A refreshed baguette post (our daily bread)

----short link for this http://bit.ly/daily_bread

I like to repeat posts because:

• my techniques change
• ingredients change: flour, yeast (the way it's manufactured), etc.  
• I lost some old posts 
• few read archives of a blog
• I'm prepping for a 4-5 kg run for Frankie's teachers
• the only people who can possibly stand this tedious site are new readers and they may not be bored with it

So I thought I'd do another (demi) baguette post with a multi-photo layout.

Our daily bread is derived from a recipe by which all ingredients are evaluated:  water 200g, salt 5g, veg oil 6g, instant active dry yeast 1 pkt, flour 300g and I spin it on a bread machine dough cycle.  My current machine cost me $6 at the thrift store (they are always in stock).  I can program the dough cycle to be ready up to 13h in advance.

This type of prep removes lots of variables, e.g., it's a closed chamber, thus most environmental variables are controlled, my kneading, etc.  Bakers will slam me for using instant active yeast, but I love it.  It varies from conventional dry yeast because it has ppm levels of a dough conditioner or two; these give a good volume and a peppy rise.  Doughs made with this yeast can also be refrigerated for days, warmed and baked with no problems.  I love the performance of this yeast; all brands are comparable in my experience and I never use it in bulk.

Here it is, 5 demi baguettes made this morning served with preserves, good butter and some fruit.  This post also happens to emphasize formation of the baguette for proofing using Reinhart's (Artisan Breads Every Day) method of successive formation of a bâtard.

500 g of dough was scaled to 100 g blobs, rounded and allowed to rest 10 min, start preheating the oven to 450F (convection if available)

a rounded dough blob is squashed down and squashed thusly, this begins formation of the bâtard

fold bottom to middle

fold top down

roll to place seam on bottom

repeat until the bâtard evolves into a baguette

baguettes rolled out and allowed to proof 10-12 minutes uncovered

the proofed baguettes placed on my perforated stainless sheet and then docked (slashed with a knife), toss in bottom 1/3 oven with a couple ounces of water tossed on floor to create steam blast

after about 15 minutes in oven

let cool, slice, add butter and jam