Bagels, Baguettes, & Ballons
Today I made a Baguette for the first time. The shaping part was hard, and mine wasn't perfectly straight, but Chef said it was great for a first attempt. I also learned the importance of salt in baking breads: flavor, control of yeast reproduction, and in water content in the dough. So cool! I'd like to read more about this in detail sometime.
I also assisted in making Bagels, which was harder than anticipated. Chef told us that it's difficult to make a good bagel, and now I can see why. They tasted great, but they were no Einstein Bagels! Still, there's a sense of accomplishment in knowing that you made something from hand.
My second recipe (besides the Baguette) was for Ballons. Which is a fancy-schmancy French way of saying plain old rolls. I think.
Anyways, they turned out great and were delicious, and I probably ate more than my daily allotment of carbs just from these. Next week is breads made from pre-ferments like poolish and biga. I am looking forward to it!
I also assisted in making Bagels, which was harder than anticipated. Chef told us that it's difficult to make a good bagel, and now I can see why. They tasted great, but they were no Einstein Bagels! Still, there's a sense of accomplishment in knowing that you made something from hand.
My second recipe (besides the Baguette) was for Ballons. Which is a fancy-schmancy French way of saying plain old rolls. I think.
Anyways, they turned out great and were delicious, and I probably ate more than my daily allotment of carbs just from these. Next week is breads made from pre-ferments like poolish and biga. I am looking forward to it!