Baguettes

[james]

I was making focaccia, with an 85% hydration dough, but we had Chinese instead. So I proofed the dough overnight in the refrigerator, folded it today, and shaped and bake baguettes.

One thing is interesting. At this high a hydration, you can't slash the bread with a lame. It's just too soft. Moving the loaves around without messing them up is also pretty tricky.

But it came out OK.

Plus, I want to test that photo attachments are still working.

James

[Wiley]

Re: Baguettes

James,
FYI, I can see the thumbnail of your baguettes in your posting, however, on the "Forum" page I am still getting the x'ed out blank squares where the thumbnails used to be of the the new photos in the photo gallery.

Bests,
Wiley

[egalecki]

Re: Baguettes

The color is really nice. How's the inside texture?

I was going to bake on Tuesday, but it was too windy to start the fire, so I ended up putting all my predoughs, bigas, etc. in the fridge overnight. Yesterday it was STILL too windy, so I ended up baking inside. My rye, which I'd never bulk-risen in the fridge, turned out a really lovely color I haven't achieved before. Nice and reddish-brown, with good color on the slashes. My whole wheat loaves got darker than I like them (not burned by any means, just dark). Does the overnight in the fridge make the color different?

[texassourdough]

Re: Baguettes

Hi Elizabeth!

Yes, overnight will affect color for you have changed the sugar content of the dough far more than simple time. The yeast slows a lot in the fridge and the baceria and enzymes keep going. The balance depends on how much and how active the yeast is for they eat sugars. But enzymes make sugar breaking down the flour into sugars so...it sounds like you had higher sugar content than previously. (Note: it is possible to deplete sugar also if you have a lot of yeast!!!0

BTW, James. Those look like pretty good Pain Anciennw which involve wetter dough than usual. Yes, BP 86 is a bitch to handle but it makes great bread!

Hope that is useful!
Jay

[CanuckJim]

Re: Baguettes

Wet baguette dough, like ancienne, is next to impossible to slash with a standard docking blade. The cuts simply close right up. Next time, clip the loaves with kitchen shears held at a very shallow angle to the loaf. To prevent sticking, plunge the shears into flour between cuts. Works.

Jim