I think I'm getting this baguette thing down pretty well now. My latest bread-related purchases were heavy duty reusable bread bags and of course the diastatic malt powder, and I tried them both out this weekend.
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| Yesterday, with diastatic malt powder added. |
I tried the malt powder for the first time yesterday and it did seem to make the crust more golden and, well, crustier. It is very good bread and we couldn't help but snack on a whole one yesterday. The other two are in the freezer in one of the new bags along with the last loaf from what I made a week ago. The malt powder package called for 1/2 to 1 teaspoon for every 3 cups of flour, and this recipe calls for about 3 1/2 cups so I used a full teaspoon, but I may try using just a half next time. On a side note, I much prefer recipes in grams and weigh my flour and water, plus the other ingredients when I can, but I do use the teaspoon and tablespoon for smaller amounts. Overall, I am very pleased with the results and it has me wondering what other bread I could make and use this in. I'm open to suggestions!
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| Last weekend's bread. |
I've also decided I'm not going to spend my time on hamburger or hot dog buns as what we get from the bakery is good so I just don't think it's worth my time and effort. I've been making baguette almost every weekend recently and can still make other breads when I feel like it, and that's enough for now. Cheers, everyone.
6 comments:
I officially crown you King of The Baguettes!
Interesting observation on the cuts.
Does the malt alter the taste?
That looks very tasty, good job.
I had a quick google and found this site but this bread in particular caught my eye
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/french-style-country-bread-recipe
My favourite bread is a Northern Irish pan loaf which I remember very well from childhood and a good recipe for it is here:
https://gastrogays.com/batch-loaf-bread-recipe/
I used to be able to buy this but they don't sell it locally anymore.
https://www.irwinsbakery.com/products/irwins-original/batch-bread
LOL, the correct word is crowned so rather I'm coronated, BW! :)
Thank you, both. I didn't notice much of a flavor difference but I do plan a side by side comparison soon with the previous baguette soon.
Thanks for the recipe links! I haven't checked them out yet, but I'll be sure to let you know if I try them.
After reviewing, the King Arthur website is where I've gotten most all the recipes I tried, including the classic baguette recipe that I use. I have gotten bread flour before for a recipe but don't currently have any now, and I have yet to make a recipe with whole wheat flour but for certain it will happen eventually, and I'd seen this bread on their website before.
Not sure if I'll try making a bread that requires lard or beef drippings, but we'll be picking up another quarter cow soon so I won't rule it out.
We tried a side by side comparison of baguette with and without the malt powder tonight, both plain and as crostini with some olive oil and a smattering of course ground kosher salt. While I do detect a bit of a difference, and maybe moreso toasted than plain, the biggest difference is in the crust. Nice color, crunchy and chewy, just a good tasty and crusty bread. I wish I could share with you.
Your bread sounds delicious and there are some great recipes on that site. I cook with lard, butter and olive oil because I couldn't get on with rape seed oil and corn oil and after years of research I don't use seed oils anymore or margarine.
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