Baguettes

[iano]

Tried making this today.

 

Ingredients:

680g Bread Flour (also known as Strong flour)

470ml Water

2 Tablespoon white sugar

2 Teaspoons salt

2 sachets of instant yeast

1 Egg yolk

 

Yeast

Lacking a bread machine, you need to kick start the yeast.

Put the water and sugar into a saucepan and stir well to dissolve the sugar

Add the yeast, stir well

Heat the water gently so it is luke warm (I go for body temperature). Stop the heat once it reaches this or you will kill the yeast

 

 

 

Flour

Sieve the flour, add in the salt. Mix well

 

Pour the yeast water into the flour / salt and knead well. Or, use a dough hook and a mixer (preferred method)

 

Grease up a bowl, and pour in the yeast. Turn the yeast over so that all of it is greased.

Cover and wait until it has doubled in size (30-45 mins or so). The test is when you press a finger in, the hole remains.

 

Once doubled in volume, remove and put onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down the dough and divide into 4 pieces.

 

Roll out the smaller pieces until you get a rough rectangle shape. Then roll up the long end tightly into a cylindrical shape.

Take the cylinder and twist slightly, then score deeply. Leave to rise for 30 mins or so.

 

Take the egg yolk, mix with a tiny bit of water and then brush over the baguettes.

 

Cook in an oven at 200© for 20 mins or so. Until golden brown and crispy. Bread will rise and expand again in the oven, so allow for this when putting on tray.

 

Remove from oven. I strongly recommend that you use two oven gloves. Ow.

 

Should end up something looking like this:

 

[7daysinaweek]

wow they look the proper job, what did they taste like ? by the way your pics and instructions are fab, will have a do at some stage.

atb

7diaw

[Guttersnipe]

tres bon! as above, as above great instructions, thanks for taking the time to post

[bakerboy]

When scoring the dough piece, cut in a crescent shape, also slighty under so that as the dough rises in the oven it will produce a lip on the cut

All his will allow the dough piece to move more freely in the oven.

 

You can also help produce a hin crust by placing a little of the four into a bowl and scald it with boiling water keep adding the boiling water until the consistency of wall paper paste, may slightly thinner.

Brush on the dough just prior to placing in the oven and before scoring the dough.

 

This is called a "Skilly Wash"

 

Well done on your products and directions

 

Terry

[islandgun]

thats great iano, I make a fair bit of bread on a daily basis in much the same way, you might try spraying the bread with water using a fine sprayer (plant type) and the inside of the oven, to me water is king for a good crust, you can place a shallow container of water in the oven to give steam, you might also try sprinkiling the egg wash with seeds poppy etc, this gives an interesting finish, you can't beat REAL fresh bread

[iano]

Thanks guys - I've found getting a very crispy crust to be challenging, as the egg wash seems to soften them quite quickly (they are soft a few hours out of the oven).

 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[islandgun]

I strongly recommend looking at the books by "Joe Bertinet" a French baker now living in Bath all brilliant ! the 2 bread books are called CRUST and DOUGH

[islandgun]

edit to say RICHARD BERTINET not joe who as we all know is a famous porn star apologies

[Walker570]

Sliced open and stuffed with smoked bacon, veni sausage and caramelised red onion pickle, they would be the very best morning starter to a days shooting. Nice, VERY NICE!