Baking Bread with a French Friend
Pick the right flour, knead the dough and bake crusty rolls at home with a friend who knows her levain.
Most people in France buy bread daily at the boulangerie, so home baking is a hobby rather than a habit. French flour is sold by type number: T45 for cakes and pastry, T55 for everyday bread, T65 and above for country-style loaves. Cubes of fresh baker's yeast are sold in the chilled section of supermarkets, and in the south-west you'll hear 'chocolatine' instead of 'pain au chocolat'.
- 1
On fait du pain ensemble ?
Shall we make bread together?
- 2
Tu prends quelle farine ?
Which flour do you use?
- 3
La T65, c'est mieux pour ça.
T65 is better for this.
Tip: French flour is graded by type number.
- 4
T'as de la levure ?
Have you got any yeast?
- 5
J'ai du levain.
I've got some sourdough starter.
- 6
Ajoute l'eau petit à petit.
Add the water little by little.
- 7
Pétris la pâte dix minutes.
Knead the dough for ten minutes.
- 8
La pâte colle trop.
The dough is too sticky.
- 9
Rajoute un peu de farine.
Add a bit more flour.
- 10
Laisse lever une heure.
Leave it to rise for an hour.
- 11
Elle a doublé de volume.
It's doubled in size.
- 12
Préchauffe le four à 230 degrés.
Preheat the oven to 230 degrees.
- 13
Façonne les petits pains.
Shape the rolls.
- 14
Dore-les avec un jaune d'œuf.
Brush them with egg yolk.
- 15
Ça cuit combien de temps ?
How long does it bake for?
- 16
Ça sent trop bon !
It smells amazing!
- 17
La croûte est bien croustillante.
The crust is nice and crispy.
- 18
Il est encore tiède.
It's still warm.
- 19
On recommence la semaine prochaine ?
Shall we do it again next week?
- 20
Pain au chocolat ou chocolatine ?
Pain au chocolat or chocolatine?
Tip: A famous regional debate.