My First Baguettes

So remember how I made that pizza a few days ago? In the instructions it said “Snip off a small piece of dough to use for Mixed-Starter Bread.” So I did. I wrapped it up in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge, then forgot about it for a few days. Then on Tuesday I found it and thought, “What the hell?” So I started following the directions laid out for this mixed starter bread and 2 days later, we have baguettes! The instructions say that you need to leave this dough to rise somewhere with a temperature between 80-85 degrees but seriously, there is nowhere in my house where it is ever that warm unless I am a really unhappy person. Anyone recall when my air conditioner broke this last summer? Being hot is one of my least favorite things. So to try to get anywhere near that temp, I put this little ball of dough in my oven with the oven light on there it lived for the last two days in between feedings (I know some people are weirded out by yeast being ALIVE, but I really dig it). Yesterday I brought everything to work with me and created these beautiful baguettes in between waiting on customers and checking in a huge pile of new scarves. Fun! This was definitely a long and involved process, but very worthwhile. I will not mind doing it again at all when we get to that recipe as a group. I mean, I made baguettes people! And they were good and crusty and impressive-looking! It’s kind of a red letter day in my baking life. Baguettes for everyone!

French Fridays with Dorie – Gougeres

Celery Root Puree was the recipe this week but ummmmmmmm no. Just no. I can’t. So I made some cheesy bread poufs instead. These were the first recipe the Doristas made when this whole FFWD business began and I gotta say I was really sorry to have missed them. I do actually plan on making all the (appealing) recipes I’ve missed at some point but I was particularly looking forward to these. Bread + cheese = 100% a good idea. I made these super-easy little cocktail nibbles for our Festivus celebration but then I decided we had enough food probably so I froze them before I baked them.

In case you’re like “What’s Festivus?” here’s a little overview:

We had a Festivus shindig with our neighbors, complete with the traditional Festivus pole (made by Tristan)

That’s our neighbor Jason wrapping himself around the Festivus pole while enjoying a turkey leg. Yeah, we had a good time. The gougeres were overkill that night so I made them last night to go with Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese which you should all try even if you hate buffalo wings like I do. It’s pretty flippin’ great. Having the gougeres ready to go in the freezer was so nice and easy. I just baked them for a few minutes longer and they puffed up all brown and beautiful and cheesy-like.

I used the same “stinky” Gruyere in these that I made the crackers with last week and it was equally delicious. Stinky cheeses are the best cheeses after all. There are still some left in the freezer that I plan on making sometime during my dad’s upcoming visit. We’re also going to make the Finnish Pulla together and I was thinking of making him a Pizza Rustica too. Lots of good cooking coming up in the next few days! We’re also going to see either Les Miserables or The Hobbit or both. Good stuff.

Found a link to the recipe online if you want to give them a try (and I just know you do).