French Baguette (normal)

[Vivaroo]

Thanks for this Frozzie. I loved the bread in France (who doesn't) but I was led to believe that it's the special flour used in France that makes it so good.

 So my question to the bread experts, will ordinary Aussie generic brand flour do, with vital wheat gluten added to make bread flour, or should I be buying strong bread flour, or get Frozzie to send me some!!

And on the topic of generic brand flour, is it ok to use when any recipe require plain flour, do you know if it's exactly the same as White Wings or any other name brand?  

[Frozzie]

they are often blends of flour viv...i buy mine from the local mill and they have several blends...they even have a traditional flour blend which is my fav baguette... but i have always just used the one blend..i dont even attempt to copy half of the breads they have here and I dont care how good a bread maker you are you wont beat the good french boulangeres...their bread is divine....there is alot of crappy bread around but you find a good baker and nothing beats it over here but then again its generations of breadmakers and their secrets..like i said to you on another thread I havent yet found a home made recipe that matches the true french baguettes ..my fav baguette traditionel (and not just breadsticks because they are very different breads)  It comes close to a  normal type baguette that you can get anywhere but ...a good baguette is not only soft but kind of stringy if that makes sense with a golden crunchy crust...divine.. I think its a mix of not only ingredients which by the way are rarely processed and are often pure ingredients, full fat etc and the technique of course.... I have since come across several other 'baguette' type recipes so ill retry them and post one Im happy with...I did this recipe when I first got my thermomix but ended up trying other types of bread and preferring to buy baguettes from my lovely boulangere who makes the best bread..

oh and one tip from my consultant is that your best off buying the cheapest flour as it is the most unprocessed flour and is a stronger flour and for cakes etc you just add a rising agent...the only difference between more expensive flours is that they have been sifted etc etc..absolutely no diff in quality of the flour except of course between organic and non organic..I have been using the same flour as a base for most things and have had no problems..i buy one or two bags of different flour blends from the mill which costs me about 90cents a kilo which is cheap for over here 

[Frozzie]

tarasis FF is fan forced oven
and for the rising yes until its roughly double which could take 1h30 or longer depending on what the weather is like...with any bread i find you need to rely on your gut and your eye more than actual time

[Vivaroo]

Thanks Frozzie for all that info.  When you say different blends, do you mean different flours with wheat (buckwheat, spelt etc) or different grades of wheat flour, gluten content etc? 
I wonder what the bakers would think of me, a suburban chick with a fancy blender, trying to make anything remotely baguette-like, compared with centuries of tradition and experience.  But it's fun hey!
I did like the varoma steaming method in another post, Tenina's?  and will attempt the techniques you've explained here to form the loaf.

[Frozzie]

viv you can make a standard baguette but I was saying that making the different varietys to a good boulangeres standard is pretty hard to beat for a home cook...they have their own handed down techniques plus great ovens...like anything but still doesnt stop you trying to make your own version or what your happy with..

and re the flour its both in a way as it can be a mix of different grains or like one i have which is just wheat flour but different types ie malted wheat flour, toasted wheat flour etc etc all in the one blend..i think the mill makes it up for hte different bakers in the region but its also available for individuals to buy but you need to get it in 20 or 40kg bags which needs to be properly stored...i bought special food bins that are sealed but I can get away with it as the temp is fairly cool most of the time so dont have the heat and therefore weavel type problems that some can have from hotter climates..also i keep them under a bench so nowhere near direct sunlight and its been fine for months ..i just top up my 2 litre tupperware container that i keep on the kitchen bench and i go through so much flour...if i had to buy it in the normal 1kg packs or even 5 i would be buying it all the time..only thing for me is i prefer to buy organic so i am trying to find someone or a mill that sells only organic but havent found one as yet and can only get it in 10kg bags at the local organic shop..

re baguettes (your standard type baguette) its more technique to be honest than actual flour...i need to get back into making them but just missed my local baguettes that i could eat all by themselves lol maybe with a little cheese (endless varieties to choose from)....i would certainly miss the produce in france if i didnt live here....its like the old days going to your local market, mill, butcher etc and asking them what is best to cook whatever dish etc if your unsure    anyway its lunch time so better get organised...starving!!

[Vivaroo]

Tried this today and when I came home late from work there was 1 little end left!
I used mix of spelt wholegrains that I milled, first time    and bakers flour from the organic supermarket.
I made 4 sticks and steamed in Varoma first. Will definately make this again.

[Frozzie]

lol viv....next time put one in the freezer !!