Pain Ordinaire

Today’s write up is inspired by my previous travels to France. I remember my first bread which I made on the second day of my bakery course in 1998. I was all excited with the thought of making a bread from scratch. We were been asked to keep the prepared yeast ferment in the warm place. I kept mine under the table and had completely forgotten about it. It rested there until the bread was baked. Obviously, the final product turned out to be a hard rock brick shape loaf. This was my first encounter with bread making. It was a disaster.

The best bread is built in stages and has many levels. According to Peter Reinhart of California, USA., who is an expert in bread making and has written many books on breads says that bread relies on 80/20 principle, that is 80 % technique and 20% equipment. This is what I learned in my baking classes.There are many factors which are responsible during the process of bread making, kitchen temperature, kneading method, internal dough temperature, relative humidity and water absorption capacity of the flour which contributes to the entire process of fermentation.

I have tried making several varieties of breads at home and I would like to share my experience of those breads. During my travels to France, I visited many local Boulangeries (Bakery) and tried some of it.The breads there were simply stunning. One such is the French Baguette. French breads are also called as “pain ordinaire” in France. Baguette is about 150 years old which has become the universal symbol of bread. It is characterised by thin, crackly crust, diagonal cuts across the top that “ bloom” open into crusty flaps. The colour varies from  light golden brown to deep golden brown.The coloring is due to caramelization of sugars.

Mini Baguette: A baguette, meaning 'little rod', is the famous long French bread. Baguettes always seem to feature in old French movies, sticking out of bicycle baskets. It is a very common site in France to see people walking on the streets carrying their baguette in one hand. The French say that it is best to buy two baguettes because one always gets half eaten on the way home.

Although the French have tried to standardize the baguette, they have not succeeded. There are too many shapes, forms, flours and customs throughout France to get everyone to comply. For example, the Parisian baguette weighs 250 grams but the baguette sold in Marseilles weighs just 200 grams.

Traditional baguette in France they make open faced sandwiches with these kind of breads, with lettuce, cheese, ham etc. It is very simple, but the quality of bread makes it exceptional.

Bread making excites me as much as making cakes and pastries. I shall be covering more about it in my forthcoming posts.

Ciao,
The Baker
@ Chica's Bakehouse