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French Baguette Recipe

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4.3 from 6 reviews

This French Baguette recipe is simple yet incredibly effective, yielding two classic loaves with a delightfully crusty exterior and a soft, tender interior. Perfect for satisfying any bread craving, this homemade baguette is crafted with minimal ingredients and traditional techniques, including a long proofing period and high-temperature baking with steam to achieve that authentic bakery-quality crust.

  • Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: 2 loaves

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 ⅔ cups warm water
  • 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
  • 2 tablespoons honey

Dry Ingredients

  • 3-4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

  1. Make the Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together warm water, active dry yeast, and honey. Cover with a towel and let it sit until the mixture is bubbly and foamy on top, indicating active yeast. Add the flour and salt, then mix with a dough hook on medium-low until the dough begins to come together. Add more flour ¼ cup at a time if the dough is too wet, aiming for a tacky but not sticky consistency. Knead the dough either in the mixer at medium speed for 5 minutes or by hand on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic.
  2. Rise the Dough: Place the kneaded dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover it, and allow it to double in size over about 1 hour. Punch down the dough to expel air, fold over a few times, return to the bowl, cover again, and let it rise for another hour until doubled in size.
  3. Shape and Final Rise: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and expel the air once more. Divide the dough into two pieces and shape them into loose logs. Cover and let them rest for 30 minutes. Then roll each loaf into an 18-inch cylinder, tapering the ends into points. Place the shaped baguettes seam side down on parchment-lined baking sheets and cover. Let the baguettes rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425°F with racks placed at the bottom and middle positions and a small metal pan at the bottom rack for steam.
  4. Bake: Score each baguette with 4-5 diagonal slits using a very sharp knife or razor to help with expansion during baking. Place the pans on the middle rack, toss a few ice cubes into the hot pan at the bottom of the oven to create steam, and quickly close the door to trap the steam. Bake for 15 minutes. If the crust needs more color, remove baguettes from pans and directly place them on the oven rack for an additional 3-5 minutes until a rich golden brown hue develops. Remove from oven and cool completely before slicing.

Notes

  • Adjust the flour amount as needed to achieve the right dough consistency; it should feel tacky but not overly sticky or dry.
  • Creating steam in the oven is key for a crispy, crusty baguette exterior.
  • Be patient with the multiple rises to develop flavor and structure in the bread.
  • Use a very sharp knife or razor blade for scoring to avoid tearing the dough.
  • Do not skip the final cooling step to ensure the crumb sets properly before slicing.
  • Author: admin
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: French
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Find it online: https://avascooking.com/french-baguette-recipe/