Focus On: Shaping Baguettes

Scott Megee, Master Baker of Australia and owner/baker of The Artisan Crust, focuses here on the technique of shaping your Baguette. Observe the 2 stage moulding process from pre-moulding to final shape.

[@didanz100]

I'm 70 and every year I have a go at baguette's with limited success. I make a range of breads three or four times a week. I have watched numerous videos on making baguette's but until this one I have never been able to perfect the art. In the last two weeks I have made them daily and they have all been perfect. Thank you so much for your clear demonstration.

[@theartisancrust8477]

So glad you are having success!! keep it up.

[@yves561]

Wonderful video 😃, thank you!

[@cotefacekillah]

I watch this every time I make baguette’s

[@kingsleybiking2173]

Amazing vid. This has helped me so much. You deserve way more subscribers.

[@robynelliott9643]

Fantastic reminder of the technique. Thanks.

[@sierramegee147]

Thank you so much for posting .This has helped me enormously

[@nadarahel5093]

We need more video from u please

[@pcharliep61]

I am enjoying your videos as they explain bread making very well, have you ever heard of Maltese bread ?

[@scottmegee9395]

Charlie Pace Hi Charlie, I have heard of them , have try their olive bread and it was very tasty.

[@user-rc6im1pl3y]

Is it ok that seamed side down when final shaping? I’m just curious about that. I’m a home baker so if you or anybody reply I would appreciate that!^^

[@Fred_P]

Thank you for making such insightful videos, it really helps people like me who just started baking their own bread. What baker's percentage malt do you add? I have seen on the complete video that you shared this: "I use for the overall formula 100% bakers flour 68% water 2 % salt 0.6 % dried yeast I preferment 33 % of the flour with 0.1% dried yeast 100 % water for 18 hr" but it doesn't say how much malt.

[@theartisancrust277]

I Fred thanks for watching the video, I use 0.2 % active malt in my recipe

[@Fred_P]

Thank you very much. Does the malt add any flavour or is it only to give the yeast more "food" and make the crust caramelize better? It's hard to find info on this, it seems like a baker's secret.

[@scottmegee9395]

Fred P the addition of malt introduces more enzyme into the dough ,giving you more yeast activity. The addition of malt also thins the crust and give better colour in the bake

[@Fred_P]

I tried your recipe, but my dough came out much looser than yours. I don't think that is up to the humidity level because the air is very dry where I live. So it must be the flour. How much protein is there in the flour which you use? In the one I use there is 12g of protein per 100g of flour.

[@kuntrasha]

For some reason when i make these the same is on the bottom but when finished cooking the seam has opened right up and ends up on the side. Its a disaster. So annoying. I admit i only shape them once which worked well the first few times

[@theartisancrust8477]

Hi Mr Bootin, the splitting on the side can be not enough steam or a sign of under proving

[@kuntrasha]

@@theartisancrust8477 I was making good ones last year but I just watched the vid again and realised I forgot a few things. I forgot to turn the dough around before sealing the seam shut and also forgot to tension the dough from the bottom. Will try again tomorrow. Are you actually doing 3 proves here? One in the bowl then preshape for 15 mins (not a complete prove?), then the final shaping and prove again? I usually only prove twice but if preshaping and final prove are both shorter proves I guess it's similar and not over prooving?