About This Recipe
What are baguettes?
A baguette is a long, thin loaf of French bread characterized by its crusty exterior and soft interior. Baguettes can be sliced and used for sandwiches, served as a side with soups and salads, or simply enjoyed on their own with butter or cheese.
What I love about this recipe:
The process for this bread is simple and straight-forward. There are only four ingredients: flour, water, salt, and sourdough starter. Four folds make up the strengthening process, a hands on experience that will forever be my favorite. This dough can be refrigerated to increase flexibility. The open bake method is simple, using a hot oven and a pan of boiling water to create sufficient steam, allowing the baguettes to puff up to bread perfection.
Why this recipe works
Bread flour
This is such an important component that cannot be skipped over! Flour affects the dough and end result so much. Because this dough has a hydration of over 70% (that means it has a good amount of water!) it needs a strong flour to lend the best results. The flour will help the gluten develop through folds, and will give the loaf it’s beautiful shape. My personal favorite is King Arthur Bread Flour, but any bread flour should do.
Hydration
This is a wet dough, resting at a hydration of approximately 78%. The wet batter is an important contribution to the final crumb of the loaf, in combination with proper shaping and baking. Read more about dough hydration here.
Gluten Development
This dough does not include any sort of enrichments, and so the gluten is easily developed by hand. Here, I use a series of intervaled folds to gently work the gluten, creating the structure and elasticity needed for the baguette to keep shape, plus hold in air bubbles beautifully.
Bulk Fermentation
I have found that bulk fermentation for this recipe is incredibly flexible. I prefer a longer fermentation, but a shorter fermentation will still yield desirable results. Anywhere from a 50-100% size increase on the first rise is acceptable, and will produce gorgeous baguettes.
Cold Bulk Fermentation
Though placing the dough in the fridge isn’t necessary, I find it creates a deeper flavor and adds flexibility to the baking timeline. It is essential that this happens before the dough is shaped and resting for its final proof, as a room temperature dough is necessary for a proper oven spring in this recipe.
Shaping
This dough is gently shaped in two intervals: a pre-shape and a final shape. The pre-shape is necessary in this recipe, as it sets the dough up just right for the final shaping of each baguette to happen with ease. The final shape consists of a smooth and gentle process to elongate the round into its final form.
Room Temperature Dough
For this recipe, a room temperature dough is essential to obtaining the proper oven spring. The combination of room temperature dough + a very hot oven will create an exploding effect that will help the bread expand and create a beautiful open and even crumb.
Scoring
Though I still have not mastered the perfect baguette “ear,” I have found it is most effective to score the loaf in long lines down the middle, rather than scoring at an angle from side to side. The baguette will open and expand beautifully this way. Since the dough is at room temperature, it will be a bit more difficult to score, but a simple, quick slash will slice the dough efficiently, without too much pulling.
Baking Method: Steam
Open baking can seem very difficult and complicated, but it does not have to be. Many people are afraid of it because of the potential for steam escape, causing the crust of their loaves to become thick and hard. Steam, and steaming method, is very important for success. There are two things necessary to creating the perfect environment in an open bake setting. First, it is essential to have a continuous steam. A pan of boiling water does this perfectly. The water goes into the oven hot and steamy, and it stays hot and steamy in the very hot oven, providing a long and continuous steam. Eventually, this steam must be removed, or it will prohibit the baguettes from forming a nice, crispy crust. Second, and this part is optional, it can be helpful to have an initial steam blast. This can be done by tossing just a few (four to five) ice cubes into the bottom of the oven, which will quickly blast steam and melt in the oven’s high heat. Altogether, steam is important to keeping the dough soft in the hot oven as it expands. This allows the dough to expand to its fullest before the heat of the oven causes the exterior to harden. Because steam softens, it is important to remove the steam, specifically for this recipe, as the goal is a crispy exterior, not a soft one. Once expansion is complete, the oven alone can be left to do its work of fully baking the baguette and crisping up the outside.
Baking Method: oven Temperature
For this recipe, we want things to be very hot, but not so hot that the baguettes burn before they are finished baking. Preheating the oven to 500 F ensures a very hot oven, well-heated stone, and proper oven spring. Meanwhile, actually baking the baguettes at 450 F is the perfect temperature to bake them fully and completely, getting the perfect crispy outside without burning anything.
Suggested Baking Timeline
8 AM (Day 1)
+Mix the dough
8:30 AM - 10 AM (Day 1)
+Stretch and fold the dough
10 AM (Day 1)
+Bulk ferment the dough
3-5 PM (Day 1)
+Transfer to refrigerator overnight
8 AM (Day 2)
+Preshape the dough
8:30 AM (Day 2)
+Shape the dough
+Preheat the oven
10 AM (Day 2)
+Bake and enjoy!
Suggested Work Day Baking Timeline
5 PM (Day 1)
+Mix the dough
5:30 PM - 7 PM (Day 1)
+Stretch and fold the dough
7 PM (Day 1)
+Bulk ferment the dough
Before bed (Day 1)
+Transfer to refrigerator overnight
5 PM (Day 2)
+Preshape the dough
5:30 PM (Day 2)
+Shape the dough
+Preheat the oven
7 PM (Day 2)
+Bake and enjoy!
Suggested All-in-one Day Baking Timeline
8 AM
+Mix the dough
8:30 AM - 10 AM
+Stretch and fold the dough
10 AM
+Bulk ferment the dough
3-5 PM
+Preshape the dough
3:30-5:30 PM
+Shape the dough
+Preheat the oven
5-7 PM
+Bake and enjoy!
FAQs
My dough is just not holding together like yours, even after the folds. What could I be doing wrong?
It’s likely your flour may not be strong enough. You have two options: either increase the amount of flour or switch to a flour with a higher protein content. I highly recommend bread flour for this recipe, though it can be made with all-purpose by simply adding more flour.
Can I shape the dough and then refrigerate?
This is an option; however, it is important that your dough is room temperature before it goes into the oven. If you choose this option, let your shaped baguettes sit out at room temperature for a couple of hours while your oven preheats before baking them.
I don't have a baking stone. Can I just bake them on a baking sheet?
Absolutely! A baking stone is ideal for baking baguettes, but is not necessary for success. If you do not own a baking stone, simply use a 9X13 baking sheet, and do not preheat it. Just make sure your oven is still very hot to provide the proper spring on the baguettes. Beware that the baking sheet is likely to get very hot in the oven, and there is more potential for the bottom of the baguettes to burn, so watch carefully.
Sourdough Baguettes
Course: Lunch, Dinner, Snack, SideCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Intermediate25
minutes24
hours35
minutes3
baguettesA baguette is a long, thin loaf of French bread characterized by its crusty exterior and soft interior. Baguettes can be sliced and used for sandwiches, served as a side with soups and salads, or simply enjoyed on their own with butter or cheese.
Ingredients
350 g filtered water (1 1/2 cups)
100-130 g active starter (1/2 cup)
465 g bread flour (3 3/4 cups)
10 g salt (1 1/2 tsp)
Directions
Mix all the ingredients together. Cover the dough with a lid, damp towel, or plastic cling wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Strengthen the dough: Thirty minutes after mixing, begin four sets of folds, spaced thirty minutes apart. I like to perform two sets of stretch and folds followed by two sets of coil folds, but you can do all stretch and folds or all coil folds if you prefer.
To stretch and fold the dough: Pull the dough up as far as it will go without tearing and then fold it completely over to the other side. Perform one fold in each cardinal direction before covering the dough and allowing it to rest once more.
To coil fold the dough: Pull the dough up from the middle, stretching up as far as it will go. Then, fold the dough under itself in each cardinal direction before covering the dough and allowing it to rest once more.
Bulk fermentation: After folds are complete, allow the dough to rest until it has increased in volume by at least 50% (or up to 100%) and is showing nice bubbles on top. At this point, you can refrigerate the dough or shape it right away.
Preshape: Divide the dough into three equal sections, about 315 g each. Preshape each section into a round. To do this, pull the dough toward you, using your pinkies to tuck the dough under itself and tighten the surface (see 3:09 in video). Repeat until a nice, gentle round is formed. Rest 30 minutes.
Shape the dough into a baguette (see 3:58 in video). To do this, fold the top and bottom of the dough toward the middle, gently pressing the dough to seal. Next, fold the dough in half two times. Use your thumb to mark the middle and the heel of your palm to help you seal the dough. Pinch any seams closed. Last, very gently roll the dough out to elongate and complete the baguette shape. Transfer each baguette to a couche or large kitchen towel lightly dusted with rice flour (to prevent sticking). Fold the material up between each baguette and on the ends to help your baguettes hold their elongated shape (see 5:27 in video). Rest 1-2 more hours.
While the baguettes are resting, place a baking stone on the top oven rack. Preheat your oven to 500 F for one hour before baking the baguettes. (A baking sheet will also work fine, but does not have to be preheated).
When your dough is ready to bake, boil some water in a tea kettle or on the stovetop. Add to an oven-safe, water-safe loaf pan and place on the rack below the baking stone.
Transfer the baguettes from the couche to a piece of parchment paper. Score the baguettes 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, then transfer to the preheated baking stone.
Bake the baguettes at 450 F for 20 minutes with the steam. Optionally, add four to five ice cubes to the bottom of the oven as soon as baking starts for an additional steam blast.
After 20 minutes, remove the pan of water and continue baking 15-20 minutes more, until the baguettes are a deep golden and the outside has crisped nicely.
Cool the baguettes for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Enjoy!
How to store: Store in a Ziploc bag on the counter for three to five days, or slice and store in the freezer.
To reheat: From room temperature, toast 2-3 minutes. From frozen, toast 4-5 minutes. I do this in my air fryer at 400 F.
Watch the Video
Notes
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