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Any bread makers here?

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shmokes:
I got a top-of-the-line Kitchenaid stand mixer for Christmas and bread is the primary thing I'm interested in it for. I tried baguettes yesterday and they were crap, though. It was like a decent baguette from the bakery at a giant grocery store. The crust was all golden and soft. Squeezing it produced no crackle.  The flavor was pretty good, and don't get me wrong, they were perfectly edible. But if you're gonna go through the effort to make bread at home the results should be epic. I want to get as close to an authentic French baguette as I possibly can in a traditional American oven. Any suggestions?

Other great bread recipes are welcome, too, especially if tailored specifically for a stand mixer.

Dervacumen:
The crispiness of the bread comes from moisture during the baking process.  When you make your loaf, make sure you've kinda pinched together all the edges so you create an envelope that the steam can't escape from.
Use a preheated pizza stone to put your loaf on.  If you don't have a pizza stone, use a cast iron skillet.  Just something that will maintain a constant temperature for a long while.  When you put your bread in, throw a couple ice cubes or just 1/4 -1/2 cup of water in the oven to make the steam.
Good luck.  If your oven doesn't heat evenly you're fighting a losing battle regardless of what you do.

Baking bread is one of those things that you have to practice.  A lot.  The humidity, the moisture content of your flour, the exact temperature of your water, your oven (have you checked the thermostat readings with a thermometer?) proofing time, blah blah blah.  The key is learning the ideal moisture / heat balance IMO.

drventure:

--- Quote ---throw a couple ice cubes or just 1/4 -1/2 cup of water in the oven
--- End quote ---

Interesting, I'd have thought just the opposite.

But I can vouch for a pizza stone. I thought that was just a gimmick, but the dang thing works great. Just be sure to put it in when you first start preheating the oven so it's toasty.

Rando:
I have no idea if this is relevant to bread making, but I make cheesecakes regularly, and a way to keep the cake from cracking is to stick a baking pan with an inch or so of water in the oven/under where the cheesecake will sit prior to preheating.  That's about the only baking tip I have to offer.

luck!

Dervacumen:
You kinda have to steam it for a bit toward the end of the baking, then let the steam out of the oven so the crust gets crusty.  If your over has a really good seal you may have to actually open the door.  That's why it doesn't work like when you make a cheesecake.  Also, if you used too much water in the dough, it stays too moist inside and the crust might seem crunchy at first then get softer as it sits and the moisture from the inside continues to escape.  It's seriously not easy.  Well, it's easy, but getting the right proportions for your particular environment takes a lot of practice.  At least it's tasting good while you tweak your recipe and technique.

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