Topic: French Bread

[Uncle Joshua]

Has anyone goy a recipe for french bread? I have searched online but just can't seem to find a good one.

[valmarg]

Do you mean a recipe for the baguette-type of french bread?

valmarg

[PurpleHeather]

I have a recipe book which has wonderful yeast recipes and I saw french bread in the index and eagerly went to check the recipe.

Sadly, all it said was that to make it, the French have special ovens which force steam in, under pressure. It is not possible to replicate this method.

When one of the TV chefs was making that profiterole pastry, he said he always put into the bottom of the oven a cup of water in a separate container, to crisp it up whilst baking.

It does seem odd that water/steam would make something crispy and I have never personally tested it.

But, the information could explain why we can not find a recipe for that lovely crispy long roll which has to be eaten very fresh indeed.

[littlebabybird]

you can get a nice crisp shiney crust by popping a large tin over the bread for the first 10/15 mins
of cookig time

lbb

[Baccy Man]

There is a reasonably good recipe in this thread in the fresh loaf forum. Pictures in the first post recipe in the 5th post.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/9135/french-baguettes

[tim]

The 'French Bread' in Somerfield is from dough flown over from Ireland!!

[Uncle Joshua]

I made very good french bread using the recipe Valmarg posted here....

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,48229.0.html


I covered the bread with a tin and had boiling water in a pan for the first 12 minutes, I then removed the tin from on top of the bread and the pan of water and baked for around 9 more minutesand it was spot on.

[Duke Ellington]

The 'French Bread' in Somerfield is from dough flown over from Ireland!!

YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS !! ;D ;D :P
Duke

[Hyacinth]

Which flour is used in France, btw?

[valmarg]

Which flour is used in France, btw?

I think OO, but I also think any very strong white bread flour would be suitable.

valmarg

[Hyacinth]

Just wondered (bout the flour) cos years ago I read someone asking in one of the papers why the 'french bread' she made didn't taste....french? And the reply was the flour. This probably before OO flour was easily avaiable here, tho.

Thanks.