Why passionate, you ask? Well that is because I was very excited about this month’s challenge (more so, because I had to miss the last one). I signed up for an Online Baking Session that was being hosted by Bread Chick of The Sour Dough. The only problem being that it was to be held at 10am EST, which means I would have to bake into the night being in the IST zone. I started my challenge on Sunday evening and was up till 3:30 am when I finished the challenge and posted the photos of the baguettes fresh out of the oven on the private blog. 
I have baked bread before, but haven’t experimented a lot since it requires sooo much time! And this French bread was nothing short of defining what the Daring Baker is. The recipe itself spread across 14 pages! The recipe followed is from Julia Child’s Volume Two of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” with helpful notes from the hosts Mary of I like to Cook and Bread Chick of The Sour Doug. I am not posting the recipe, but taking the easy way out; you can have a look at it here.
At the Online Baking session, I had so much fun speaking with fellow DBers. All the girly chat was so much fun! And while I was chatting with Bread Chick, I learnt that the moisture in the bread is what will determine nice big holes in the bread. Too late! Mine wasn’t that sticky, so my bread would turn out to be pretty dense. After all the rising and deflating and kneading I finally had by dough shaped and ready for the oven. 25 minutes later and with much anticipation, I removed my baguettes from the oven, to find that I had some beautiful baguettes and tiny pain de campage (which my sis loved). Flicked it; yes, it did have that hollow sound!
This wasn’t as difficult as I thought at all. Simply mix, knead, rise, deflate, rise again, shape the loaves and slash it and you’re good to go. Only, it would be spaced across 7-10 hours.
{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
I said it before and I’ll say it again: your bread is sooo pretty! I want to eat it, even though I’ve been staring at pictures of bread all day!
And it was fun chatting with you on Sunday! =)
Lovely loaves…great work!
Great loavgews. Good job
You did a wonderful job on your bread. The picture is so lovely.
Natalie @ Gluten A Go Go
Very nice French breads! It was so impressive that you were up in the middle of the night baking these! Way to be a Daring Baker!!
Your bread turned out great! It was fun chatting with you and the other DBs during the online bake!
Wow, yours came out SO much better than mine. BEAUTIFUL!
Loosh of Ivygourmet.blogspot.com
Those are great looking loaves. It really doesn’t take ones time if you just learn to give it some attention from time to time.
I adore how lovely your breads turned out…all happy and puffed…
j
Excellent that you were able to participate in the on-line baking session — sounds like so much fun! Your bread is gorgeous. I love the color on the crust. Very nice work.
Great job!
Your bread turned out such a lovely shade of brown, and your slashes were great! Good job!
Nice job! Your breads look fantastic. Well done.
Thank you all for your wonderful comments. I really appreciate it.
xoxo
Bread looks great! I shall have to see about the online baking session next time around. Sounds like a blast!
Your loaves look great! Very well done!
Cheers,
Rosa
Wowie! Great baking! Fabulous loaves!
I love your reduction of the recipe – yeah…. “simple.”
Great job on this challenge!
Your bread looks wonderful, you have great shapes and a beautiful golden color. Nicely done!
I’m licking my lips. Yumm your bread looks heavenly!!! I have such little patience for bread. It’s the waiting and rising that gets to me. That’s why I usually only make soda bread. Ha!
Thanks for the tag. I’m gonna try and get that posted. My FIRST tag. hee hee
what fat gorgeous lovely bread!!
Hi Coco..Good Job..the bread looks delicious..
Check out my blog for a surprise..
Gorgeous! The tiny blisters give the crust a beautiful texture!
Your bread looks great! Glad you had fun with the joint cooking venture.
Hi Coco,
That is a daring entry – it’s good to know you thought it wasn’t all that hard -it gives me hope!
Thank you all so much!
Jenny: this recipe can be so intimidating, but if you just discount the time factor you feel a lot better.
Mama sprout: I know, I was dreading making this only because it will take up an entire day!
Divya: I love your surprise!
Dawn: I was worried about the blisters! And you make me feel good by saying it makes the testure look beautiful.
Minti: You too, should join the Daring Bakers. You will love it!
I like Sourdough! I’m not French, but I spent five years with baguettes – and I wasn’t even half as passionate as you in French Bread baking.
Foodhuntress79: I have been longing to try sourdough because I’ve only heard good things about it! I wonder where I’ll find the starter here though…
Isn’t it amazig what 4 simple ingredients can produce?! You did a fabulous job!