Part of my job here is to find all the cool new French things for you, and I’m so excited to share this one – a French baguette kit that would make the perfect gift – mas oui!
Can you imagine? You can make a French baguette at home – this could be a game-changer.
So, of course, if you live in close proximity to a real French boulangerie, you probably don’t need this – however, that is not always the case, and this kit is worth a try!
I put it to the test and here is how my French baguette turned out:
All you need to do is add water to the mix in the kit. The kit also includes a baking “tray” for your baguette.
The directions provided are fairly detailed, but still assume that you have a little experience with bread dough – I’ll say what the kit doesn’t: the dough is very, very, VERY sticky. You need to work it gently for a little while before you can actually form it into something resembling a baguette. Then, you score it with a knife and proof it in the oven at a low temperature (125F) for 40 minutes.
After this, you remove the proofed baguette, which should start to look like a very pale piece of bread, and raise your oven to almost as high of a temperature as it will go (450F). To simulate the feel of a bread baking oven, you then put in a baking tray filled with water and bake the baguette for another 40 minutes. The water creates steam and makes that proper baguette crunchy crust possible.
Final verdict? Much easier than you would imagine. The bread is definitely not as airy as I would love a perfect baguette to be, but it has a great taste and a very satisfying crunch.
What a fun project to tackle this holiday season!
Huh! I bet the house at least smelled good, even if it wasn’t a true baguette! good be good in a pinch.
It definitely smelled great! Didn’t really achieve the mastery of a true baguette, but, yes, good in a pinch!