SC - Bread and Rise time

[Philip & Susan Troy]

"Decker, Terry D." wrote:
 
> The baguette works fine as a sandwich loaf split down the center as you
> would for a sub.  My local French bakery and deli makes a delightful
> baguette which is airy, but still has enough crumb to keep it usable for
> about a day, which is better for US restaurant use.

Yeah, well. I've also seen them slip a little of some kind of
shortening, which largely defeats all other purposes but the shelf life.

> The secret to making these baguettes is strong bread flour for long gluten
> strands and a high potency brewer's yeast (dry active baker's yeast) to get
> the required aeration.  And lots of practice.  I think there may be a little
> more to it, since not all licensed French bakers can produce the true
> masterpiece of a crust filled with air.  Interestingly, the baguette is
> probably the reason the French dropped their regulations about making bread
> only with a levain.  You can not normally get the necessary level of
> activity from a sourdough.
> 
> For what passes for home baking in the US, the 16-24 hour rise is indeed too
> long.  However, artisan bakers use less yeast and longer rises, to produce
> better flavor and for specific effects.  In the case of French breads other
> than sourdough, they are often raised in a refrigerated rising cabinet to
> extend the rise times without letting the dough slump.  I don't know that
> this is the case with the baguettes, but if the baker trained in France,
> there is a good chance he uses a cool rise.

Since brioche (the _Other_ White Bread) requires a cool rise (what with
eggs and such in the dough) this wouldn't surprise me in the least.
 
> I tried my hand at baguettes a number of years ago and found my expertise
> not up to the task.  My expertise and patience have improved since then, so
> I'm considering seeing if I can do better.

I'd think oven spring would be a big factor in the texture, too, both of
the crumb and the crust. Maybe you need something closer to a pizza oven
to do something that approaches a professionally made French baguette,
for at least part of the baking process. I dunno, this isn't my area.

On an only marginally related note, have you done any of the Cuban-style
pseudo-baguettes popularized by the likes of James Beard and Paula Peck?
They certainly are light and airy, keep about as well as any baguettes
(although they really bear only  a passing resemblance in other
respects), but seem to lack in refinement of flavor. They tend to taste
a bit like an ale that'll be much better after the yeast all settles
out. Good, but not as good as it might be. On the other hand, for fresh
hot bread in less than 45 minutes from start to finish, I'm prepared to
make some allowances. Maybe I'll find  a recipe to post later.  

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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