learning the basics: how to bake 70 pounds of bread!

Julien, a friend of ours who's a professional baker, came for two days to teach us the art of bread making in preparation for our medieval party. The first day we kneaded the dough (in an old bathtub) and filled the little baskets that give the bread its round shape. We also started a small fire in the oven to heat it gradually.

On the morning of the second day, the dough had risen and the oven was stoked until all the bricks turned white. All the skill of baking lies in knowing when the oven is at the right temperature and how long it's going to stay hot. A simple trick, once the coals are removed, is to put your hand inside the oven and count how long you can stand the heat! Five seconds seemed to work pretty well for our oven. Throwing flour inside the oven to see how fast it burns works pretty well too. First try, it burned right away: too hot! After a while it took 10 seconds to turn brown: perfect temperature.

Julien showed us the subtleties of baking, such as where to put the bigger breads, how to tell when some are done and others still need time, and how to maneuver the baker's spatula with style.

When the bread was baked, it was time to eat it! It was delicious of course especially with cheese, wine and good conversation... And when Louise came back from school today she was delighted to find the little french baguette that she had shaped!
- Gilles