Two hour baguettes? Hmmmm.
Here are two of my usual baguettes. I should put baguettes in quotes because technically, they're not baguettes. I say they're better but that's just me.
Anyhow, I've been on a tomato sauce kick of past due and it's been introduced on with the aid of my frantic tries to keep up with the truckloads of tomatoes that've been ripening over the previous couple of weeks. Who knew that five tomato flowers may want to crank out this a whole lot fruit?
So last night time at about five I decided I could make spaghetti for supper. I'd made the sauce in advance however pasta's not pasta without fresh bread however it was already past due so what to do?
I decided to consult my kitchen oracle, Mark Bittman from The Times to see if he had any down and dirty (and fast) bread recipes. I found one for Fast French Bread .
Admittedly, I was skeptical when I read that someone could make real bread in two hours. I've been baking bread for years and it's always a process that takes me at least two days to complete. Why two days? To let the yeast do its thing and yield a loaf that tastes like bread, that's why. I had a feeling that rushing this would leave me with something that tasted like Wonderbread and I was right, but at least it was bread.
Here's Bittman's recipe:
Fast French Bread or Rolls
Makes: three or 4 baguettes, 1 boule, or 12 to sixteen rolls
Time: About 2 hours, in large part unattended
This bread can be made by hand or with an electric mixer, but the food processor is the tool of choice and will save you tons of time. Recipe from How to Cook Everything .
- Three half cups all-cause or bread flour, plus greater as needed
1. Put the flour in a meals processor. Add the salt and yeast and flip the device on; with the gadget walking, pour approximately a cup of water via the feed tube. Process till the dough paperwork a ball, adding a tablespoon greater water at a time till it becomes smooth; if the dough starts sticking to the aspect of the bowl, you?Ve added an excessive amount of water. No damage achieved: upload 1/4 cup or so of flour and hold going. You?Re searching out a wet, barely shaggy however properly-described ball. The entire manner have to take approximately 30 seconds, and it'll when you get desirable at it. If the dough is just too dry, upload water 1 tablespoon at a time and manner for 5 or 10 seconds after every addition. If it will become too moist, upload some other tablespoon or of flour and procedure in brief.
2. Dump the lump of dough into a large bowl or honestly take away the blade from the processor bowl and leave the dough in there. Either manner, cowl with a plastic bag or plastic wrap and let sit for as a minimum an hour at room temperature.
Three. Use a small strainer or your hands to dirt a touch flour onto a counter or tabletop. Shape the dough as you like, into small loaves, one large one, baguettes, or rolls, sprinkling with flour as necessary however retaining the flour to a minimal. Heat the oven (with a pizza stone and/or a pan packed with rocks if you have them) to four hundred?F even as you permit the breads or rolls rise, in a fabric if you want, blanketed with a towel.
Four. When you're prepared to bake, curb the top of each loaf once or twice with a razor blade or sharp knife. If the dough has risen on a material, slide or flip it onto floured baking sheets or lightly move it onto a lightly floured peel, plank of timber, or flexible reducing board, then slide the bread immediately onto a pizza stone. Or you could bake on lightly oiled baking sheets. Turn the heat right down to 375?F.
Five. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the internal temperature of the bread is at least 210?F (it could be lower in case you plan to reheat the bread later) or the loaves sound hollow when tapped. Remove, spray with a bit of water in case you would like a shinier crust, and cool on a twine rack.
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So I began with Bittman's recipe and changed round a couple of things as I flew thru it. His commands name for the usage of a food processor and as I concept this via it made some kind of feel. A food processor used the manner he did would contain all the ingredients speedy however I became worried that it would not paintings the dough sufficient to get the gluten to form the correct structure.
When I pulled my dough out of the meals processor it didn't feel right so I floured up my breadboard and kneaded it until it did. If you're new to bread baking, the entire concept of well kneading bread until it "feels right" is frustrating, or at least it become for me. Save yourself a whole lot of trouble if you're new at this and ask a person who does bake to have you ever over the next time he bakes bread so you can study in individual a way to knead. Of path I never did this and was left to curse the darkness for about six months until I figured it out.
So after I'd kneaded it, I became the dough into an oiled bowl and protected it with a wet dishcloth. An hour later I formed my loaves, sprayed them with oil instead of water and salted them due to the fact I failed to think the recipe called for enough salt.
They turned out passibly although I do not think they made a convert out of me. It's proper the bread turned into finished in much less than two hours and unluckily it tasted find it irresistible. There wasn't any real depth or nuance but because I changed into using it later to sop up tomato sauce it failed to simply count number a whole lot.
The texture was OK and again I assume I salvaged that with a good knead. I wonder how this will have became out had I accompanied the commands as written. The global can also in no way realize.
But on the give up of the day I baked bread from scratch on a weeknight and proved that it is feasible I suppose. It additionally gave me any other excuse to conquer with my shoe the next man or woman I pay attention rationalize a negative weight loss program of comfort ingredients with the excuse that he's has no time to cook dinner.
So provide this one a strive sometime, you have got nothing to lose. The great part of being a baker is that even mistakes taste proper.