Parisian breads

i have just finished attending a 3 day "french bread" class at the french culinary institute, one of the greatest birthday gifts i have ever gotten. even though the night class ran for 5 hours each session and after full day at work, i still felt energized and exhilarated.
i learned the 12 steps of bread making which included mixing, shaping, proofing, scoring, and baking. we made some of the finest breads such as baguettes, sourdoughs, and country breads. the class was very informative and i definitely learned a lot. bread has always been one of my favorite culinary treats. growing up, my mother had to stopped sending me to the baker, because i would finish more than half a loaf by the time i got home. 20 years later and i still do the same...

i always wanted to bake breads at home, but was also intimidated by it. it felt like as a “mission impossible." one of those things you either have the professional knowledge, tools and skill, or it cannot be done. this class gave me the motivation, inspiration, knowledge and confidence to try on my own now. its going to be a challenge, because home ovens are not as reliable as professional ones. one of the main challenges is steaming the dough. breads, such as baguettes, do not get glazed with bitten egg so they need to be steamed in the oven for few seconds in order for the crispy crust. this stage begins the moment the dough is put in the oven. another challenge is finding a baking brick, because some of the breads are baked straight on a brick.
i have decided to take it one bread at the time and will keep you posted on my progress. by the way, the images are of the breads i made with my own two hands in class, they taste as wonderful as they look.