Thread: baguette
View Single Post
  #6 (permalink)   Report Post  
Jean-Scott
 
Posts: n/a
Default baguette

"juergen" > wrote in
:

> Hi,
> I'm looking for a professional receipt for french baguette incl.
> baking temperature and instructions for using steam adding with my
> professional oven.
>
> Je cherche un receipt professionelle pour baguette francais avec toute
> les temperatures et l'addition de vaporisage avec mon four
> professionelle.
>
> Ich suche ein professionelles rezept für französisches baguette inkl.
> backtempeaturen und beschwadung in meinem profi backofen mit
> dampfgabe.
>
> Danke Thanks Merci
>
> Juergen fvdb
>
>


Here is my suggestions. Try it to the letter and let me know how it turns
out.

First of all, if you want consistency, you should get yourself a scale.
It doesn't have to be an expensive scale, but it should have "Dash Pot"
ability. This is an adjustment to the scale so after you put your
measuring object (bowl or cup or plate) on the scale, you can zero it out
so as to weigh you raw ingredients exactly.

Next, you need a pocket thermometer, so you can test the temp of your
water and dough.

Your flour should be a bread flour, not general purpose flour. All
purpose flour has a protein level of about 10%. Protein is not the gluten
level, but it is a measure by which we can tell if it is a high gluten
flour or not. Gold medal makes a flour that is called "Better For Bread"
This flour is formulated for bread machines, but is also their home
consumer high gluten flour. It is approx 12% protein. The flour we use
commercially is 14+% protein levels. If you don't have this flour in your
area, there are other brands of bread machine flour out there. You need a
high gluten flour if you want the airy texture inside with a crispy
crust.

Also, you say you don't use a bread machine and that you knead your
dough... by hand? You will get a better bread with a mixer and dough
hook. You need to temper the dough to activate the yeast and start the
fermentation process. Kneading by hand is good, but strenuous and time
consuming.

If you can use a scale, here is a formula that might work well for you.

Scale 32 0z high gluten flour (GM Better for Bread) put the flour into
the mixing bowl. (this amount of flour is pretty close to your 7 cups
minus batch... this is more like 6 cups plus)

Scale 1 oz salt, 1 1/2 oz sugar ( the sugar will give your yeast
something to eat as it forms its gases), and 4 packets of yeast ( this is
double your original recipe. If it is too yeasty tasting for you, cut
back to 3 packets, however, this amount of yeast is within the normal
range... closer to the high end though) Do not activate the Instant Dry
Yeast before hand. Add it dry to your flour mix.

Add these ingredients to your flour and whisk together thoroughly. Let
this mixture stand for 5 minutes while you prepare the water. While it is
resting Dry, the yeast will start to absorb the natural moisture that is
in the flour, and begin its activation.

Run your tap water on high hot until very hot. This will ensure that once
you turn the temp down, it will be accurately warm, instead of running
the water on warm, and it slowly heats up... eventually getting to warm.

Verify your thermometer is accurate. It should read whatever your room
temperature is. For instance, my thermometer reads 75 degrees in the air,
because that is where I maintain my room temp.

Turn your water temp down to what you think was where you were originally
adding it and test it. This is probably over 100. You want to have your
water at 85-90 degrees. It will feel cool to the touch, but is the
perfect temp to start your yeast activating. This is much lower than many
recipes and website call for, but if you use a mixer, and agitate the
dough properly, the yeast and dough will come to the right temp. You
don't want to kill any of your yeast, and a too high temp will do this.

Run the water in a large measuring cup (4+ cups) and check to see that it
is as close to 90 as possible.

Scale up 22 oz of 90 degree water.

With the dough hook in place, turn your mixer on the lowest speed and add
all the water at one time. Let this mix for 3 minutes (set a timer). Now
turn your mixer to medium speed and mix for 4 minutes (set your timer
again).

When the timer goes off, turn off the mixer and scrape the bowl to the
bottom to make sure all of the flour is off the bottom, and scrape the
hook down. Do this quickly, because you have built up some kinetic energy
that is starting to temper the dough, and we don't want to lose this.
Turn the mixer on high now and mix for 8 minutes. Hang on to your
mixer... it's going to want to walk on you.

During this final mixing time you want to watch your dough form. After
about 5 to 6 minutes on high it should be pulling away from the bottom of
the bowl. It will have a slapping effect. This is adding the temperature
needed to temper the dough. The slapping and stretching by dragging on
the sides is your kneading action.

This dough will appear too dry when you first start mixing it, but gets
very sticky as it develops. Don't get too hasty to add additional water
at the beginning. Stick to the process, and wait it out. It WILL get
sticky and wet. So sticky that you may need to toss in a tablespoon of
flour to loosen it in the last stages of mixing.

The last minute of mixing, the flour should have pulled form the bottom.
If not, toss in a tablespoon of flour as it is mixing to free it... might
take 2. This beating action will temper the dough and begin the building
of the gluten web. When the time is up, while the mixer is still running,
toss in one last tablespoonful of flour to release the dough, and quickly
turn it off and remove the hook with the dough on it from the bowl.
Scrape this off onto a lightly floured surface and let it rest for 5
minutes.

Test the temperature of the dough while it is resting. It should be about
90 degrees.

After the resting, knead the dough for 1 minute, forming it into a nice
round ball. The dough will not be sticky anymore, but very nice texture
and stretchy. Forming into a ball, the dough should not rip. This is a
good sign of elasticity.

Lightly coat a large bowl with Pam or your olive oil... then wipe it out
so there is no visible standing oil. I myself never oil the bowl and
never have a problem. I don't like to add any oil to my bread, as it
makes it weaker, and we need the strong wall structure to be able to hold
its shape. So I Put it in a large plastic bowl. We actually use 5-gallon
buckets.

Put your kneaded dough into the bowl and lay a plastic on top. I like to
use a new kitchen trash bag. Then on top of this, lay a heavy bath towel
to weigh it down. Place this in an area that is not going to get overly
warm, as we do not want to kill our yeast. Fermenting your dough at room
temp is the best...72-76 degrees.

At 1-hour, take off the plastic cover and fold your dough into the center
of the bowl. As though it were a square, one corner at a time, then flip
it over in the bowl to put your seam on the bottom. Do this again at hour
2.

After 3 hours of fermentation, your dough will be ready for forming. Fold
the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and deflate it down flat.
Make sure to squish out the gases that have built up during fermentation.
Your fermentation will have added the sourdough taste, but if you don't
get most of the gases out, you may get an unpleasant taste in your
finished bread. Let this rest for 5 minutes before forming into bread or
rolls.

Make your loaves and place onto parchment paper or light corn meal coated
pan. Parchment plus cornmeal is not necessary, the parchment allows the
release, unless you like your bread to have cornmeal on the bottom. I
myself do not use cornmeal... but many do. I use only the parchment
paper.

Place your loaves, baguettes or rolls onto your baking pan and place
inside of the plastic bag you used to cover the dough. Swoop some air
into the bag so it is puffed up over the product and not toughing. This
makes it easier to remove from the bag later, plus if you want a nice
proof, the bag may hinder the growth. Tuck the end of the bag under the
edge of the pan to lock in the air. Let this rise in room temperature for
3 hours.

Some bakeries that are in a rush because of high volume demands put their
breads in a proof box to expedite this stage. You will get a weak product
that can get easily over proofed. A nice slow long proof will greatly
enhance the flavor and strengthen the dough for final cook off.

Preheat your oven to its highest setting 500+ at least 20 - 30 minutes
before your ready to bake. Place a large cake pan in the bottom of your
oven directly on the oven floor before preheating. This will get this pan
extremely hot and ready to steam. The larger the pan the better. This
gives you more hot surface to create steam. You don't want standing water
as much as you are looking for the steam. Have a clean spray bottle for
misting your bread. Also have a large plastic 4 to 8 cup measuring cup
full of cold water ready.

When three hours of proof are up, Remove the bread from the bag and slice
the top with a very sharp knife or razor. I personally do not like to
slice my loaves. Mist the surface of the bread generously. This is going
to allow the "Oven Spring" effect when you introduce the bread into the
extreme heat.

Place your bread on the middle shelf of your oven. With one hand on the
oven door and the other holding the cold water, dump approx 2-4 cups of
cold water into the hot cake pan on the bottom and quickly close the
door. Set you timer for 5 minutes.

At 5 minutes, check to see if you still have water steaming in the
bottom. If not, add water at this time for more steam. Set timer for 5
minutes again.

At 5 minutes, turn your pans as home ovens do not heat evenly. Set for 5
minutes.

At 5 minutes most or all of your water should be gone. Turn your heat
down to 400 degrees for the final bake off. The final time depends on
your size of loaf, whether you made 2 or 3 or 4, or if you made rolls. A
3 oz cut roll will take approx 35 minutes total time. Bread about 55
minutes. Some smaller loaves or baguettes take about 45 minutes total.
You have already been baking for 15 minutes, so you need to judge your
final time by the product. If you have bread, then give yourself 30
minutes and check it. It should be golden brown, and have a hollow
thump... go 5 minutes at a time after that until you come up with a
timing that works for you and your oven.

I know that some are going to disagree with some of my processes, but
this always works for me, and is common practice in many bakeries. If you
make it exactly as I have outlined, you should get a beautiful bread,
that is hearty and tasty, with a slight sourdough flavor. Very thin and
crispy crust, and a chewy fluffy interior (crumb) with a wonderful nose
to it. As all breads, best eaten fresh baked. But I slice it once it is
cooled and freeze it. Great as toast. Freeze the rolls, then at dinner,
preheat the oven to 375, pop in the number of rolls you want still
frozen, and bake for 6 - 8 minutes... come out like you just baked them.

Let me know if this works out for you.

Jean Scott

------------