by David Lee

A baguette, translated as “wand” or “stick,” refers to a particular type of loaf that is long, crispy, crusty and closely associated with France. Of course we see them now in grocery stores everywhere, and the best for us comes in the form of the Julien Baguette from Capistranos’.

Apparently, the French government has attempted to create a defining law regulating what a baguette represents but has not been entirely successful. Still, under French standards, the name baguette can only be used for bread made from lean dough made of four ingredients which are flour, kitchen salt, water and yeast. Traditionally, the loaf is about 2 1/2 feet long weighing in at just under 8 ounces.

The baguette is one of the simplest to make but one the most difficult to perfect. Lengthy fermentation is necessary to develop the complex flavor of the well made baguette. Two methods can be used to achieve this; 1) a pre-ferment starter, or 2) overnight fermenting for what is called a first rising.  Of course, the two techniques can be combined.

The crumb, a random distribution of holes of various shapes and sizes, is desirable in a baguette. Hydration and a bit of kneading accomplish this. Most recipes call for just a few minutes of kneading time to develop the gluten in the bread if there is a proper amount of water to develop the strands.

The appearance of the loaves is a result of the formation process of rolling the dough and scoring (slicing) the loaves immediately prior to baking and, of course, the baking method itself.

Scoring, traditionally, is also a way of identifying the baker. The story goes that, back in the day, when people shared ovens, they had to add their own mark to know which of the loaves were theirs.

The baguette is different from other French breads because of its baking process. Hearth style breads are baked directly on the stone deck. This is accomplished by forming the loaves on parchment paper and then ferrying them to the oven.

Bakery ovens have a built in steam generator that allows the baker to incorporate steam into the oven at the start of baking; thus, minimizing the caramelization of the sugars on the crust. During the baking process, the steam is vented and the bread is finished in the hot dry environment of the oven.

Baguettes are not all alike. Finding one’s own technique comes from long years of practice. One of the most recognized is the award winning recipe from Jean-Noel Julien of Paris.  It does not get more authentic than that. There are only a few places to find this recipe in the US and one is right here in Arizona. Of course, it our friends at Capistrano’s. Chef Julien spent two weeks with Capistrano’s master baker teaching him the method.

Capistrano’s breads are available for order wholesale by calling (480) 968-0468 ext.1001 or visit their website here

Visit Capistrano’s Wholesale Bakery online by clicking here.

Click Here to read more Breakin’ Bread Features

Or, in Arizona, Capistrano’s artisan breads are available at Vincent’s Saturday Market on Camelback when it is open, at Holsum Outlets, and now at Luci’s Healthy Marketplace. Here are the locations.

  • Apache Junction – 10107 E. Apache Trail
  • Casa Grande – 823 N. Pinal
  • Chandler – 7275 W. Detroit
  • Peoria – 9210 W. Peoria
  • Tucson – 2801 S. 4th Avenue
  • Luci’s Healthy Marketplace -1590 East Bethany Home Road, Phoenix