more significant note. I just recognized it on:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/9245/tighter-baguette-shaping-and-my-second-visit-anis-bouabsa039s-bakery#comment-47343

look at jane's newest pics on her blog and then the above video again: there is a big difference in handling the dough during shaping:

the men in the video don't, but the baker in jane's pics uses abundant dusting flour.

in the latter case - of course - you should seal the seam tightly or it will unroll during baking.

Like the video, I always shape on a lightly oiled surface and only use dusting flour on the 'couche'.

Submitted by holds99 on October 15, 2008 - 12:59am.

Nice looking loaves

From here they look very nice. Which recipe did you use and how did the crumb turn out?

Howard

Submitted by keesmees on October 15, 2008 - 2:57am.

cheers howard,this is the

cheers howard,

this is the crumb.

you'll find the recipe on the same page, when you scroll down a bit.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9191909@N07/2891826505/

very short baking time: 17-18 minutes at 230°C, thats why the crust is relatively thin

if you like a thicker crust, lower temperature a bit: 225°C and bake 20 minutes (maximum)

kees

Submitted by holds99 on October 15, 2008 - 7:20am.

Sorry About That, I read these things a few at a time

Kees,

Thanks for pointing me to the recipe. I missed it. I'll go back and take a look. Again, you did a great job. Reason I was asking about the recipe is because I have been fiddling around with baguettes for years searching for the holy grail (the perfect baguette recipe)...I'm still searching.

In your post you showed a picture and mentioned flattening them out for shaping. I don't know if you've read the Acme Bakery baguette method in Maggie Glezer's book Artisan Breads, but she preserves as much of the gas as possible by shaping them in 3 stages (after bulk fermentation). This is not intended as a criticism, simply an observation; it seems degassing them completely, through flattening them, will result in the final baguette having a tighter crumb as opposed to the larger holes and more open crumb---because you will be deflating the precious accumulated gas in the dough. What do you think?

Howard

Submitted by keesmees on October 15, 2008 - 8:09am.