If you’ve never tried making bread and would like to do it, Baguettes are about as easy as it gets. If you don’t believe me, which I hope you do, read this from King Arthur. The other day I was playing with bread dough and I thought . . where would we be without King Arthur Flour? I really do love all their stuff.
Baguettes
We’re going to the home of friends tonight for dinner. The husband called Vince and invited us over. Vince said “What can Judy bring?” and after much back and forth between them, I said . . I’m going to see the wife tomorrow, we can talk about what I’ll bring. She and I were talking about it yesterday and I had kinda planned to bring a dessert because her husband is making one of his special meals and I didn’t want to interfere with that but neither of us could think of what I would bring. I said “I’ll just bring something chocolate because I won’t eat that.” She said “I’m not eating dessert either!” Then she said, this is how the conversation went: Her husband said . . you know Judy is going to want to bring something. Then Vince “What can Judy bring?” and she and I decided I just wasn’t going to bring anything!
After I got home, I thought . . baguetttes. Her husband loves bread. I texted her and asked about bringing crusty bread and she liked that idea.
So, this morning the baguette making commenced.
9 – 200 gram balls of dough
For those who asked if I use a baguette mold . . I do not. I use a baker’s couche, which is something a blog reader sent me several years ago. The couche is flax/linen . . fairly large weave but if you don’t have one, you could manipulate some fuzz free dish towels to make do.
Baguettes on Couche
One thing I suggest having is a baguette flipping board. I resisted buying this . . not because of the price but it’s simply something else to have to store! It isn’t easy to pick up a log of dough without deflating it but I can butt the board up against the dough, roll the log onto the board, then roll the log off onto the peel lined with parchment paper.
Baguette Dough
After the bread was done, Vince suggested we try one to make sure it was worthy of taking to our friends . . so we did . . and it is good!
Baguette – Tender, with lots of holes!
Other things you’ll need:
- Baking Stone – I love this one. It’s .8″thick and 14″ x 16″. Many are 1/2″ thick or 5/8″ thick and I think this one being .8″ thick makes a difference. If you have a thinner one, it will be just fine but if you’re going to buy one, consider getting the thicker one.
- Pizza Peel – This one is aluminum with a wooden handle. If I were buying another one, I would get aluminum. Here’s a wooden one. Mine is wooden (or bamboo) and it looks thinner than the one shown (Mine is not that same one) and mine has warped through the years. It doesn’t cause any problems but that’s the reason I would get aluminum next time. If you don’t have a peel and don’t want to invest in one, a cookie sheet might work.
- Parchment Paper – available at Walmart or grocery stores.
A sure sign that I’ve been baking bread . .
Flour Dust on the Floor
Sherrill says
UGH! That sounds super complicated what with flipping the logs onto boards and peels and everything. I don’t need to be making bread anyway (except for the popovers, they’re not nearly that complicated!! :-))
Judy Laquidara says
Well, I guess if rolling a little roll onto a board and rolling it off is complicated .. then this is complicated. 🙂
patti says
i WANT to make baguettes, but with just two of us eating here i end up throwing away bread all the time. i’ve tried freezing but with not much luck. is there a certain way to freeze so that it stays nice once thawed out? i could find it in my power to roll onto and then off a board ;0)