French Baguette (normal)

[Frozzie]

ok here is the french recipe for baguettes (there are several but this is the standard one out of the book that i tried and it was quite good the taste anyway..only problem was it wasnt golden but i read in the pointers part of the book that this happens when the oven is hot enough to seize the bread..as my oven is a gas one which i hate i will try to alter it a little next time but for elecrique ovens or those of you who know your ovens well id stick to the recipe!

Ingredients for 3 baguettes

Prep 15 mins
Thermomix 4 mins
Waiting/Rising Time 2h30mins
Cooking time 20 mins

300g water
25g of fresh yeast (sure you can substitute dried but halve the amount - advice from the pointers section as a general rule halve the amount of dried to fresh)
500g flour (type 55)
1 tsp loaded with salt

Put the water and yeast broken up in pieces into the bowl and put it on for 2 mins, 37 degrees speed 2
Add the fluor and the salt and knead for 2 mins   
Leave for 1 hour in the bowl, lid off and covered with a clean teatowel or similar
At the end of this time, take the dough out of the bowl and rabattre (see below)

to rabattre the dough place it on a lightly floured surface and flatten it a little and then fold the exterier edge to the interieur..do this four times..kind of like folding a serviette ie all the corners to the middle but no corners ..am i clear in my explanation?? it says also to turn 1/4 turn each time you fold it in!

Then to make the baguettes you cut this folded dough which should still be in a round type shape..you cut it into four equal pieces like you would cut a pie in 4.  Then flatten the dough (each piece) with the palm of your hand and flatten or pull it into the final length of a baguette (around 35cm) then roll or fold over onto itself to make a thin long log type shape pressing on the join wiht the palm of your hand.  Finally roll the baguette on itself (you know under the palms of your hands rolling back and forth to smooth it out) making sure to place the join on the bottom.

Place it either on a baguette tray or baking tray  covered with baking paper.  Leave it to rise another 1h30mins (may need longer).

Preheat the oven to 240 degrees celcius 20 mins before the end of your rising time making sure to place a boxwl or other with water in it on the bottom of your oven.

At the end of the rising time, delicately humidify the baguettes with water with the help of a silicon brush then slice with a razor or bakers blade in diagonal slits along the baguettes (a bout three to four).  Cook in oven for 10 mins at 240 degreees then 10 mins at 200 degrees.

Take out the baguettes and let them cool on mould or tray.

Enjoy   
 
it comes from the french thermomix cookbook 'mille et une pates à pain' pg 22.

[Frozzie]

oh and my fav baguettes are baguette tradition..yum which i will post one i try them! 

[achookwoman]

Thanks Frozzie,  especially for the method.   Will have to try this method.   The water / flour ratio is classic for any bread,  so the difference has to be in the method.  We will be grateful for anything that you can offer from the French TMX book.  I think I was French in a previous life.   I love anything French,  especially French country cooking.  French Champagne is VERY nice.

[Frozzie]

no prob ACW..i guess everyone could have the same ingredients but if they arent used right then it wont turn out how its supposed to or same ingredients but several different results!  I tried these the other day and as i can get french baguettes any time i want and very good ones plus im kind of fussy i dont like things that arent true to the recipe..theyhave to look, taste and be teh real thing lol  anyway i was very impressed with these..they were yum and i had an 'actual' baguette id bought the day before and the consistency and everything was very similar except for the marks on top but i have since learned that they are done with a razor or bakers blade so i added that in and they were nice and crusty but not golden but in the tips they said thats because the oven wasnt hot enough at first..i have an ongoing fight with my oven..im used to electrique and when we bought our house last year it had a piano gas oven in it and i hate it!! still will redo the kitchen next year i think so will have less hassle with oven temp!!  anyone else shouldnt have any problems!

let me know how they turn out ACW!

[Cornish Cream]

Thanks Frozzie for the tip about cutting the bread with a razor.I can see that you would get a sharp clean edge.

[Frozzie]

no prob not my ideas just found from searching here and there as i found it very hard cutting with a knife, even a sharp one! I went and bought a bakers razor yesterday..basically a razor with a handle but im guessing a scalpel would also work nicely if you had one that is !  Apparently it helps with even rising of the baguette! 

[Frozzie]

for info the rabattage is just the way in france to get all the air out of the bread and prepare the baguette into its shape

i found a video link to show another technique (untested by me) to rabattre le baguette dough

http://www.kewego.fr/video/iLyROoafYWoR.html

there is no voice just image so dont panic all non francophones haha!

[Cornish Cream]

I loved the video link to explain the technique, especially when the metal tape measure was used at the end!!

[Thermomixer]

Thanks frozzie.  I'll have to check out the video.

I went to a breadmaking class with Gontran Cherrier (a fourth generation baker from Paris) earlier in the year and he showed a slightly easier technique for rolling.  But he was very gentle & didn't knocked the dough down just before rolling.

[CreamPuff63]

frozzie did you know that you can "Edit" your post instead of starting a new topic each time? If your computer keeps jumping to the top (which is does in certain sections eg. Cakes from memory), just type the recipe out beforehand and cut and paste into the topic  Think you can "Delete" some of your posts, but not a recipe/topic that you have created as only an edit is possible.

[Frozzie]

thanks creampuff no i didnt..im a bit naive in the ways of the forum and i didnt notice an edit button and good idea with the pretyping it out then cut and paste..im a bit lazy that way just type it up once lol  I promise to be better next time! 

There you go all fixed!!

[achookwoman]

Frozzie,  I watched the video that you posted,  and instead of rolling the dough to form a Baguette I used this method.   The recipe is the same.  The advantage is that as you fold and pinch,  the loaf naturally extends into a longer loaf.  This is a real advantage as the dough isn't forced.   I cooked it at 220c ff for 20 mins and then turned the loaf over for another 5 mins.   It has a crisp crust.  Thank you for this interesting info.

[judydawn]

Chookie, I could eat one of those all on my own - filled with salad I would be in heaven 

[CreamPuff63]

hi frozzie, i made this recipe today too. I made 4 x baguettes about 30cm long. I tried the rabattre method but not sure if i was doing it right, and then divided the mix into 4 portions. DD who has gone to France said it was nicer than the baguettes she's tasted there  merci frozzie

[JulieO]

Wow, they look wonderful Chookie.  Do they taste as good as they look?