Homemade French Baguette Recipe
A chewy, crisp crust and a soft middle, that’s what this Homemade French Baguette has to offer! It’s made with just 2g of yeast, and does not require an electric mixer and is considered a no-knead bread recipe! Make these baguettes with einkorn flour or any all-purpose wheat flour!
Servings 3 loaves
Calories 585kcal
Cost $5
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup water room temperature
- 2 g instant yeast
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (480g) we use einkorn
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add flour, yeast, and salt. Add room temperature water and stir until everything is just incorporated. It should still be sticky and there will be some flour showing in places. That’s ok!
- Cover the bowl with a plate or plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold the dough at each “corner” (4 times total) and cover again for 30 minutes. Repeat that process twice more for a total of 3 stretch and fold sessions.
- Transfer the dough to a clean bowl. Cover and keep it in the refrigerator overnight for 12-14 hours.
The next day:
- Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface, gently stretch it into a square, and divide it into 3 equal pieces. You can divide it into smaller pieces if you want smaller baguettes or rolls!
- Gently fold each piece in half, lengthwise, and let them rest for 45 minutes.
- One at a time, place each portion on a floured counter with the seam running north-south. Then fold the top half to the center and gently press. Flip over the dough and repeat the same process (the bottom is now on the top). Fold the dough in half again, along the same line, and gently seal the edge.
- Roll the dough gently into a long piece, about 1-2″ in diameter. Repeat with remaining pieces.
- Transfer the baguettes onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Rest for 30 minutes. Pre-heat your oven to 485°F. Fill a mist spray bottle with water.
- Using a sharp knife or razor, score the surface of the baguettes several times, in your desired pattern.
- Place the baking tray in the oven and spray the dough with a mist spray bottle of water 3-5x total before closing the door. Set a timer for 17-20 minutes (depending on the size) and bake until deep golden brown.
- NOTE: Every 3-5 minutes during the baking process, spray into the oven above the dough about 5 times. This will create the perfect crust!
Notes
Creating the Perfect Crust
One of the hallmarks of the perfect baguette is a chewy, crunchy crust, while the inside is soft and fluffy. To achieve this, many people recommend putting a few ice cubes into the oven (in a pan) during the baking process. Theoretically, this allows a steady supply of steam to help the crust form properly. Maybe it’s my oven, maybe it’s my weather… but whatever the reason, this method is not something that has worked consistently for me. So instead, I use a new, clean spray bottle filled with water. This gives control over how much water is in the oven at a time, and keeps the bread from over-hydrating at the wrong time and getting too soggy! The full directions on how to use the spray bottle are listed above, but just know that you will need one during the baking process!Nutrition
Serving: 1loaf | Calories: 585kcal | Carbohydrates: 122g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 1172mg | Potassium: 178mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 7mg