{"id":451,"date":"2014-10-05T22:52:11","date_gmt":"2014-10-05T16:52:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/?p=451"},"modified":"2015-07-04T18:57:50","modified_gmt":"2015-07-04T12:57:50","slug":"baguette-bread-making","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/baguette-bread-making\/","title":{"rendered":"Baguette Bread Making"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A while back I wrote a <a title=\"Bread Making 101 \u2013 The Baguette\" href=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/bread-making-101-baguette\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-lasso-id=\"230\" rel=\"noopener\">Bread Making 101<\/a> post &#8211; and the more experienced I get in bread making, the more I&#8217;ve realized I have to update this recipe a bit. \u00a0It&#8217;s bad, but I found that I could better inform you on how to perfect bread making.<\/p>\n<p>I used this recipe just the other night to make some garlic toast (with real garlic toasted in olive oil, not garlic salt) to pair with lasagna, and it was such a perfect compliment.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_460\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-460\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2344.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-460\" data-lasso-id=\"231\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-e9TO9PsS\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-460\" src=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2344-500x375.jpg\" alt=\"Baguette loaves are tasty and work great for garlic bread.\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2344-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2344-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2344-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2344-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2344-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2344.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-460\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I used this baguette recipe to make some amazing garlic cheese toast with freshly saut\u00e9ed garlic and a 6 cheese italian cheese blend.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I personally\u00a0use a KitchenAid mixer because I own one and it makes life so easy, but I&#8217;m sure there are other methods to bring your dough ball together. \u00a0Adapt as you need.<\/p>\n<h2>Recipe<\/h2>\n<pre><code>1 1\/2 cups warm tap water\r\n1 1\/2 Tbs. active dry yeast\r\n2 tsp. sugar OR 2 Tbs. honey\r\n3 1\/2 cups bread flour (all purpose flour can work, but you won't get the same results)\r\n2 tsp. salt<\/code><\/pre>\n<ul>\n<li>Ensure the mixing bowl for your mixer is warm &#8211; I run my metal bowl under\u00a0hot water. \u00a0I find if you don&#8217;t warm the bowl first, you run the risk that the temperature of the water for the yeast to activate in may not stay consistent.<\/li>\n<li>Pour\u00a01\/2 cup of tap water to the KitchenAid bowl. \u00a0Hot water from your tap works just fine (unless your hot water heater is set higher than the average household).<\/li>\n<li>Stir either 2 Tablespoons of honey or 2 teaspoons of white sugar into the bowl &#8211; this adds sweetness to the bread.<\/li>\n<li>Stir 2 teaspoons of\u00a0salt into the bowl. \u00a0Most of the salt and sugar should dissolve into the water at this point.<\/li>\n<li>Stir into the water 1 1\/2 Tablespoons Active Dry Yeast.<\/li>\n<li>Let the yeast ferment in the water for 10\u00a0minutes. \u00a0The yeast will start to foam and may bubble &#8211; this is a sign that your yeast is working as expected. \u00a0If this doesn&#8217;t happen, your yeast may have died from too hot of water or didn&#8217;t activate from too cool of water. \u00a0You&#8217;ll want to toss out the water and start over.<\/li>\n<li>Attach the dough hook to the KitchenAid mixer and start the mixer on low.<\/li>\n<li>Add in the bread flour, 1\/2 a cup at a time, until 3 1\/2 of coups of flower has been added<\/li>\n<li>Pour the remaining 1 cup of warm tap water into the mixer bowl.<\/li>\n<li>Continue mixing the dough on low until the dough comes together. \u00a0This could take a few minutes. \u00a0The dough will turn into a ball, all the flower will get incorporated, and should not stick to the sides any more. \u00a0If after 5 minutes or so it doesn&#8217;t form into a ball, you may need to add a bit more flour. \u00a0Do it in small amounts &#8211; a 1\/4 cup at a time or so &#8211; until the dough ball comes together.<\/li>\n<li>Once the dough ball has come together, you need to continue kneading it. \u00a0You can do this simply by continuing to run the mixer. \u00a0However I found that I get better results by doing hand kneading. \u00a0Either way, knead the dough ball for about 10 minutes. \u00a0The kneading process promotes gluten creation process. \u00a0Gluten is what forms the bread fibers &#8211; it&#8217;s what makes a dough elastic. \u00a0Without proper gluten formation, your dough will be flat and less flavorful.\n<ul>\n<li>To hand knead the dough, place flour on a countertop or cutting board, and coat your hand with a bit of flour, and push the\u00a0palm of your hand into the dough ball, which will flatten it out a bit. \u00a0Fold the dough over, rotate it a 1\/4 turn, push down again, and repeat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px\">To test if you have kneaded the bread enough, you can try two methods:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px\">Poke your dough. \u00a0If you have kneaded enough,\u00a0the dough should spring right back to a nearly smooth dough ball again. \u00a0If not, continue to knead the dough.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px\">The\u00a0window pane test. \u00a0Take a small hunk of dough, and stretch it thin and flat. \u00a0You should be able to stretch it to the point that it won&#8217;t tear, and you can essentially see through it because it is so thin &#8211; like a window pane. \u00a0If it tears, continue to knead the dough.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Coat a large glass or plastic bowl with oil. \u00a0I use\u00a0olive oil applied with a paper towel over cooking sprays.<\/li>\n<li>Shape the dough into a smooth ball, tucking the edges and seams down to the bottom, and place the dough ball into the bowl.<\/li>\n<li>Cover the bowl\u00a0with\u00a0cling wrap, creating an air tight seal. \u00a0I also suggest wrapping the bowl in a towel, and place the bowl in a warm and not drafty location. \u00a0The goal is to maintain a consistent temperature for your dough ball to rise.<\/li>\n<li>Let the dough rise for two hours or so. \u00a0You want the ball to rise to at least double the size. \u00a0It may take longer or shorter for the dough to double in size. \u00a0Technically, the longer it takes the better as a longer rise time helps to create more flavor.<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_452\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-452\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2336.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-452\" data-lasso-id=\"232\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-e9TO9PsS\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-452\" src=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2336-500x375.jpg\" alt=\"After the dough ball has doubled in size, it is ready to shape into loaves.\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2336-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2336-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2336-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2336-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2336-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2336.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-452\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Create an airtight seal on a large bowl with cling wrap for the dough to rise. It should double in size before you take the dough out.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>After the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and put onto a floured surface. \u00a0&#8220;Punch&#8221; down the dough to release the air bubbles that formed. \u00a0To punch down the dough, make a fist and push it down with your knuckles. \u00a0You don&#8217;t have to get physical with the dough, just simply work out the air bubbles. \u00a0While this seems contradictory as I personally like larger air pockets in my bread, pushing out the air bubbles seems to help to add more to the final loaf.<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_453\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-453\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2337.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-453\" data-lasso-id=\"233\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-e9TO9PsS\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-453\" src=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2337-500x375.jpg\" alt=\"Punching down the dough removes air bubbles, getting it ready to make loves and proof the dough.\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2337-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2337-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2337-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2337-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2337-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2337.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-453\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Release the air bubbles from your dough ball after it has risen. Do this by punching it down.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>Cut your dough into the loaf shapes you desire. \u00a0If making traditional long baguettes, divide the dough in half &#8211; you can get two loaves out of this recipe. \u00a0Else you could make small sandwich loaves, etc.<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_454\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-454\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2338.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-454\" data-lasso-id=\"234\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-e9TO9PsS\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-454\" src=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2338-500x375.jpg\" alt=\"Cut your dough ball into loaves.\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2338-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2338-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2338-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2338-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2338-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2338.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-454\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cut your punched down dough ball into the shape of the loaves you desire. This recipe yields two nice long baguettes or several sandwich loaves.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>Shape the dough into your final loaf shapes at this time.<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_455\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-455\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2339.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-455\" data-lasso-id=\"235\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-e9TO9PsS\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-455 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2339-e1412527914330-500x375.jpg\" alt=\"Proof the bread loaves on a floured surface.\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2339-e1412527914330-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2339-e1412527914330-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2339-e1412527914330-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2339-e1412527914330-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2339-e1412527914330-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2339-e1412527914330.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-455\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Let your bread loaves proof (second rise) on a floured surface.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>Use a sharp serrated knife to cut slits across the top of the loaf. \u00a0This promotes expansion of the bread as it proofs (second rise) and bakes, and also adds a nice look and texture.<\/li>\n<li>Let the dough proof (rise a second time), for 30 minutes or so. \u00a0You can drape a light towel over them if you&#8217;d like, but like the initial rise,\u00a0keep the dough in a warm location.<\/li>\n<li>While you are proofing the dough, preheat the oven to 450&amp;deg;. \u00a0Preheat the oven early to ensure your pizza\/baking stone is heated thoroughly.<\/li>\n<li>While preheating the oven, place\u00a0a small oven safe container with water in the oven. \u00a0This creates steam, which promotes browning and hardening of the crust.<\/li>\n<li>Bake for 15-20 minutes. \u00a0The dough should turn a nice golden\/light brown, and if you knock on the loaf with your knuckles you will hear a hollow sound; the dough should be hard on the outside. \u00a0This is the exciting part &#8211; the bread is done! \u00a0Let it cool a bit though before cutting into it.<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_456\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-456\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2340.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-456\" data-lasso-id=\"236\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-e9TO9PsS\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-456\" src=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2340-500x375.jpg\" alt=\"Use a baking stone for better heating of your loaves of bread.\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2340-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2340-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2340-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2340-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2340-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2340.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-456\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bake your loaves of bread in a 450\u00b0 oven for 15-20 minutes. Using a baking or pizza stone promotes better heating of the bread. Place a small container of water in the oven as well to add steam to the oven, which puts a nice finish on the loaf.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_457\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-457\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2341.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-457\" data-lasso-id=\"237\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-e9TO9PsS\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-457\" src=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2341-500x375.jpg\" alt=\"Home made baguette loaves\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2341-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2341-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2341-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2341-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2341-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2341.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-457\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Properly following this recipe will allow for a great tasting loaf of bread with a lovely texture. A hard crust and doughy inside.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Freezing a dough ball<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>It is possible to make the dough ball days ahead of time. \u00a0After the dough has finished it&#8217;s first rise (doubled in size), punch the dough ball down, recover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator. \u00a0You can leave it in the refrigerator for several days.<\/li>\n<li>When you are ready to bake the dough, take it out of the refrigerator several hours before you are ready to bake it. \u00a0You want the dough to come back to room temperature.<\/li>\n<li>Once it is at room temperature, you can separate it into your loaves, proof, and continue through the remainder of this recipe to bake the loaves.<\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A while back I wrote a Bread Making 101 post &#8211; and the more experienced I get in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":458,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[80,30,47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home-made-bread","category-food","category-home-made-food"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_2342.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4BbcR-7h","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=451"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/451\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":464,"href":"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/451\/revisions\/464"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/458"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/promincproductions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}