Farm to Fork Friday: Learn how to make a baguette with Franquette

FRIDAY WITH LISA GONZALES. ON THIS FARM TO FORK FRIDAY WE’RE GOING FRENCH. WE’RE AT FRANQUETTE CAFE AND WINE BAR IN WEST SACRAMENTO, RIGHT ALONG THE RIVER. AND WE’RE HERE WITH THE OWNER, BRAD. CHECK OF THIS ADORABLE CAFE WHERE YOU’VE GOT A FULL MENU. THANK YOU. NOW, THE EXECUTIVE CHEF HERE IS ON MATERNITY LEAVE, SO BRAD’S FILLING IN. HE’S THE EXECUTIVE CHEF OVER AT CANON EAST SAC. BUT HE’S GOING TO TEACH US HOW TO MAKE THIS WALNUT CROISSANT. AND YOU GET THE WALNUTS LOCALLY. YES. SO WE SOURCE THEM FROM A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT FARMERS FROM LIKE THE MCNAMARAS JUST OVER HERE IN YOLO COUNTY. UM, TO, YOU KNOW, ANY REALLY THERE’S WALNUTS AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND AT EVERY FARMER’S MARKET, BUT THIS LOOKS FANCY, BUT IT’S ACTUALLY SOMETHING SIMPLE YOU CAN MAKE AT HOME. SUPER SIMPLE. OKAY, LET’S GET TO IT. YEAH. SO WE HAVE OUR CROISSANT DOUGH. AND SO EVERY DAY WHAT WE DO IS WE LET THE WE LET IT WARM UP TO ROOM TEMPERATURE. AND I CAN DO THIS WITH THE PILLSBURY DOUGH. YEAH YEAH, YEAH. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU FOR NOT LAUGHING. BUT YOU NEED TO COME. YOU ALSO NEED TO COME. COME GET OURS AT FRANQUETTE. OKAY. AND DON’T MAKE TOO MANY AT HOME. UM, SO WE STRETCH IT OUT, JUST KIND OF WIDEN IT UP A LITTLE BIT AND THEN WE TAKE A NICE LONG STRETCH ON THE, ON THE CROISSANT DOUGH. RIGHT. WE WANT IT TO BE ABOUT TWO FEET LONG. VERY LONG TRIANGLE. AND THEN WE ROLL IT UP REAL TIGHT. SO OKAY TWO FEET LONG OKAY. SO WE, WE HAVE, UH, A NICE YOU KNOW, CROISSANT, RIGHT. THE TRIANGLE ROLLED UP AND THEN IT HAS THE LAYERS AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS IS, IS WE LET IT PROOF FOR THE WHOLE DAY OVER HERE. AND IT TAKES LETTING IT PROOF JUST MEANS YOU LET IT SIT. WELL, LET’S THE YEAST IN THE DOUGH. UM, LIKE KIND OF LIKE SOURDOUGH BREAD, RIGHT. THE BUBBLES. SO YOU GET A GOOD CROISSANT, HAS GREAT CRUMB STRUCTURE AND IT HAS LOTS OF BUBBLES INSIDE. SO THE YEAST IS IS PUTTING OUT CO2 AND IT’S MAKING THE DOUGH GROW. UM, SO IT GOES FROM THIS TO THIS AND IT CHANGES THE AMOUNT OF TIME CHANGES IN HERE BASED ON THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE. IT’S WARMER. IT HAPPENS FASTER. IF IT’S COOLER, IT HAPPENS A LITTLE SLOWER. INTERESTING. SO WE PROOFED THESE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. UNTIL THEY LOOK ABOUT THIS WE WANT THEM TO KIND OF JIGGLE A LITTLE BIT. UM AND SO ONCE ONCE THEY’RE THERE WE BAKE THEM AND WE BAKE THEM INTO JUST A PLAIN CROISSANT, ONE YOU WOULD GET ANYWHERE, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, SERVES CROISSANTS. BUT WHAT WE DO WITH THESE IS WE TAKE THE DAY OLDS AND WE CUT THEM RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE. UH HUH. AND HOW LONG DO YOU BAKE IT FOR? THEY BAKE ABOUT FOR 15 MINUTES, IS ALL. WE HAVE A REALLY FANCY OVEN OVER HERE THAT HAS A STEAM INJECTION AND AND ALL THAT. SO WE IT DOESN’T FORM A CRUST TOO EARLY. SO THEY’RE A CHANCE TO SEE. AND WE CAN SEE INSIDE WE HAVE ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL BUBBLES. AND SO WHAT WE DO AFTER WITH THESE DAY OLD CROISSANTS IS WE TAKE THEM, WE SPLIT THEM OPEN. WE TAKE OUR WALNUT FRANGIPANE, WHICH IS BUTTER, SUGAR, VANILLA AND WALNUTS. ALL THE GOOD THINGS IN LIFE. ALL THE BEST. MIX THEM UP AND WE TAKE A SPOONFUL OF THAT. WE PUT IT INSIDE, WE KIND OF SPREAD IT AROUND A LITTLE BIT AND THEN WE CLOSE IT UP. WE TAKE A LITTLE BIT EXTRA FRANGIPANE LIKE GLUE, LIKE GLUE. AND JUST SO WE CAN PUT ONE WALNUT ON TOP, OH MY GOODNESS. AND THEN AND THEN WE REBAKE IT. SO WE BAKE IT FOR ANOTHER 4 OR 5 MINUTES. SO THEN ALL OF THIS THE FRANGIPANE SETTLES AND BECOMES KIND OF LIKE THE FILLING. UM, AND THEN WE REBAKE IT. AND WHEN IT COMES OUT, WE HAVE OUR FRANQUETTE WALNUT CROISSANTS, HIT IT WITH A LITTLE POWDERED SUGAR ON TOP, AND VOILA, SUPER DELICIOUS. YEAH. I MEAN, WE SELL OUT EVERY DAY. UM, VERY RARELY DO WE HAVE ANY AVAILABLE PAST, LIKE 11 A.M. OH MY GOODNESS, BRAD, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THERE YOU GO. IT’S DONE. IT’S JUST THAT SIMPLE. THAT’S YO