OT - New Orleans French Bread (Reisings)

Ozzie_Isaac

Does anyone have a recipe for NO French Bread?  It is one of my favorite breads, but have never found any bread even close to it outside of NO.  I get it shipped here once a year, but would love to make it.

northGAcock

There is a good chance Ozz, that the folks who might help are highly inebriated down on Warrens Corner. Might be another day or so before they can use a phone or keyboard. 

Ozzie_Isaac

northGAcock said:

There is a good chance Ozz, that the folks who might help are highly inebriated down on Warrens Corner. Might be another day or so before they can use a phone or keyboard. 

Oops, totally forgot about the get-together.  Thanks for the reminder

northGAcock

Brother Isaac needs a bump! Interested in this one myself.

nolaegghead

You can't make it as good unless you have the right kind of commercial bread oven.  I wouldn't bother trying.  I have and failed.

Ozzie_Isaac

nolaegghead said:

You can't make it as good unless you have the right kind of commercial bread oven.  I wouldn't bother trying.  I have and failed.

There has got to be a way.  Vacuum chamber, pressure chamber, steam, something.

DMW

Ozzie_Isaac said:

nolaegghead said:

You can't make it as good unless you have the right kind of commercial bread oven.  I wouldn't bother trying.  I have and failed.

There has got to be a way.  Vacuum chamber, pressure chamber, steam, something.

I think he did say there was a way. Commercial bread oven.

Ozzie_Isaac

DMW said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

nolaegghead said:

You can't make it as good unless you have the right kind of commercial bread oven.  I wouldn't bother trying.  I have and failed.

There has got to be a way.  Vacuum chamber, pressure chamber, steam, something.

I think he did say there was a way. Commercial bread oven.

Sure,  be pedantic.  Truthfully, based on my experience this weekend I need to stick to just aiming for edible.

DMW

Ozzie_Isaac said:

DMW said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

nolaegghead said:

You can't make it as good unless you have the right kind of commercial bread oven.  I wouldn't bother trying.  I have and failed.

There has got to be a way.  Vacuum chamber, pressure chamber, steam, something.

I think he did say there was a way. Commercial bread oven.

Sure,  be pedantic.  Truthfully, based on my experience this weekend I need to stick to just aiming for edible.

I have been accused of worse...and guilty of such...

HeavyG

DMW said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

nolaegghead said:

You can't make it as good unless you have the right kind of commercial bread oven.  I wouldn't bother trying.  I have and failed.

There has got to be a way.  Vacuum chamber, pressure chamber, steam, something.

I think he did say there was a way. Commercial bread oven.

But that was to make it "as good".

There probably is a method/technique that a skilled home baker can employ to make it "almost as good" or maybe "pretty damn close".

nolaegghead

If you get close, let me know and post the process.

Carolina Q

Leroy has tried it. Me, I never even heard of Leidenheimer until I saw this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FglbieAqf6U

And I never heard of Reising's until tonight.

DMW

Carolina Q said:

Leroy has tried it. Me, I never even heard of Leidenheimer until I saw this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FglbieAqf6U

And I never heard of Reising's until tonight.

Music is good

nolaegghead

Leidenheimer's is the best.

Judy Mayberry

I made Leroy's bread and it was very good. But I've never been to NO so I have nothing to compare it with.

Judy Mayberry

I hope it's OK to post it here. This is the file I made when Leroy first posted it.

NEW ORLEANS FRENCH BREAD—LEE BAILEY

http://www.nola.com/food/index.ssf/2011/03/alley_2.html

 

The bread is fresh for one day, and then it's stale and good for pain perdue, bread pudding, stuffing for a vegetable, dressing, or breading for fried food.

French bread does, however, freeze well.

 

The recipe is from the out-of-print Lee Bailey's New Orleans by Lee Bailey with Ella Brennan. It's credited to G. H. Leidenheimer Baking Co..

 

Makes either 4 narrow loaves or 2 wider loaves

 

2 cups warm (110° F.) water

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons dry granulated yeast

2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening

6-1/2 cups bread flour

1 Tablespoon salt

 

Place the 2 cups water in the bowl of a stationary mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 1 Tablespoon sugar, and sprinkle with the yeast. Allow to sit for about 15 minutes, until the mixture is bubbling. Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon sugar, the shortening, and 5 cups of flour.

 

Mix until a dough starts to form. Add the salt and the remaining flour as needed until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Continue to knead with the dough hook for 10 minutes.

 

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead by hand for a minute or two, until dough is smooth and elastic.

 

Return it to the mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm, draft-free corner to rise for 1-1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.

 

Punch the dough down, then divide it into four balls. Cover these with a clean dishtowel and let them rest for 15 minutes.

 

Form each ball into a 16-x-3-inch loaf. Place the loaves on baking sheets, cover them with a damp cloth and set aside to rise for 1-1/2 hours.

 

Preheat oven to 375°. Gently place the fully risen loaves in the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown with an internal temperature of around 210° F.. Cool on racks.

nolaegghead

It's all good. I'll give Leroy's recipe a shot.  Bar is really high though with Leidenheimers....even in town, no one can beat them.

HeavyG

nolaegghead said:

If you get close, let me know and post the process.

Won't even be trying. Never had the real deal bread in question so I have no idea what all the hoopla is all about.

How does it compare to a good Vietnamese baguette?

Ozzie_Isaac

HeavyG said:

nolaegghead said:

If you get close, let me know and post the process.

Won't even be trying. Never had the real deal bread in question so I have no idea what all the hoopla is all about.

How does it compare to a good Vietnamese baguette?

The bread is heaven.  I would rather have it than brisket.  Put a little butter on it, toast it, then ride the wave like a heroine high.

buzd504

HeavyG said:

nolaegghead said:

If you get close, let me know and post the process.

Won't even be trying. Never had the real deal bread in question so I have no idea what all the hoopla is all about.

How does it compare to a good Vietnamese baguette?

At the risk of getting my NOLA citizenship revoked, when both are at their best and there are no other variables, I probably prefer the Vietnamese baguette.  However there are different applications where both breads shine.

Ozzie_Isaac

I will have to try a Vietnamese Baguette if it rivals NO French Bread .... do I need to go to Vietnam or can it be made anywhere?

buzd504

Ozzie_Isaac said:

I will have to try a Vietnamese Baguette if it rivals NO French Bread .... do I need to go to Vietnam or can it be made anywhere?

New Orleans has amazing Vietnamese bread.  I imagine that's not a coincidence.

nolaegghead

buzd504 said:

HeavyG said:

nolaegghead said:

If you get close, let me know and post the process.

Won't even be trying. Never had the real deal bread in question so I have no idea what all the hoopla is all about.

How does it compare to a good Vietnamese baguette?

At the risk of getting my NOLA citizenship revoked, when both are at their best and there are no other variables, I probably prefer the Vietnamese baguette.  However there are different applications where both breads shine.

Those are good, but if the application is po-boy, not as good.  

Hong Kong Market, 5 for a doller....

buzd504

nolaegghead said:

buzd504 said:

HeavyG said:

nolaegghead said:

If you get close, let me know and post the process.

Won't even be trying. Never had the real deal bread in question so I have no idea what all the hoopla is all about.

How does it compare to a good Vietnamese baguette?

At the risk of getting my NOLA citizenship revoked, when both are at their best and there are no other variables, I probably prefer the Vietnamese baguette.  However there are different applications where both breads shine.

Those are good, but if the application is po-boy, not as good.  

Hong Kong Market, 5 for a doller....

Agreed, which is why I added that caveat.

fishlessman

our local market basket has a good parisian loaf for this, but the trick is to buy it still warm in an "open" paper bag and make the sandwich within an hour or two max after it cools down. after that and its all down hill. its got to be the cheapest bread to make and its better than all the italian bread bakeries here if its really fresh and properly stored for that hour or two

HeavyG

buzd504 said:

HeavyG said:

nolaegghead said:

If you get close, let me know and post the process.

Won't even be trying. Never had the real deal bread in question so I have no idea what all the hoopla is all about.

How does it compare to a good Vietnamese baguette?

At the risk of getting my NOLA citizenship revoked, when both are at their best and there are no other variables, I probably prefer the Vietnamese baguette.  However there are different applications where both breads shine.

Will the traditional po boy even survive the Vietnamese invasion???

https://firstwefeast.com/eat/how-new-orleans-birthed-a-vietnamese-poboy-movement

HeavyG

Ozzie_Isaac said:

HeavyG said:

nolaegghead said:

If you get close, let me know and post the process.

Won't even be trying. Never had the real deal bread in question so I have no idea what all the hoopla is all about.

How does it compare to a good Vietnamese baguette?

The bread is heaven.  I would rather have it than brisket.  Put a little butter on it, toast it, then ride the wave like a heroine high.

"butter then toast it" - TIL I've been doing it wrong for decades.

fishlessman

HeavyG said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

HeavyG said:

nolaegghead said:

If you get close, let me know and post the process.

Won't even be trying. Never had the real deal bread in question so I have no idea what all the hoopla is all about.

How does it compare to a good Vietnamese baguette?

The bread is heaven.  I would rather have it than brisket.  Put a little butter on it, toast it, then ride the wave like a heroine high.

"butter then toast it" - TIL I've been doing it wrong for decades.

you can also coat just the crust with melted butter, add a rub, then toast it now i used to frequently get yelled at for toasting, then peanutbutter, then back in the toaster, i dont know why though as it was so good

nolaegghead

That settles it.  Next year "Brisket Camp" will be called "Brisket and Po-boy Camp".

Carolina Q

nolaegghead said:

That settles it.  Next year "Brisket Camp" will be called "Brisket and Po-boy Camp".

Toasted peanut butter was the straw, eh?

CtTOPGUN

 I have been buying "par cooked" loaves of bread or baguettes at Restaurant Depot for the last year. As good as any home made dough I have done(I am just a newb with bread baking) and oh so simple. From frozen, 8 minutes at 400*. If I sprinkle a bit of water on the exterior it gets extra crusty. I have decided to put bread making into the folder for "future projects in retirement".Too time consuming and so much to learn to dial in bread baking techniques.