Okay, here’s my blog post about my “french bread mold” journey, written in a casual, personal style:
So, I’ve been on this huge bread-baking kick lately. You know, trying to be all self-sufficient and whatnot. I started with regular loaves, then got a bit fancy with sourdough (that was a whole adventure in itself), and finally decided to tackle the holy grail: the French baguette. I mean, who doesn’t love a good, crusty baguette?
I got myself a baguette pan – one of those metal ones with the little holes. Figured it would be a breeze. Mix the dough, shape it, let it rise, bake, boom – perfect baguette. Ha! Little did I know…
My first few attempts… well, let’s just say they weren’t pretty. They were either flat, dense, or just plain weird-looking. I followed the recipe, I swear! But something was off. Then, after a particularly sad-looking attempt, I noticed something… mold. Yep, mold growing in the little nooks and crannies of my fancy baguette pan.
Cleaning time!
I was horrified! I thought I was cleaning it properly, but apparently not. I’d been washing it with soap and water, giving it a quick scrub, and letting it air dry. Turns out, that’s a recipe for disaster, especially with those perforated pans.
- First. I grabbed some baking soda and made a paste with water.
- Then I scrubbed the pan. Really got into those holes.
- Rinse the metal. Make sure no baking soda was left.
- Here’s the important. I dried the pan in a warm oven. Low heat, like 200°F (93°C), for about 30 minutes.
That seemed to do the trick! The mold was gone, and the pan looked (and smelled) much better. I baked another batch of baguettes, and they were… well, they were better. Still not perfect, my shaping skills were suck, but at least they weren’t moldy!
So, the lesson I learned? Don’t underestimate the importance of properly cleaning and, more importantly, drying your baking equipment. Especially if it has lots of little holes where moisture can hide and mold can party. Now, back to practicing my baguette shaping…
