Dear James,
I have your book "Baking" and I have faithfully followed your instruction on how to make baguettes. The baked loaves come out just fine except that I am not getting that thin crackly crust that I want. When I take them out of the oven, everything seems fine. If I press in a little bit the loaves are nicely brittle. But, within 10 minutes the crust has softened considerably. In 1/2 hour the crust is almost as soft as white bread from Safeway. I have tried varying the oven temp, the baking time, and I have tried cracking the door open (when the loaves are finished baking) to dry the loaves out. I have tried varying the hydration rate., different flours etc. I get a good proof and a fantastic oven spring. I get a wildly open crumb and great taste but no "shatteringly crisp crust". I am working on my 48th batch in the last 48 days and I keep failing. I live in the Philippines and use a home gas oven. And yes, I create my own steam. The local professional bakers are able to produce a crispy crust with their pro ovens but I can't duplicate those efforts. Any advise you may have would be much appreciated. Thank You
I have your book "Baking" and I have faithfully followed your instruction on how to make baguettes. The baked loaves come out just fine except that I am not getting that thin crackly crust that I want. When I take them out of the oven, everything seems fine. If I press in a little bit the loaves are nicely brittle. But, within 10 minutes the crust has softened considerably. In 1/2 hour the crust is almost as soft as white bread from Safeway. I have tried varying the oven temp, the baking time, and I have tried cracking the door open (when the loaves are finished baking) to dry the loaves out. I have tried varying the hydration rate., different flours etc. I get a good proof and a fantastic oven spring. I get a wildly open crumb and great taste but no "shatteringly crisp crust". I am working on my 48th batch in the last 48 days and I keep failing. I live in the Philippines and use a home gas oven. And yes, I create my own steam. The local professional bakers are able to produce a crispy crust with their pro ovens but I can't duplicate those efforts. Any advise you may have would be much appreciated. Thank You