Description
This classic French Baguette recipe guides you through making authentic, crusty baguettes with a chewy interior from scratch. Using simple ingredients like bread flour, yeast, salt, honey, and warm water, this method involves traditional kneading, two rises, and baking on a hot stone to achieve the perfect artisan loaf with a golden crust and tender crumb.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour (360 grams, plus more for dusting)
- 1½ teaspoons instant yeast (4 grams)
- 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt (4 grams)
Wet Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon honey (22 grams)
- 1 cup warm water (227 grams, about 110°F)
Instructions
- Mix Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread flour, instant yeast, kosher salt, honey, and warm water. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, ensuring all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Knead the Dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a dough hook on low speed for 10 minutes to achieve the same texture.
- First Rise: Place the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled container, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 to 1½ hours.
- Shape the Loaves: Gently deflate the dough and divide it into two equal pieces (approximately 308 grams each). Roll each piece into a long, thin baguette shape about 14 inches in length.
- Prepare for Second Rise: Transfer the shaped baguettes onto a baker’s linen or a floured kitchen towel, folding the cloth between loaves to maintain their shape.
- Second Rise: Cover with the towel and let the dough rise again for about 1 hour, or until puffy and nearly doubled.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 475°F (246°C) with a baking stone or steel placed inside. If unavailable, use an inverted baking sheet or pizza pan instead. Place an empty cast iron pan on the bottom rack to create steam later.
- Transfer Loaves: Carefully move the loaves onto a piece of parchment paper on a baking peel or the back of a baking sheet for easy transfer.
- Score the Baguettes: Using a lame or a sharp knife, make 4-6 diagonal slashes on the tops of each loaf to allow proper expansion during baking.
- Bake with Steam: Slide the parchment paper with loaves onto the preheated baking stone. Pour a cup of water into the hot cast iron pan below to generate steam and immediately close the oven door. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Finish Baking: Remove the pan with water carefully, rotate the baguettes for even color, reduce the oven temperature to 450°F (232°C), and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the crust is deeply golden brown.
- Cool: Transfer the baguettes to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before slicing to preserve texture and flavor.
Notes
- Using bread flour gives the baguettes better gluten development and a chewier crumb.
- Creating steam in the oven is essential for developing a crisp crust.
- Allow the bread to cool fully to avoid gummy texture.
- The shaped baguettes can be frozen before the second rise for future baking.
- If you don’t have a baking stone or steel, an inverted baking sheet works as a good alternative.
