# Moderately knowledgeable cook, novice baker: Baguettes/batards? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 29, 2013, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderately-knowledgeable-cook-novice-baker-baguettes-batards/656974 "2013-04-29T01:02:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderately-knowledgeable-cook-novice-baker-baguettes-batards/656974/41 "2013-05-27T13:50:35Z")
Not sure which specific recipe bump was referring to, but [here’s](http://www.breadtopia.com/cooks-illustrated-almost-no-knead/) a link to the Cook’s Illustrated recipe (not the actual CI website since you can’t get to it without paying, but the recipe is the same). ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderately-knowledgeable-cook-novice-baker-baguettes-batards/656974/42 "2013-05-27T13:53:23Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > So, next time, I’ll try a little more salt and flour, and keep its initial rise a bit shorter. How does that sound? Sounds like a worthwhile experiment. I would set it up so that in hours 15-18 you are home and around to check on things every half hour or so. Adding more flour could change your proofing problem all on its own. Don’t be a total slave to the recipe with the flour and water, this is doubly true if you are using volume measurements rather than weight. Lot’s of factors effect how much water and flour you need and a teaspoon or two too much water can throw the whole thing off. Be willing to adjust until the dough is the right consistency. You want it to be able to come together as a dough before that first rise. It should look a little bit like [this](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-v0U_7-Yy-Vs/TYCIIGUgedI/AAAAAAAAAus/-z32Sv_hao0/s1600/P1030657.JPG). Like dough, not batter. The whole thing should stick to itself and be a little bit sticky to your hands, but not crazy sticky. > [@](#): > > Unfortunately for now, I don’t have much accuracy in my oven. I preheated it on max and then turned it down to 450 for the bake, and then turned it up again for the last 10 minutes. With this kind of bread it is hard to bake on too high a heat, it’s also really hard to burn it or even over cook it. Since you don’t trust your oven I say put it in at full blast next time for the whole bake and see what happens. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderately-knowledgeable-cook-novice-baker-baguettes-batards/656974/43 "2013-05-27T14:45:08Z")
I really recommend the King Arthur Flour website. Not only are their recipes good, they have a lot of tips that are extremely helpful to the novice. For instance, on measuring flour, they point out in their no-knead recipe [here](http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/no-knead-crusty-white-bread-recipe) that: " If you measure flour by sprinkling it into your measuring cup, then gently sweeping off the excess, use 7 1/2 cups. If you measure flour by dipping your cup into the canister, then sweeping off the excess, use 6 1/2 cups. Most accurate of all, and guaranteed to give you the best results, if you measure flour by weight, use 32 ounces." They have recipes for baguettes, French baguettes, Italian supermarket bread, etc. It’s the only cookbook I regularly return to. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderately-knowledgeable-cook-novice-baker-baguettes-batards/656974/44 "2013-05-27T14:49:18Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > I really recommend the King Arthur Flour website. Not only are their recipes good, they have a lot of tips that are extremely helpful to the novice. For instance, on measuring flour, they point out in their no-knead recipe [here](http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/no-knead-crusty-white-bread-recipe) that: " If you measure flour by sprinkling it into your measuring cup, then gently sweeping off the excess, use 7 1/2 cups. If you measure flour by dipping your cup into the canister, then sweeping off the excess, use 6 1/2 cups. Most accurate of all, and guaranteed to give you the best results, if you measure flour by weight, use 32 ounces." They have recipes for baguettes, French baguettes, Italian supermarket bread, etc. It’s the only cookbook I regularly return to. I totally agree with weighing ingredients, especially flour. The flour I use at work is 36 ounces=7 cups. It may vary for other flours. A leveled off cup of sugar is 7.1 ounces. Nine large eggs is right at 16 ounces. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderately-knowledgeable-cook-novice-baker-baguettes-batards/656974/45 "2013-05-31T23:24:28Z")
Trial No. 2! Started last night around 10 p.m. I added about 1/4 tsp. more salt. But when I mixed it all together, I panicked a bit because I didn’t see the yeast start bubbling right away, so then I got a new packet of yeast and put that in some warm water and added it. Meant I had a little more water, so I added a bit more flour. Let it rise overnight. The next morning, I left for work, and my wife had the day off, so she finished it. Result: Flavor was better, so it seems the salt worked this time. However, I think it was a mistake to bake at max (500 degrees) because the bottom was burnt and the interior is slightly gummy. The top is beautiful, brown, and crispy. Although the interior seems a little underdone and gummy, the bread is not as dense as the first batch, so the texture is much better overall. Batch 3 just went in the oven: This time it’s whole wheat flour. It’s my wife’s batch and she theorized that salt kills yeast so she added the salt _after_ the rise. It required her to bust up the dough, though, so she had to let it sit again for a while. We’ll see what happens. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderately-knowledgeable-cook-novice-baker-baguettes-batards/656974/46 "2013-05-31T23:32:35Z")
Salt tip: yeast doesn’t like direct contact with salt. Don’t put the salt in until after you’ve stirred in a cup or so of flour. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderately-knowledgeable-cook-novice-baker-baguettes-batards/656974/47 "2013-05-31T23:37:40Z")
I don’t understand what you’re saying. I add the salt to the flour. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderately-knowledgeable-cook-novice-baker-baguettes-batards/656974/48 "2013-05-31T23:40:49Z")
Ah. That probably has the same effect. I add the salt to the flour for quickbreads (muffins, etc.) but for yeast breads, I add it to the liquid mixture, but only after putting in some flour-free salt. It’s not critical. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderately-knowledgeable-cook-novice-baker-baguettes-batards/656974.md?page=2)