My Artisan Bread

I've made Peter Reinhart's Pain a l'Ancienne Rustic Bread twice in the form of mini baguettes and they actually looked exactly like the photo in his book. I was so proud--but didn't think to mark the moment with my own photograph!  The real test was when my mother-in-law Yolande, who is French, tasted it and said it was wonderful--just like fresh bread from France!

This week I used his slightly different recipe for Lean Bread and found the dough easier to work with--less sticky.  I tried my hand at forming a baguette but the result was more like a batard.  I think I could have made 2 or 3 baguettes with the same amount of dough, so next time that's exactly what I will do. 

Also I used my new baking stone and added water to a pan below to create steam and thus come close to hearth baking.

There is nothing like the aroma of fresh baked bread--and it tasted wonderful.