French Bread King

Brandt is our French bread king.  When we got to Lyon, he consumed an inordinate amount of French bread.  He LOVED it.  On the Saturday we were in Lyon, we bought several smaller baguettes, some of which we had for lunch.  In the evening, the adults were fasting, so only Brandt and Blythe ate.  In the morning, I went to get some bread for breakfast and couldn't find the loaf that had maybe three pieces worth gone.  I cut another loaf and wondered where Agnes had put the bread.  At  lunch, we had the same experience.  We couldn't find the loaf I had cut in the morning.  Turns out sweet young son had finished off Saturday's loaf in the evening without our realizing it, and then done the same thing Sunday morning.  He really, really liked the bread.

Last Saturday morning, when we were all up very early, I took the children grocery shopping.  We were the only shoppers in the store at 4am.  While there, we passed by the fancy bread and I suggested we buy a loaf of French bread.  Brandt was so excited!  However, upon our return home, Brandt found that the bread didn't taste at all like real French bread and he wouldn't eat any of it.  He was right.  It tasted more like a sourdough.

So, in an attempt to please my son, I decided I would try my hand at making our own baguettes.  I bought a pan on Amazon, and yesterday, I gave it a try.  It required lots of rising (three times, and the first time for three hours) and at the end, a transfer to the baking pan.  That last transfer was the undoing of the batch.  The loaves sort of deflated when I put them on the pan so they looked sort of weird.  As they baked, they filled the house with the yummy aroma of French boulangerie, whetting our appetites.  When they were cool enough to handle, Brandt tore off a piece, stuffed it in his mouth, and declared it delicious.  Just right!  It tasted like France.

I am going to work on my technique and see if I can't get it to look a little better.

The Bread King