Capturing Perfection

I realize that the title of this post may seem a bit arrogant.  Really, I'm just proud of the way a baguette came out and I just HAD to photograph it!  For a few years I have been experimenting with making different kinds of breads, but my favorite is rustic french bread from my Joy of Cooking cookbook.  I use a mixed starter, meaning I use a bit of dough saved from a previous batch and put it into the new dough.  The result is a more developed flavor and chewy texture.

Hello, Gorgeous!

Yesterday I made four thin baguettes and one in particular came out looking so good; and if you squint slightly you might think it came from la boulangerie.  The slits showed up on the top, a thin dusting of flour made it look more rustic, and the golden color was perfect!  I also finally bought and used bread flour, which I think made all the difference.  I'd say the downside to making all of this is that we aren't big bread eaters around here.  Still it is a lot of fun to bake and experiment with.  I'm thinking next time I might add herbs or kalamata olives to really kick it up a notch.