Having just acquired some gorgeous French recipe books on a trip to Paris,
I'm now searching for flours! I've got a stock of Type 55, often called
baguette flour, but am now looking for type 65 and above all Type 85 farine
de meule. Anybody know of a source in the UK (or EU)?
One of the books is Erich Kayser's 100% Pain, which has a charming little
history section and a number of good recipes, and his baguette du monge is
very heartily recommended; an excellent baguette recipe, sensible for the
home baker but with good, crusty, tasty results. I'm keen to make his
cumin and hazelnut bread; I had it from the shop in Paris, and it was
magnificent. Meanwhile I heard that some French bakers now use spices in
their levains - anyone know anything of this?
Finally - this is all notes! - I do warmly recommend Steven Kaplan's books
to anyone interested in the history of bread. I've learnt a lot from his
work.
--
Diane Purkiss