One of my favourite things to make in my Thermomix® is baguettes.
I use an Alyce Alexandra recipe for baguettes that creates an incredible batter that takes a minute to create, then you put it in the fridge overnight. The next day, just prove it somewhere warm for a couple of hours, and you end up with an incredibly light dough for your baguettes, then a perfect result with a chewy crust. Super easy – you just need to plan a day ahead.
There are other recipes on Cookidoo® that are similar, and offer variations for both an overnight prove and a shorter method. Give it a go! However, they don't produce the wet light dough of the recipe I use and are closer to your standard bread recipe.
Hello Jo
I too am looking for a Baguette, which is not so bread like in texture. I am also looking for something that doesn’t require too much time in the morning and so that the bread is ready for lunch time. This looked very easy however, I am trying to marry the recipe with my Miele COMBI steam oven and would appreciate your advice. After proving in the fridge overnight, I take out the bowl containing the dough ( which is covered in glad wrap ) and place it in the oven to prove at 30C ( last week ) or 35C ( today) for 2 hrs? I then pour the dough onto a TM silicon mat and using a dough cutter I divide into 4 as per Alyce’s recipe. The dough is soft and sticky. I heated my Combi. Steam oven to the highest temperature of 225C and at the same time heated a universal tray. I then put the dough together with the silicon mat directly onto the hot tray and baked the baguettes for 10 minutes using 30% steam and then for another 20 minutes using 0% steam. Although the baguettes taste good, today the holes were rather large, so I think maybe two hours at 35° proving was a bit long. But the main reason I’m writing to you is that whether I make baguettes or the Thermomix Portuguese bread ( Pao de agua) the centre always feels a little damp and tacky, although all the breads taste good, especially when toasted. Are you please able to insist assist me in improving my cooking of these breads. Have you made the Portuguese bread? Any advice?
Hi Maida – thanks for your comment. I am certainly not an expert bread baker, but I have found that for the recipes I have tried it has taken some trial and error with time and temperature of the oven. Every oven can be different, and at the moment mine is old and likely not giving me a consistent temp (I am getting a new one soon!). If sounds like you have a great oven, but for each recipe it may still take some trial and error.
My understanding for a gummy or doughy inside is that the loaf was not cooked long enough or at the right temp. For the Portuguese Bread, which is huge, after my first attempt I have since cooked inside a cast iron dutch oven and then removed the lid for the final 10 minutes of cook time. Otherwise I was finding it was way too dark on top and slightly burning before being cooked enough inside.
For the baguettes recipe you are using, I take the dough out of the fridge to prove and ideally bake once it has at least doubled. The rise is more important to monitor than the time. Last week I left it too long and it almost tripled, but was still good. As these are small loaves, I haven’t had any problems with undercooking or doughy inside. With the cook, I use the baguette trays and check on them in the final 5 minutes and quickly turn them all over to ensure the base is also browned nicely.
For any bread I have also read along the way that the texture will be impacted if you dough was underproved, so be careful to ensure it at least doubles when proving.
I hope that has helped you. I think bread making can sometimes be a bit of an art as well as a science.
Jo
Hello Jo
Thank you so much for your reply. I am very new to bread making and alas I am impatient . Since writing to you I tried again , this time proving at 30 C for 1 1/2 hr. I cooked 2 baguettes in the COMBI steam at 225 C with 30% moisture, and 2 in the moisture plus oven at 230C again with moisture in the first 10 minutes. The baguettes in the normal oven were much better and only slightly damp. I think that was because the temperature went down as I put the bread in and took a few minutes to get back to the higher temperature. I will preheat the normal oven to a higher temp and lower to 230C when baking. My ovens can be preprogrammed include moisture and temperature, so it will be easy . Like you I found the Portuguese bread to be very big and it did get very dark at the high temperature. The best thing about Alyce’s recipe is that it can be started the night before and it has the holes of a high hydration bread. Looking at the recipe closely it is very similar to the Portuguese bread with just a slight variation in ratios of ingredients. I’m going to make it again tomorrow and only cut it in half to have 2 slightly larger loaves of bread. Eventually I’m going to do one loaf as I believe it will be just as good as the Portuguese bread but easier because it can be started the night before. I had asked Thermomix Australia regarding this, however no help. I also wrote to Alyce Alexander , mentioning that a lovely consultant in Canada had said her Baguettes were the best . A team member responded immediately and suggested I only prove for one and a half hours. So all in all I’m very happy and have you to thank the most for the guidance I needed regarding the type of bread I was after. I’ll let you know how I go. I am most grateful for your prompt assistance.
Hi Maida – that is great that you are making progress. Last year I tried to do sourdough and make a starter etc, and learned a lot during that process from some Facebook sourdough groups and YouTube videos. I did end up abandoning the real sourdough as in the tropical climate of Cairns I found it hard to get it all right. I instead make a variation of Alyce’s Cheats Sourdough. Same ingredients and Thermomix mixing method, but I do the stretch and folds of a sourdough over a few hours and cook it in a dutch oven. I think I also changed the temp based on other recipes I found. So lots of changing things around to suit my environment and oven.
For bread the Thermomix does all the mixing and kneading, but sadly it can’t help us with the rest of the process which has lots of variables. There are lots of other breads I want to try too. Just remembered, one I make which is great is the Turkish Flatbreads – https://cookidoo.com.au/recipes/recipe/en-AU/r143313 – either as two loaves for 6 buns. Really easy and yum.
Enjoy your baking – Jo
Sorry Jo ….I don’t know why I thought you were from Canada! I tried to edit but couldn’t.
Hello Jo
You are absolutely right, one does need to experiment to get the desired result. Since talking to you, I have looked at the two recipes ( Alyce Alexandra and TM Portuguese bread ) more closely and realised that they are basically the same if you halve the bread recipe. I have now done both of them and made them into two Baguettes using a baguette tray. The important thing is that both Baguettes and bread need to be proved for two hours as the yeast still needs to do it’s thing. Baked in a preheated oven at 250 C and immediately change to 240° C for eight minutes with moisture then 10 minutes at 240 C fan and finally 7 minutes at 230 Fan forced. My moisture plus oven can easily be programmed. The result is crunchy beautiful baguettes that we eat far too quickly. I am going to try the bread in a perforated tray once I buy it and I’m sure it’ll be just as good. At least the baguettes cool quicker so we can make our lunches on the day.
On another note, I notice you also deal with Tupperware. I have so much Tupperware and have had so many parties over the years as one of my very good friends used to be a Tupperware manager. Recently I did ricotta gnocchi in the Thermo mix and I use the gnocchi maker from Tupperware. I was wondering if you do that too. I do however buy the ricotta in the large tub rather than make it myself.
You could do a TupperThermo party and make gnocchi. Years ago, I used to do TUP- ENJO afternoon tea parties because I had a girlfriend who sold Tupperware and another who sold ENJO. They were such fun, however most people came for the food.
Just wanted to thank you once again Jo and wish you all the best , you really have been a big help to me. Cheerio for now.
Hi Maida – lovely to hear from you. I am happy to hear you are having success with the bread. It really is so satisfying when you make a lovely bread – especially after a little trial and error.
Yes I have started Tupperware too a little while ago and am accumulating quite a collection. I haven’t heard of the gnocchi maker, but it sounds interesting. It isn’t in the current range, but may make a comeback one day. I have a few of the Tupperware items yet to use as I am about to get a new kitchen in the coming weeks, so a lot of it is in boxes until I have a little more storage room and get rid of some other things I don’t use anymore.
I am glad I have helped you with your bread making. Enjoy those delicious bakes