Baguettes: A Benchmark of Excellence?

One reality that we've all got to face as bakers is that each and every employer will have a different way of doing things, and while we may be attached to a certain way of doing things, sometimes you've got to simply accept the method of the man signing your paycheck. One thing that doesn't tend to change too drastically, however, is the ever-present baguette, the pride and joy of the French baker. 

A seemingly renowned and widely accepted standard of the bread-smith is the baguette, a notably long and thin shaped bread with trademark scores down the center, a milky crumb, and a crispy crust. It is a bread rich in history and tradition, and more than likely for helping foster the idea of a bakery standard for all potential bakers to aim for. It was not always so, as there was some controversy over the appropriate shape and weight of the baguette in the late 19th century, but eventually the government of France began to make regulations for the baguette.

In today's baking community you'd be hard pressed to find a baker who doesn't know what a baguette is, and this reason is exactly why we are taught it here in just about every bread lab from freshman to junior year. The baguette is such a commonly known product that it acts as an equalizer for students, and provides a common starting point for those who have had prior experience, and those who may come into Uni with slightly more knowledge.

I've decided to share this video of Chef Hitz teaching my group-mate how to properly score a baguette because I feel if you would but take the time to read into the situation ever so slightly, you'd see learning this technique properly can mean the life and death of a loaf. Consider this situation and truly try to see the importance of the technique illustrated above. 

Its been approximately eighteen hours since you left your poolish to grow over night. After about five total minutes of mixing time and about two and a half hours of total folding, stretching, proofing, and fermentation, one step lies between you and the ever approaching finish line. This last step, is just as, if not more crucial than all the previous steps, although it consumes considerably less time. A few degrees off the correct angle could help your bread expand in a not so favorable way. Instead of a long thin uniform shape you might end up with an oblong, oddly shaped mass of dough that resembles a football that's recently undergone cosmetic surgery at the hands of a lawn-mower. 

I'd like to reiterate for future classes that I am certainly not the best at scoring baguettes, but watching videos like this help me to at least have a good idea of improving my technique and will be part of a "mental mise en place" for BPA 3010.