French Baguette Making

Eeeeek! Too much water!

French Baguette Making

Today we discovered what makes up flour (glutenin and gliadin), how to apply it when making bread (basically just throw it everywhere as you can see!), and what the best flour to water ratio is when making a French Baguette. Some were more successful than others, while others found that too much water will cause the 'sponge' to be too sticky. We were fortunate enough to use the atrium in the new Swanson Science Center, and formed teams of two to try and discover what the best flour to water ratio was. Some groups used as little as 125 mL of water while others used as much as 200 mL. At the end of the day, through vigorous kneading and lots of cleaning, we discovered (with the help of Dr. Logan) that using 150mL was the best ratio to use when creating a baguette.

Dr. Logan shows Jordan proper kneading technique.

More flour, less problems.

We were fortunate enough to taste the bread later that day and saw the differences in the breads. The baguette with 150mL of water truly was the best bread as it contained the right amount of elasticity, stiffness, and held a delicate but crunchy crust. We also learned, gluten is created when you combine glutenin and gliadin (the two proteins in flour) and water. Next, using a little yeast and a pinch of salt for taste and to strengthen the gluten, as well as the handy alumni house oven, we tasted first hand why the French like to enjoy a nice baguette at all times of the day. Fortunately we won't have to eat the (purposefully) improperly prepared baguettes for two weeks in France.