The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Video kneading bread French style

Babette's picture
Babette

Video kneading bread French style

Hi,

I haven't contributed much to this great forum but I use it a lot and recommend it to my students. My name is Beatriz and I have a bread baking school in Madrid, Spain. I have just dubbed one of the videos of our on-line courses and I hope you will find it useful:

http://youtu.be/9dUZ0O-Wv0Q

All best,

 

Bea

SteveB's picture
SteveB

Very nicely done video, Bea!

 

SteveB

www.breadcetera.com

Babette's picture
Babette

Thanks a lot! You're very kind.

Cheers,

Bea

thomaschacon's picture
thomaschacon (not verified)

Thanks, Bea.

Your method looks a lot like Bertinet's method.

Do you think the aeration adds much to the bread?

I think it's far too much work, but others seem to think the method has value.

Babette's picture
Babette

Thanks, Thomas. It is the Bertinet method, as I mentioned on the video, but it is known too as the French method. I love it, it's quick, easy, and simple once you got it. It's not much work at all, you should try it! The aeration adds something to the bread, theoretically. But why I like this method it's because it allows you to handle any wet dough, and I find in about 6-7 minutos the job is done. For me that is got a lot of value. I use other methods too, with different doughs, but this is my favorite.

Cheers,

Bea

Our Crumb's picture
Our Crumb

¡Muchas gracias Bea!

Such a patient and unhurried presentation. Full of subtleties about the technique and the dough. Between that and HeidiH's brief tutorial on S&F this morning, my hands are bien preparado por el weekend.

I was beginning to think Bertinet's video was some kind of sleight of hand, so ineffective has his method been en mis manos. Pero, I'm ready to give it another try ahora.

I look forward to more of your warm and gentle pedagogy, Bea! Thanks!

Tom

Babette's picture
Babette

Muchas gracias, Tom, muy amable. Unhurried it's important if people are to really learn something, I think. In bread, so many things look so difficult or not within the amateurs reach and I believe it's because we cannot really see it done slowly enough to get it, to assimilate it. But the hands are a great tool and much quicker to learn than we think.

Thanks a lot for your comment, it is really very kind. And I want to see tha brief tutorial, is it a video or a class you went to?

Cheers,

Bea

Our Crumb's picture
Our Crumb

...is here.  A gem of clarity & brevity, as your video is for sensitive detail.  Between those two and autolyse, my query earlier in the week about my using KA mixer is looking pretty irrelevant!

btw, I much prefer the castellano version of your French Fold video -- too much Lost in (english) Translation :-)

Cheers,

Tom

mcs's picture
mcs

Very nice and detailed video. 
On our next vacation to Spain (2013 perhaps?) maybe we can do some baking together at your bread baking school! 

-Mark
http://TheBackHomeBakery.com

Babette's picture
Babette

Thanks a lot, that it's really nice coming from you, I love your videos! And I would be delighted to welcome you here and bake with you!

Cheers,

Bea

mcs's picture
mcs

We are looking forward to returning to Madrid.  When the time gets nearer, I will contact you to see if we can organize something.  Thanks.

-Mark

Our Crumb's picture
Our Crumb

Bea -

One note for your overdub translator:  As always, English requires only one syllable for the four syllable Castellano version:   Dedos gordos in Castellano isn't "fat fingers" in English:  we call them thumbs.  Pero esse traducion literal - muy mono.

Tom 

Babette's picture
Babette

Hi Tom,

I know! My partner and I were laughing about it last night, he's English and he said, why didn't you ask me? But the thing is, I've never really called them fat fingers before, somehow the stress of the microphone had me behaving funny.

Mono, yes, I'm sure it'll make people laugh! And wonder what happens to those with slim fingers. I added a note on the video description, hope it helps.

Cheers,

Bea

belfiore's picture
belfiore

Your video is very well done & I tried your method with its different side approach from the Bertinet method. So far, so good & I'm into 2nd rise of sourdough. Can you tell me what the brand of your digital measuring spoon is? I would like to have one for the smaller amounts of ingredients...what a great idea!

 

Thanks,

Toni

Babette's picture
Babette

Hi Toni,

I'm very glad you liked it, how did that loaf turn out? The measuring spoon is WMF.

http://www.wmfamericas.com/

All best,

Bea

belfiore's picture
belfiore

Bea,

Thank you for the info on the measuring spoon. The bread turned out good!

Toni

Juergen's picture
Juergen

That's a great video and you really took the time to show the technique in a slow motion so we can actually see what you're doing (unlike many other videos on YouTube). Your explanation was also very thorough. 

Cheers, Juergen

Babette's picture
Babette

Thanks, Juergen. I know what you mean, I have felt frustruated in the past when seeing things done very nicely but with not enough time, or done slowly enough, for us to comprehend. When we were making the video, the people that edited told me that it was coming out pretty long, and at first I thought, oh, no, it's goint to be so boring, but then I realised it would be exactly what I would want to see, so I'm glad you appreciate it. There is a fantastic video in youtube of a six strand braid (I've been looking for it but I cannot find it, a guy in his kitchen) and it was very slow and detailed, and it really tought me how to do it, so simple.

Thanks for your comment. Cheers,

Bea