hello world - hoping for some expert advice on a problem I’m having often with my baguette bakes. Not sure if “cratering” is the best term, but some of my baguettes are collapsing in some sections. Today’s bake is a great example. The baguette on the left has an ear yet the baguette on the right has dipped/collapsed/cratered on one end. And while the crumb is decent, the final shape of the baguettes is a little squashed, more oval than cylindrical.
So I guess I’m asking about two different characteristics: 1. “Cratering” and 2. Squashed shape.
Can anyone advise me on possible reasons?
I tried to highlight the problems in red in the photos below.
Thank you!
Slipper shaped . Ends higher in a curve . Fairly flattened as well because dough is so soft. I use a couche but as soon as they come out of the couche they start spreading.
I can’t get a tight shape as the dough is so soft. Because the flavor and crumb and texture are so amazing I’ve decided I don’t care. 😂.
I see what you mean , I don’t have that crater issue… plenty of others lol.
See how they curve?
Are you using the T 65. What formula? Levain or yeast or both? Retard ?
The most accomplished baguette bakers will chime in. c
They look beautiful to me! 🙏
Yes, the Moulin d’Auguste T65.
67%hydration with 500g flour.
5g ADY here. Normally use 2.5g but experimented with a doubling for a couple bakes. Going to reduce to 3.5g with next batch.
3 hour fermentation with 3X rise (too much!). Retarded previously but experimenting without with this and other batches.
ChatGPT suggested solutions could be:
Less fermentation, careful monitoring of tension during formation, oven temp to low, moisture content not even across oven.
A bogus poorly represented information source in many cases.
I’ve had kilos of experience with the T65 and T 85. It’s going to be hard to manage at greater than 60% hydration. Also too much ADY but you already said fixing that.
Also I’m using my Apple Yeast Water an “ unknown” quantity . Everyone has such different circumstances.
Your loaves look wonderful to me. The difference with my perspective and many bakers is flavor is 1 . I care not except for the flavor and texture.
Your loaves are wonderful …. IF the taste and texture are right. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Hi everyone!
I've been making baguettes for a few years now using one recipe: https://tasteofartisan.com/french-baguette-recipe/
It works every time. I don't use a couche; instead, I bought a baguette pan, and I place a strip of parchment paper on each of the three sections. The paper seems to help distribute color more evenly, and the shape of the pan lends itself to the shaping of the baguette. I let them rise in the baguette pan, too; just cover it with a towel.
I also just use an 8" round cake plan filled about 1/2 full with water on the bottom of my oven, and I put the baking rack in the center of the oven.
To prepare for making these the first time, I watched a video about how to shape baguettes, which helped a lot. Unfortunately, I can't find that video at the moment. They come out looking great, they are delicious with a hint of sweetness, and are nice and holey on the inside. I add 50g of honey to the dough, instead of 25g.
If you try this recipe, keep an eye on the baking time. I bake for 10 minutes with water/steam at 500; then I reduce the heat and watch for doneness. Last but not least, I use a very sharp pair of scissors to score them. Sounds weird, but it works!
So, I wanted to share this great recipe, as well as my modifications. And I hope this helps those who may want to try something different. :)
Less water and/or less proofing. Keep an eye on it at first. Enjoy!
I think your problems are minor. The loaves look pretty good to me. For the bottom of the loaf on the right, I think you may have hit one of those tunnels your cross-section shows. Those tunnels have something to do with the shaping technique, I'm not sure exactly what. I've gotten them too.
The loaf on the left has the center scored section extra long, and that's probably the source of the slightly sunken appearance in side view (although I don't know for sure if that's the loaf you show). It just will take more practice with the scoring to get them all even.
The top end of the loaf on the left may also have hit a small tunnel. Or the score might have been a little too deep. These are all minor points of the techniques of shaping and scoring. I don't see the oven temperature as likely to have played a role.
I agree with trailrunner about reducing the hydration of the T65. Those particular flours can be very touchy about how much water they will handle. If you get close to some critical hydration, a few points one way or the other can make a large difference. But you can't be far off or the loaves wouldn't have held their shape. So maybe try going to 64 - 65% hydration for starters.
TomP
Thanks Tom. I’m afraid of tension/forming problems being the culprit as they are so hard to troubleshoot!
I did a poor job annotating my red marks earlier. The top mark for the baguette on the left
You bring up another good point - the scoring. I try to imitate what I see in videos, but I really have no idea what I’m doing. With my wooden lâme, I have adjusted the depth of cut to 1/2”. Maybe I should reduce that to 3/8”? And maybe I should have more scores of shorter length? Thoughts on that?
King Arthur's has a couple of good videos on making baguettes, which are worth watching. You can see the scoring happen. A few:
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/videos/martin-bakes-at-home/baguettes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8l5Qi43U3c
I'm not the one to comment on lames and their adjustment since I can never make them work. One thing I have noticed in videos is that in scoring baguettes, the blade is angled rather horizontally and the corner of the blade is used. Your holder looks like it would prevent using it that way.
As for the steam distribution, yes, I would think it could matter. If there isn't enough steam everywhere, the surface of loaves on the weak side would harden more quickly and expand less. This might inhibit opening. Or those loaves might have been scored a little differently, hard to know. Can you center the steam pan? I try to keep my baking steel centered in the oven to allow the same access for heat and steam on all sides, but it's hard to know how successful that is.
I just have to - lame - such a perfect name. Enjoy!
PS - that rhymes