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French Baguettes as Found on the Streets of Paris

Wcsjohn@aol.com
Sat, 23 Apr 2005 15:51:34 EDT
v105.n019.5
Jim,

I and many other amateur bakers have gone down this route. Some have 
developed recipes and methods that that they feel make a good replica of a 
Parisian Baguette. I do not believe this to be the case.

Recipes are not the problem. The classic Parisian baguette is made with 
flour, water, salt and yeast in the proportions 100/60/2/2 if fresh yeast 
is used or 100/60/2/1 if using dried yeast. The skill of the baker is the 
critical factor in making the bread, that and, for the massive expansion 
and shiny friable crust, an extremely expensive steam injection oven that 
cannot be successfully imitated at home despite claims made for Heath 
Robinson (US "Rube Goldberg") devices, often involving pressure cookers.

There is also the question of flour - a months worth of bitter argument in 
that one<g>

I'm not saying "Don't do it". You'll learn a lot in the attempt, I 
certainly did and I can produce baguettes that are very fine to eat but I 
never came close to the real thing.

FWIW my regular baguettes are made by Peter Reinharts's formula and method 
in The Bread Bakers Apprentice.

They have marvellous flavour, colour and crust and are very easy to make.

Good Luck

John