French Baguettes!

Continuing on with my new bread book Artisan Breads Every Day by Peter Reinhart, it looks like French baguettes are next on the learning curve.  I was excited about trying to make the classic french bread.  I imagined pulling the long slender loaves out of the oven,  wrapping them up in brown paper, and  tucking them in my bike basket alongside a thick, wild clump of lavender.  I imagined my scarf, wound so perfectly around my neck (as only the french know how to do),  with my french skirt billowing out against the wind, while pedaling my bike leisurely along the country landscape. 

 I imagined... I imagined...

Screeeeeech!  My revelry slips back to reality!  I don't even have a bike, much less a bunch of lavendar.  And unless the letters can magically rearrange themselves, the state I am currently discovering is spelled T-E-X-A-S.  

Alrighty then, so the only part of my daydream to come true are the yet-to-be-made french baguettes.  

Turn to page 49 and let's begin.

(Self-pity note:  Still working on perfecting my food photography.  Constant rejections from FG and TS.  Feel free, any of you experts out there, to aid my slow as molasses progression in this photographic area.  Seems when I download my photos to their sites, a slight blur occurs. Grrrrrrr.)

Coming back from New Orleans from Spring Break and bringing back in tow a huge can of Cafe Du Monde coffee was a perfect accompaniment to this crusty french bread.  Delicious heady Louisiana coffee and hot slices of french bread with butter = heaven!

S. Kenney - bread loaves proofing

Classic French Bread:

Ingredients:

5 1/3 c (24oz/680g) unbleached bread flour

2 teaspoons (0.5oz/14g) salt, or 1 Tbsp. coarse kosher salt

2 1/4 tsp (0.25 oz/7g) instant yeast

2 c (16 oz/454g) lukewarm water (about 95ºF or 35ºC)

Do ahead:

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl.  If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for 1 minute.  The dough should form a coarse shaggy ball.  Let it rest, uncovered, for 5 min.

Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium-low speed for 2 min.  The dough should be smooth, supple, and tacky but not sticky.

Knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured work surface for about 1 min more, then transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover the blowl with plastic wrap, then immediately refrigerate overnight or for up to 4 days.  If the dough feels too wet and sticky, do not add more flour;  instead stretch and fold it one or more times at 10 min. intervals before putting it in the refrigerator.

On Baking Day:

Remove the dough about 2 hours before you plan to bake.  Gently transfer it to a lightly floured work surface, taking care to degas it as little as possible.  Divide the cold dough into baguettes that will fit in your oven.  Loosely cover the loaves with plastic wrap, and proof at room temperature for about 1 1/2 hours, until increased to 1 1/2 times its original size.

About 45 min. before baking, preheat the oven to 550ºF (288ºC) or as high as it will go, and prepare the oven for hearth baking.

Score the dough just prior to baking with a serrated knife or razor.  Transfer the dough to the oven, pour 1 c of hot water into the steam pan, then lower the oven temp to 450ºF (232ºC).

Bake for 12 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 15-20 min., until the crust is a rich golden brown and hollow when thumped.  Cool if you can stand it, have some yummy butter ready and serve!!