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Light, airy, chewy baguette with very thin crust?

cursichella's picture
cursichella

Light, airy, chewy baguette with very thin crust?

Hi,

My favorite baguette EVER (outside of France) was from (I'm embarrassed to say) a west coast bakery chain that no longer exists, called "La Petite Boulangerie".  The individual stores received their loaves par-baked and frozen (yeah, I know...) and they would thaw and finish baking each morning.

The loaves were very chewy, gluten-y, but an easy chew. The crust was very thin (nowhere near the thick, stab the roof of your mouth "artisan" crusts that are so popular) and I'm tempted to describe the crust as a glassy or glazey texture like you'd get from malted barley, but not crunchy, if that makes sense?  The loaves were long and thin and would bend easily if you weren't careful because they'd easily squash. It was effortless to pull off a piece of it. That's how soft, elastic and light they were. Looked something like this but not as stiff looking.

Does anyone know of a technique or recipe that might help me to recreate loaves like this? I'd be very grateful. This has frustrated me for 12 years.

Thank you!  :)))

.

happycat's picture
happycat

deleted because I wrote too soon

Ming's picture
Ming

I think I know what you describe, I think those are not real baguettes, per se, as I believe baguettes are supposedly chewier with more structure, not crunchy and delicate. I think something else other than those four common ingredients go into making these nontraditional baguettes, but I don't what they are.  

cursichella's picture
cursichella

Thanks!

happycat's picture
happycat

You got me curious about what it might be

I thought of Vietnamese bahn mi, and NOLA Po' Boy bread

Found stirato which I'd never heard of before, an Italian cheater baguette described in the link

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2015/02/07/search-perfect-loaf

Ming's picture
Ming

I think a Vietnamese banh mi is a small version of it with a fluffy crumb and a thin crackly shell. Actually someone bought me a stick a couple of months back because she thought I like to eat baguette, there was a label which I now regret for not saving it as I could call the bakery to inquire. This one was 26" long like a real baguette from France but the diameter was much bigger. I think I saw a video on YT comparing the two recently, I will see if I can find it when I get home this afternoon. 

Ming's picture
Ming

Linked below is the video I was thinking about: 

French baguettes: Good and bad bread explained.mov - YouTube

cursichella's picture
cursichella

Ok Outside color/shine looks like the "wrong" (golden vs brown, maybe more malt in the flour?) one but doesn't "chip". Inside white like the "wrong" one but more like with the leavain texture, however lighter.Hard to describe. Thank you for sending!

cursichella's picture
cursichella

I never imagined I'd have so many great replies! I will look into these as well.

cursichella's picture
cursichella

Thanks! Those look good but not thin crusted and delicate (shiney or glassy??) like I'm looking for. The ones I'm thinking off were so light and airy delicate that they would bend or smash fairly easily.

squattercity's picture
squattercity

I over-fermented the Bouabsa baguettes I baked yesterday, leaving them on the counter for about 4 or 5 hours before refrigerating them for 24 hours and, when baked, they got a thin, shattery crust with a soft, chewy, holey interior. Might approach what you're after.

Rob

cursichella's picture
cursichella

I'll look into those. I've never heard of those!

happycat's picture
happycat
cursichella's picture
cursichella

That looks close. Crust was shiney and chewy, too, though. No crumbs at all. I need more adjectives!  Lol