February 28, 2014 - 4:18pm
Baguette Video
Hey everyone,This week I had an order for some baguettes and I thought it would be cool to shoot a video while making them so customers (and bakers too of course) could see some of the process. It's more of a demo rather than an instructional video, but if you pay close enough attention, you can pick up a few tips. I hope you enjoy it!
-Mark
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I always enjoy watching your dough handling, and the baguettes look pretty terrific too!
David
Thanks! Glad you like the video and happy baking to you!
-Mark
I really enjoyed that video!
Thanks for the close-ups and different angles.........I learned a lot.
Glad you enjoyed the video and different angles. Now you know what it looks like to watch me shaping while your head is resting on my workbench! :)
-Mark
Great Video Mark. Thanks for sharing and taking the time to shoot and edit it.
What hydration level is the dough and are you using a pre-ferment or yeast?
I notice you use a knife to score the dough instead of a curved lame. Do you find the straight edge works better for the baguettes?
Ian
It's 77% hydration and the dough is refrigerated/bulk fermented for 36 hours. I use instant yeast, very little since it retards for so long.
I like the way a thin sharp serrated knife cuts through dough. I don't feel there's a need for a curved lame.
-Mark
Best shooting angles of any shaping video I've seen, Mark. Really excellent. Of course, the baguettes are beautiful as well.
What is the purpose of the complete rotation of the pans after the baguettes have been scored?
Lindy
Thanks for the compliments Lindy.
With my convection oven, the fan blows quite strongly from the rear towards the front. If I'm scoring at an angle, the scoring needs to be facing towards the back so the fan blows the cuts open. If the cuts are facing the front, the fan will blow them shut.
As you can see, I score baguettes right handed. Because of my space, I'm forced to load the oven from the left side, which means I have to spin the pans 180 degrees to position the cuts properly. If I'm scoring straight up and down, like I do for my boules then I don't rotate the pans.
-Mark
Love the pans, slashing and crumb. Hope all goes well and
Happy Baking
Thanks dabrownman and Happy Baking to you too!
-Mark
Hi Mark
Quick question. I notice you perform 2 separate preshapes for these whereas my local artisan bakery only does one preshape and that's more akin to your first one. So we go from the rectangular loaf preshape straight into the final baguette shape. Have you always done 2 or did this develop for a specific reason? What benefit do you feel you get from the extra preshape? Cheers
It's just a timing and dough-strength issue. Because my dough is pretty strong, if I only did one preshape, I would be forced to either let it rest a longer time or deal with a dough that is difficult to get the proper length that I want. Because my dough is wetter than most baguette dough (77%), as it gets warmer, it becomes very sticky and very difficult to deal with.
So I choose to do quite a bit of work (the 2 preshapes) when the dough is the coldest - when it's easier to handle. Then by the time I final shape you can see it's pretty easy to get it the proper length. Still, I work quickly with minimal contact with my hands to avoid the stickiness. If I were to degass and seal the dough with the heel of my hand like most do with baguettes, the entire glob of dough would stick to my hand and follow it up off the table as I lift my hand.
I hope that makes sense.
-Mark
Interesting technique, I have always folded towards me. Great looking dough!
Cheers,
Wingnut
Just like being left or right handed, whichever technique works for you is the best one! :)
-Mark
Keep it clean Mark.
Cheers,
Wingnut
This was artful.
Thank you for the compliment Stuart!
-Mark
Nice video, you are a nice neat worker and use minimum dusting flour which I like.
Gerhard
Yes, I like to keep things neat when I'm working and if possible I don't like to add extra flour to my hands, the table, or the dough.
-Mark
Thanks for that video Mark. That's a beautiful open crumb you achieved there. So you don't use a poolish then? Just a 36 hour bulk ferment. That's where all the flavor and that honeycombed structure come from, not to mention the nut brown color. What percentage of yeast do you use? I notice you use a single slash as opposed to the more usual three or four smaller slashes. Is that because your clients want it that way? Also, you make slashing a 77% hydration dough look easy and I know, from experience, that it is most decidedly not.
Best,
Syd
Thanks for the compliments Syd. Correct, there's no poolish. The yeast percentage is .07%, i.e. .7g per kilo of flour. For the first year of The Back Home Bakery, I used the standard scoring approach, then I started making demi-baguettes to accompany the baguettes I sold. I'd score the demi baguettes straight down the middle and the baguettes with 5 cuts. When I'd cut them open, the crumb was virtually identical. Also, with the 5 cuts, the ears on the baguettes often ripped the bags I was packaging them in, so I switched to scoring the baguettes straight down the middle. At this point it's faster and I prefer the look.
Yes, the scoring (and handling) of the 77% hydration dough is not quite as easy as it looks. Many interns have been frustrated while working together but across from me at the workbench-their hands covered in sticky dough while mine are clean. As a baker gets faster and his/her actions more deliberate and accurate, they realize it's the handling that makes the difference.
-Mark
Very nice video and techniques!
I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed the video!
-Mark
Mark:
As I watch your hands' fluid movement up and down and across the dough, they remind me of the hands of a master pianist. You're an artist in creating these beautiful, edible masterpiece of baguettes. I'm amazed by your skills. Thank you for sharing, your techniques and approach are always eye-opening.
Yippee
Thanks Yippee! Maybe those piano lessons I was forced to take as a child have paid off? :)
-Mark
Your videos and breads are always an inspiration, Mark. What a neat little bakery you have! You are very efficient at your work too.
Thank for taking the time to record and upload this. I wish you all the best in black mountain.
It was a fun video to make and quick too since I didn't add any commentary :) I'm glad you enjoyed it!
-Mark
Hey Mark!!!
Beautiful baguettes!!!! Congrats !!! :)
Can you please tell me which flour brand are you using?
regards,
Leandro Di Lorenzo
Thanks! I use Gold Medal Brand "Harvest King" flour. The flour is winter wheat and grown and milled here in Montana.
-Mark
Appreciate it man!!!!!!
So yellow, right? amazing!!!!
Keep up the good work!!!! :) :D
Regards
Leandro Di Lorenzo