Yup, the freezer is the best place to keep yeast, especially if you aren't using it on a regular basis.

You can't go wrong with Julia Child's Baguette recipe. It is the best. And if you want to improve it, make a double batch and leave one batch in the fridge for two to three days.

The long cold fermentation develops both the flavour and the texture.

I sometimes fill the bread with roasted garlic and cheddar. Very versatile.

This bread also makes the best pizza crust. Again, you can let the dough rest in the fridge for a couple of days.

French Baguette

Julia Child

1 package dry active yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
3 1/2 cups unbleached flour (bread flour) (NOTE: I use 4 cups)
2 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups cold water plus 1/3 or so additional water

Place the flour, yeast and salt in the bowl of the food process. Pulse to mix. Add 1 1/3 cups of water and process until the dough comes together. If the dough doesn't form a ball, add a little of the extra water. Process for about 60 seconds, turn off machine and let dough rest for 5 minutes.

Turn on the machine again and rotate the dough about 30 times under the cover, and then remove it to a lightly floured work surface. it should be fairly smooth and quite firm.

Let the dough rest for 2 minutes and then knead roughly and vigorously. The final dough should not stick to your hands as you knead (although it will stick if you pinch and hold a piece); it should be smooth and elastic and, when you hold it up between your hands and stretch it down, it should hold together smoothly.

Preliminary rise - 40 to 60 minutes at around 75F. Place the dough into a clean dry bowl, (do not grease the bowl), cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place free from drafts. (note the French do not grease the bowl because they believe the dough needs a seat to push up from). This first rise is sufficient when the dough has definitely started to rise and is about 1 1/2 times its original volume.

Deflating:

Turn the dough onto your lightly floured work surface roughly and firmly pat and push it out into a 14 inch rectangle. Fold one of the long sides over toward the middle, and the other long side over to cover it, making a 3 layer cushion. Repeat the operation. This important step redistributes the yeast throughout the dough, for a strong second rise. Return the dough smooth side up the bowl; cover with plastic wrap and again set to rise.

Final rise in the bowl - about 1 to 1 1/2 hours or longer. The bread should be 2 1/2 to 3 times its original bulk. It is the amount of rise that is important here, not the timing.

To Shape,

Cut the dough in half. Set one piece aside and cover with a towel.

On a lightly floured work surface pat the dough into a 14 inch rectangle, squaring it up as evenly as you can.

Fold the rectangle of dough in half lengthwise and using the heel of your hand, firmly press the edges together whether they meet. Seat well. Pound the dough flat. Now repeat - patting the dough out again and folding it over and sealing the edges. Pinch the edges well and Rotate the dough so that the sealed edge in on the bottom.

Repeat with second piece of dough.

Cover with plastic wrap or loosely with a towel and let rise to more than double again at about 75°f.

Place stone in oven and Preheat oven to 450°F. Slash three long cuts into the loaves and place on the hot stone. Immediately toss a number of ice cubes on to the bottom on the oven to create steam. Bake until bread is golden and has an interior temp of 200°F. Takes about 30 minutes.

Making Dough in a Mixer or by Hand

When you are making dough in an electric mixer with a dough hook, proceed in the same general way with the rests indicated, and finish by hand. or mix the dough by hand in a bowl, turn out on a work surface, and start the kneading by lifting it up with a scraper and slapping it down roughly for several minutes until it has body. Let it rest several minutes and then proceed to knead.

ann_t to the rescue! thank you!!!

Oh, Ann! Oooohhhh, Ann! Oooooooohhhhhhhhhhh, Ann.....*sigh*

Sally

Sally,
As in "When Harry Met Sally"? You really enjoyed that didn't you!

Ann, I'll have what she's having.

Jo

I think I heard/read somewhere that storing yeast in freezer pretty much doubles its life. After a trip to Costco, my sister gave me a pint jar of dry yeast... price of a HUGE container was too much for her to resist. I've been periodically dipping into it for over a year and it's still alive and kickin'!

Ann as a point of clarification, do you refrigerate the dough before the first rise, after the first rise, or after the second rise? Or does it matter?

I came back to ask Chase's question... The first batch (baguette) is on it's second rise in the bread machine... goign to start the pizza dough when Mom and I get back from the store...

I also use Julia's recipe for
French bread which also becomes pizza dough. When I am baking the bread that day I don't regrigerate between rises....unless for some reason I want to delay baking. but If I am saving dough for another day I do refrigerate it.
Even though my name isn't ann!!
That is pretty well the defining recipe for French baguettes. No milk, no oil, no eggs no whole wheat flour....just flour, salt, water and yeast!
Think I'll make some today!
Linda C

Still not sure when you refrigerate....before any rise, after the first, after the second , or doesn't matter when?

Sharon, let it rise at least once, knock down and refrigerate. I often let a double batch rise twice though, then divide in half, bake one batch and refrigerate the other half.

When you are ready to bake the second batch, bring it out of the fridge about three hours ahead of time to give the dough time to warm up before working with it.

Ann

2 baguettes are in the oven!!!

I can smell them from here...
If I am saving dough, I refrigerate it before the first rise. the first rise is in the refrig...remove it let it come to room temp and rise again...that's the2 nd rise...shape and allow to rise for the 3rd time.
But in reality it doesn't matter!!
As Ann and I do it differently and both get good results.

Ann - how is Julia's recipe compared to the NY Times "no knead" bread recipe? They look quite similar, although the NY Times recipe stores a bit longer in the fridge.

Thanks,
Teresa

There is no such thing as too many of Ann's baguette pictures.

Teresa, I can tell you, and I know that Ann agrees, Julia's recipe renders a much more flavorful bread. Ann also discovered that additional time in the fridge adds more flavor and even improves the texture of the finished product. It's wonderful.

Lori

Biz, I also store my yeast in the freezer, except for a quart jar full that stays in my refrigerator door, I use it by the silo full, I think.

I've kept it far longer than a year in the freezer and it was still fine...

Annie

Thanks lorijean - I will try Julia's/Ann's recipe!

Bizzo, waiting for an update and hopefully pictures.

Ann

Sorry, no pics... They ate it before I could get the camera out! I made the bruschetta (yum!) and decided to skip the pizza. Mom and Dad were impressed :-)

thanks all!!

I've got baguette dough going right now. I don't know if I can wait for it to refrigerate, though. I might make some again for later in the week and refrigerate that.

Ann, do you ever make a poolish for your baguette bread? My King Arthur Flour book has this as part of the process.

Sally

Sally, I often make a Levain or a Biga the night before, if I think of it.

But, lately I just make a double or triple batch and the batch that gets left in the fridge for a number of days, either gets baked at some point as more bread or pizza, or I add it to another batch of bread. Same idea as using a poolish or biga.

Ann - what size container do you use to store a double batch in? I found a restaurant supply store today and looked at their Cambro containers. Every item in the store is a great deal.

Teresa

Thanks, Ann. That makes sense. Now, if I decide I want to make bread and haven't made a biga, poolish, or anything like that, I won't worry about it - not that I ever really did, I'd just make a bread that didn't require it.

Sally

Ann, I've used this cheapo Smart & Final 2 Qt. bucket for a while now, it seems great for my purposes.

jessyf - will that size hold a double batch of Julia's recipe?

Thank you,
Teresa

I use a four litre/quart when I do a double or triple batch.

The reason being is that the dough will continue to rise in the fridge and sometimes reaches the top of the pail and needs to be knocked down again.

A two litre works fine for a single batch.

I like these containers because they also have lids.

I'm not sure Jessica, if the pail you have has a lid, but if it doesn't you can always use those shower cap type covers.

Ann

Thanks Ann. Your container looks like Cambro or Camware, used in commercial operations.

I think I'll get a 4 qt and maybe a 6 qt from the restaurant supply place I was at yesterday. I think the 4 qt one was around $4 which I thought was a steal.

Hahahaaaaaaa!

I can't stop laughing!

I love the tittle of this thread "It's Alive!"

Shouldn't the container have a big label on it which says "Abby Normal"?

Anyone who does not know why I am laughing?

dcarch

Can't believe I never considered Costco for buying yeast. I go through it like crazy. I also want one of those buckets. I like it!