That's Right, More Damn Baguettes! :)
What did you expect? :)
In the spirit of a few of David's recent bakes, these were loosely based on a bunch of stuff in FWSY, with some last minute stuff from TFL.
If memory serves:
400g KA AP
25g KA WW
25g Bob's Red Mill dark rye
100g 100% SD starter (didn't build a levain, just dumped in from the feeding discard)
~0.5g IDY (insurance policy :)
11g salt
375g water (a guess based on flour mix and starter amount)
30 min autolyse, first S&F at 15mins, then every 30mins for a total of 5 folds. Fairly loose and a bit sticky, but not too bad. Bulk rise at room temp for maybe 4 hours. Realized I was going out and wouldn't have time to bake them first (I do this a lot, don't I?) so put the tub in the fridge at probably 5PM.
Woke up (hung over :) at 8am, figured the dough would be probably overproofed but you gotta try. Preshape, 20 min rest, shape, 30 minute rise, into preheated oven with Mega Steam plus lava rocks (thanks alfanso et al). Watched for right time to remove steam, which as last bake, to my eye was 6 minutes. Baked another 24 minutes and left in cooling oven with door cracked open for about 4 mins. I think the bake was just this side of "too bold".
They came out much better than I expected. Shaping not my best, but not my worst. I think I want to start shaping them longer again. Scoring not too bad but I completely forgot lame angle, so ears were not really present. Oven spring was much better than I thought it would be given the long proof.
I was very pleased with extremely open and custardy crumb, and crust was thin and (to use a phrase I love and first heard on TFL) shatteringly crisp. Taste was great. Not very sour, but nutty, delicate and fairly complex. I love a bit of rye flour, seem to put some in every bake these days.
The Missus and I ate one for breakfast, gave one to our upstairs neighbor/favorite bartender, and will probably have another with a dinner of Cock-A-Leekie pie. Happy Pi Day!
-Best,
-Gabe
Comments
and the bold bake isn't all bad for more flavor in baguettes.but stands in the face of a thin, crispy, traditional crust :-) Putting blade in the hands of a hung over baker could make him a missing a finger before you know it :-) i supposes you can't really call yourself an experienced baker till a digit goes missing:-) Next time the baguettes will be better.... for sure this time. Well done and
Happy baguette baking Gabe.
But I wasn't baking then, does it still count? It took six stitches to put it back on.
Thanks as always, dab, I was pleasantly surprised with the crumb. Probably the best overall texture for both crust and crumb I've managed yet. But the best thing about this one for me was that I'm starting to be able to adjust things (like the flour blend, hydration, last minute retarding, and observational steam removal) rather than slavishly following a recipe to the letter. I know you and the TFL veterans are all old hands at that kind of thing, but it's very exciting stuff for me!
Cheers, happy pi(e) day!
-Gabe
Did you add salt? If so, how much. Looks delicious!
Yes, there was 11g of salt. I'll update, thanks!
Reveals unmistakable signs of improvement. There is always room for more, of course, but those look very good indeed.
To think about: You can adjust the degree of crust browning by changing either time or temperature. FYI, I bake at 480 dF for 20-22 minutes for 240-250g demi-baguettes.
David
Much appreciated. These were 450F for 300g. Maybe I'll crank it a bit next time. I still have SJSD in my sights :)
Very nice crumb and the flavor adds with the sourdough, ww and rye sound like excellent adjustments, add in a cold retard and hung over baking - I admire your finesse, results, and envy your neighbors :)
Shatteringly crisp and great crumb and great flavor, sounds like you had a lot of fun with this one and wonderful results.
~D
I really thought I had ruined them with the overlong rise.
Thanks for the kind words!
results. The crumb is SO open, wow! And I also love the bold bake.
Thanks Chouette!
Beautiful crumb on these. Nice job.
Ian
Much appreciated.
Those look absolutely phenomenal. You've inspired me to work with a white/rye/ww combo at some point in the coming week!
Let's talk about hydration real quick. My quick estimate suggests that your total hydration with levain was 85%--which, even with the bit of ww and rye you used, is super-high! did you find the dough difficult to manage during shaping?
I actually really love the shape. the slightly wider-than-normal thing is probably perfect for sandwiches.
It was definitely a slack dough. I did more S&F than usual and it still flattened out in the tub faster than other Forkish breads (which I think are usually in the 72%-78% range. If I'd done the math I probably would have eased up on the water! I do think it's why the crumb came out so nicely though. The flattened shape is probably due to both the high hydration and overproofing. It wasn't too hard to handle and shape.
I can't wait to see your version, it's a tasty mix (basically a freestyle version of Forkish's Field Blend #2).
Happy Sunday,
-Gabe
hydration. That must have really been a slack dough!!! That makes these even better. You might be the next txfarmer yet!
I didn't check either (though I will next time I decide to freestyle!) Looks like I accidentally made another batch of Ciabettes/Baguetta! It's also possible that I'm misremembering the H2O amount!
Please don't put that pressure on me, txfarmer's shoes are far too large to fill! :)
All the good things said above.
Concerning the angle of the lame: A good recommendation mentioned in a video is to rotate your hand, lame between thumb and forefinger, causing the radius bone in your forearm to be straight up. This should put the blade at the appropriate angle, ~30 degrees, for scoring the baguette. Give that a conscious try next time.
PS a ciabatta is a slipper, so you won't have to fill txfarmer's slippers either!
That's a great tip.
I won't be filling E. Ming's slipper, shoes, clogs, stilletos, boots, or sandals :)
-G
Could I make these but not do the overnight retard? If so, how long would you recommend I leave them to proof after shaped?
They look great! Thanks.
Gabe is a self-described "serial hobbyist" who admitted that he went from one to another, and stopped posting here 3 years ago. He was a quick learn and became very good very fast. And then...he was gone.
To answer your Q, considering that this is a SD/Levain dough, the flavor benefits of time and temperature are significant - hence, the overnight retard in the refrigerator. The yeast will become almost completely inert once the dough has cooled down to ~40dF or below, but the acids in the levain will be hard at work improving flavor and added anti-staling of the bread.
Could you do this w/o that step? Sure. Once the bulk rise has completed, move into your divide/pre-shape/shape steps and then prepare them for proofing. Follow the standard finger test on the dough to see whether they are proofed enough to score and begin baking, while having your oven and baking surface pre-heated for about 45 minutes in anticipation of the bake.
The "how long" involves taking into consideration the ambient temperature in your kitchen and the activity of the dough as it develops. That is where the experimentation, experience and skill step into play. If your kitchen is a constant 65dF, the dough will move more slowly than if the temperature hovers around 80dF. From one baker, flour and kitchen to another, there are no absolutes, just guidelines. Once you establish what works in your own environment, it is easier to gauge how long each step takes. So in a cool kitchen the proofing could be i.e. 1.5 hours vs. 45 minutes in a warm kitchen.