Une Baguette Française

For those of you that know me well or are regulars on my blog, you'll know (and are perhaps sick of hearing!) how much I love France. After spending my year abroad there last year, I became even more besotted with it and August can't come quick enough so I can spend another month there, basking in the warm sunshine of southern France (in between looking after a 4 year old French boy, which may be somewhat less relaxing!). I am desperate to spend a Saturday morning in the bustling market square of a Provençal town, taking in the sights and smells of all the wonderfully local produce, and I can almost taste the refreshing demi pêche waiting for me in a bar that will forever bring back happy memories of my year abroad. But most importantly, I cannot wait to have that first bite of baguette, fresh from the local boulangerie! That's when I'll know I'm back in France. Roll on the next few weeks...!

So, to get me in the French mood, the other day I decided to have a go at making the famous baguette to see if I create one anywhere near as good as the French ones...! I'd been meaning to make some bread for quite a while, but just not got round to it. It's not that it's difficult or anything, it just takes ages to make what with all the proving, resting, etc. But being the jobless, penniless citizen that I have recently become, I have a lot of free time on my hands at the moment, so there was no excuse to give it a go! It wasn't identical to the proper French baguette, but it was close and I was quite impressed. It tasted far more like the real thing than any I've tasted from supermarkets, which always look very similar, but just end up being a bit disappointing. (Gosh, I sound obsessed with baguettes haha - I'm not really, but I like to consider myself a bit of an expert on them after living so close to a boulangerie last year and eating one virtually every day last year!). (Not a whole baguette every day, I'd like to point out!!). Anyway, I found a recipe from Paul Hollywood (more of a  bread expert than me, perhaps?) and I think it's pretty authentic. I may have made mine a bit too small, which meant they weren't quite as doughy in the middle as I'd have liked them to be, but the crust was perfect and I thought I was back in France for a second! Of course, it didn't quite live up to the French version, but as I don't have the proper French oven or the French flour, maybe I can be forgiven. I'd definitely make them again though, because they were really easy to make and it has satisfied my French food craving until August!

Baguette (makes 2)    From Paul Hollywood

Ingredients:
250g strong white bread flour
5g salt
5g instant yeast
185ml cool water
Olive oil for kneading

Method:

1. Lightly oil a Tupperware.
2. Put the flour, salt and yeast in a bowl (don't put the salt directly on top of the yeast).
3. Add the water and mix with a wooden spoon.
4. As the dough starts to come together add the remaining water and bring it together with your hands.
5. Tip onto a lightly oiled surface and knead for about 10 minutes until it is glossy and elastic (it may be quite wet, but can still be kneaded).
6. Tip the dough into the prepared Tupperware and cover with a tea towel.
7. Leave until it's doubled in size at least, which should take about an hour.
8. Line a tray with greaseproof paper.
9. Coat the surface with a little olive oil, then tip the dough onto it.
10. Handle it gently to retain the airiness and divide into 2.
11. Shape each piece into an oblong by flattening the dough and folding the sides into the middle.
12. Roll each into a sausage shape so the join runs along the length of the base.
13. Beginning in the middle, gently roll out each sausage with your hands so they are the length of the oven tray. 
14. Place the baguettes on the tray.
15. Cover and leave to cool for about an hour, until they have doubled in size.
16. Preheat your oven to 220 degrees and put a roasting tray in the bottom to heat up.
17. When the baguettes are risen and light, dust them lightly with flour.
18. Slash each one three times along its length on the diagonal, using a sharp knife.
19. Fill the roasting tray with hot water and put the bread in the oven.
20. Bake for 25 minutes until the baguettes are golden brown and have a light sheen.
21. Cool on a wire rack, then enjoy!

A Basket of Bread Rolls

After watching this week's episode of The Great British Bake Off (which I am seriously addicted to already by the way!), I suddenly developed an urge to make bread. I wasn't particularly fussed which sort to be honest, I just knew I wanted to make some. Mainly because I was salivating at the thought of being drawn into the kitchen by the smell of fresh bread cooking away in the oven and being able to eat it afterwards. You just can't beat fresh bread straight from the oven spread with a layer of butter that melts the moment it touches the bread. I should know, having lived across the road from a boulangerie for a year where I could pick up a baguette that was sometimes still warm virtually whenever I wanted to. In hindsight, I was probably a bit spoilt and I wish I hadn't taken it for granted so much, because living in England (or where I live anyway) it is near-on impossible to pick up a loaf as fresh as that. Well certainly not within walking distance.

But the thing is, making bread at home, especially if you just want to make a basic loaf or roll, is ridiculously easy. I don't understand why more people don't do it! Plus, you will not be able to get bread any fresher, as you literally have to travel to your kitchen to pick it up. On top of that, it hardly needs any ingredients: flour, water, yeast, salt, a bit of sugar and you're there. So if you ever hear anything about the struggles of making bread, dismiss them straight away! 

I suppose the only slight downside of making bread is that it can be a bit fiddly and time-consuming, what with all the kneading and proving, but it's really not that horrendous! These rolls I made only needed kneading (!) for ten minutes, which is nothing really. And just think of all those calories you're burning while your arms are hard at work. As for the proving, these proved for just over an hour, and as long as you know right from the start that they've got to rest for that long, then you can get on with something else whilst they're busy doubling in size. 

And that's basically all there is to it. Bread really can be that simple to make. It's certainly a staple part of my diet, because when I think about it I probably eat some type of bread pretty much every day. So why not learn how to make it for yourself, then it can be there whenever you want it, fresher than bread from a bakery! I came across this particular recipe in Lorraine Pascale's recipe book, Home Cooking Made Easy, although I changed the white bread flour to brown. She names them after her Home Economics teacher, because that's when she first made them, and in actual fact, as I was making these, I was transported back to my Food Technology room at school when I made bread for the first time. I remember being given the option of creating whatever shape we wanted, but my favourites have to be the twists with two strands. Although it doesn't really matter what shape you form them into, because they taste delicious whether they're a round roll or a spiral. As long as they're hollow on the bottom, golden on top and soft on the inside you've made a pretty decent bread roll that is just asking to be eaten!

Brown Bread Rolls       makes 12 mini rolls

Ingredients:

280g Strong Brown Bread Flour

1tsp Salt

11/2tsp Fast-action Dried Yeast

1tsp Soft Light Brown Sugar

190ml Warm Water

1 Egg, lightly beaten 

3tbsp Poppy Seeds

Method:

1. Put the flour, salt, yeast and sugar in a bowl.
2. Make a well in the centre and pour in the water.
3. Use a wooden spoon to stir it all together and once it starts getting stiff, replace the spoon with hands and bring it altogether into a ball.
4. If it's too stiff, add a couple more teaspoons of water.
5. Knead for ten minutes.
6. Weigh it and divide the number by 12 to create 12 rolls of an even size.
7. Roll each one into a ball or a shape of your choice.
8. Place the rolls on a large baking tray and cover with oiled cling film so it's airtight but not taut.
9. Leave the rolls in a warm place for about an hour or until they have doubled in size.
10. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
11. Brush the rolls with the beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
12. To create a steamy atmosphere in the oven, either spray a few squirts of water inside or place a bowl of water on the bottom shelf.
13. Place the rolls in the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes, until they are golden brown and sound hollow when they are tapped on the bottom.
14. Enjoy (preferably with a good layer of butter straight from the oven!).