I have not left France yet, but I worry that I will have withdrawls from my daily baguette. So I am already thinking that I need to learn how to bake my own. I can grill practically anything, but baking is not my forte...but what alternative do I have.

Has anyone had any success baking a baguette in the US? I know we use different flour, any suggestions? Any recipes or cookbooks someone would recommend?

Sorry, lots of questions and very few answers. But I promise that I will share my insights once I can bake an acceptable product.

merci...ed

It's not easy! You'd think something with just four ingredients (flour, water, yeast and salt) would be. I've been trying off and on for a few years and have made some pretty good bread in a baguette shape, but I've never got the texture and crust right for a real baguette.

I've been using instructions from Peter Reinhardt's The Bread Baker's Apprentice and from another book that's no longer in print called "No Need to Knead" by Suzanne Dunaway.

I'd been trying to cook it on a baking stone, but I recently bought a baguette pan to see if that will help me get the crust I'm after.

I think the major difficulty is that you just can't get the same results with a home oven as with a commercial bread oven.

My best results have been with bread flour. I think it's Pillsbury, in a brown bag that mentions artisanal breads (sorry, I move flour into cannisters so I don't have a bag to refer to). I think King Arthur sells a European style bread flour too, although I haven't tried it yet.

That Pillsbury flour is called Harvest King. I just found this blog entry that convinces me I need to order the King Arthur flour!

The second volume of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking has detailed directions on how to make various kinds of bread, including the traditional baguette.

It has diagrams and explanations of how and why things work - like why you want a blast of steam to improve the crust.

Almost 40 years old, but still a classic.

Oooooo, I can almost smell it now! Your making me hungry.

Chris -

Those recipes never work unless your wearing a beret and have a filterless gitane hanging out of your mouth...

-Kevin

I am not a bread baker (lousy oven in small apt); but I DO read a lot of recipes...try Googling
The Art of Eating. This is a lovely quarterly publication by Edward Behr, who investigates food, does thoughtful articles in depth, and is incredibly knowlegdable and readable.
The website has a list of back issues, and a recipe index for finding specifics. There have been many articles about bread baking (history, what makes French bread different, how to get results in US, recommended bread baking books, etc).
The A of E also has issues devoted to other single subjects (certain wines, specific cheeses), and to the food of certain regions
usually in France or Italy, sometimes in the US...also book review, and more. I use it as a travel guide, and recommend it very highly.


good luck

Karen

quote:

a filterless gitane

So that's the flavor that's missing! Would you send me a carton or two?

Chris -

No can do. Against my sanctimonious anti-smoking religion. Oops - guess that should have been posted on the "smoking in france" thread.

-Kevin

p.s.: only three months to go till we can all eat in peace.

Oh well! I don't think I could really smoke them anyway.

Thanks, Karen! I'm looking at the website and I'll probably subscribe. I love the looks of the set of old France-related issues, but the price is a little steep for me right now, when I'm saving all my extra pennies to buy macarons next spring.

Carlux, I agree that that blast of steam is what the crust needs. I've cracked the glass on one oven door trying to re-create it by spraying into the hot oven so I'm a little cautious about it now though.

it will not work; the French in South Florida import their machines and supplies to do it.All the bakeries have French machines,and supplies.
I was part of the expat group there,and met all the entrepreneurs!

There's a whole lot of difference in home baking for your own use and commercial baking, pedmar. I'm certainly not giving up trying for a good homemade baguette because I don't have commercial equipment imported from France!

Chris, do you get Acme bread from Berkeley where you live? I always thought it was pretty good.

I don't mean to discourage you, but I think Pedmar is right. Without the flour and equipment a French boulanger has, you won't be able to make anything that really resembles a good French baguette.

Yes, I DO get Acme baguettes, when I can get to Corti Bros early enough in the day! And you're right, they're the best available in this area.

But I love to bake bread, and I'm not ready to give up yet.

quote:

home baking

well of course home baking wont taste or feeel the same as commercial baking; but as i said, you wont replicate a French baguette as is.
One more reason to make you come back to France

I rrealize that it will be hard to replicate, but thanks for the advice.

I think I will start with Julia's book since I have that already, although I have rarely used volume 2 in the past. I also like the hint about the burst of humidity, I was thinking to try one of the sprayers you use to spritz house plants.

I'll try to get baking in a couple weeks.

merci....ed

I think a plant spritzer or any other way you think of to get steam in the oven is a good idea. You might just throw a quarter cup of water on the bottom of the oven as the bread is baking.

Nothing beats a warm baguette slathered with brie....

A pan of water in the bottom of the oven is supposed to help, and a quick spritz in the oven or right on the loaf. Be careful with that spritzer, though, and don't hit the hot glass on the inside of the door of your oven. That's how I cracked mine.

I found that special hard King Arthur flour at Whole Foods yesterday. Sometime this weekend I'll try it and maybe post a photo of my result, if it's not too pathetic.

I'm a little spoiled, living in the Bay Area, because we DO have some pretty good baguettes here...Acme is just the first of several bakeries.
Bay Boulangerie (run by a Frenchman) gets their flour from a small mill in Utah, I think...want me to try to find what/where, Chris?
Of course, the one ingredient we can't replicate is the atmosphere...having your baguette in France!

Karen

Chris -

We want a photo - NO MATTER WHAT THE RESULT !

And remember, there is always Photoshop...

-Kevin

OK, OK, I'll do photos.

I found this great Julia Child video with a very good demonstration of technique.

The recipe I'm going to use calls for a starter (or poolish). I'll start that tonight and make the bread tomorrow.

Chris, I hope it turns out delicious and tasty. I'm sure it will be fun to make. Do send a picture.