Forum Thermomix

Thermomix Recipes for TM5 and TM31 => Bread => Topic started by: Frozzie on August 19, 2010, 11:19:44 am

Title: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: Frozzie on August 19, 2010, 11:19:44 am
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.
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: Frozzie on August 19, 2010, 11:37:01 am
oh and my fav baguettes are baguette tradition..yum which i will post one i try them!  :) :)
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: achookwoman on August 19, 2010, 12:35:14 pm
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. ;D ;D
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: Frozzie on August 19, 2010, 12:47:16 pm
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!
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: Cornish Cream on August 19, 2010, 12:53:36 pm
Thanks Frozzie for the tip about cutting the bread with a razor.I can see that you would get a sharp clean edge.
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: Frozzie on August 19, 2010, 01:26:20 pm
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!  :)
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: Frozzie on August 19, 2010, 06:03:41 pm
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!
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: Cornish Cream on August 19, 2010, 07:18:29 pm
I loved the video link to explain the technique, especially when the metal tape measure was used at the end!! :D
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: Thermomixer on August 20, 2010, 01:26:16 am
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.
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: CreamPuff63 on August 20, 2010, 03:35:24 am
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.
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: Frozzie on August 20, 2010, 10:47:38 am
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!!
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: achookwoman on August 21, 2010, 11:43:01 am
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.
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: judydawn on August 21, 2010, 12:28:31 pm
Chookie, I could eat one of those all on my own - filled with salad I would be in heaven  :) :)
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: CreamPuff63 on August 21, 2010, 02:07:11 pm
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  :o merci frozzie
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: JulieO on August 21, 2010, 02:20:26 pm
Wow, they look wonderful Chookie.  Do they taste as good as they look?  ;D
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: achookwoman on August 22, 2010, 08:06:10 am
I thought they tasted fine,  very fussy DS, said excellent.   I reheated them in hot oven.
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: Frozzie on August 22, 2010, 09:40:59 am
ACW this is the only baguette recipe i have found that really resembles a 'normal' french baguette (there are several) home made and CP im not sure if you know but the crisp crust and softer center is what makes a french baguette compared to just a breadstick say!

ACW thanks for posting back re the video method...ill have to give it a go  :)

glad you girls liked them and ACW great photo!  Only problem is that if you dont eat that much bread within 24 hours the bread goes hard but then to not waste i just chop it up in bits and mix it in batches into fine breadcrumbs ready for another use like chicken schnitzel...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: Frozzie on August 22, 2010, 09:43:56 am
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. ;D ;D

lol didnt realise i hadnt replied to this..i also think i was french in a previous life and go figure i end up living back here lol..i think we are many who love anything french, food, wine and definately the champagne or vouvray or or or  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: gertbysea on August 23, 2010, 12:41:54 am
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!  :)

A Stanley knife would do the trick. I keep one in the kitchen for various things including pork crackling slitting.

Great recipe. I love the hands on folding and rolling.
Gretchen
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: judydawn on August 23, 2010, 02:37:36 am
Great idea Gretchen, now why didn't I think of that  ??? ???  DH may not notice one of his stanley knives missing from the garage  :-X :-X
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: gertbysea on August 23, 2010, 02:58:31 am
Great idea Gretchen, now why didn't I think of that  ??? ???  DH may not notice one of his stanley knives missing from the garage  :-X :-X

Gun brushes, stanley knives. What's next?

Gert
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: JulieO on August 23, 2010, 03:02:56 am
I had a go at making these yesterday only doing half recipe (thankfully).  Put it this way, if I needed garden stakes to hold up my tomato plants, I would have had 2!  :D :D

They seemed okay until I sprayed with water and put slits in them, they deflated and never recovered and didn't rise when I baked them.  Not sure what I did wrong but I will have another try at some stage. Would love to be able to make them like Chookies.  ;D
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: judydawn on August 23, 2010, 03:08:38 am
What a pity JulieO.  There seems no rhyme nor reason when making bread, it either works or it doesn't.
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: achookwoman on August 23, 2010, 03:41:33 am
O JulieO,  what a B......, 3 problems that I can see,  (1) I never make less than 500g. flour.  (2)  they were probably over proofed.  If they deflate when cut or don't rise in oven,  then they are usually over proofed.  (3) it is best to cut the slits when the dough is 3/4 risen.  This takes a bit of guess work.   Don't give up.   You are nearly there.  The Baguettes are really impressive once mastered.  If this happens again,  tip the dough out on to the bench,  kneed it a bit by hand and form it again.,    let it rise again,  and bake.
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: CreamPuff63 on August 23, 2010, 04:03:23 am
If this happens again,  tip the dough out on to the bench,  kneed it a bit by hand and form it again.,    let it rise again,  and bake.

thats what i like about bread making - it is very forgiving
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: JulieO on August 23, 2010, 07:04:19 am
Thank you Chookie for giving me these tips, I will give another go using the full recipe amount.  I've also bought a razor for cutting the slits, less drag on the dough I think.  Maybe tomorrow I'll have time to try.  :)
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: achookwoman on August 23, 2010, 07:07:01 am
Go for it JulieO ;D
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: tarasis on September 21, 2011, 08:43:10 am
Tried this a couple of days ago, tasty but anaemic. Mine came out nothing like Chookie's (I'll add a photo after I've got them synced) though, really mine where more like a "part baked" baguette despite having 10 mins at 240 and 10 at 200. I also think my attempt at rabattre failed :)

I was left wondering if the fan should have been on Fan rather than Conventional?
And post the rabattre I was wondering what I was looking for in terms of "may need longer" ("Leave it to rise another 1h30mins (may need longer)), i.e. a doubling in size? a tiny bit of rising?

Still thanks for the recipe Frozzie, going to give it a try again soon.
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: achookwoman on September 21, 2011, 09:00:41 am
tarasis,  if the issue is just the colour of the crust,  you can brush with  egg yolk mixed with just a little water,  befor popping in the oven.  I always use FF for my bread.
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: tarasis on September 21, 2011, 09:12:11 am
Well one issue was colour, so I'll try egg on one next time. There we are few other issues like not rising in the oven like JulieO which meant that the inside was a little dense, not as crisp (which may be I was cooking on conventional rather than fan).

What is FF?

Thanks
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: Vivaroo on September 21, 2011, 09:15:04 am
Thanks for this Frozzie. I loved the bread in France (who doesn't) but I was led to believe that it's the special flour used in France that makes it so good.

 So my question to the bread experts, will ordinary Aussie generic brand flour do, with vital wheat gluten added to make bread flour, or should I be buying strong bread flour, or get Frozzie to send me some!!

And on the topic of generic brand flour, is it ok to use when any recipe require plain flour, do you know if it's exactly the same as White Wings or any other name brand?  
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: Frozzie on September 21, 2011, 10:38:36 am
they are often blends of flour viv...i buy mine from the local mill and they have several blends...they even have a traditional flour blend which is my fav baguette... but i have always just used the one blend..i dont even attempt to copy half of the breads they have here and I dont care how good a bread maker you are you wont beat the good french boulangeres...their bread is divine....there is alot of crappy bread around but you find a good baker and nothing beats it over here but then again its generations of breadmakers and their secrets..like i said to you on another thread I havent yet found a home made recipe that matches the true french baguettes ..my fav baguette traditionel (and not just breadsticks because they are very different breads)  It comes close to a  normal type baguette that you can get anywhere but ...a good baguette is not only soft but kind of stringy if that makes sense with a golden crunchy crust...divine.. I think its a mix of not only ingredients which by the way are rarely processed and are often pure ingredients, full fat etc and the technique of course.... I have since come across several other 'baguette' type recipes so ill retry them and post one Im happy with...I did this recipe when I first got my thermomix but ended up trying other types of bread and preferring to buy baguettes from my lovely boulangere who makes the best bread..

oh and one tip from my consultant is that your best off buying the cheapest flour as it is the most unprocessed flour and is a stronger flour and for cakes etc you just add a rising agent...the only difference between more expensive flours is that they have been sifted etc etc..absolutely no diff in quality of the flour except of course between organic and non organic..I have been using the same flour as a base for most things and have had no problems..i buy one or two bags of different flour blends from the mill which costs me about 90cents a kilo which is cheap for over here  :)
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: Frozzie on September 21, 2011, 10:47:25 am
tarasis FF is fan forced oven
and for the rising yes until its roughly double which could take 1h30 or longer depending on what the weather is like...with any bread i find you need to rely on your gut and your eye more than actual time
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: Vivaroo on September 21, 2011, 11:08:03 am
Thanks Frozzie for all that info.  When you say different blends, do you mean different flours with wheat (buckwheat, spelt etc) or different grades of wheat flour, gluten content etc? 
I wonder what the bakers would think of me, a suburban chick with a fancy blender, trying to make anything remotely baguette-like, compared with centuries of tradition and experience.  But it's fun hey!
I did like the varoma steaming method in another post, Tenina's?  and will attempt the techniques you've explained here to form the loaf.
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: Frozzie on September 21, 2011, 11:20:55 am
viv you can make a standard baguette but I was saying that making the different varietys to a good boulangeres standard is pretty hard to beat for a home cook...they have their own handed down techniques plus great ovens...like anything but still doesnt stop you trying to make your own version or what your happy with..

and re the flour its both in a way as it can be a mix of different grains or like one i have which is just wheat flour but different types ie malted wheat flour, toasted wheat flour etc etc all in the one blend..i think the mill makes it up for hte different bakers in the region but its also available for individuals to buy but you need to get it in 20 or 40kg bags which needs to be properly stored...i bought special food bins that are sealed but I can get away with it as the temp is fairly cool most of the time so dont have the heat and therefore weavel type problems that some can have from hotter climates..also i keep them under a bench so nowhere near direct sunlight and its been fine for months ..i just top up my 2 litre tupperware container that i keep on the kitchen bench and i go through so much flour...if i had to buy it in the normal 1kg packs or even 5 i would be buying it all the time..only thing for me is i prefer to buy organic so i am trying to find someone or a mill that sells only organic but havent found one as yet and can only get it in 10kg bags at the local organic shop..

re baguettes (your standard type baguette) its more technique to be honest than actual flour...i need to get back into making them but just missed my local baguettes that i could eat all by themselves lol maybe with a little cheese (endless varieties to choose from)....i would certainly miss the produce in france if i didnt live here....its like the old days going to your local market, mill, butcher etc and asking them what is best to cook whatever dish etc if your unsure  :)  anyway its lunch time so better get organised...starving!!
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: Vivaroo on September 27, 2011, 12:14:15 pm
Tried this today and when I came home late from work there was 1 little end left!
I used mix of spelt wholegrains that I milled, first time  :)  and bakers flour from the organic supermarket.
I made 4 sticks and steamed in Varoma first. Will definately make this again.
Title: Re: French Baguette (normal)
Post by: Frozzie on September 27, 2011, 01:25:42 pm
lol viv....next time put one in the freezer !!