Description
Golden, crispy on the outside, light and airy on the inside—this traditional French baguette recipe uses minimal ingredients but rewards patience with bakery-quality results. With a chewy, structured crumb and that iconic shattering crust, it’s the perfect bread for soups, cheese boards, and your everyday table. Using a poolish adds rich flavor and artisanal texture, but even the direct method will produce a rustic, crusty loaf that rivals anything from a Parisian bakery. This recipe is detailed for success—even first-time bakers can master it with a little care and practice.
Ingredients
500g bread flour
350g water (plus 150g for poolish)
1 tsp active dry yeast (plus a pinch for poolish)
2 tsp fine sea salt
Optional Poolish:
150g bread flour
150g water
Pinch of yeast
Instructions
- Make the poolish: Mix flour, water, and yeast. Rest overnight.
- Combine all ingredients and autolyse (rest 30 mins).
- Knead until smooth, then rest, stretch, and fold every 30 minutes for 2 hours.
- Divide dough, pre-shape into ovals, and rest 20 minutes.
- Final shape into baguette forms and proof for 1.5–2 hours.
- Score with lame and bake on preheated stone with steam for 20–25 minutes.
- Cool on wire rack at least 1 hour before slicing.
Notes
Use a baking stone and steam for best crust.
Practice shaping technique for better results.
Let the bread cool fully before cutting—it finishes setting outside the oven.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: french
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ~75g
- Calories: 180