Baguette

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Russell

Senior Cook
Joined
Aug 24, 2004
Messages
395
Location
New Jersey, USA
I have this baking cook book by Cook's Illustrated about baking. In it there is a recipe for a french baguette. i followed it exactly and everything, but when it came out of the oven, it tasted a little too much like yeast, i made it again with a little less yeast but it still had the flavor. It isnt the yeast i was using because i just baught it that day, and i nhad used it for hot pretzels earlier with my little brother. Any suggestions why?
 
Can you post the recipe? Maybe some of the bakers in the crowd will be able to analyze it and give you an explanation.
 
recipe

for the sponge

1/8 teaspoon instant yeast
3/4 cup warm water
6 ounces lower protien flour (such as gold meadl or pillsbury)

for the dough

1/2 tsp instant yeast
1/2 cup water (at 75 degrees f)
10 ounces lower protein flower
1 tsp salt

for the glaze
1 large egg white
1 tbsp water
 
Well one strange thing about your recipe is that it asks specifically for a low protein flour. The baguette recipes I have seen asked specifically for bread flour, which is high protein. I can't see why you would use a low protein flour for a baguette, or for any bread, for that matter. I don't know how, if at all, this connects to the yeasty flavor, but it's something to consider. Perhaps you should get a different recipe.

As for instant yeast, if you intend to substitute active dry, the correct ratio is 3 AD for 2 instant. (You do the math) However, I have worked with instant yeast, and I don't believe this is likely to be your problem. May I ask, how much are you proofing your bread? If you allow it to rise too much, the flavor will definitely be affected.
 
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