[Sca-cooks] French bread, was grilled Cuban sandwiches?

[Terry Decker]

Some of the large whole wheat country loaves will last almost a week as long 
as they are uncut.  Rye breads may last even longer.  They are high density 
with a thick crust and they hold moisture.  I prefer most of them hot from 
the oven, so they don't last as long as they could.

The light airy baguettes are best served within three or four hours.  The 
baking process boils the moisture to get the well aerated interior, but it 
reduces the shelf life as does the size and shape.  The batards are probably 
those made with the same dough as the baguettes, but they last a little 
longer because of the size.  Under the best of conditions, I expect these to 
dry out in two days.  After four, I run them through the food processor to 
make bread crumbs.

Bear

> Adamantius wrote:
>>It's yeasty-tasting and has a very short shelf life (unlike some of
>>the French breads that are at their best in the third or fourth day),
>
> OK, which French breads are these?
>
> My experience in Southern France was that the standard baguette or batard 
> wasn't even good a few hours later. You bought it shortly before your 
> meal. If you didn't eat it all, 4 hours later it was dry, hard, and 
> inedible.
>
> I eventually discovered something called - uh, it has been over 35 years, 
> so i may get this wrong - pain le mairie. It was a boule - that is a dome 
> shaped loaf - made of a mix of white and whole wheat flours. It could keep 
> a day or so and still be good.
>
> So, i'm quite curious, which breads are good 4 days later?
> -- 
> Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)