San Francisco Sourdough variation Baguettes

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dmsnyder on 15 Jun 2008 at 18:51

SF Sourdough baguettes

SF Sourdough baguettes

SF Sourdough baguettes crumb

SF Sourdough baguettes crumb 

These baguettes were made with the same dough I have described in http://weightloss-slim.fit/node/7446/reinhart039s-san-francisco-sourdough-quotcrust-amp-crumbquot-some-new-variations%3C/a%3E.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI have been trying various formulas and techniques to make baguettes that have "classic" crust, crumb and taste. This is not them, of course, but I have also wanted to see if the pain de compagne dough, which has such a wonderful taste in a boule, would also make a good baguette. Well, the crumb structure and the taste are essentially identical to the boule. The baguette just has proportionately more crust.

The baguettes were scaled to about 10 oz. I preshaped them according to Hamelman's technique in "Bread," let them rest for 10-15 minutes, then formed the baguettes. I should have let them rest longer. The dough was very elastic. I attempted to be as gentle as possible in handling the dough. I proofed them for about 45-50 minutes only, until they were just swelled a bit, then baked with steam, starting at 500F and reducing the oven to 460F after 10 minutes. The total bake time was 25 minutes. They rested in the turned off oven with the door ajar for 10 minutes more.

 

The combination of the stingy proofing and the hot oven resulted in enormous oven spring. The bloom practically obliterated my cuts. For this "rustic" baguette, I'm not unhappy with the effect.

A word about how I steamed the oven: Hamelman's suggested method of oven steaming for the home baker was used. The oven was preheated with a pizza stone on the middle shelf and a loaf pan and a cast iron skillet on the bottom shelf. Just before spraying the loaves with water and scoring them, I placed about a cup of ice cubes in the loaf pan. Just after loading the loaves, I poured about a cup of boiling water into the skillet. The door was opened briefly at 10 minutes to remove the loaf pan and skillet. I did not spray water into the oven. 

David 

Your suggestion to goose the oven temperature up to 500F paid off, I think. Thanks!
David

You seem to be achieving  what I eventually want to be able to do and that is to produce a good, small baguette for two people for one meal.  Hopefully I'll try a baguette sometime again this week-end.

Trish

I'd love to be able to make a standard baguette, but my oven won't accommodate that long a loaf. The demi-baguettes, on the other hand, do make great sandwich rolls. Tonight, the sandwich was grilled Adell's Smoked Chicken and Apple Sausage, with a generous dose of Beaver Brand Hot Sweet Mustard. I plan on making Proth5's baguettes made with levain this weekend. He posted the formula in Janedo''s recent blog entry on baguettes. It makes 2 - 10.5 oz loaves.
David

Nice looking bread David!

I can't really determing the actual thickness of your bread, but it looks thicker than the baguettes I tried making with sourdough. The result is much better than a thin, type baguette. It looks more like a Banette (thicker baguette but with pointed ends - It's a name given to a baguette-type bread by a flour company). I think that is probably to thing to do. Just make them a bit shorter and fatter... but then it's not a "baguette" perse.

But whatever it is, it looks yummy!

Jane 

I'd estimate these were 4-5 cm in their thickest diameter. The taste was just like the large boules made with the same dough. Note that they were not retarded overnight after forming. The boule I made from the same batch of dough, which was retarded overnight, was super-sour. You wouldn't have like it. Rethinking my upcoming weekend, I don't think I'll be able to make Pat's baguettes. They take too much attention, and one of my brothers will be visiting. I'll probably bake Nury's rye instead.
David

Crust, crumb and from what you describe taste! We love the Adell's sausages and Beaver Brand mustard! You must be an Oregonian too?

Nope, I live in California, but I did go to college in Portland, and one of my sons and his family live there. We get Beaver Brand products at our local grocery. Good mustard.
David