The first year at the bakery was magical. I would get there early in the morning, Mike would be already mixing the dough. We'd form the loaves together, working in a well-rehearsed rhythm. While the loaves rested, we would eat yesterday's bread topped with avocado and cheese while I labeled the bags for the next market. I would wash out the mixing bowl and the dough buckets, and then we would bake. Transfer the loaves to the peel, slash, top, and into the piping hot steam-injection oven they would go. On market days, I would pack up my old station wagon with baskets full of bread and drive out to set up our stand and sell. I loved the markets as much as I loved the baking. Market vendors are like a little family. You see these people every week. You talk with them. You trade with them. You get to know them. I still think of some of my old market friends and wish we could reconnect. That goes for the customers too. After over two years at the bakery I had a number of regulars, some of whom I'd spend half and hour chatting with on any given morning. Good people.
If you're going to be making your own baguette and you aren't familiar with process of forming the loaf, I found this video to be a helpful reminder. The number one rule is to be gentle. You want a light, airy crumb and being to forcefull will push all of the air pockets out of the dough. A second important piece, is being very conservative with your flour when you form the loaf. If your surfaced is over floured, it will be difficult to roll the loaf out. If I haven't convinced you yet that baking bread is easy and you should give it a go, then go ahead and buy a loaf. If you have a good bakery nearby, get the loaf there- fresh, the day it was baked. Baguettes are meant to be eaten within 24 hours of baking. If you don't have a good bakery nearby, try to find a par-baked loaf at your local grocery store.
EGG BAHN MI ON A HOME-BAKED BAGUETTE
Cook Time for baguette: 20 minutes
Yields: 1 baguette (4 servings of bahn mi)
BAGUETTE INGREDIENTS
2 scant tsp active dry yeast
2 scant tsp granulated sugar
1 cup very warm water
2 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
a bit of flour and semolina for dusting
BAGUETTE INSTRUCTIONS
Mix the yeast and sugar together in a small bowl
Add warm water and whisk lightly to dissolve the yeast
Let this sit for about 5 minutes, or until the yeast becomes active
Meanwhile, whisk together the flour and salt
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients
Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to come together
Then turn the dough out on an unfloured surface (you can use just a bit if your dough is quite sticky)
Kneed for 2-3 minutes, or until dough is smooth
Clear out your bowl and lightly spray it with cooking spray
Place the dough in the bowl and let it rest, covered loosely with a light towel plastic wrap, for 1 1/2 hour in a warm place
The dough should double in size
Now you will move on to forming the loaf (see the picture gallery above and video link for reference)
Remove the dough and place it on a very lightly floured countertop
Very gently press it out into a small rectangle
Gently fold the top 1/3 over the dough over the middle 1/3 of the dough, pressing only enough to get it to stick
Rotate the dough 180 degrees and repeat this step
Place your left thumb in the edge of the crease
Tucking the crease down with your left thumb, follow with the left side of your right palm, pressing the lightly sealing the crease
Repeat this step once more, bringing the loaf into a sealed cylinder
Working gently with your palms, roll out the baguette from the center out to the sides, taking care to maintain a good shape
Heavily flour a baking cloth and rest the loaf there, allowing it to rise for 1 hour more
If you can, provide some support for the shape of the loaf
(I did so by tucking a rolling pin under one edge of the cloth, resting the loaf against the fold this created, creating a fold in the cloth on the opposite side of the loaf, and supporting this with a few unripe sausage tomatoes I had lying around)
About 15 minutes into the rise, start your oven to 550 F and get your pizza stone pre-heating on the middle rack
About 30 minutes into the rise, get started on your vegetables (see bahn mi ingredients and instructions below)
About 45 minutes into the rise, get about 4 cups of water boiling and get a 9 x 13 pan on the ready
The dough should again about double in size
Gently transfer the loaf to a cutting board dusted with a bit of flour and semolina
Make three quick, decisive diagonal slashes on the top of the loaf with a razor blade or your very sharpest knife
Transfer your 9 x 13 to the bottom rack of the oven and very carefully pour in your boiling water
Quickly transfer your loaf to the pizza stone and close the oven, this allows steam to generate, which gives a better crust
Let the loaf bake for 18-25 minutes, or until the crust is a bit caramelized and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped
Let the loaf rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting
Bahn Mi Cook Time: 5 minutes
Yields: 4 servings of bahn mi
BAHN MI INGREDIENTS
4 large carrots
2/3 cup white vinegar
2/3 cup water
2 TBS honey
1/8 tsp red chili flakes
2 medium Armenian cucumbers
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1 generous TBS mirin
2 TBS honey
2 TBS mayonnaise
1/2 tsp sriracha
1/2 tsp soy sauce
8 eggs
1 TBS butter
BAHN MI INSTRUCTIONS
Peel, finely slice, and then julienne your carrots
Whisk together the vinegar, water, honey, and chili flakes
Toss in carrots and let them marinate for about 30 minutes
Finely slice and julienne the cucumbers
Whisk together the water, rice wine vinegar, mirin, and honey
Toss in the cucumbers and let them marinate 20-30 minutes
Whisk together the ingredients for the spicy mayo
When your bread is out of the oven, start your eggs
Whisk eggs in a bowl with a light sprtiz of water
Get your butter in a pan over medium-low heat (7/10)
Cook your eggs, trying to keep them in a couple of narrow patties that can be easily place on the bread
Cut the loaf of bread in half such that it is open-faced
Spread a light layer of mayo over the bottom half of the loaf
Place your eggs onto the loaf and top generously with carrots and cucumbers
Serve hot