Homemade Baguettes

If you love making bread recipes you should definitely try this easy recipe for crusty golden Homemade Baguettes.

Why do I describe this as easy, even though it might appear to involve several steps and a significant amount of time until they’re fully baked? It’s because I’ve made an effort to simplify the process as much as possible. For instance, in this recipe, there’s no requirement for a baguette couche during the rising process. You don’t need special tools to transfer the baguettes into the preheated oven either. Additionally, there’s no necessity for a baking stone; you can bake them directly on the baking sheet they’ve risen on. Of course, if you happen to have a baking stone, you can certainly use it.

The recipe requires few ingredients and it’s simply amazing what you can achieve with only some flour, water and some yeast. The smell of these homemade baguettes while they bake and the crispy crust and soft crumb makes them hard to resist.

How to make these homemade baguettes

Begin by preparing the overnight starter. In a medium bowl, dissolve the yeast in water, then add the flour. Mix to combine, cover, and let rise for 12-14 hours at room temperature until it’s raised in volume and bubbly.

How to prepare the final dough

In a small bowl, add the fresh yeast and sugar, and mix until it liquefies. Dissolve it in ¼ cup (60ml) water.

In a large bowl, add the flour, the dissolved yeast mixture, the remaining ½ cup + 1 tablespoon (130ml) water, and the overnight starter. Mix to combine, cover, and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, add salt to the dough, and with wet hands, incorporate the salt into the dough. Knead the dough until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and let it rise for 2 hours, stretching and folding it on all four sides every 40 minutes, using wet hands.

How to shape the baguettes

Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured surface and divide it into four pieces. Shape each piece into small logs and sprinkle them with flour. Let them rest for 10-15 minutes.

To shape the baguettes, take a piece of dough and flatten it slightly. Fold the top third into the center and press to seal, then rotate 180 degrees and fold the other third. Seal the edges with your fingers or the heel of your hand. Roll the dough slightly starting from the center to the edges to elongate it, pressing on the edges. Transfer the baguette to a floured parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

Sprinkle the baguettes with flour and create a little border by lifting the parchment paper between the baguettes. Place a rolled kitchen towel between them to help the baguettes keep their shape, then cover with another kitchen towel. Let the baguettes rest for 40-45 minutes.

How to bake these homemade baguettes

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 470°F (240°C) and place a baking tray on the bottom of the oven.

After the resting period, straighten the parchment paper and slash the tops of the baguettes several times with a bread lame or sharp knife. Spray the baguettes with water.

Transfer the baguettes to the oven and pour hot water onto the preheated baking tray to create steam. Bake the baguettes for 10 minutes with steam.

Remove the baking tray with the remaining water, and continue baking for 15-20 minutes more until the baguettes are deep golden brown and crisp.

Let them cool slightly before serving.

Hope you will give this recipe a try and enjoy these as much as we did. If you do, make sure to share the photos with me on Instagram. Would love to see how these turn out for you.

For more bread ideas check our full collection of Bread Recipes.

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Homemade Baguettes

5 from 1 vote

If you love making bread recipes you should try this easy recipe for crusty golden homemade baguettes. The smell of these homemade baguettes while they bake and the crispy crust and soft crumb makes them hard to resist.

Servings 4 servings

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

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Ingredients

  

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Overnight Starter

• 1 ¼ cup (160g) all purpose flour (type 55)
• 2/3 cup (160ml) water
• 0.6g fresh yeast (pinch of instant/active dry yeast)

Final Dough

• 2 ⅔ cups (330g) all purpose flour (type 55)
• 7 g fresh yeast ( 1/2 tsp (2g) instant or active dry yeast)
• 1/2 tsp (2.5g) sugar
• overnight starter
• 3/4 cup +1 tbsp (190ml) water
• 1 ½ tsp (8g) salt

Instructions

 

First prepare the overnight starter.

• In a medium bowl dissolve yeast in water and then add flour. Mix to combine. Cover and let rise for 12-14 hours at room temperature until raised in volume and bubbly.

Prepare the final dough.

• In a small bowl add the fresh yeast and sugar and mix until it liquefies. Dissolve in ¼ cup (60ml) water. (If using dried yeast simply mix the yeast with the flour).
• In a large bowl add flour, the dissolved yeast, remaining ½ cup+ 1 tbsp (130ml) water and the overnight starter. Mix to combine. Cover and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
• Add salt and with wet hands incorporate the salt into the dough. Knead the dough until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
• Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and let rise for 2 hours,stretching and folding on 4 sides, every 40 minutes, using wet hands.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Divide it in four pieces. Shape them into small logs. Sprinkle the logs with flour and let rest for 10-15 minutes.

How to shape the baguettes.

• Finally shape each piece into a baguette. Take a piece of dough and flatten slightly.
• Fold the top third into the centre and press to seal, using your fingers.
• Rotate 180 degrees and fold the other third. Seal the edges with your fingers or with the heel of your hand.
• Slightly roll the dough starting from the center to the edges, to elongate the dough and pressing on the edges.
• Transfer the baguette to a floured parchment paper lined baking sheet.
• Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
• Sprinkle the baguettes with flour and create a little border by lifting the parchment paper between baguettes.
• After all four baguettes are on the baking sheet, add a rolled kitchen towel to help the baguettes keep their shape. Cover with a kitchen towel.
• Let the baguettes rest for 40-45 minutes.

How to bake the baguettes.

• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 470°F (240°C) and place a baking tray on the bottom of the oven.
• Straighten the parchment paper and slash the tops several times with a bread lame or sharp knife. Spray the baguettes with water.
• Transfer to the oven and pour hot water on the preheated baking tray to create steam.
• Bake the baguettes for 10 minutes with steam.
• Remove the baking tray with remaining water.
• Continue baking for 15-20 minutes more until deep golden brown and crisp.
• Let cool slightly and enjoy!

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1 baguetteCalories: 454kcalCarbohydrates: 94.8gProtein: 13.4gFat: 1.3gSaturated Fat: 0.2gSugar: 1g

Calories: 454kcal

Course: Bread, Breakfast

Cuisine: French

Keyword: baguettes, bread recipes, easy baguettes, homemade baguettes, homemade bread, polis, starter