In the culinary world’s equivalent of an excuse I knew I had a doozy. “I’m sorry I’m late but I was busy talking to Nigella Lawson” was kind of like proffering up the excuse of “My pet ate my home work”. It didn’t sound quite real and would probably be met with a disbelieving or suspicious look. So when I arrived at Melbourne’s Campari House fifteen minutes late to the hot salmon smoking workshop I just apologised for being late and joined the class already in progress. I was paired up with a partner and insofar as partnering goes for a smoked salmon workshop it was a good one. I was paired with Tom Cooper, the smoking aficionado who supplies smoked items to the top restaurants in Melbourne.
In the class instructor Danny was showing us how to hot smoke our own salmon as well as made quick French baguettes and our own garlic mayonnaise so that we would end up with a smoked salmon baguette with the fruits of our labour. Smoking the salmon was surprisingly easy. It simply involved heating a tray lined with a bed of uncooked rice, tea, brown sugar, herbs and cinnamon quills onto the gas until it started to smoke “aggressively” and then placing a side of salmon (or you could do fillets if they are easier to access) on top and covering it tightly with two blankets of foil and turning the heat down and smoking it for 20-30 minutes. Yep that is it as far as the hot smoking process goes!
But what I really went for was the quick as a wink Campari House baguettes. Usually with bread, there is an hour long proving process and then a 20 minute proving process after the bread is shaped. With their recipe, the bread sits in a warm under area a chux cloth (or an oven heated to 100C and then knocked back down to 35-40C door ajar for a few minutes) for 20 minutes and then it is shaped and then proved for another 20 minutes and then baked. I realise that a slow, overnight rise is ideal and nothing quite beats that but this recipe is for times when you don’t have time to pfaff about and wait for things. This is for when you want a great roll but not at the expense of the patience fairy. And there are no excuses to not bake with this recipe as you don’t need a mixer or any special equipment.
The bread is given its crunchy crust from a light spray from a bottle or the gentle flicking of water as I did when I experimented. It’s a lovely long, fresh baguette and one recipe makes two baguettes. It smells divine coming out of the oven and if you’ve got everything ready the whole shebang can be done in about 60 minutes!
So tell me Dear Reader, what’s the best excuse for being late that you’ve given or heard?
60 Minute Baguettes
Adapted from a recipe by Campari House
- 400g plain or bread flour plus a little extra to sprinkle (I have made batches of wholemeal and regular flour ones)
- 4g dried yeast
- 280g/ 1 1/4 cups room temperature water
- 10g salt
- 1 tablespoon semolina (optional but gives it a crust)
- water in a spray mist bottle
1. Preheat the oven 10 100C/212F. Mix the flour and yeast in a bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix the two together and then pour water in and knead for about 4 minutes with the electric mixer or 6-7 minutes by hand on a clean surface using extra flour to prevent sticking -just until it becomes elastic. Halfway through this process add the salt.
My what lovely buns you have!
2. Open the oven door for a few minutes to cool slightly and then set the oven to 40C/104C. Dust the inside of a bowl lightly with flour and divide the dough in half. Cover with a clean teatowel or chux and place in oven to prove for 15 minutes.
3. Lightly dust the bench again with flour and using the tips of your fingers press down to make a flat circle of dough. Fold the top into a triangle as shown and then roll the baguette up from the bottom so that you finish with the triangle. Place on a lined baking tray and cover again with the teatowel or chux and allow to prove for another 15 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and turn up the heat to 200C/400F. When the oven is ready spritz the bread with water and sprinkle over with semolina. Bake for 18-20 minutes until you tap on the bread and you get a hollow sound.
Striped wax straws from Lovely Little Parties
If you enjoyed this post, why not share it with your friends?
What is NQN up to now? 
NQN on Facebook
RSS
65 Comments | Add your own
I bet they’d make great sandwiches!
Cheers,
Rosa
What a great quick recipe! I can’t wait to try this!
I love smoked salmon and usually do a filet for a party, but I do the traditional brined in salt and sugar kind..
I will definitely give this a whirl next time and yeah, those baguettes are on the “to cook” list also!
yay! I always decide to bake bread far too late in the day and we end up eating dinner at 10pm or something silly because of all the rising time. A 60-minute baguette sounds perfect for those times!
Looks absolutely delicious. There is nothing like the smell of fresh bread! I will have to try adding semolina to my next loaf
Nevermind my excuses for being late!!! Tell us the gossip! Why were you speaking to Nigella???
It sounds like you have something brewing?
good on you, whatever it is 
I totally think you should have said why you were late! I’ll have to give this recipe a try the next time I want a loaf in a hurry. xoxo Mum
My what lovely buns you have, lol
goregous dough, 60 minutes..awesome..I’m always late, it’s a gift!!
sweetlife
Love this post and totally stealing it (when I get time
) I reckon you had the best excuse EVER!!
Cool!
Wow, so is that how salmon is normally smoked? I had no idea! It sounds easy! How did it taste?
Ps those baguettes look divine. I imagine nothing tastes better than fresh baguettes slathered with warm butter.. mmm.
looks great Lorraine!
wow these are gorgeous!! If only I could create a good wheat free versioN!
how interesting, i would never have thought you could make good bread so quick. And learning to hot smoke salmon would be great
You read my mind Lorraine..I have been wanting a quick and delicious recipe for bread!
The excuse that cracked me up (and this came from a real-estate rep).”Sorry we are running late, my client got bitten by a spider”.
…needless to say that was a string of many inventive excuses by that agent(we are no longer with).
The best excuse for being late was from someone who worked with me, she had to wait for her clothes to dry – in a dryer – as she had washed them the day before and forgot to dry them !!
The best excuse: my mother was about to board a plane for Sydney when she remembered the stove was on. I had to, of course, race to save the day.
Wow that’s it? It has to be the easiest I’ve ever come across
Looks just crusty and ready to be eaten immediately! Mmmm… I’m also really intrigued by the smoked salmon recipe 
Fantastic recipe. Baguette is my favourite bread! I am saving this… it is a must try for me! Thanks Lorraine!!!!
Bless you, I needed this! Not much time to cook any more x
I’ve always been a little scared of making bread but this looks manageable and my “patience fairy”
might be able to cope with this.
Filed for future reference, lots of fantastic crust and only 60 minutes to give the kitchen a fantastic scent – fabulous!
What herbs into the salmon smoking tray, please! Also, have not usd cinnamon quills before – would be afraid of too strong an ‘influence’ – one or two? Am one of the ‘dreadful bunch’ who neurotically always turns up early, not late – so, no contribution!
A friend of mine had to miss class because her front door had been freshly painted and she couldn’t leave the house empty with the door ajar!
Lorraine these baguettes look divine and bring me so many good memories! haha yes memories of baguettes…in Argentina they’re like–#1 next to water. Actually, they drink way too much beer, more than water lol.
Those baguettes look great and only take 60 minutes to make, very cool!
oh, I can smell the bread. It smells like “Coming Home.”
MMMMMMMMMMMM xxx
I’ll pay for the comment made by Mrs Lodhz!
Oh dear, I’ve never had as good an excuse as being with the other Nigella. (Or even you Lorraine). However, my best excuse for missing a magazine deadline was that my baby came 3 1/2 weeks early. They were very accommodating and only required me to file the story the day we came home from hospital!
Wow I almost couldn’t believe it when you wrote about the 60minute baguettes but now I see why! Definitely gonna try this when I need a quick bread fix
Haha I love your excuse! This recipe looks like a great one as a first try, thanks!
There is nothing better than fresh bread. And I’m very keen to try the hot smoking process! I’m a massive nerd, so it isn’t often that I’m late. Normally I say “Ah, I thought you said 2:30 and not 2. My bad…” x
“lovely buns” – such innuendo!
I LOVE making bread, these look brilliant!
I wanted to tell you how much I have loved following the blog and now I have courage to not only write to you but I have been inspired to try harder things. But I still love the easy stuff like this bread. Thanks a lot!
“Apologies! I’m late because I fell into a vat of chocolate chip cookie dough peanut butter and had to eat my way out”.
Oh wait, no. Sorry, that was just a dream.
I love baguettes, but have never tried to make them myself. Yours look absolutely stunning, I love the way you wrapped them up in twine too, so lovely!
How absolutely delicious. We are in Spain, where the food is not great. I’m hungry.
Must give these a try in the Thermomix – I am on a bit of a bread thing at the moment – always looking for new recipes!!!
When you have kids you can always blame them for something!!!!
Now THAT is my kinda recipe.
Quick and awesome but looks like you have been slaving for hours.
They look delicious, and what a great class!
The best excuse? uh, your probably… hehe. great recipe for a quick and good sandwich.
Homemade smoked salmon and baguettes?!? Divine decadence!
My trouble is I’m almost always early for things! So never really had the need to have an excuse for being late, and when I have I’ve just quitely snuck in or just apologised.
Though this sounds like a great idea for ‘emergencies’ I think I prefer letting the dough prove properly.
If it’s not already in the works, you need to publish a book of all your magnificent photos!
I could use the Daylight Savings excuse, albeit once a year , just like on my wedding day. The flowers were delivered late, the cake, the photographer , the local paper and the coach driver! However, after all of that , we were only 20 minutes late to board the John Cadman ( the crew and other passengers kindly waited for us and even cheered and clapped when we finally arrived)! It was the best day ever.
Mmm, don’t you just love the smell of freshly baked bread!
I’ve smoked quail before and it really is so easy.
Our cat really did eat our daughters homework one day before school!I don’t think the teacher really thought it was a valid excuse for being late or not handing in the homework.
I used to work for a PR/Promo company and the we’ve heard all sorts of excuses anyone can think of.
Once, a staff called in running late (and then cancelled his shift) because apparently his foot had gotten caught in the train door and the door (for some wonderful reason) had closed and cut off the front part of his shoe including some toe… he says..) he also never turned up for work anymore after that… hMmmmm
LOL I like that one!
wow that is just how I wish I could bake bread – well actually I wish I had 24 hours but given the usual chaos I like an hour with no planning – and no excuses – I am no good at those
Two things I love about this bread recipe. The minimal resting time and the fact I don’t have to use a rolling pin!
I always jump the gun and forget to flour the rolling pin before using with dough, never a pretty mess!
I tend not to buy bread often as we don’t eat a lot of it. So a quick and easy couple of rolls is great!
You know, I’m a big believer in long rise bread, but sometimes… you just need bread… what a brilliant quick alternative! The smoking is great too… I got some great stovetop smoking hints from chinese cooking… jasmine and pine boughs make really delish smoke! Great post Lorraine. this is a keeper.
I must admit that since I discovered the whole ‘sponge and dough’ method of making bread, I have not made bread any other way. But as you say, sometimes there IS a need for shortcuts, and this looks like the perfect shortcut recipe.
I do just tend to get takeaway during lazy moments though…
Who doesn’t love the smell of bread fresh out of the oven… I’m drooling at the thought of it mmm
Will prob have a lovely baguette filled with ham, lettuce and cucumber for lunch now, thanks for the idea
I made these last night. Decided to start at 6pm and still ate dinner – complete with baguettes to soak up the juice – before 8pm. My house guest was well impressed!
I’d be up for making these – I hate the long proof time.
Absolutely MUST try these. To not have to do the poolish and all of the time waiting seems too good to be true. We eat lots of bagette at our house, and if this puppy works, I will be a happy kid in the kitchen.
Love this quick process for a homemade baguette, Lorraine! Satisfaction in a flash. Thanks for sharing.
I am usually late, and have no good excuses!
That’s a great excuse for being late to anything.
I love those loaves and can’t believe you can make them so quick. I’m definitely saving this recipe.
You’ve just got me into big trouble Lorraine. I often use the excuse of time for not making bread (I am addicted to home-made bread). Now it seems I have absolutely no excuse at all…..nor for skipping the gym to burn off the carbs!
it’s amazing what a simple spritz of water here and there can do for a loaf of bread!
Wow I can’t believe these could be ready so fast. They look yummy!
I so want to make bread all the time, but everytime I think of it I never have enough time. These look great. I love baguettes!
Love the idea of proving this bread in a semiwarm oven. How handy! We had been driving for two hours north of Sydney and remembered we had left the cappuccino machine on. Hubby about turned because this is his pride and joy. When we arrived back in Sydney, he found he actually HAD turned it OFF! We arrived four hours late to our destination….
They look delicious. I’m sure I wouldn’t get to filling them, just slap on some butter and they’d be good to go
One Trackback/Pingback
[...] France and all the goodies we would enjoy there and bring home. So, when I saw this recipe for a “60 minute baguette” over at Not Quite Nigella, I could not resist and HAD to make it. Let me please spend a minute or 2 telling you about [...]
Post a Comment