Une Baguette, S’il Vous Plaît…..
Trying and trying to make that perfect baguette....
“Now I know why Marie Antionette was in sooooo.. much trouble!”
Believe it or not, this was one of my first observations about France. What brought this on?
Newly arrived in Paris, we were driving in our rental car, in heavy traffic, on the outskirts of Paris. Watching shoppers walking back to their apartments late on a Saturday afternoon – I noticed that nearly all of them were carrying at least two baguettes, many munching on broken off chunks. You will almost never see people in France eating or drinking on the go – it’s simply not done – but, baguettes? Now that's different. You will see everyone, from young children to mature adults, and all ages in between, who cannot help but nibble on those long, golden sticks. Who can blame them? French baguettes that have the crunchiest, but thinnest crusts possible, and to be completely irritating about it (to those of us who can only get them on vacation) - inside that intolerably perfect crust, is an equally perfect light, soft interior. So much so, that you can actually lose the guilt over eating bread - it’s so light, it has to have less calories, right?
Fresh baguettes made by Chef Johannis of Les Abeilles
“Let them eat cake!” I don’t think so! Cake is simply not a good enough substitute for
a fresh French baguette.
Now .... many years .... and several visits later, despite valiant attempts ... I have still not conquered the making of REAL French bread .... there is just nothing like it. BUT...... no matter what I do, I cannot reproduce it at home. I just cannot get the crust and interior to both do the right thing at the same time. It’s either great crust and doughy inside or great inside with a rrreeeaaalllyyy crunchy crust. I have even carried bags of French flour and yeast home in my suitcases!!
I was sure that would do it but ....Zut Alors! ...... loaf that came out of the oven was a strange brownish, yellowish color both inside and out. "OK," I thought - that must have been some kind of strange coincidence so … I tried again, and .... Quel Desastre! Again, I got the strange brownish, yellowish loaf! What??!!
Next came baking it in the convection oven - producing something whose crust, if attempted to be eaten regularly, would keep every nearby dentist in business. Then the makeshift "baker's oven" with spraying loaves heavily with water before they go in and then splashing water on the base of the oven to create the desired puff of steam, characteristic of the baker's oven. The result: Bagel like loaves - nicely browned crusts with light polka dots (from little drops of water!).
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Always a welcoming smile at Sablet's Boulangeries
My husband, eager to help came home with a bread making machine ...... I think there's a message somewhere in there...
So… .. now when I crave a French Village bread fix, I set the timer on our bread machine. That way, I can wake up to the smell of bread baking and dream that I’m in Sablet, where I’ll soon be waking up to a crisp Provencal morning. Next I'll be walking down to the Boulangerie for one (or more) of those irresistible bread sticks. Back up the Escaliers de l'Eglise and home to a breakfast of fresh bread complimented with creamy Normandy butter and perhaps some confiture from the market, sitting out in the courtyard by “Monsieur Lion” - the old cast iron fountain.
Quel reve! What a dream!
I'd love to hear your stories.
“Now I know why Marie Antionette was in sooooo.. much trouble!”
Believe it or not, this was one of my first observations about France. What brought this on?
Newly arrived in Paris, we were driving in our rental car, in heavy traffic, on the outskirts of Paris. Watching shoppers walking back to their apartments late on a Saturday afternoon – I noticed that nearly all of them were carrying at least two baguettes, many munching on broken off chunks. You will almost never see people in France eating or drinking on the go – it’s simply not done – but, baguettes? Now that's different. You will see everyone, from young children to mature adults, and all ages in between, who cannot help but nibble on those long, golden sticks. Who can blame them? French baguettes that have the crunchiest, but thinnest crusts possible, and to be completely irritating about it (to those of us who can only get them on vacation) - inside that intolerably perfect crust, is an equally perfect light, soft interior. So much so, that you can actually lose the guilt over eating bread - it’s so light, it has to have less calories, right?
Fresh baguettes made by Chef Johannis of Les Abeilles
“Let them eat cake!” I don’t think so! Cake is simply not a good enough substitute for
a fresh French baguette.
Now .... many years .... and several visits later, despite valiant attempts ... I have still not conquered the making of REAL French bread .... there is just nothing like it. BUT...... no matter what I do, I cannot reproduce it at home. I just cannot get the crust and interior to both do the right thing at the same time. It’s either great crust and doughy inside or great inside with a rrreeeaaalllyyy crunchy crust. I have even carried bags of French flour and yeast home in my suitcases!!
I was sure that would do it but ....Zut Alors! ...... loaf that came out of the oven was a strange brownish, yellowish color both inside and out. "OK," I thought - that must have been some kind of strange coincidence so … I tried again, and .... Quel Desastre! Again, I got the strange brownish, yellowish loaf! What??!!
Next came baking it in the convection oven - producing something whose crust, if attempted to be eaten regularly, would keep every nearby dentist in business. Then the makeshift "baker's oven" with spraying loaves heavily with water before they go in and then splashing water on the base of the oven to create the desired puff of steam, characteristic of the baker's oven. The result: Bagel like loaves - nicely browned crusts with light polka dots (from little drops of water!).
Always a welcoming smile at Sablet's Boulangeries
My husband, eager to help came home with a bread making machine ...... I think there's a message somewhere in there...
So… .. now when I crave a French Village bread fix, I set the timer on our bread machine. That way, I can wake up to the smell of bread baking and dream that I’m in Sablet, where I’ll soon be waking up to a crisp Provencal morning. Next I'll be walking down to the Boulangerie for one (or more) of those irresistible bread sticks. Back up the Escaliers de l'Eglise and home to a breakfast of fresh bread complimented with creamy Normandy butter and perhaps some confiture from the market, sitting out in the courtyard by “Monsieur Lion” - the old cast iron fountain.
Quel reve! What a dream!
I'd love to hear your stories.
Posted by Marianne at 5/22/2009 6:26 PM 
Categories: Europe, Travel, Leisure
Tags: Sablet baguette bread french bread
Categories: Europe, Travel, Leisure
Tags: Sablet baguette bread french bread
I clicked on your ad on Kristin's 'French-Word-A-Day' blog. Your website is lovely...one of the best I've seen for Provencal gites, B&B's etc. The house is beautifully done. Good luck with this adventure!
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wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post
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