Emile Henry Baguette Baker | Burgundy

I used to make bread a LOT, but had gotten away from it in recent years. We made a few loaves earlier this year with great success. We decided to give a home-made food gift to our friends for Christmas that would include baguettes. However, I had not made any of these in a long time, and no longer had my baguette pans. We bought 2 different styles on Amazon which you can see in the photo.Upon unboxing, I was impressed with the packing. Frankly, I don't see any why it could have been damaged in shipping. Once out of the numerous boxes I was impressed with the quality and feel. We have mostly Le Creuset cookware and this fits right in. But how does it function.First, we tried the recipe in the book for regular baguettes. They were beautiful to see, moderately edible, and perhaps could have been used by the local sheriff's office for batons. But, I was not discouraged.Next, I tried the Julia Child recipe using my Kitchenaid and King Arthur Bread Flour instead of the all purpose the recipe called for. The results were great! I split the recipe between both pans. The only issue is the loaves were a bit large. We ate that. It was a test after all for our gifts.So today, I made another batch with the same recipe with 3 loaves each in both pans. They all came out great, but I like the finish on the baguettes from the Emile Henry pan best.One more note: The pan changes color when it's hot! You "might" be able to make it out in the photo. The top had cooled off while the bread was finishing after the initial bake, but I didn't take the photo immediately after removing the bottom from the oven. So, it had cooled some. When cool, it is a deep, bright red. When hot, it is more of aa maroon. Doesn't bother me at all, just was a surprise.

The Emile Henry baguette baker is a rather large ceramic, two-part baking set. My wife had been baking French bread in the toaster oven, using an inverted pot to retain the moisture, and she wanted to try this set. I was skeptical of this set and thought it to be overpriced. The first two to three times you use this set, the bread will stick (really badly the first time, moderately the second time, and just a little the third time; by the fourth time, it doesn't stick at all!).The lid holds in the moisture, and you start out baking the bread with the lid on; then, for the last part of the baking, take the lid off for browning. The baguettes are wonderfully crispy on the outside, and wonderfully soft on the inside! Consistently! I liked this so much, that I asked my wife if they had a larger version, for full-size baguettes, but the unfortunate answer is no, not at this time. We split one baguette and eat the whole thing for dinner! Well worth the $, if you're a French bread/baguette connoisseur! We just tried it with sourdough last night, and it also worked very well, for that!HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

I ordered the Emile Henry Baguette Baker and it arrived yesterday (sooner than expected). The Baguette Baker had a sturdy cardboard separator between the halves and the entire item was wrapped in bubble wrap prior to being placed in the manufacturer's box. The box itself was a sturdy grade of cardboard with additional cardboard support to ensure the contents could not shift inside the box. That box was placed into a larger shipping box with a generous amount of heavy corrugated paper to prevent the contents from shifting and provide further protection of the item.After unpacking, I inspected the item for damage or defects, none found. The Baguette Baker is made of ceramic so it is light weight and feels delicate. I have granite counter tops so I won't be testing which one would prevail if they came into hard contact with each other. That does concern me however because if I were to accidentally drop it even an inch or two above the counter top, I doubt it would remain in tact. (in reality, that is a concern of anyone that has granite counter tops. I have broken a few plates and drinking glasses that way)I decided to put it to use right away so I hand washed the baker and followed the baguette recipe in the enclosed book. About two hours later I had 3 hot baguettes ready just in time for dinner. The baguettes had a thin crust and the taste was better than all previous attempts. Per requests, I topped one baguette with "everything but bagel" seasoning and it too was delicious. I am looking forward to using levain and pre-ferments to bring out additional flavors. These are smaller baguettes than what I had been making, but fresh breads tend to stale rather quickly so the trade off is worth it for me. The loaves did stick to the bottom (not too bad) so next time I will dust the cavities with more flour to see if it corrects that issue.My first attempt was a success so I would definitely recommend the Emile Henry Baguette Baker. I am now considering the Emile Henry Bread Cloche for artisan bread instead of the cast iron dutch oven I have been using.

Purchased in January 2022, arrived in February 2022. Within a few days of delivery attempted my first baguettes. Upon preparing to wash, noticed that a 10" crack had occurred in the middle form.I contacted Customer Support by email (only method.. no phone support). They responded in a few days, I sent my contact info and pictures of the defect. They said they would ship out a replacement. Weeks passed. Asked several times for updates by email. No response.Created a new Customer Support replacement request. Within a few days they responded and again I sent my contact info and pictures of the defect. They said they would ship out a replacement. Weeks passed.Now, three months later.. I'm warning Amazon customers to avoid Emile Henry products. For the price.. expectations of quality and Customer Service are overrated when met with the reality. I would award Zero stars to these products if I was allowed.UPDATE: It is now 7 September 2022 and I have had no response from Emile Henry or a replacement for my cracked and worthless baguette baker.DO NOT BUY EMILE HENRY PRODUCTS UNLESS YOU ENJOY THROWING MONEY AWAY.