It’s really really hard to make baguettes at home, did you know? Earlier this week on My Kitchen Rules we witnessed how hard it is.

Peter & Gary. QLD Team. Served up an entree of Balmain Bugs in a garlic butter sauce with baguette. They destroyed the beautiful balmain bugs by overcooking them and drenching them with way too much garlic. Plated up with STORE BOUGHT BAGUETTE! Not even a good fancy baguette like Morpeth Sourdough. Plain old store bought baguette.

It’s alive!!..

Somebody should have sent Peter and Gary a link to this Traditional baguette recipe on Chewwise, or this recipe on Group Recipes, or here at King Arthur Flour.

Silky smooth dough

There are a million and one varied recipes from authentic to easy and quick. Something in me just couldn’t believe they didn’t make their own bread, the self-proclaimed french experts. It angered something deep inside me – awoke the hulk within!

And I want to make it clear. I’m no bread baker. I also appreciate bread bakers who make amazing bread and I understand its a skill that takes a lot of time and practise to perfect. However… still…store bought baguettes?

So, I set myself a task after work last night and made baguettes at home! I wouldn’t say that mine were traditional or the most authentic. Because they weren’t. At all. But easy, fast and homemade they definitely were.

Frankly I would have preferred homemade bread then store bought baguettes, even if Manu decided the homemade bread wasn’t close enough to a real baguette its the effort and care that went into it that matters the most. I would have marked them down for it. I wouldn’t be ok with store bought baguette if it was on the menu at a restaurant so it shouldn’t have been ok for them.

I used a recipe I found on A Sweet Pea Chef with a few small tweaks. Turned out beautifully. Not quite as “baguette” like as I was hoping for but hey, it was my first go!

Yummy Fresh Bread! And I feel rather a lot calmer about the whole Peter-Gary-Baguette-issue

Happy Friday All!

xx

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