Practice Baguettes with MegaSteam.
Sorry, these endless, near identical baguette posts are probably becoming terribly dull, but I get such great feedback and advice from you guys.
So, as I want to get more practice with baguettes, I decided to start doing some less time-intensive recipes than txfarmer's 36hr and dmsnyder's SJSD recipes (both of which are amazing). I recently found txfarmer's straight dough practice baguette recipe and gave it a try in order to work on shaping, scoring, and especially to try out Sylvia's Mega Steam method as recommended to me by alfanso, dmsnyser, and dabrownman.
I think this was probably my best shaping and scoring effort so far, but by far the best things to come out of this were:
- seeing how great Mega Steam is, and
- proving David's comment that too much steam (i.e. steam for too long) can work against ear formation by allowing the crust to collapse on itself.
We don't have a microwave so I rolled up six bar towels and tied them into bundles, soaked them in boiling water and used a lobster steaming pot to preheat. I considered using a pressure cooker to superheat them as a microwave would, but you have to draw the line somewhere :) I had a large cast iron pan on the floor of the oven and a heavy duty baking sheet above the baking stone during preheating.
I put four towels on the sheet and two in the CI pan, loaded the baking stone, poured boiling water on both and closed the door. Huge plumes of steam ensued!
I was keeping an eye on the bake through the door for the first several minutes, and watched as the loaves bloomed like crazy, and produced fantastic ears. Success! Then I made the oft-repeated mistake of starting to watch the clock instead of using my head. Steamed for 12 minutes total (added water to the skillet about 8 minutes in) and then removed the pan and skillet. By the time the bake was finished The ears had been completely subsumed back into the loaves, and the loaves overall had flattened visibly.
I'm looking forward to next time and will remove the steam when everything looks to be at its peak in terms of rise and ears. I also wonder if I overdid it the steam and it lowered the oven temp. I didn't get the darkness of crust I would have expected for the amount of time time the loaves were in.
Verdict on the bread: the recipe produces good loaves for the low effort. Certainly nothing like the complexity of taste present in either of the two recipes mentioned above, but easily as good as, or better than, the baguettes available in local (non-"artisan") bakeries. Nice thin, crisp crust, and good open crumb.
Anyway, sorry for the lengthy post, but all-in-all a very valuable learning experience, one I'll be repeating, and hopefully next time will be better. Thanks for all the help!
Cheers,
-Gabe
Comments
to get rid of the steam. Small loaves like baguettes require much less time under steam than a boule. I do bagels and baguettes for 8 minutes boules for 12-18 minutes depending on how big. as long. You are putting an awful lot of work into Mega Steam.
I just put a rolled up towel in a pan and fill it half full of tap water, same for the lava rocks. Since the stone lags the temperature of the oven by 15 minutes , once the oven beeps it is at the preheat temperature, the stone is still too cool but that is when you put the pans on the bottom rack below the stone. In 15 minutes, the stone is at temperature and the steam is billowing, No boiling or microwaving is necessary - just too much work.
Next time you will have it nailed. The great ting about baguette mastering is that you have a lot great bread to eat! Here is a picture of Mega Steam right before it goes in the oven
Well done and happy baking
Thanks dab! That sounds much easier (and safer). Will try that next time. No fancy-pants beeper on my stove, but I figure if the stones and towels go in after 45 mins and get 15 minutes it will be fine.
I like that you are using pyrex, I'd rather do that than beat up the seasoning on my workhorse cast iron pans, but was afraid they would shatter. Do you think they would survive sitting on the floor of the oven or it's best to use the rack?
My Mum is currently visiting from England so not much time to bake until next week, but looking forward to putting all this into practice.
Cheers!
-Gabe
doing this when I remomed them from the oven and set them on a cold range ceramic cook top Instant busted! I now use metal 8x8 or 9x13 cheap metal baking pans from Goodwill instead - just don't have any pictures of them. I ruined my CI skillet using it with lava rocks,had it over 40 years and now I have to get it sand blasted or something.
Don't want to do that!
I think next time I try, especially if it's "practice" dough, I will give it a go using just heavy duty sheet pans. Seems safest, and if enough steam is coming from the towels, shouldn't make too much of a difference in steam quantity.
Regarding your CI pans, have a look at this: http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/ it includes a link to stripping the pan, and this seasoning looks amazing. I have considered doing it to my well-seasoned Lodge pans. Google flaxseed cast iron for lots of other info about the technique.
Or if you really want to treat yourself, get one of these: http://www.blackskyeiron.com/f792512556. The literally don't make them like they used to.
I have been lucky with my pans so far. No lava rocks, only water, and I oil them while still searingly hot from the oven, which I reckon re-seasons them to some degree.
Cheers.
Vinegar and metal scouring pads will remove the rust from your cast iron pan, see url below.
http://lifehacker.com/5886819/rescue-your-cast-iron-from-rust-with-vinegar
I agree entirely!
Your excellent observations and analysis demonstrate just how you have been able to make such remarkable progress.
Besides the issue around over-steaming (and your interpretation of my concern in your other topic was spot on), my only suggestion is to try a curved lame, as ElPanadoro suggested. We're talking fine tuning here, but every little bit helps.
This is what I use. The handle is actually a French lame, which gets sharpened and used by itself. However, it makes a super handle when mounted with a razor blade. The handle can be bent to give a curved blade or straightened for scoring boules or rye breads.
David
Actually, for baguettes, I do always use a curved lame. Just like yours. Only not from France. Or bendable. And mine doubles as an excellent means of stirring one's coffee :) I had it on a wooden skewer for a while, but at the suggestion of TFLer bnom I recently liberated a few stirrers and it holds it more securely and is easier to maintain the angle. For boules I get a kick out of slashing with one of my straight razors.
I like yours. I've seen them before but never realized it was a lame in its own right also.
I do feel like it's starting to come together, and it certainly wouldn't be doing so as well without the great advice, insight, and encouragement from this great community. Thanks David.
Just really nice insights for me to file away when I get back to baguettes. Keep up the cool steam experiments. I know I will continue reading with great interest!
I look forward to your next experiment!
-Gabe
with baguettes and steam and all that. Do keep us informed of your progress! And thanks to Dabrownman for showing us his mega steam setup. I have used towels with the microwave only once and wasn't impressed. I probably didn't heat it up enough or something. I like it better as described here, need to give this a go. One thing I do though is blocking the vent to keep all the steam inside the oven. That, to me, is the most important.
Much appreciated.
here too and baguettes are on my list of mountains to climb. Thank you for putting all this great information in one place! I've learned so much from this post (and the many comments) - now I just have to make the time to put it all into practice. Easier said than done what with kids, job and the onslaught of daily life!
Can anyone tell me where to find those double edged bendable razor blades? I've looked in several drug stores, but to no avail. Do I have to go to a special old-school shaving store? Or buy online?
Thanks- Cherie
They are hard to find in regular stores. I use safety razors (AKA double edged razor blades) to shave with so always have a load lying around. I buy them here http://thesuperiorshave.com, but amazon sells them too.
Thanks for the kind words, I'm glad you found the post useful.
-Gabe
Haha. I figured you were a DE shaver! Who else would use a Feather for bread!!
(I used a 1963 Gillette Slim with Polsilver Iridium blades. I also make shave soap!)
-Dave
Very well spotted, sir! Doubly impressed you recognized it without the logo being visible!
I started out with straight razors, still have a few very nice ones, and may well go back at some point, but the DE hits the sweet-spot of maintenance effort, shave time, and fear :) I'll never forget the first day I shaved with a straight razor. Hands were shaking like crazy, and I kept asking the face in the mirror "why are you doing this, WHY?!" :-)
Gillette Slim, eh? I love the razors that open with a barrel twist - really reminds me of my grandfather's.
Do you sell your shave soap, or just make it for yourself? I make sunscreen and moisturizers.
-Gabe
Gabe:
I don't want to go too far off topic...I have sold some soap but I'm not super-serious about being an "artisinal supplier" who "sells professionally." If my soaps ever gain enough traction - perhaps.
If you're interested in making soap (sounds like maybe you are since you make sunscreen and moisturizers) I'd suggest you checkout The Soapmaking Forum. There is more than just soapmaking to be found on that site.
Making soap is pretty simple, if you can make baguettes successfully then soap isn't much of a challenge! Plus it's an eye opener ... if I hadn't made my own shave soap, I wouldn't be using a Gillette Slim. No way, no how.
Check your PMs.
Cheers-
Dave