Baguettes – Take Two

Alright, so I finally used the second batch of dough … This had been in the fridge for a few days now, but it still rose, just not as much as the first batch.

This could be because I waited too long, or because I handled the dough too much after it sat in the couche, I'm not sure, maybe both.

I let the dough sit in the couche for the full hour and fifteen to help draw moisture away from the exterior of the loaves, and when I scored them I did notice more of a difference between the outside and inside.

I also put a tray of water in the oven, and poured a bit of water under the parchment before sealing the foil roasting tray. There was much more steam when I unwrapped it 12 minutes later.

I didn't time the second half of the cooking, I just waited 12 minutes, then checked every couple of minutes until it was done. I'd say it took 12 minutes covered, and 15 minutes uncovered. Luckily the bottoms didn't get too dark.

The crust was much more substantial this time. I'm very happy with that. The crumb suffered some, but overall it tastes just as good as last time and isn't too dense either.

I'll try a fresh batch soon, and I'll stick with the tray of water, and a bit of water under the parchment. As long as the yeast is active enough, and I don't handle the dough too much I hope to get the crust and the crumb to turn out like best of both worlds from these past batches.