There is nothing like a freshly baked French baguette on a Sunday morning. Or any morning for that matter. Crusty and beautifully colored on the outside, buttery soft and chewy on the inside, with a tiny bit of butter - it's one of my favorite breakfast foods.
Baguettes took me the longest to master. Perhaps it's because my bread baking adventure started (many years ago) right after I baked my second loaf of no-knead bread and I lacked the necessary experience. So many factors here that can affect how your baguette will look and taste.
What French baguettes are made of?
A traditional French baguette is made of flour, water, yeast and salt. It's fascinating how these four simple ingredients produce a beautiful, flavorful, crusty baguette. What's even more fascinating is how different bakers, using the same ingredients, can make baguettes that differ from each other quite substantially sometimes.
Up to about a century ago making bread with natural leaven was the rule for bakers in France. Later it was a mix of natural leaven and baker's yeast, which made the crumb lighter and more open. Lately, many bakeries seek efficiencies and switch to using baker's yeast as using natural leavens requires more work.
Other factors that define a baguette's appearance and taste
As was mentioned above, many French baguettes, while using the same ingredients, differ in appearance and taste. This is largely due to the process that is employed. You can make the dough rise very quickly using warm water and warm ambient temperature but it will lack flavor. Slowing down the fermentation process, known as cold retarding, results in complex flavor and improved taste. Thus, how you ferment the dough, how long you retard it, how you proof it, how you shape, score and bake it - all contribute to how the final product looks and tastes.
Baguette making process
This baguette recipe uses baker's yeast and is influenced by the method used by Anis Bouabsa, winner of the 2008 Best Baguette in Paris contest. In an interview, Anis mentioned using baguette dough that has 75% hydration (meaning the ratio of water to flour), very little yeast, hardly kneaded, folded three times in one hour then placed in the fridge for 21 hours. He also added that baguettes are not fully risen when placed in the oven, it is the wet dough and the very, very hot oven (480F) that make baguettes get the volume.
The ingredients
In this recipe, I use King Arthur all-purpose flour, very commonly used for baguette making among home baking enthusiasts, water, yeast, and salt. I also add a bit of honey. This is a big no-no for baguette purists, but that little hint of sweetness is what everyone I baked my baguettes for liked.
The equipment
The essential pieces of equipment to make a great-tasting baguette are an oven and a baking stone. You want a large and, importantly, thick baking stone. It won't crack easily and will promote a much better oven spring for your baguettes. Like this heavy duty baking stone. Even better, go to your local pottery supply store and get a Cordierite kiln shelf. They are thicker and can withstand spills with aplomb. You can also get one cut to your specifications.
Another piece of equipment that is extremely helpful is the Baker's Couche that you will need for proofing. I used to get away without one for a long time but they are so effective and convenient, and in very inexpensive nowadays.
A bread lame is another tool you will be glad you have. It's essential for scoring baguettes. I can use a serrated bread knife to make pretty good scores, but a lame will be much easier for novice bakers.
Finally, you will need a large pizza shovel or something similar to load baguettes in the oven. I find that the easiest way to do it is to place the baguettes on a large piece of parchment paper, score then slide on the baking stone.
Mixing the dough and stretch and folds
The first step is to mix all ingredients in a bowl and let sit for about 10 minutes, followed by 3 stretches and folds over a period of 1 1/2 hours, about every 30-45 minutes or so. In each stretch and fold iteration, pull one side of the dough and fold onto itself. At the end of each iteration, I pick up the dough ball and turn it upside down.
Do this in a warm room to get yeast activity going, otherwise the dough will have a hard time rising in the fridge. Examine the surface of the dough before putting it in the fridge and look for tiny blisters and a slight sour milk smell. If you observe both, then the dough is ready to go in the fridge. If not, I let it sit at room temperature for another 1/2 to 1 hour.
Cold retarding
Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap to prevent the surface from drying out and place in the fridge for 12 hours. After 12 hours the dough will have doubled in volume. If not quite doubled, take it out and let stand in a warm place for 1-2 hours. The oven with the light on is warm enough for this purpose. Alternatively, you could let the dough ferment in the fridge for another 8-10 hours.
Preheating the oven and steaming
Sometime after taking the dough out of the fridge, start preheating the oven to 500F, with a baking stone positioned in the upper part of the oven and a small bread pan with hot water and a rolled kitchen towel inside, on the lower rack. Position your baking stone such that the short side is parallel to the door. Water pan is needed for consistent steam release during baking to help the baguettes rise nicely in the oven (also referred to as oven spring) and prevent surface hardening. The towel helps control steam release.
Shaping baguettes
Turn the dough on a lightly floured surface. Divide into 3 equal pieces, shape into rectangles and let relax for 45-60 minutes.
Stretch into rectangles and roll each rectangle as shown below. Start with the longer side, fold it inside the rectangle and seal the seam with your thumb. Do it tightly enough but being careful not to degas the dough. Repeat two more times until you formed a cylinder.
Seal the seams using your palm and stretch the cylinder to desired length by gently rolling it with your hands.
Proofing
Cover with flour (a mix of regular flour and rice flour works best as rice flour does not absorb water too well and prevents sticking) and place on a baker's couche, seam side up. Let proof for 30-60 minutes at room temperature. You can tell that the dough is ready for baking by a gentle poke with a finger. If the dough is sufficiently proofed the indentation springs back very slowly. If it’s under-proofed, the dough will spring back quickly. You can read more about this and see pictures in the Basic Artisan Sourdough Bread post.
Scoring
Transfer the baguettes onto a piece of parchment paper, seam side down, and dust off excess flour. Using a bread lame or a razor blade, make 3 cuts, in a gentle but firm motion. Bakers call this scoring. If the baguettes keep sliding when making cuts, hold them with one hand at the top end and make cuts from top to bottom. Scoring baguettes helps them open up and nicely rise in the oven, or as bakers call it to have an oven spring.
Loading baguettes in the oven
Once the baguettes are ready to bake, simply slide them off with the parchment paper onto the hot baking stone. Be careful with opening your preheated oven, it will be hot and steamy and may burn your face if you are too close when opening the door. Using a water spray bottle, spray some water in the sides of the oven to boost the steam.
Baking
Once your baguettes are in the oven, reduce the temperature to 475F. Bake for about 15 minutes, remove the water pan, rotate and bake another 15 minutes at 450F, until deep golden brown.

Ingredients
- 500 g all purpose flour King Arthur brand is recommended about 3 1/2 cups, using 'scoop and swipe' method
- 360 g water about 1 1/2 cups + 1 Tbsp
- 10 g salt about 2 tsp
- 3 g instant yeast about 1 tsp; also known as Quick Rise or Rapid Rise yeast
- 25 g honey about 1 Tbsp
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl, cover with a plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Over a period of 1 1/2 hours, do 3 sets of stretch and folds, flipping the dough upside down after each set.
- Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight for about 12-14 hours.
- Turn the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 3 equal parts and shape into rectangles. Cover and let rest for 45-60 minutes.
- Starting preheating the oven to 500F, with a baking stone positioned in the upper half the oven and a bread pan filled with hot water on the bottom rack.
- Stretch each dough rectangle slightly and fold into a cylinder, sealing the seams. Using your hands, roll the cylinders gently stretching them to desired length, about 14-15 inches.
- Place on a lightly floured couche, seam side up. Cover and proof at a room temperature for about 30-60 minutes, or until the dough has sufficiently proofed.
- Transfer the baguettes to a piece of parchment paper, seam side down and dust off excess flour. Using a bread lame, a sharp knife or a razor blade, make 3 scores on each baguette. When scoring, use a swift and firm motion to ensure nice and clean cuts.
- Open the oven, taking caution not to get burned by steam, and slide the baguettes off onto the baking stone. Close the oven and reduce temperature to 475F. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the water pan, rotate the baguettes, drop the temperature to 450F and continue baking for another 15 minutes or until deep golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
Oh, and don't forget to try my favorite Neapolitan pizza dough recipe. It makes exceptionally good pizza crust.
Steve C
Born and raised on Brooklyn NY Italian Bread. This recipe actually is the closest bread I have found to the bread I grew up on. I substituted one tbsp of water for the honey. I tried the 16 hour cold proof vs four hours of folding my dough every 45 min or so. Honestly there was not much difference. Absolutely love this bread recipe.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Glad to hear it, Steve. Enjoy!
Vince
The first recipe that resulted in a wonderfully open crumb. Thanks Victor!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Glad to hear it, Vince. Enjoy!
May
Hi. The recipe is fantastic, Thank You. I've made the baguettes several times. The only thing I can't get right is after cutting the slits, they seem to seal up and does not create those beautiful cracks seen on the baguettes. I weight everything out including the water and follows the recipe to the "t". My dough is very sticky and during the slitting process the dough is pulled and sticks to the lame. Any hints on this would be appreciated. Thanks
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
May, increase hydration by 3% (or more if needed), that should help with stickiness. Sometimes it's just a matter of getting used to working with more hydrated dough. Once you are comfortable with lower hydrration, you can work your way back up. Or stay there if you are happy with the results. Happy baking!
Jocelyn
You mentioned the short side of the stone be parallel to the door. Your picture shows otherwise. I’ve always had the Long side parallel to the door since it won’t fit the other direction
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Jocelyn, I can't recall where I said that, but I clearly mis-sppoke or maybe was talking about something else. I have a 21" x 16" stone, I wouldn't be able to position it with shorter side parallel to the door and be able to close the door:)
Lorraine
Super easy recipe! I have made this twice using bread flour and they turned out excellent. They also freeze well. I take a loaf out and let it thaw then toss is a hot oven for 5 to 7 minutes. Taste just like fresh baked! Thanks for the great recipe!!!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome. Enjoy!
Chris
Made these with strong bread flour (excellent results) then tried it with traditional T65 French bread flour. Astounding. Took me back to being a kid on holiday in Southern France. Flavour, texture, crunchy crust the lot! Using the latest batch to dunk in some mussels tomorrow…😋😋😋
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Happy to hear it. Enjoy!
Isabelle
Just made this bread and it turned out amazing. I thought this type of bread would be harder to make, but it was super easy. Thanks for this and the step by step instructions.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome Enjoy!
Dave
Ok, total newbe here. The stretch and folds after mixing ingredients. It appears that you say only touch the dough one time (lift one side and fold under, then pickup the dough and turn upside down) per iteration. Am I reading that right? So really only 3 lift and fold actions over the hour and a half.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
No, you lift and stretch 4 times each S&F time. Check out my recipe and video for focaccia. You can get a better idea how I do it.
Rhoda Zingale
I have a question for this forum. I purchased eikorn all purpose flour and can't seem to work with it. My breads are very dense, cookies look and taste weird. I use the whole wheat flour in most breads, but only us about 100 grams as it too seems to change the texture. I love the concept of this healthy ancient grain, but have had no success with the all purpose and have 15 lbs of it.
Anybody know how to use this?
Rhoda Zingale
Came out perfect first time around. So glad I found this site. Will be making the sourdough rye next. I am a crazy bread maker, so sourdough starter is always on hand. So simple to make these baguettes just need time.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Enjoy!
STEPHANIE
I have Active Dry Yeast. Do I need to dissolve 1 tsp in warm water before adding to dry ingredients or do I add 1 tsp of (undissolved) yeast and use warm water?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in warm water and activated (need to see foam cap appear) before adding to the rest of the ingredients. Hope this helps. Good luck.
Newbie
Can I make two larger baguettes or is there a size where the insides don’t cook properly?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
That's a fantastic question. I've noticed this many times, when I take dough from one recipe and shape it or bake it differently, the texture and the taste become vastly different. I've baked this dough as one large batard and it made a great bread, but it tasted nothing like baguettes. As far as cooking properly, they will cook just fine, you may need to add a few minutes of baking time, it's not an issue. Good luck!
Katie B
These are amazing. I made them last week and loved them so much that I decided I needed to make them again. I sent some with my sister and she thought they were delicious. I have plans to try your Neapolitan pizza dough this week, because it's all I keep thinking about since I saw it last week. Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are welcome, Katie. Enjoy!
Farida
Hi, this looks great! What temperatures would you recommend for convection baking?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
The usual recommendation is 25F lower. I don't use convection for any of my breads though.
April
This bread recipe is so delicious. I’ve made it several times for meatball subs, Italian subs, and bread for soup night. Thank you for the amazing recipe.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Enjoy! Happy baking!
GJohnson
How do I preserve the crispy crust when I make it to give away or store in my freezer? It seems I loose the crispy crust when I wrap it once cooled and put in a ziplock bag. I love the recipe!
Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
To be honest, the only way I know to do that is to bake fresh baguettes 😉 They are best fresh hot out of the oven. I let them cool all the way down, then wrap them tightly in Saran wrap and store them at room temp. Most are devoured before then ha-ha. Happy baking!
Janet
I made baguettes before using another recipe but the dough was very difficult to work with and almost impossible to shape. Your recipe is fabulous! The dough was wonderful to work with and the bread was delicious 😋. Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are welcome. Glad to hear that you had success with my baguette recipe, Janet. Happy baking!
Georgianne
How do I keep the crisp crust? It seems like once they cool and you wrap them, they go soft. They still taste great. I want to make some ahead for family, but I want the nice crisp crust. I guess I would have the same problem when I keep some in the freezer? Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome. Yeah, as I mentioned before, the crispiness is hard to preserve. I've noticed that if you let them cool down uncut, they soften up. The same is true for any bread. If you cut it in half while hot, a lot of steam will escape. That moisture is what softens the bread up during cooling. If you cut them right after baking, they will be less soft. Perhaps you can try that but there are downsides to that option as well.
Liz Bulasko
Hi, I made a different recipe recently which also used the cold fermentation method - and a tiny bit of honey - and it turned out great! Now I'd like to try yours this weekend. My only issue with the other recipe was that I don't have a stone so I used a heavy cast-iron griddle and the baguettes were just starting to burn a tiny bit on the bottom. Her recipe called for preheating the oven to 500 and then turning it down to 450 after the baguettes went in. Before I invest in a stone, I was thinking of trying a baking sheet turned upside down. Thoughts about that? A lot of recipes seem to call for a baking sheet rather than a stone. Even the King Arthur site gives that as one of several options. Thanks...
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Sorry, I have no idea about the other person's recipe specifics. There are many ways to make a great baguette, mine is just one of them.
Liz Bulasko
I was asking about whether the baking sheet turned upside down would work with your recipe. Anyway, I made your recipe that way a few weeks ago and it turned out great! So many reviews of baking stones say they cracked on first use...I may look into contacting a pottery supply store, as you suggested.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Happy to hear it, Liz. Yes, you can have a baking sheet or, better yet, you can stack several for more stored heat, which will potentially give you a better oven spring. That probably matters less so for baguettes them being relatively skinny compared to a large loaf of bread, where you must use a good, thick baking stone. Please, understand that we all speak coming from our own experiences, standards, and needs. So, when I say you need a baking stone may not be necessarily true for someone who bakes baguettes 2-3 times a year. I also bake a lot of things on a stone, from baguettes, to Uzbek obi-non bread, to focaccia, to large 3-5 lbs loaves of bread, and much more. A stone for me is indispensable.
Getting a kiln shelf from a pottery store is probably one of the best choices, if not the best if you want to get a stone, as opposed to baking steel which I am not very familiar with. Those kiln shelves are very thick and rarely break. I've had mine for many years, had spills and what not, and it's still going strong. Another great thing about them is that I asked to cut mine to the exact measurement and they did, I think mine is 21" by 16", which allows me to bake 3 long baguettes of a pretty standard length of 55-65 cm, or close to that. I use a larger oven now, so I could probably go to 22" but the extra benefit will be little anyway. I am veyr happy with mine.
Amazon baking stones are not created equal. Some are very thin and crack easily. I went through 2-3 of them before I got a heavy duty one, it was thicker, and it lasted me a lot longer, but I also learned by that time to take a better care of it, no spills of any kind, etc. I replaced it with a kiln shelf as I wanted something much more durable as I bake a lot and I don't want to tip-toe around my stone, it's a tool, not some delicate flower that you should take gentle care of.
Mel
I would say to go for the baking stone or a pizza steel. They are well worth the money and work well for breads And pizzas. I have both and wouldn’t want to be without. O don’t have top of the line but they are elk seasoned and I’ve had the stone for close to ten years.
devon
You honestly do not need a stone... you can use a cookie sheet... and put it in your oven while it pre heats and then slide your baguettes on to them.. .it works just fine. Also go to your local goodwill or thrift shop to buy a stone...
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
For optimal results, you need something that will provide enough stored heat to ensure a proper oven spring. A cookie sheet is not enough, IMHO. A stack of several cookie sheets will work OK based on my experiments in the past. If you search the comments, you will find more information on this. A baking stone or steel would be ideal. That said, if you are happy with the results from baking on a cookie sheet, that's all that matters.
Cheryl fong
I’m Terrible at shaping but these were great instructions! I didn’t add the honey since I deemed it optional but the dough was lovely and bubbly and stretchy. Since I sew, I just quickly cut a rectangle of heavy linen for the baguettes to rest on! Loving it!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Happy to hear it, Chery. It makes my day when my readers, especially those who are new or somewhat new to bread baking, succeed with my recipes. That's my main goal. There is nothing like well-made homemade bread, especially when it's fresh hot out of the oven. It's almost impossible to buy anywhere here. I used to live in Germany and we had a small bakery right around the corner from my building. I'd go there every morning and get the freshest, the most delicious bread I had ever experienced in my life. It spoiled me so much that when I moved, I had to start baking my own bread. LOL
Steve
Absolutely fabulous recipe. Made baguettes for Easter dinner, and family and friends couldn’t stop talking about how great they were. And these are all people who have lived in and/or traveled to countries where fresh baguettes are a staple. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, as well as graciously answering people’s questions.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, Steve. So happy to hear it. Enjoy!
Brittany
Hello,
Question…can you let the dough cold retard past 14 hours? I plan on prepping this evening, but cooking tomorrow night.
Thanks in advance!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Yes, you can. Up to 24 or even 48 hours is fine.
Kathy Ritter
This is an amazing bread recipe. Thank you.
I love that it has very little touch time, but develops flavor over 2 days.
Thank you for sharing.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome. Enjoy!
Arlene
I have T55 flour. Would I change the hydration percentage?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I wouldn't. I use T55 La Milanaise from Quebec with the same hydration, works well.
Steve
Just made this for a large group of family and friends. Having lived in Europe, our standards were pretty high. The recipe is absolutely killer. As good or better than we’ve had in France or Belgium. The recipe is well explained and easy to follow. Everyone loved the baguettes…..there was nothing left but crumbs by the end of dinner. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Glad to hear it, Steve. There is nothing like these baguettes, hot from the oven, with a smidgen of butter on top that melts from the residual heat... oh my... I love making little mini sandwiches with this bread, a little butter, a slice of salami... or a slice of tomato, a basil leaf, and some olive oil with a touch of salt and pepper... delicious!
Abogado Trafico Orange Va
This recipe is great. Love the flavors in this comforting dish! Sometimes I make this and the bread a meal on its own. Love it, it is very fresh.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Enjoy!
Pauline
I have a question…have you ever added sourdough discard to your recipe? If so would you care to share how please?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Pauline, I use sourdough discard to make most of my same-day breads but I haven't tried it with this specific recipe with cold retarding. I did use it to make same-day baguettes though. My starter is 83% hydration so when I add 100-120g to a 500g flour recipe, I just add it on top in stead of substituting it in. I don't bother adjusting the hydration either, only the salt content. I'd usually bump the yeast to 5g if I want faster fermentation and/or use 85F water.
ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΣ ΚΟΝΤΟΣ
Superior taste. I made it twise and it turned out perfect. I use Greek bread flour. Well done Victor you get it right. George.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Thank you for the kind words, George. Enjoy and stay tuned for more of my favorite recipes.
Paolo
I have made these 2 days in a row and the flavor is awesome. Mastering the perfect looking baguette is challenging, luckily it is delicious practice. The thing I am wondering is how long do you let the dough warm up after you take it out of the fridge (after cold fermenting). Thanks, always really enjoy your recipes and feedback.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I don't, I do it exactly as written in the instructions. That said, if the temp in the fridge is too low and the dough did not double in volume, you'd want to let it rest at room temp until it does. This is not typically required.
Linda M
I have been trying many different baguette recipes, and I keep coming back to this one! It is fabulous.
I do have a fine-tuning question. What is the ideal water temperature when you first mix all the ingredients? Instant yeast typically needs warm water between 110 and 115°F to activate. Is it better to get the yeast activated in a small amount of warmer water first, and then add it to the mixing bowl with the rest of the water at room temp water? Or, should I use 80 degree water? Or regular cold water?
Thanks again for this recipe!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Linda, I use water at room temp in this recipe. It's water from a re-mineralizing RO filter that sits under the sink. Instant yeast does not need 100F - 115F to activate. Happy baking!
Linda
I made these today and they turned out awesome. The taste and colour is perfect! However I am beginning to realize I may have an intolerance to gluten. I have searched online for gluten free baguette recipes and I see the ingredients and method is completely different for gluten free. Why is that? Also do you have any ideas for a gluten free recipes. Any help on this would be appreciated.
Thanks so much
Linda
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Linda, thank you for the kinds words about my baguette recipe. I am sorry to hear about your gluten intolerance. I wish I could help but I've never baked any kind of gluten-free bread. I can look through my countless bread books and see what I dig up. If I do, I will email you.
Nancy
Can you please share any gluten-free bread recipes you find, I’m the only one in this family who isn’t gluten intolerant and it’s a challenge to find ‘great bread’ recipes…thanks!
[email protected]
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Let me take a look and see what I can do.
Liz Bulasko
Hi, Victor, I was planning on making this tomorrow with the Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour so I can share a loaf with a neighbor who has gluten issues. My understanding is that the Bob's flour can be used in place of any wheat flour in any recipe...or at least that's what it says on the bag. I hope that's correct! I've used it a lot but never in bread baking...
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I don't have experience with BRM gluten flour so I can't comment on that but do try. Experimenting is the best way of learning and discovering new things. Happy baking!
Georgianne
I am making these for a second time now, but this time for a neighbor with homemade French Onion Soup. The bread is delicious. I just want to double check 2 things…
1). Is the dough suppose to be sticky and stay that way until the rise on the baker’s couche?
2) I have been using table salt —should I have used Kosher salt instead?
Thank you for your wonderful recipe!!!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome.
The dough is sticky initially but strengthens and tightens by the time you are done with stretching and folding. It will remain tacky but not sticky to the point where it sticks to your hands. If you weighed your ingredients, it should be fine. If you used cups, anything goes.
Table salt is OK if you weigh it. If it's too fine and you use spoons to measure it out, you'd need to use a little less. I prefer to use kosher, sea or Himalayan salt.
Good luck!
Katherine
Dear Victor,
Thank you for this recipe. I’ve been cooking and baking my whole life and this is by far the best baguette I’ve had. I use it also for hamburger buns and they take a burger to next level. I am however not happy with the extra lbs on my bathroom scale. Keep up the great work, you are appreciated.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
LOL. You are very welcome, Katherine, and thank you for the kind words. Enjoy!
Patti
When stretching the dough before the cold rise, do you cover your hands in oil or flour to prevent sticking? This is my first time using this recipe but my dough is very sticky. Every ingredient has been weighed to the exact gram. Thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
No, never oil your hands as it will affect the dough. It's sticky initially but the dough will strengthen over time and should be just tacky by the end. If you feel like the dough is too sticky for you to comfortably work with, drop the hydration by about 1-3%. Once you get more comfortable with it, work your way back up... or stay at the lower hydration if you like the results.
Kaitlin
Hello! What would be the best way to freeze this recipe, if at all? Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Kaitlin, I don't freeze my dough or cooked bread so I can't speak to that but search the comments, a number of my readers did that and shared their experience. Good luck!
Lorna
Hello. Can I use regular yeast? We do not often get rapid yeast on the island. Thank you.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Yes, you certainly can. I stopped using traditional dry yeast because of inconsistent results.
Mimi Verdone
Would you increase the amount ?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Considering that it has fewer active cells, it would make sense, though typically, they recommend a 1:1 substitution. But that's not the issue. My experience with traditional yeast was that it would not kick in reliably no matter the amount of yeast. I hydrated it in warm water with some sugar and/or dextrose and still had inconsistent results. Try increasing the amount by 50% and letting it activate in a warm place with some sugar until you see good foaming. You can even make a little starter going by feeding it with a little bit of AP flour, letting it ferment for a few hours, then mixing in the final dough. Yeah, this is a little bit more work but it's a sure way to get spot-on results. You need to experiment and see what works. No need to go to extra lengths though if a simpler approach works. I am all for simplicity as when recipes get complicated I don't make them often or stop making them entirely.
Priyanka Chakraborty
I used active yeast, and as I had halved the ingredients, I used 1.5 gms of yeast, and added it directly to the ingredients mix by mistake. Then I read your reply for the active yeast question, and added another 3 gms to 1 tsp of water and honey, proofed it, and then added to the mix. And then followed all the directions. But before the cold retard, the dough was quite sticky. I added some flour to the dough, and kept for cold retard. Hope it will be good. Fingers crossed.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hope it works out. Good luck!
Lisa S.
These are the best baguettes we've ever had!!! It is so worth being patient.
Tim Robinson
After 2 years of Covid Baking I finally baked the best baguette yet. It's every bit as good as a bakery. Great recipe and technique! Thanks.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are welcome. Enjoy!
Magdalena
Dear Victor,
These baguettes are amazing! I had a perfect result on the first try. I've been battling baguettes for years, with limited success. This is it. You recipe is fantastic. Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, Magdalena. Thank you for the kind word. Enjoy
vj
is there anything i could use instead of a pizza stone?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
A stack of baking sheets will work. You want something that will provide enough stored heat to give the dough a good oven spring. Search the comments, this has been discussed a number of times, you should be able to find what worked for some of my readers without a stone. Good luck.
Yoli
Wow! Thanks Victor for this recipe. They turned out wonderful. I followed the recipe exactly except for the honey. I did pull them out at 25 minutes, though. They were nice and golden brown. Delicious crunchy crust, so yummy. I didn’t score too deep it seems. How deep should the blade go?
Thanks again!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Glad to hear it, Yoli. Thanks for your feedback. I never really measured how deep I score, but I'd say nowadays it's about 1/4" to 3/8". If you score too deep they may not spring. Too shallow and they will not open enough. You can score a bit deeper but do it at a 30-40 degree angle, this way you will get nice ears. Hope this helps.
Yoli
Thanks!
Alicia
Hi, do you use a Kitchen Aid mixer with dough hook to mix, or simply hand mix in a bowl with a mixing spoon? Thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Alicia, no mixer, only by hands. You could use a mixing spoon but your hands are better suited for that. As you mix, squeeze the dough between your fingers, smother it on the walls of the bowl, this will give you a very even ingredient distribution.
WendyB
I made this in my Emile Henry Baguette Baker, following the recipe to a tee, up until the time I made it into 5 baguettes for my baker. 5 delightful mini loaves. I will definitely do this recipe again as the results were very very good! Thank you Victor!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, Wendy. Thank you for your feedback.
WendyB
Victor, would there by any reason that I could not make these into 4 mini baguettes? I have been gifted an Emile mini baguette baker that I want to try. Do you have any suggestions? TYIA!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Wendy, no reason. You can do 4, or even 6 just keep the thickness about the same. Sorry for the late response, I see that you've already tried that and it worked for you. Happy baking!
Ramble
So far the best recipe for French Baguettes that I have made. Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome. Enjoy!
Joseph Fidaleo sr
Total baking time 30 minutes. I don't think so unless you want a
piece of charcoal.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Different ovens bake differently, sometimes very differently, due to faulty thermostats, convection features that can't be turned off, and some other factors. In my old electric oven that was exactly the time it took, and that's what most people use. In my new gas oven, it takes 24 minutes total. Yours clearly bakes differently so adjust to how your oven bakes, it's a simple fix.
Ali
What temperature does the water need to be at the start when mixing everything together?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
In this recipe I use room temp water.
annette
I have made this baguette many times over the past year and love it! The best part is that this week I had French friends from Paris staying with me so I baked them baguettes before they arrived. They loved it!! And said it was every bit as good as what they had in Paris or better. And they are French, so you know they would be honest! I admit that I do use French organic flour bought on Amazon because I have many gluten-allergic students who do not tolerate American flour but who have no problem with French organic flour. Interesting, isn't it? Mille fois merci !
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Wow, what a compliment! Thank you. I am glad you liked my recipe. I also surprised to hear that people may have a reaction to gluten in American flour but not in French as both contain gluten. Could it have to do with one being organic and the other not? Some trace elements from pesticides causing the reaction? Anyway, I've used many flours to make baguettes, including a range of organic and non-organic whole-grain flours from a local mill, and I still think that the best-tasting baguettes are the ones made with KA AP flour and organic La Milanaise AP (T55) flour from Quebec. Happy baking!
Loren
My wife was born and raised in Paris and had the same comment. It was such a compliment to hear that my baguettes are as good, if not better, than her local boulangerie. Kudos to you Victor!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Thank you so much for the kind words, Loren. That's quite a compliment. Happy baking!
Stephanie
This is the best baguette I have ever made-great taste and structure. Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, enjoy!
Alyssa McCord
We just got back from Europe and we already miss the baguettes! The first day I overcooked them a bit (didn’t adjust temp for the convection oven). Today they came out just a tiny bit darker than I prefer, I did 15 min then rotate and 10 min. I think tomorrows will be 10 min, rotate and 10 min. But this is just my adapting to my oven.
The taste is ON POINT! Even my 9yo said “yep, this tastes like Europe!”
I have been baking bread for 20 years and this was the easiest, most hands off approach I’ve ever done. With the taste and the menthol this will easily be a daily or every other day thing in our home.
Thank you!!!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Glad to hear it, Alyssa. It took me many batches to develop a easy and straightforward process that works consistently every time. Glad you and my other readers are benefiting from it. It's hard, sometimes impossible, to find a good baguette outside of France, besides they are best fresh hot out of the oven. Happy baking!
Claire
I am in love with this recipe.
It worked well the first and second time and the third time I felt like I really hit my stride. Thanks so much for the excellent recipe and clear instructions! This recipe is a keeper!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You very welcome, Claire. Glad to hear that you like my recipe. Enjoy!
jh
Why do I have to use honey? Can I use malted barley ?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Feel free to use anything you desire, there is more then one way to make a great tasting baguette and tastes differ too.
Ronit Naudin
I've been making those incredible baguettes for months now and they are amazing....so easy and fool proof. Thank you for the incredible recipe, my entire family is thanking you as well.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome. Happy to hear it. Enjoy!
estelle Howell
this are the best instructions I have ever come across. And I will be making this bread. With this detailed instructions I am sure I will be making wonderful Bread. Thank You Victor.....
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, Estelle. Happy baking!
Vera
Hi Victor
Can I cold prof for longer say 24hrs
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I find that 24-48 hours is optimal, after that the dough starts to change and not in a good way, IMHO.
Angela
Can i use a baguette pan?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Not my preferred method but yes, you can. There are many ways to make a great tasting baguette.
Niin
I have never responded or commented before and my fam literally called this recipe beautiful…
Just sayin’
Folks aren’t going to lose weight with this one.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
LOL Enjoy!
Mary Ann
I can only find parchment paper that is safe to 450. What kind do you use that can withstand the 500 oven?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I use regular parchment paper from Walmart, it works fine. It will brown and become brittle but it works fine. I even use it 2 times when baking two batches. By the way, you won't be baking at 500F, it's 475F and then 450F.
Kris
I just want to contribute to the praise for this baguette process developed and described by Victor. This is the second time I have tried to make a baguette in the past few years. I am not a bread maker, but I crave baguettes, and I have just had to buy then from local grocers. From my last attempt at making one from scratch, which resulted in a dense, spongy crumb, I had to find a new process. I am seeking the airy crumb shown in the photo. This blog showed up in my search results. I read through several recipes on different sites, and this one just stood out. First, it is written from the heart. Next, it covers the attention to preparation, and ingredients, and then the process. While following the recipe, I was not really sure of what I was doing. I was not kneading the bread much, just squishing the ingredients together. In the fridge, the dough was not doubling in size, yet I stayed the course. After 22 or so hours, I ended up with these wimpy looking baguette rolls that I scored at the top before sliding them into the oven. In 10 minutes, I turned on the oven light and found them blossoming and resembling the robust baguettes I see in the photo. After pulling them out hot, the crust was a bit tough to slice, but wonderfully crispy to bite into and chew on. Finally, an entire house of family guests, including the proprietor of a well-regarded local restaurant, were singing praises of this baguette, going back to slice off another piece, each for themselves, and others for every niece and nephew. Thank you for sharing this. I felt like a bread hero, and I will be trying this again soon.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, Kris. Glad my post helped you. Thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate your detailed feedback. Happy New Year and happy baking!
Bobbie Power
Followed this recipe to the letter, turned out perfect. This was my first time making baguettes, although I have been making bread for a long time. Absolutely great recipe. Thank you! I was wondering if anyone has tried adding some white whole wheat flour?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Bobbie, I made a batch for the Christmas Eve and two batches yesterday again upon request. I am glad I had helpers make the dough for me so I all had to do was take it out of the fridge and go from there. Anyway, I'd love to hear from others on incorporating WW flour into the dough, but I can let you know that I've tried making these baguettes with various types of flour, including WW, white (fine-sifted) whole grain flour, spelt, einkorn, and many more. Some flours change the texture and the openness of the crumb, some change the taste/flavor/color. Substituting honey for liquid malt changes color and flavor, I wasn't a fan of it but some people do. It will really depend on your taste to say what will work well and what won't.
I can tell you one thing, for my taste, nothing beats the 100% KA AP flour and a little bit of honey, as per my recipe. I like subbing about 5% rye flour, it add complexity to the flavor and a touch of sweetness. This is my close second. As is a baguette made with French T55 flour. I use organic La Milanaise T55 from Quebec, it's coarser than KA AP but produces amazing crumb with really good flavor. The rest of the flours and flour combinations worked, some better than others, but I've always seem to want to go back to the KA AP or La Milanaise. I've also made them with organic whole grain AP and bread flours from the local mill, but didn't like the results as much. The crumb was not as open, and that rich wheat flavor that I thought I'd love like I did in my sourdough bread, just didn't work as well in baguettes. It's had to explain this but I knew I didn't like it as much as the original after the first bite. Happy baking!
Madeleine
I made this last night for New Year’s Eve and they were a huge hit! Absolutely delicious - perfect crumb, crust, and taste. However, my baguettes weren’t as nice and golden as the pictures and were quite dark/brown, even after just the initial 15 mins. Anything I should change to get that colour?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Different ovens bake differently, many report incorrect temps as their thermostats are off from the start or change over time. Dark brown after the initial 15 min tells me that the oven is too hot and/or humidity is very low. Mine are pale brown after 15 min in the electric oven or 12 min in the gas oven. Drop the temp by 25F and try again. You can also reduce the time from 15 to 12 min for the first half. If you cook with convection, turn it off. Good luck.
Tess
I made this recipe thrice in a week!! Delicious. Is it safe to double and follow the same instructions for proving/baking?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Tess, you can double safely until the last step - baking. I could never get the same crispy exterior and color when I bake (in my non-commercial oven) double the recipe or 6 baguettes which requires two stones on two racks. Happy baking.
Stephanie
I've been making this bread weekly for a few months now, the recipe is flawless! Perfect every time. Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Happy to hear it. I made three batches just in the last few days;) Enjoy!
Rita
This is my second time making these and I can’t get enough. I half the recipe and make smaller baguettes and they’re perfect for 4 servings.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Enjoy!
Kristen McLaughlin
Thank you!
Gabe
Tried this recipe. INCREDIBLE!! Came out unbelievably good! This was my first try at French bread and the loaves look like they came from a French bakery! My only deviation from the recipe is that because of my 6600ft altitude, my total cook time was 20 minutes for a golden brown/crusty exterior and fluffy interior. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome. Happy baking!
Patti
I just noticed the amount of flour. 3 1/2 cups of King Arthur Flour is 420g. You have 500g.or 3 1/2 cups of flour, a typo?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
No, not a typo, I measured several times myself. The weight of the same flour will vary depending on how fresh it is and/or how it was stored, on the ambient humidity level. That's why it's best to weigh your ingredients.
Shaide
ABSOLUTELY DEEEEELICIOUS!!! This is our FOREVER GO TO French bread. THANK YOU!!!!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Enjoy!
Spanner
Best baguette recipe on the internet!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Glad to hear it. Happy baking!
Mik
Hi Victor!
Thank you for such a great education and explanation of the baguette recipe! I have tried various different baguette recipes and with a lot of different opinions on hydration percentages, flours and salt.
I am going to try this recipe with my fingers crossed and hoping for the best!
I have a few question, what is the difference in using all-purpose flour versus bread flour for a baguette? And then what type of salt would you recommend using? I have used fine sea salt, normal table salt, and kosher salt.
Thank you so much in advance! 🙂
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Mik,
Technically, bread flour has a higher protein content which results in a chewier texture and more open (larger holes) crumb. In practice, I don't see a significant difference that would make me strongly prefer one over the other. Both baguettes taste great, have similar open crumb and big holes. When I use high gluten flour, I see a huge difference in how chewy the bread becomes. Too chewy but I use it every now and again when I want that texture. Some AP flours many have lower, sometimes much lower, protein content compared to others so those may not give you good results. I'd recommend trying different flours that are readily available to you and picking what works best.
As far as salt goes, I mostly use either Himalayan, Mediterranean sea salt, or Kosher salt. Medium to coarse grain.
Happy baking!
Mik
Hi Victor!
Thank you so much for the advice, I truly appreciate it so much!!! I’m gonna give it a go and keep you updated, thank you again!
Mik
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome. Happy baking!
Don Adleta
Just like at Chev Paul!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Better;) Enjoy!
Arie
Just baked my first baguettes! Tastes wonderful!
I found there was no sliding off of parchment? (I live in florida) I had to pick them up and set on stone Think I messed up my lame cuts by doing this or I didn’t cut deep enough.
If I want the baguettes a bit lighter in color should I lower temperature or take out of the oven a bit earlier?
If I wanted to brush with olive oil and sprinkle a little sea salt. When would I do this step?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Arie, I bake on parchment, no need to slide them off, not that they would anyway, the tend to stick to it. When I want them to slide off, I use my wooden peel.
If you want your baguettes lighter in color, I would suggest baking at a lower temperature. You could bake them less but It will be easier to achieve a consistent color by baking at a lower temp.
If you want to glazem them with olive oil, do it very gently before putting in the oven and immediately after taking them out, that will give you the best looking result. The salt would be applied after the first coat of olive oil prior to baking. Don't know how it will hold up to the second brushing, but you may find that one coat of olive oil is enough. Happy baking!
Ryan
I've been following this recipe for about a year. Love these. Depending on what I plan to use them for sometimes I use the same recipe but only make 2 loaves (massive meatball parmesan sandwiches anyone?)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/LJYzkfPHz3YDhUQq6
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Mouthwatering! Your bread looks fantastic. Enjoy!
Frankie
Wow! Well done on the bake job! Can you advise if you use the pan/water/towel method to steam the bagels? Thats the hardest part for me to get right, the steam in the oven. Thanks.
Fara Allen
This is my favorite bread recipe of all time. Exactly as you’d expect in a bakery baguette, light and airy inside, crispy outside. Perfect for butter, jam, or dipping in soup. Told
My husband today - “making French baguettes Thursday”. Husband - “I’m so excited!”
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Very happy to hear it, Fara. Happy baking!
Jean
Is there something else you can recommend to bake the baguette on other than a large baking stone? Would a large sheet ban work?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Anything that can provide a lot of stored heat, like a stack of baking sheets. If you search the comments, this was discussed in detail. Good luck.
Christopher
Hi Jean. I make this excellent recipe all the time and just use a sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper on the bottom to bake them. They are perfect every time.
Cheers, Christopher.
ron
Love the baguettes!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Happy to hear it.
Tracy Bunovsky
I have tried my hand at sourdough recently and have a starter that I have been using. Can I substitute that for the yeast to use as a leavening agent? If so, what hydration % do you suggest?
Thanks in advance!
Tracy
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Yes, you use the starter. If you seach the comments, a reader posted his forumula that worked well. Regardless of using sourdough starter or commercial yeast, you shouldn't need to change the hydration. Good luck!
John
Hi,
The recipe is great. I've tried it twice and love the results. However my dough is very sticky. It sticks to the parchment paper and it's almost impossible for me to get a good score even with a razor blade. It just sticks to the blade. Is that expected? Thanks for a great recipe.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
John,
drop hydration by 2-3%, it should help. I don't know if you use cups and spoons, but if you do, that may be the problem. It's best to weigh the ingredients out on an accurate scale. Sometimes flours can be more hydrated, ambient humidity higher than normal, both can impact the dough. The goal for you to have a dough that is comfortable to handle. Higher hydration produces better crumb, so you may decide to work your way back up as you get more comfortable with the process.
Patricia
I LOVE THIS RECIPE!!!! This is the best. I am trying to make mini-baguettes . . . about 65 grams each. They do not come out like this. They are wonderful but not mini versions of the photo. (I am in Arizona . . . humidity 7%!) What changes should I make?
Patricia
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Patricia, when you say they do not come out like this, what exactly is different? But I think I know what you mean. I've taken this baguette dough, shaped it into a batard or boule and baked at the same temps and it tasted nothing like baguettes. I don't know if there is anything that can be done about it.
Patricia
Crust is not as springy . . . does not brown. I put pan at bottom with water for steam. (One day I broke oven glass pouring water into pan. Now I put in pan EARLY. Crust is a bit hard and there is a thin of white string between dough and outer crust. Also, not big holes. I LOVE THIS RECIPE and would like to find out what I am doing wrong. Also . . . can I lower the honey measurement alone or do I have to make other adjustments? Thank you for all your help.
Patricia
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Patricia,
Pouring hot (or cold) water into a hot pan is a bad idea, it creates a lot of steam at once which can cause burns and/or oven damage, like it did in your case. I stupidly followed someone's advice a long time ago to pour water over hot lava rocks to create steam. A LOT of it. Did it two or three times and my oven stopped working. It's best to pour hot water in a cold pan and place in the oven, letting it heat along with the oven. That way you get a slow, consistent release of a small amount of steam throughout the baking process. Just follow the instructions in my recipe and you will be good.
My crust is more crisp and brittle rather than springy. It does soften up as the bread cools down and becomes more springy. If you want the crust that is softer and more springy, bake at a lower temperature.
No browning means you temperature is lower than it should be, many ovens' thermostats are not or become inaccurate over time. It's also possible that there are cold spots in your oven that cause that. Rotating or baking with a fan could help with that. Also try baking at a higher position in the oven.
Yes, you can reduce or remove honey altogether if you want to, no need to make any other adjustments.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
Patricia
I also forgot to mention that I am baking in a baguette pan, the non stick with holes and 3 dips across. My bread was fine for a few months and then it changed. I am so confused.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I don't have any experience with baking on a baguette pan, perhaps there are nuances that you need to know about, which I wouldn't know about. Perhaps someone who does can comment on.
But if all was well then suddenly changed, perhaps your oven malfunctioned. I would check the thermostat.
Dean
Hi I was wondering if I could add butter to the recipe but I’m worried it would affect the bread because I know that honey and butter are good for making the bread softer but I only tried it on another recipe
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
No!!!!!! LOL Please, don't add any butter until after the bread is done baking. Take it out of the oven, slice, spread some butter and enjoy. Happy baking!
Capri
Amazing! I wish I could post a photo of my baguettes
Edit: added the picture for you.
https://tasteofartisan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/baguettes-from-reader.jpg
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Capri, your baguettes look fantastic. Love the rustic look. Thanks for sharing the picture.
PP
Hi.
I will be having a go at making this bread within the next couple of days and wish to keep it a little more authentic by using French T55 flour. Also because we dont have all purpose flour in the Channel Islands.
Would you recommend leaving the hydration level the same or changing it slightly?
Thanking you in advance for any advice or suggestions you may have.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I use French T55 every now and again, it's La Milanaise brand from Quebec. It's slightly coarser and darker than KA AP flour. I don't change the hydration when using it and the dough feels relatively the same. The difference, if there is, is not noticeable. If the flour is very fresh and more hydrated, you might want to drop the hydration a little.
Max
Hello Victor, I tried making this recipe for the first time today. I accidentally used 00 flour instead of all purpose, the flavour inside is wonderful but I found the crust to tend to burn and not quite become golden brown. Any suggestions as to what I might be doing wrong ? I feel like I followed the recipe other than mixing up type of flour.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Max, when the crust burns or darkens too quickly it's usually because of lack of humidity/steam initially and/or too high of temperature. It's possible that your oven cook hotter than the thermostat indicates, you can try baking at a lower temp, say drtop it by 25 degrees and go from there. Good luck.
Rath
Hi Victor,
This was my first ever loaf of bread that I tried making and it was a huge success! I have made it 3 times now in the last 2 weeks and everyone loves it!
I found another recipe to try (my 2nd time ever baking bread) and enjoyed it but liked this recipe better. One big difference was this called for less than half the yeast of the other one,for roughly the same amount of flour. I am curious, what happens if instead of 3g of years you were to use 5 or 8? Would it turn out ok? Would you need to make adjustments to an god the steps? My guess is you would need to cut the 12 hour cold retardation down so the additional yeast don't eat up all the sugars. Any thoughts?
Thank you again for the amazing recipe, I am excited to try some of your other ones!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Rath, happy to hear about your success. You are very welcome. I am going to post my favorite focaccia recipe in the near future, everyone raves about it when I make it. You should try it.
To your question about the amount of yeast. Not many people realize it but time and temperature are also bread ingredients. More yeast will expedite fermentation, lowering fermentation temperature will slow it down. And vice versa. This may/will change how the bread tastes. Sometimes we need a faster fermentation to accommodate our schedule. It all depends on what you are trying to achieve. As I've been saying for years, there are hundreds of ways to make a good baguette. The trick is to balance out the ingredients with time and temperature and your process. Once you get that balance, you will have a great-tasting baguette. It took me many attempts to get my baguettes taste how I wanted them to taste on a consistent basis. Happy baking!
Liz Rahal
When you say "rotate the baguettes"..
Do you mean to turn them pointing a different direction in the oven or to turn the bottom side up?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
poiting a different direction (rotating 180 degrees).
Emily
Would you ever do a sourdough baguette recipe?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Yes, I make sourdough and hybrid dough baguettes as well. If you search the comments, there is some information on how to make this recipe with a sourdough starter.
KONTOS GIORGOS
Perfect recipe. I made it 2times.
Jenine
I was accidentally delivered someone else's baguette pan which I was told to keep and found myself here in a hunt to find out how to use it! Would this recipe work on a baguette pan instead of the stone?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
If you search the comments, you will find references to that. I believe at least one person tried with success.
Glynda
I made this two nights ago, and am baking another batch tonight. Excellent recipe, great with pate or in French onion soup.
Mike
I use baguette trays for this recipe. However i do turn them over for the last 10 mins or so just to make sure they golden on the bottom as well.
Kathy Robinson
Made this recipe a few times and it is a hit!!! I made it again last night and forgot to put the dough in the fridge to proof :/ have I ruined this batch ?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You don't have to put it in the fridge. The rule of thumb that I use is to ferment until the dough doubles and proof until the dough increases in volume by about 50%. This can be done at room temp or in the fridge (cold retarding). Cold retarding can be partial or full, you can cold retard fermetnation or proofing, or both.
Meg
I have a baking sheet but not a stone, is it even worth trying? I'd really like to try this recipe but I'm not going to be able to get a stone anytime soon.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Meg, the stone is not a requirement but is highly recommended. The reason we need a stone is because we need all that stored heat from it to be transferred to the dough which causes it to get an oven spring - puff up or rise if you will. I've successfully baked baguettes on baking sheets in the past, but I'd use 2-3 of them to get more stored heat. Check the comments, some of my readers have done that.
Meg
Replying to myself to say that I gave it a shot and it actually worked quite well! I ended up baking the baguettes on an upside down jelly roll pan. I didn't have a couche or parchment paper, either. I'm sure those tools make for a more perfect outcome, but my baguettes are chewy and golden and make wonderful crackling sounds, so I'm happy. This was a much better result than my first attempt at baguettes, when I used a recipe that didn't call for the cold retardation, just a normal rise. That definitely made all the difference.
Laura
Really good!!!!
Emma
What is the best way to rotate the baguettes if I don’t have a pizza shovel thing??
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Emma, I rotate them by hand all the time. Wearing long oven mitts, I grab all three of them from both sides in the middle, pull them out about halfway, rotate all three simultaneously, then put them back in place and space out as needed. Quick and easy. You can pull the rack out as much as it will go, it will help too. Good luck!
Jon
Many baguette recipes I see require spraying the dough with water before placing them in the oven. Apparently helps with the crust. Thoughts?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Tried that a long time ago, it produced a shiny, fused kind of crust which I did not like. Some may like it. Good steam is all you need to get a perfect crust.
Lis
Hi Victor:
Your recipe is easy to make, dough rises well, baguettes turn out tasty. However I still have a problem that is the baguettes look fine in the baking process but afterward when they cool down they become deflated to a flatter surface. Why? How to retain the baguettes “body” afterward? Thanks
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Lis, when you cut into bread right after it comes out of the oven, a lot of steam comes out. If you don't cut it, the steam will soften bread from the inside. If you want bread to stay crunchier/crispier, cut a piece off, let it cool down then wrap tightly with plastic wrap. This will help. To a point of course, nothing stays fresh for a long time.
mitch wikins
Victor! this kind of success is addicting! Fabulous crust and crumb!! I've been baking baguettes a long time but these are the best! A link to the results:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/albums/72177720300127302
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2nuBryN][img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52175961482_8cfe615fb1_c.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/2nuBryN]20220627_094103[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/]rynegold[/url], on Flickr
As you can see in my pics of my oven, I've used 8"x 8" square, high quality teracotta unglazed floor tiles for the baking stone; mine say "made in Italy" on the back and are approx. inch 5/16 or so in thickness. They are inexpensive, and can be cut to fit; mine as you can see go almost to the edge of the rack.
Regards, mitch
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Thanks for sharing pictures, Mitch. Your baguettes look fantastic. Perfection! Happy to hear about your success. Like your baking tiles, those can be easily put away. Happy baking!
Denise Algarin
Wow.. your bread looks bueautiful…
Steve
Great Recipe and process. Making these for the 3rd time. Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are welcome, Steve. Enjoy!
Anita
HI
I have traditional yeast - not instant. How do you substitute?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Just hydrate/wake it up properly, and make sure that it's strong and very active before adding it to the dough. I used it before but found the results to be inconsistent. Instant works flawlessly on the other hand.
Bob
This is my go to bagette recipe - it never fails me. I always make enough to freeze a few loaves too. I find one thing in the instructions that confuses me though...
After the initial mixing and resting it says "Over a period of 1 1/2 hours, do 3 sets of stretch and folds". It seems to me is should be over one hour, not 1-1/2.. For example. S&F, wait 30 minutes - S&F, wait 30 minutes, then S&F. At which point I put it in the fridge to ferment overnight.
Am I missing something?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Bob, this comes from the fact that typically after you mix the dough you let it rest for 30 minutes and up to an hour, then do S&Fs. Hope this clarifies it.
Marcia
I've made this bread about 10 times ... still trying to perfect it, but absolutely wonderful recipe! Any chance of a video of the whole process Victor? Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I will try to do it in the near future.
Mr. Robert Ashton
An excellent recipe, although I swap out about a tablespoon of malted barley for the honey: I find it adds a little more depth with the sweetness, and it’s a traditional amendment. It’s very difficult to get the amount of steam in a typical kitchen oven that is available in a bakery’s steam oven, so this technique yields a perfectly acceptable and tasty, if somewhat old-fashioned, loaf, rather than the shiny, somewhat more dense loaves from a good commercial baker. These are rather reminiscent of bagels, while this recipe transports me back to a French country kitchen.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Traditionally, no amendments are allowed but I love that little sweetness that honey adds. Malted barley is a grain, it will be a bad substitution for honey. You must have confused it with liquid malt extract (LME). LME introduces a nuttly flavor profile, while honey flavor profile is more floral. Neither is better than the other, it's a matter of personal taste. LME is less sweet, about half as sweet as honey, so to use it my recipe to attain the intended sweetness, I'd recommend doubling its amount relative to honey.
Jack Kephart
I'll see your tbsp of malted barley and raise you 50 grams of malt flour (I mini mashed this with 150 grams of the water and then boiled it to denature any remaining enzymes). I work at a brewery and our system makes a couple pounds of "waste" malt flour a week. I learned the hard way then read that bread dough does not like large amounts of malt...or more specifically enzymes from the malt.
It's in the fridge tonight, will form and bake them later today
Alvin
What is the absolute, nips-deep amount of time you can leave this to ferment without ruining the dough? I love the ferment-y flavor as well as the texture breads get when they're fermented for long periods of time.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I've gone as long as 72 hours and found that 48 is where I'd stop. After that, the dough feels like it loses structure. Depending on the temp, it may also overferment and become too tart.
Robin
I followed the directions to the tee but my baguettes didn't fully rise and they were too crispy on the outside to really eat. Not sure what happened.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
There are many variables that could affect the results - the flour (even the same brand of flour could be less or more hydrated depending on freshness), the ambient humidity, how your oven bakes - yes, everyone's oven is different, how well you steamed your oven during the first part of baking, etc. Provided you used a baking stone that was well-preheated, poor rise can be attributed to under-fermenting, under or over-proofing, improper scoring, and insufficient steam. If the bread came out too crispy, bake less or at a lower temperature. Not enough steam will cause premature browning too. I would experiment and make adjustments specific to your oven for the best results. Back in the day, this recipe went through dozens of changes until I got it dialed in where I'd have optimal and repeatable results with my oven. It seems to work for most people who tried it but definitely not for everyone and in those cases some adjustments will be needed. Good luck.
Carmine
Did. Anyone make the bagels? Would like to hear about your experience
Thanks
Vicki
Excellent recipe!
Best bread I've ever made.
Thank you for sharing.
Joyce
Hi Victor, thank you so much for this amazing recipe! I've followed the instructions exactly except I don't have a baking stone. My baguettes came out a little ashy and dark looking. I'm very happy with the crumb and the flavor but just want to know how I can get the aesthetic appeal of the baguette like yours does. Would I be able to send you a photo? Thank you so much and I appreciate you reading and responding to all of your comments!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Joyce, everyone's oven bakes differently, sometimes significantly so, so adjustments need to be made. It seems as though reducing the temperature and/or baking time would help. I will email you so you can send me a picture, I may have a better idea on this.
Carl
Hello Victor,
I have had several attempts of making your baguette, but with mixed results. I have a couple of issues. First of all, on the little Caribbean that Iive, there is no bread flour, so I use all purpose flour. So I have tried reducing the hydration level to 70% and even 68% and I appear to get better results. The few times it turned out right, got positive comments from the family and once a visitor said it was the best bread he had on the island.
The other problem is the bread never quite look the same even in the same batch. A recurring issue is that the bread rises with peaks and valleys. It is as if the bread doesn't rise evenly. Even so it taste great. I use an electric fan oven. It only happens when baking the baguettes.
I'll be very greatful for any light you can share on this matter.
Thank you
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Carl, I am often asked why some of mey bread recipes use AP flour vs bread flour. To be honest, I use both interchangeably and the differences are very minor. You can make a great tasting baguette out of any flour pretty much. I've used pastry, AP, bread, WW, wholegrain (AP or bread flour that is milled out of the entire wheat germ), T55, T65, spelt, combinations of flrous, and even King Arthur high-gluten flour. All tasted very good though they differed in texture, crumb openness, chew and appearance. The difference between white AP and bread flour is insignificant to me. So, feel free to use any flour, really.
The issue of peaks and valleys, I think, is related to underfermentation, insufficient rest, or too strong gluten development. I've had this issue before a few times. When the dough isn't sufficiently relaxed, you have a hard time rolling it out into a long, uniformly thick log. What will happen is that you will have thinner and thicker parts which during baking will rise differently. Underfermented dough may lead to this too. In the end, you want the dough to be soft, well-rested and well-aerated when you shape it. It should not resist when you roll it into a log. If it does, that's when you may see this problem.
On hydration - it really depends on so many things - the flour itself and the humidity in your kitchen will impact how the dough feels, how hydrated it will be. Experiment and settle on what works best for you and what gives your best results. No need to strive to get it back to, say, 72 or 75%. In the end, what you want to have is great results combined with the ease/comfort of making the bread because if you don't feel comfortable making/handling 75% hydration baguette dough you won't be making it often, and that is not good;)
Good luck and happy baking.
James
Still curious about kneading. You suggest simply missing ingredients, forming a bulk dough, letting it rest, then over two hours doing several “slap and folds” to build gluten structure. Other videos, including those from professional French bakeries, show mixing machines kneading for 10 minutes or more.
In your view, what’s the difference? I can’t help but think slow speed kneading in a spiral mixer/KitchenAid, along with several slap and folds. would result in a better structure, especially with higher hydration levels. I’m almost afraid to just try several slap and folds and let it be. But your method obviously works too.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
There are dozens, maybe hundreds of ways to make a good baguette. I suggest you pick then one that you care comfortable with and that gives you the results you want and go with it. Happy baking!
James
Great. Will do (ps, typo. meant “mixing” ingredients in earlier message). 😊
Carmine
Hi James,
I have been “studying” artisan baking for about 15 years. In classes with 2 professional bakers, and let me say this. Victors blog and the instructions if followed, and it does take some time to “practice” baking techniques, you will find to be one of the easiest approaches for especially the home baker. In 3 days I taught my granddaughters how to mix, stretch and fold, cold ferment, shaping, baking and watch them as they produced some excellent baguettes, boules and batards. They baked on stones and in clouch. They now send me photos of the breads they are making. We even did pizza baking.
I read dozens of Artisan bread baking books. Big bakeries likely move to machines. But lots do stretch and fold, some do turn and fold. Read, learn in class, but develop and use what you find best for you and you “ bakery”. Try it all if you have the patience. My family and friends always ask me to bring breads to the parties. That is the best compliment. And thanks to Victor for his instructions💕.Carmine
James
Such a kind reply. Thanks!
Deb
I’ve made this recipe for about two years now, and it’s absolutely the bomb!!!!!!
Best recipe ever!!
It is so good people ask me all the time for the recipe. They can’t believe it’s homemade.
I only make two loaves, and I omit the honey.
I’ve never needed the total amount of cooking time that’s given either, as its a bit burnt. I usually do 10 minutes on 475°, then 5-8 on 450°. I test with a thermometer until it reaches 180, and take it out, less if I want to reheat it the next day.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Glad to hear it. Enjoy!
Jan
Hi,
This will be my first baguette attempt. Can I use a recently purchased scalloped metal pan to bake? If so, do I need to adjust oven temp/time? Thanks so,much!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Jan, you can generally use any material as long as it's thick which will help hold a lot of heat. That heat is needed to give the dough the initial oven spring. No temp adjustment is needed. Ideally, stone or steel/iron are best. I
've baked on multiple baking sheets stacked together way back and it worked.
James
I’m going to likely get a steel. i’d like a larger one for the entire oven shelf. Is 3/8” thickeness sufficient? Does it make a difference if it’s two pieces or a single slab? Mine would need to be 12x22” and a single slab may be very heavy.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
James, it looks like 3/8" is pretty standard although I am not very familiar with baking steels. All I know is that some people prefer steel for baking pizza due to steel's higher thermal capacity and heat transfer which results in faster cooking and crisping up. If it's too thick you may have problems with the bottom cooking too fast relative to the top. A solution to that would be baking at a lower temp but it may cause other issues like the tops not browning... something to think about. I use a custom-cut 3/4" 16" x 21" kiln shelf (cordierite), that's what I am most familiar with as far as baking baguettes.
As far as a single slab vs multiple, it won't matter as long as they lay flat. Back in the day, I used unglazed ceramic tiles with good results.
Auntie Annie
Greetings!
Your recipe looks wonderful! I'm hoping you can offer counsel on one of the ingredients. I have made a Sourdough Starter that I converted to T55 and Bread Flour for feeding. When I do a discard, I replenish with 50gr SS, 100 gr Spring Water, 50gr Bread Flour, 50 gr T55. Can you please advise me on how I might adapt your recipe to be able to use my T55/Bread Flour Starter in place of packaged yeast? Also, will the quantity of water in the recipe require adjusting to accommodate for the wet Starter?
Many thanks!
Kindly,
Auntie Annie
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi,
please take a look at Jeff's comment on June 21, 2021. He provided an excellent sourdough version of this recipe which he successfully tried many times.
Another way would be to make a hybrid douhgh with sourdough starter and some commercial yeast to give the dough more lift. I know some French bakers that do this. There is not right or wrong way here, lot's of good options.
James
My error. It’s not 60 percent hydration. It’s 72.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Correct, it's 72% plus the honey which bumps it up a bit higher. 75% is typical for French baguettes but many novice bakers have a challenge shaping and handling dough at this hydration level. Always better to start a little lower and work your way up... or just stay there if you like the results.
James
Hi. I’ve been making a poolish preferment pizza recipe and used it for baguettes. I have read many times that the most traditional baguette recipe uses poolish. Yours is direct. Why the difference?
Also, you mention 75 percent high hydration from a baguette, but your recipe is actually a rather low 60 percent. Can you explain?
The technique you describe is similar to mine, but I used poolish, 75 percent hydration and an overnight cold ferment with great results.
Steve B
Wonderful! a US site that doesn’t use bonkers measurements. (‘About’ is the operative word for volumetric measures lol).
The baguettes look wonderful! will try soon, I’ve got some French T60 flour, have to experiment with the hydration a bit. A sourdough version would be great?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Lol... I tell everyone to use metric measurements as those will give repeatable results... I see more and more people do... I like T55 for my baguettes but T60 will do to, quite common in France... daker, coarser but mnre flavor.
Tharinee
May I substitute anything to baking stone ?
Such as using higher temp instead ?
As I am using deck oven and quite difficult to set upper or lower rack.
And also for the heat pan with hot water , can it be substituted by water spray or a glass of water put aside the dough ?
Thank you very much for your suggestion indeed.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I've baked on a stack of three baking sheets with good results, you just need enough stored heat to get a nice oven spring. A water spray may work but do it a few times, eg. at 0, 2, 5 and 7 minutes or so. There isn't one way, feel free to experiment. Happy baking!
Dean
Have had varying success with yeast breads over the years ( i live at 4,500 ft) and have avoided them as a rule. But I gave this one a try and it has come out perfect three straight times and the taste and texture is wonderful. It is easy to make too, this is now a staple at our home.
Rc
Fantastic recipe....I cold retarded for 24 hrs...delicious
Daniel
Is there a "fast" way to do this? Let's say you're pressed for time and you need baguettes this evening, and all you have is maybe 6 hours?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Yes, there is. I've made baguettes in as little as 4-5 hours, can't remember the exact timing but I started around noon-ish and had them on the table by 5-ish or so. There are many, many ways to make bread/baguettes. There isn't a single 'best' way. Take a look at my no-knead bread post, it's one example of making (good tasting) bread fast. Some pointers - higher fermentation temp, higher water temp, more yeast will result in faster fermentation/proofing. Finally, skip S&Fs and knead the dough in a stand mixer for 8-10 minutes to develop gluten quickly. You won't the same crumb but it will be quick.
Carmine
Every one should try the bagel recipe and give some feedback about the results.
With so many comments about the baguette results there should be a lot of home bakers who are experiencing the dough handling the bagel lovers should do the same.
Happy baking days to all.
Aphawan
I got amazing result from this recipe! Thank you.
Beverly Johnson
Turned out perfect the first time. Crusty outside tender moist inside. Have to give two loaves away immediatelytokeepfromeating them.Thankyou Anxious to try more recipes. . .
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Try those bagels I posted the recipe for recently, they are really, really good. Challah is amazing... among other things.
Beverly Johnson
Excellent directions and results. Thank you.
Chris
Victor,
When you shape the dough into 3 rectangles, do you do any folding or do you just stretch into a rough rectangular shape?
Thanks
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Chris, no, no folding at this time, just stretching. I've folded the dough in that step in the past but it tightens up so it will need a longer rest. If you up the hydration and the dough becomes quite soft, folding at this step may not be a bad idea though. I hope I did not confuse things. Good luck!
Dan
A few questions. Great recipe made it for first time and definitely is done after 20 minutes of total cooking for me.
1 when you say “turn” the baguettes in the oven what do you mean? Rotate each load 180 degrees so left side is on right side of oven?
Also, when taking it out of the fridge after 12 hours, is there any turning and folding. Or simply take the dough ball sitself, no turning no folding, laying it out and cutting into 3 even pieces?
Also perhaps not appropriate for French baguette but if you were to put any seasoning on top before baking (perhaps rosemary thyme or an “everything” type seasoning (I know not traditional French bread but my kids keep asking to try it, would you use oil to get the seasoning to stick? Thanks!
Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
1. Yes, that's what I meant - rotating 180 degrees.
2. Nope. Just turn the dough onto a table and cut into 3 equal pieces.
3. Oil will change the crust, it will have a different look and texture. I've made a few loaves of bread with oiled surfaces in the past. Didn't like it too much to do regularly. I'd gently mist with water and apply the seasonings. But feel free to experiment, you never know what you are going to like. I never thought I'd like my baguettes with honey in them but that's the only way I make them now after I once decided to add honey as an experiment.
Sydney
Amazing recipe! Those who I shared the results with loved it. I’ve never done a steam bath before and found it very helpful! I also used a small spray bottle to add a little bit of extra moisture.
I found I needed to add more water (I love in a very dry climate and it’s winter), I added small amounts at a time until dough was mixed well. I used two metal baking sheets so the bottoms were slightly crispy but otherwise a lovely golden crust!
Carmine
Hi Sydney
You could try to put a baking sheet on a rack below the one you are loading bread into, may help the crisping.
Louise
Can I use bread flour which I purchased from France and if so , do I need to adjust the amount of water . Thank you
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Yes, French T65 (I assume that's what you got) is perfectly fine for making baguettes, many bakers use it too. Coarser flours such as this one require slightly higher hydration so you could bump it up by 2% or so but I'd start with the base recipe, evaluate and go from there.
Jim
Did this recipe for the first time - to the letter. Loaves didn't rise much, kind of skinny and flat. Biggest problem is how wet and runny the dough was through the entire process - from initial mixing clear through the couche. Is that normal? It was hard to work with and hard to form. Couldn't get a good cut with the lame because it pulled through the wet dough.
Also had trouble with the "steam" oven. Poured boiling water into a roasting pan with the wet towel inside a 500 degree oven, but it never generated much steam. Anyone else have that problem?
Has anyone else formed this into (2) larger baguettes instead of (3) smaller ones?
Any feedback would be much appreciated.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You should have seen my first baguettes, they looked very sad. It takes some practice.
The dough will normally be a little lax and wet initially but will tighten up by the end of fermentation and after the three sets of stretch and folds. If still too wet, drop the hydration by 3%. If still wet, drop it more. Some flours may be too fresh and more hydrated. Some flours may not absorb water as well as others so they need less water. Did you use cups and spoons to measure the ingredients? If so, that could be the problem. Always best to measure the ingredients out with a scale. It's also a good idea to think of any recipe as a starting point. No single recipe will work for everyone, some may need to make adjustments because of the flour they use or how their oven bakes.
If your baguettes were skinny it indicates to me that the dough did not rise enough. Next time, try using warmer water and/or ferment in a warmer palace. Make sure that the dough has risen by about 30-50% and got blisters on the surface before putting it into the fridge. It should have a nice lactic acid smell.
Yes, you can do 2 instead of 3 or even 1. I've done it. I've used this dough to make bread shaped as a boule and batard.
The water pan will not generate a lot of steam, it will release barely visible steam slowly but just enough. You don't want too much steam in the oven. It's not needed for the baguettes and can be damaging to the oven. Right after putting the dough in the oven, you can spray some water on the sides of the oven and quickly close the oven to compensate for the lost steam. But that's not typically needed.
Good luck.
Carmine
Definitely takes some time to learn how to mix. to fold a wet dough and how to prep for placing in an oven
Lots of info and videos on the net
Be patient the results are terrific
Maggie
I made this exactly as written and it was perfect. I would like to make it again and use half regular flour and half bread flour ( I have some that is stone ground and excellent from a small mill). Would the water amount be the same?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
The water may be OK but add a little more if the dough feels drier. Usually coarser/whole wheat flours can absorb more water.
Maggie
I just made it up and used the same amount of water - it looks fine. I can’t tell you how impressed I am with myself for making these - and my family as well. I started making sourdough during the pandemic but always wanted to master baguettes. Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are welcome, enjoy.
Lis Alberts
Hi Victor:
I found after 15 minutes my loaves are baked. Any minutes after that they will burn! Have tried a few times. Same thing! Rather than that the result was very tasty Baguettes. Thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Liz, I've had a couple of people report the same, if you search the comments, you will find their comments on that. All I can think of is 1 - insufficient steam, 2 - your oven bakes quite a bit hotter/more efficiently than mine. If your oven has a fan, that will also cause premature browning. If your oven has vents, you may want to close them while baking with steam, I cover mine with a kitchen towel. Try baking at a lower temp (drop by 25 degrees) and see how you like the results. Good luck!
Barry Wright
As close as you can come to a real French Baguette it does take a little practice but a great product
Raymond Martinot
Excellent, I am very happy, the result is as expected, very well explained, thank you so much.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Enjoy!
Ginger
Hello, I have read this recipe over and over a few times and before I attempt to make this, my question is when I preheat the oven, I do this for the 30-60 minutes while I wait for the dough to come to room temperature sitting on the floured couche? The oven is on the entire time until it is ready for the dough to be put in? My second question, I am a bit confused in the picture of inside the oven where there is a bread pan on the side with water and a towel. Is the towel necessary? I only ask because it is mentioned in the story part of the recipe, but not in the actual recipe instructions. Will the pan of water evaporate before it is ready for the bread? Sorry for the very specific probably annoying questions (I am seriously annoyed with how my brain functions when it comes to trying out new things).
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Preheat the oven for about 30-60 minutes before putting the dough in.
The towel helps with even slow steam release. Happy baking!
Terri
This is now my new co to baguette recipe. The best I've ever had and so easy to follow the directions. Thank you!!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Enjoy!
Alene
I never leave comments but this bread…so amazing! I followed the recipe exactly and it is the best bread I’ve ever made. Thank you for a recipe that wasn’t overwhelming and allows the average home baker to impress others and themselves too!
Carmine
We have baked this bread in a clouche on a pizza stone and baguette on metal cookie sheet all perfrct
Natalie
Hi, can I make this with a baguette pan instead of a baking stone?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Yes, you can. You need a good amount of stored heat to give baguettes a nice oven spring, that's why a stone is ideal. But a baguette pan should give you good results.
Gundula
Thank you for your recipe and description. May I ask two questions. You say 75% hydration, ratio of water to flour. But with 500 g flour wouldn’t that be 375 ml of water rather than 360?
And this might be a peculiar one. When you stretch and fold, you stretch upward out of the bowl and over and then flip the dough so that the next fold will be over the “nice” round side. I noticed that some ppl seem to treat one side as the “good side” so that they flip the dough first and then fold into the other side and retain tension on the “good side”. (I’ve noticed this particularly in the later stages of shaping but it’s never commented on.) ami overinterpreting? Or is this different in the stretch and fold versus the shaping stage? Or does it not matter?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome. Regarding the hydration, please refer to my comment on March 07, 2021.
Regarding S&F, I can't really comment on how some people do it and why they do it like that. There are many good ways to make good bread, mine is just one of them.
Happy bakng!
halle
I'm in college but love to bake. What would you suggest I use if I don't have a baking stone or baker paper/the sheet? I have glass pans, baking sheets, and parchment paper. Is this recipe doable with normal household baking items?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Halle, it is doable but your results maybe just a little different. A bit of nerdy technical info;) - we need a baking stone to store a lot of heat which is needed to create that 'oven spring' that bread gets in a hot oven. It's when dough expands rapidly and baguettes form ears/splits. If you put the dough on a thin sheet, the sheet will lose the heat very quickly and there won't be enough heat left for a good oven spring. If you search the comments, we've discussed this before and many people had success with using alternative methods. The simplest one is to stack a bunch of metal baking sheets/trays and bake on them. I used this very method back in the day myself. You can also use a CI griddle, or a few unglazed tiles that you can get for a few bucks at your local HD/Lowes.
Parchment paper will work fine. I use it all the time without issues... did it in my old electric oven and the new gas oven. It will get very dark and brittle at high temps but it works. Happy baking!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Halle, it is doable but your results maybe just a little different. A bit of nerdy technical info;) - we need a baking stone to store a lot of heat which is needed to create that 'oven spring' that bread gets in a hot oven. It's when dough expands rapidly and baguettes form ears/splits. If you put the dough on a thin sheet, the sheet will lose the heat very quickly and there won't be enough heat left for a good oven spring. If you search the comments, we've discussed this before and many people had success with using alternative methods. The simplest one is to stack a bunch of metal baking sheets/trays and bake on them. I used this very method back in the day myself. You can also use a CI griddle or a few unglazed tiles that you can get for a few bucks at your local HD/Lowes.
Parchment paper will work fine. I use it all the time without issues... did it in my old electric oven and the new gas oven. It will get very dark and brittle at high temps but it works. Happy baking!
Rosie
What I meant was a separate poolish before mixing with the dough.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Rosie, I am still not sure about what you are asking, perhaps you can re-phrase your question. There are dozens even hundreds of ways to make a baguette, some may use poolish, this one doesn't. No, they won't give identical results, there will be slight differences... but therein lies the beauty of bread baking and that's why we have competitions like best baguette in Paris... if everyone made the same-tasting baguette life would be boring.
Rosie
I see this recipe does not make a poof 12 hours before. Will it still be the same without it?
Wendy Trudeau
Very good. I ran out of flax so I replaced about half of the ground flax with almond flour. I only had caraway seed, but they were not a prominent flavor, so more would be better if you are using caraway. I also used white whole wheat flour, but all in all, the texture and flavor was very nice and is very good toasted.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Enjoy!
LT
Hi Victor, is the dough supposed to come back to room temp after being refrigerated for the 12 hour period?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
No, that's not necessary. Just follow the instructions and it should turn out well. If you do, the results may be different, i.e. it will over-ferment.
LT
I just finished the first step. It looks much drier than your picture. Should I add a little more water before I do the stretch and folds?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
If it's too dry, then I would. I am going to guess that you measured your flour in cups, that can be tricky. I'd get an inexpensive kitchen scale for your next bake, it will a lot.
LT
Hi, thanks for getting back to me. No measuring cups, I always use a scale for baking. I did notice after the first 15 minute rest it had gotten much more moist. Does that make any sense to you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help. Even though I’m new to making baguettes the 2 times I’ve made them , while not perfect they have been delicious!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Yes, the flour gets hydrated, it's normal. You are welcome Enjoy the baguettes!
Robert
Came out Fantastic ...thanxxx...I followed your directions to a T ...I almost blew it on the 2nd turn down to 350 ...but caught it....I let proof in frig overnight ...
? After I took out of fridge I let sit for 3 hours to get back to room temp ... Can I leave it longer ? ...but Came out Much better than All my previous Baguettes ...& I've made some nice ones ,So thank you very much ...the one thing - Touching of the Dough on last Sitting ...Very Helpful ....
BEST BAGUETTE RECIPE Robert ...
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Glad to hear it, Robert. Thank you for the feedback. Enjoy!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Leaving the dough out a little longer shouldn't be a problem unless the room is very warm. In the end, if it works for you, then it's fine. Everyone's environment is different.
LT
Thank you so much for responding so quickly. I forgot to ask you about the salt. Do you use Kosher coarse, such as Morton’s, or regular table salt?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I use three types of salt quite interchangeably in my bread baking - coarse Morton kosher, coarse sea salt and Himalayan salt.
LT
Can you describe the technique for the initial mixing of the dough ingredients. I’m used to using a stand mixer for this step, but would like to do this by hand. Any advice would be helpful.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi LT, you could use a mixer, just run it on the lowest setting until the flour is incorporated. It's best for the gluten structure to not have any mechanical intervention though so I always mix by hand. Take a look at this sourdough bread post, I have a lot of pictures in it showing all the typical steps I go through, from mixing to stretching and folding and more. You will see a number of sliders there, slide the images to the left to see more.
NK
How does one transfer the dough from the couche to parchment paper?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I've done it three ways:
1 - carefully pick up and move by hand (not recommended but works in a pinch).
2 - a long, narrow, thin board - place the board next the dough, using both hands, gently roll it over onto the board, then similarly roll it off onto the parchment.
3 - same as #2 but I now use my 19.5"-wide aluminum pizza shovel, which works perfectly for transferring the dough and loading it into oven.
LT
This is only my 2nd attempt at baking baguettes. Followed your recipe for the first try and had very good results. I’m using a Kitchen Aid to mix the dough and would like to know what speed and for how long to mix do you recommend ? Also, I’m using water at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit is that correct? Thanks so much for your help!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I mix by hand, long enough to get the flour hydrated and all of the ingredients mixed together evenly. I never timed this but it takes about a minute or so.
ER
Hello! Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. It was my first time ever making bread and so had quite a bit of success with these, so thank you for that! I do have a bit of a dumb question — do I need to cover the dough in between the stretch & folds and while it’s proving in the couche? Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
HI ER, glad to hear that. That's fantastic! Yes, you need to keep the dough covered at all times during fermentation or it will begin to dry out. When it's in the couche, I pull the sides of the couche over the baguettes, that works well.
TAOUFIK BAYOUDHI
Best recipe I came across for baking baguettes,very well illustrated brilliant highly recommended.
Rose
Getting good bread, but not enough holes, why is that, otherwise delicious
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Rose, please see my comments from June 26, 2021, March 27, 2021, July 10, 2020, June 08, 2020 and April 24, 2020, those should help. Happy baking!
Joseph
Are the temperatures for fan oven?
Robert
Hi Joseph,
Looks like a great recipe but I have a couple of questions... I only have Red Star yeast (not an instant or quick yeast)... can this be used in your recipe and if so, what would be the measurement for the gms of yeast?
Many thanks!
Rob
Kelly
My first try at this recipe went brilliantly! Lots of me gloating around the kitchen 🙃
I'm making a batch of demi baguettes for Bahn Mi sandwiches today, wondering if the bake time would be reduced?
Thank you for this detailed tutorial!!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, Kelly. You should be very proud of yourself, making a good baguette is not a trivial thing so, good job!
If they are of the same thickness the time should be practically the same but keep an eye on them. Oh, for sandwiches I like them a little softer so I bake at 425F - 220C all the way or start at 450F and finish at 425F.
Happy baking!
Elizabeth
Hi,
Is it ok to proof for 24 hours or does it have to be 12?
Thanks!
Eli
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
24 will be fine. I've gone as long as 48 but didn't quite like the results.
Elizabeth
Thanks!!
I made it and it was delicious! It did not last long.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are welcome. Enjoy!
Baker
Hi hello!
I’ve been baking my own sourdough bread for about 6/7y, i do bake and cook everything from scratch so I was super excited to do my first baguette!
This recipe is great, love the detailed instructions and photos!
But I did have few issues with it :
1. Baking time seams way too long -30 minutes on 475f?!?! I have baked it for 18min and I think that’s too much already, the baguettes are very “hard” and slightly burned on the edges.
2. Too much water for 500gr , ….
3. Would be helpful to know what is the recommended oven setting ??
Many thanks for sharing, will try again but won’t few amendments 🙂
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi, baking time is 475F for the first halt and 450F for the second half, not 475F. If baguettes are getting too dark too quickly there is either not enough steam or the oven bakes too hot or it bakes with automatic convection. Every oven bakes differently as I am sure you are aware as you bake bread and often recipes need to be slightly adjusted. These settings/timings work very well for me and seem to work for most people but it's not out of the ordinary that some may require an adjustment. Drop the temp settings to 450F and 425F for the first and the second half respectively, see how you like the results. I like my baguettes crustier - they will soften up considerably if you let them sit for an hour or so - but some may like them softer so you can drop the temps. I've made baguettes baked at 425F all the way and they have a soft crust. There is no right or wrong here, it's all about making a great-tasting baguette that you like. About water - I have to disagree with you. 72% hydration with some honey... is not a lot of water. A typical French baguette dough has 75% hydration. If you find that dough is too wet for you to work with comfortably, drop the hydration by 2-3% and see how that works. Then work your way back up as you get more comfortable working with it. Or leave it where you like it. BTW, high hydration dough produces amazing crumb - moist, soft, and exceptionally delicate. For my sourdough breads, I use 80% hydration and higher when using WW flours. Hope this helps. Happy baking!
Liesl
These are beyond fabulous! So easy and such a gorgeous, delicious product. Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Enjoy! Happy baking!
Adrian Perkin
Great recipe, I have be looking at numerous recipes on line this one is by far the best, many thanks you’ve made an old man very happy.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome. Happy New Year!
Constance
Fantastic recipe! Full of holes inside the bread and very tasty!! Thank you so much for this detailed recipe and pictures. I cut the recipe to 1/3 making only one loaf for myself. Also have problem slashing the dough with a knife, may have to get a razor blade or invest in a lame knowing I will make this baguette again!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome. Happy baking!
Mike Leavey
Hi Victor,
I have followed your recipe to the letter, and the Baguettes turn out very tasty with plenty of air holes, very tasty, my wife says she can eat the bread morning noon and night. My problem is I have great trouble in shaping the very wet dough, it lays quite flat when put in the oven, I cannot score the dough before putting in the oven, as soon as I try to run the lame through it closes up immediately, I don't like to add more flour as the end result won't be the same. I have a metal couch with holes in it shaped for four baguettes, could I use that to keep the shape instead of cloth. I must admit I have been using tea towels instead of proper couch material, but I can't see that doing much good.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Mike, some flours are just more hydrated and it can make a huge difference. Drop the hydration by 2% and see how the dough is. If you like the results, stay there. If the crumb is not what you want, practice with lower hydration dough and work your way back up. Don't be afraid to experiment, that's how I created this recipe which works for me, through lots of trial and error. In general, working with wet dough is a matter of practice - the more you do it the easier it gets and the better the results. A couche is a very good tool, my results improved once I got it, I have two in fact. Kitchen towels work too, I used them for years, but it's not the same to be honest.
Carmine
Hi Victor
Been following but just got back to house living with an oven. Two baguettes, one boule from
Same dough. Best loaves ever. Christmas gifts for my children.
💕💕
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Oh, comments like this make my day. Very happy about your results, Carmine. Do try my other recipes and subscribe as many more are coming. Merry Christmas!
Emily
I made this recipe on Deployment once a week, served with olive oil and seasonings to dip and used the left overs for mini breakfast sandwiches. Turned out perfectly every time! Thank you for this recipe and such simple ingredients that we always had on hand.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, Emily. Happy baking and thank you for your service.
Sonal
I made these for the first time today and they turned out beautifully! Thank you for the clear and detailed instructions, Victor. I was quite nervous about attempting this but it worked perfectly. Happy Holidays from Mumbai!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Sonal, I am very happy that you liked my recipe and have had success with it. It's so cool to see how people from all over the world use this recipe and enjoy it. Please, try my other recipes, plenty of good stuff here. Happy holidays! Happy baking!
Justin
How long are we supposed to mix the initial ingredients before doing the 15 minute test? Just until incorporated or until a dough is starting to form?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Just until the water is incorporated and the dough looks homogeneous.
Jessica
This was my first time making baguettes, and it turned out so much better than I expected. I’m familiar with making dough, but the baguette shaping and scoring intimidated me, but thanks to your super detailed instructions and images, I shaped them successfully, and I think they came out beautifully! Thank you, Victor!
https://tasteofartisan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/best-baguettes.jpg
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
What lovely baguettes, Jessica! I wish my first baguette looked even remotely as good as your first baguettes;) Congratulations! Next time, try to score a little deeper and at an angle (about 30 -35 degrees), they will open up even more. Thanks for emailing me the lovely picture. Happy baking!
candace
Unbelievable. Perfect. I’ve been searching for this recipe for years and now I have great crusty full flavored bread anytime I want . I’d like to freeze the dough somewhere in the process any ideas ?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi, Candace, happy to hear that you liked my recipe. As far as freezing, I don't do it but search the comments, there are quite a few good tips on that from my readers.
Marty
I followed the recipe to the letter until baking, with wonderful results. Instead of a massive stone I used aluminum baguette pans that are curved with tiny holes. Flavorful loaves that were tender and airy inside, and lovely and crisp outside were the results. Tasted like bakery baguettes. I'm making a new batch even as I type
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Like bakery baguettes, ha? 🙂 I'll take it as a compliment. Happy baking!
Pam
My oven has a steam option. How long should I let the banquettes
steam?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
15 minutes - step #9 in the instructions.
Jen
Excellent recipe. I made three loaves this morning and my family was tres impressed!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Glad to hear that, Jen. Enjoy!
Alex
I tried several baguette recipes before finding this one, and it's by far the very best. I was going to make a double batch today and freeze half the dough but after reading your comment below, I decided not to do that. -Thanks for sharing this recipe with instructions, and the tip about freezing.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, Alex. Enjoy!
Linda
What should the water temp be?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I use room temp water.
Gertrude
Hi there! These are super tasty but I’m not getting the honeycomb:( but I have a feeling it’s the way I’m baking! I don’t have a pizza stone so what could I used instead? 🙁
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
HI Gertrude,
search through the comments, there were a few discussions on that. Essentially, you want enough stored heat to give the dough a nice lift. You can get creative here, use unglazed tiles, stack 3-4 baking sheets/pans, etc.
Tracy
I LOVE this recipe and get compliments on it every time I bake them! My question to you is this
Can I replace regular flour with GF flour and get the same result? Has anyone tried this , if so please reply!
Again Thank you for the amazing recipe!!!!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Tracy, I don't use GF flour so can't help you here... perhaps someone else can chime in.
Patricia Wallace
This recipe looks amazing! I received a emile Henry baguette cloche today for my birthday. How would I bake the baguettes using it? I would use the recipe that came with it but I like the slow fermenting as well.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You can use my recipe as well and bake in the pre-heated cloche, part with the lid on and part uncovered. Everything will be exactly the same except when using a cloche you don't need to steam the oven and you need to shape the baguettes such that they fit in the cloche.
Nina
Excellent!
Brandy
Hi, this is my 2nd tries… is the dough soft when u score? My dough kind of degas after scoring and it doesn’t bloom when baked? What went wrong?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Brandy, the dough should not do what you describe though there may be some, very minimal deflation. Based on what you described, it sounds like your dough may have over-proofed. If your room is warm enough, it will proof quickly so you may have to shorten proofing time. Also, try to decrease hydration by 2-3%, that will make the dough more forgiving. Once you get that to work, slowly increase hydration back. How you score also can affect oven spring. Do not score too deep and all the way to the edges. Try to keep the scores about 1/3" deep, make them at a 45-degree angle and don't go closer than 1/2" to the sides. These are approximate, never really measured them, but I think it should help.
Brandy
Thank you so much Victor for your advise and suggestions… I am a noob when comes to bread making… would definitely try again soon! Other than the ugly turnout, the baguette was delicious!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome. Good luck!
Kontos
Best recipe.
Emos
Victor @ taste of artisan . Com
Hi Victor
Please take look how my bread looks.
This recipe is a killer. Easy to follow and the result is wonderful
I will send to you the picture of my bread when I received your feedback
Tx
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Great. Sent you an email.
Emos
Hi Victor
You deserve more than 5 stairs. I do not have a right words to describe the recipe. It works and I will send to you a picture of the first attempt I made.
Kindly regards
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Thank you for the kind words. Please, try my other recipes, plenty of good stuff there.
Emos
Hi Victor
I like to thank you for giving away this nice recipe with all details we should know before to make a French baguettes. I love baguette in morning with coffee, and milk.
I greatly appreciate.
Where I am struggling to make the baguettes is the measurement:
500:125= 4 cups of flour. In the recipe is equal de 3 1/2 cups. How do you come out with 31/2 cups?
Thank you and you have a wonderful day
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Emos, this is a bit late as you have already made the bread and it turned out great, but still... My measuring of KA AP flour using the scoop and sweep methods shows that 1 cup is about 150 grams of flour, so 500 grams is about 3 1/2 cups. That said, I STRONGLY suggest weighing the ingredients, granted good kitchen scales now cost only about $10, as that will greatly improve the results. There is a lot of variability from cup to cup, sometimes 5-10 grams. Those 5-10 grams multiplied 3 times will produce vastly different results, you may get a very wet, hard to work with dough, or very dry dough.
Bob
I'm a big fan of your baguette recipe. The one head scratcher I had was the instruction to do 3 stretch & folds every 30 minutes over 1.5 hours. I always get confused when I read it as I think it should be over 1 hour: e.g: S&F - 30 minutes - S&F - 30 minutes - S&F....
Or am I supposed to wait an extra 30 minutes before starting?
Just curious.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Bob, I see what you mean... No, you don't need to wait, that's what the initial 15-minute rest is for. You need to finish S&Fs within 1.5 hours after the rest. The timing of the S&Fs doesn't need to be precise - you can do one after the rest, another after an hour, and another after 30 minutes, or space them 45 minutes, or do one after the rest, then another after 30 minutes and another after 30 minutes, etc. It doesn't have to be precise. I updated the post to make it more clear, hope that helps.
Beth
Love love love this recipe! So simple and so good…everyone I serve these baguettes my guests are shocked they are homemade…since excellent baguettes are available in or local store…thank you for sharing!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome. Happy baking!
Jon
Hi Victor,
First, thank you! The recipe is incredibly great! I just made them and they turned out great! The looked and tasted great! The only thing was the air pockets weren’t there like in your pictures.
Any idea why it didn’t get airy?
Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Jon, search the comments, we discussed this several times, it should help. If not, let me know.
Jon
Thank you Victor! Yeah, it seems like maybe I didn't proof long enough, but I'm pretty sure that I followed the recipe to the letter. 🙂 Oh well, I'll be trying again because even though it wasn't as airy as I would have liked, they were delicious! 🙂
Ricardo Hooper Duarte
A master class to yield a classic perfect French baguette.
Hanlie
My very first attempt at yeast bread. Wish you could see the pics. I am super impressed! The texture is slightly chewy, which I love and the crust impressive. Through my novice eyes, the little holes are evenly spread. Just delish. PS I used 00 stone ground flour and no honey. The dough was very sticky and slack but I persevered with tender fingers. Also did not have rice flour so i mixed semolina and regular flour. I will certainly make this again. Thank you!
https://tasteofartisan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Hanlies-Beautiful-Baguettes.jpg
https://tasteofartisan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Hanlies-Beautiful-Baguettes-2.jpg
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Happy to hear that. Congratulations on your success! I will email you so you can send me your pictures.
P.S. Lovely baguettes, such beautiful crust and airy, open crumb.
Thomas
Thank you for the great post.
I've been trying to bake baguettes with mixed success for a while now. My most recent result prompted me to search the internet and lead me to this post.
I usually do the stretch and fold, but as part of a test this time, I tried kneading the dough for a lot longer, then letting it rest for 5 hours straight at room temperature. Compared to my regular dough, I noticed:
- it didn't rise in volume as much as usual even after 5 hours
- the dough seemed more sticky than usual
- the shaped baguette (before going in the oven) had a more flattened look
- finished baguette had great moist, glossy, airy crumb along the middle, but rest was quite dense
I've been trying to figure out what happened and my best guesses are:
- too much kneading in relation to the proofing time making the gluten too strong for the gas to form enough air pockets
- too high hydration?
- not enough proofing, again in relation to the amount of kneading and gluten strength formed in the process
The fact that I had great airy crumb along the middle makes me think it wasn't a total failure.
Would love and appreciate some feedback and insight.
Thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Thomas, I mot totally clear on whether you followed my recipe as is or had it changed up where you had the outcomes that you described.
This recipe requires no kneading. Kneading, especially excessive kneading ruins the gluten structure leading to crumbly, store-bought bread-like crumb.
This recipe has fairly low hydration - 72% - so I am quite surprised that the dough was that sticky. That may happen if you used cups and spoons to measure the ingredients. Get a scale instead.
Sometimes flours may be too hydrated which will impact the hydration of the dough in a significant way. You will need to drop it until you feel comfortable working with it. Start there and work your way back up. French bakers target about 75%. As you bake more you will get more comfortable with wetter doughs.
No, it doesn't sound like a total failure but you may need to practice more and make some tweaks. We've all gone through that. You can always send me some pics, a pic is worth 1000 words.
Naomie
The baguette would've tasted better if I wouldn't have over cooked. Besides that it was super good!
Fernando
Victor,
I was visiting family and they asked me to bake baguettes. My son-in-law has a wood pellet grill and suggested I try it. I did. The results were very good, as good as my electric oven at home. The baguettes had an almost imperceptible smoky flavor. Of course I follow your recipe albeit I have tweaked it a bit -no honey, time and temperatures modified depending on the oven being used, 78% hydration.
Fernando
https://tasteofartisan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Homemade-baguettes.jpg
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
That's awesome, Fernando. I would love to see them, I will email you, perhaps you have some pics to share. 78% hydration is nice. I love high hydration baguettes, that moist crumb is so good.
P.S. Thanks for the picture, Fernando. Your baguettes look really, really good. Love the rustic crust and the great oven spring you got there. Nice! I am going to try on my BGE. Thanks for the inspiration.
Rosann
This recipe looks fabulous. A question: after the initial 12-14 hour refrigeration, do you work with the dough while it’s cold or wait for it to come to room temperature? Looking forward to giving this a try. Thanks.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Cold. But it will come up to the room temp during the rest period (step 4).
Jean-Yves Avenard
How do you manage to keep such a great shape for your baguette?
I find that 75% hydration make for a very sticky and soft dough; cooked on the stone it doesn't hold its shape nicely and make for a flat bottomed baguette.
Also, 30m cooking at those temperatures gave me something close to burn.
I'm super impressed by how your photos looked though
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
The hydration is 72% in the recipe if noticed, the original recipe was 75% but I dropped it a while ago as many of my readers had a problem working with a wetter dough. It takes practice, nothing more. For everyone who starts out, I recommend starting with lower hydration and always measure the ingredients. Cups and spoons are too imprecise and even a little deviation may have a large negative impact. Your flour may also have a significant impact. Some flours are very hydrated, especially if they are fresh. I suppose it's not out of the realm of realistic to see some crafty sellers sell very hydrated flour to maximize their profits. That said, if your dough is very sticky for your comfort, drop the hydration until you feel comfortable. Get good results, then work your way back up. It's worth remembering that very sticky dough initially will become much less sticky as the gluten develops and the dough strengthens. Also, the key to success with high hydration (this recipe is not by the way) dough is to work quickly and making sure that the dough is properly fermented and proofed. Baguettes may become flat if the dough is overfermened/overproofed or scored incorrectly.
Different ovens bake differently. MOst people have had very good success with this recipe but some noted that they had to shorten the baking time. In my old electric oven 30 minutes was perfect. In my new gas oven, I had to make slight adjustments but it's pretty close. In your case, I would suggest dropping the temperature by 25 degrees and see how it goes. That should help. You want to hit 12-15 minutes for the first part with steam and 12-15 minutes for the browning part. If they brown too quickly, they won't bake properly. Hope this helps.
Britany Delacy
Thx so much !! Appreciate the helpful information.
Elisa
Love your recipe!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and your time.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome.
Tom
Few weeks ago I craved a Baguette and drove 30min to a specialty French bakery. Paid $7 for one and was unimpressed and thought surely I can make a better one. Found your recipe and all I can say is they turned out incredible. Not exaggerating when I say they looked and tasted exactly like they do at top Parisian boulangeries. I didn't even have a baking stone and used a metal tray. Few people seemed to have struggled with transferring them into the oven, I just transferred the entire parchment paper and cooked them on top.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Glad to hear it.. that's what my experience was as well back in the day... food business here is a weird one... people don't seem to demand the same quality as in Europe... it's highly competitive too, 20% go kaboom in the first year, 80% are gone by the year 5, the remaining 20% stay in the game but only a small portion of them make good returns. This leads to a very sad state of things where quickly and cheaply made trumps quality and taste. It's easier to do it yourself.
I also bake on parchment paper these days, way easier, no flour all over them, and no issues transferring. Do the same with pizzas and bread (unless I turn the bread over from proofing baskets right onto the bottom of clay cloches).
matt
I have tried different recipes for baguettes and they have been "okay", and even though I still need practice shaping them, my husband, a French Canadian who adores baguettes, yelled with happiness when he ate these for his Jabon and fromage baguette sandwich. Thank you.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, enjoy!
Jim Zaleski
A few questions.
How do you do your mixing? It is pretty stiff and hard to mix to get the ingredients blended by hand. I don't want to over do it.
Stretch and fold - do I do one stretch and fold every 30 minutes or 3 stretch and folds every 30 minutes? And you say every 30 minutes over 1 1/2 hours which means four times 0, 30, 60, and 90 minutes. Correct?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
The dough should not be stiff, if it is, your ratios got messed up somewhere. If anything, people comment on how wet the dough initially is. Your flour affect this too. Anyway, mixing by hand only.
S&F - one set, each set you pull one corner, stretch up and fold onto the dough. Four corners, four stretches, that's one set. Three sets altogether. Mix the ingredients, let rest for 15 minutes, then do S&F 1, then 2 and 3 spaced 30 minutes.
Sally
Love, love, love! Bakery quality. They look beautiful and smell delicious. Followed the recipe except I left mine out of the fridge to ferment around 10 hours and then placed in fridge overnight. Also placed a pan of water on the top rack as another reviewer suggested. I wish I could insert a picture. Words can’t describe how great they look.
https://tasteofartisan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/baguettes.jpg
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Happy to hear it, Sally. I get a huge energy boost when I read about my readers' success making my recipes. Thank you very much for your comment.
I send you an email, respond with your picture and I will attach it to your comment.
P.S. Your baguettes look fabulous. GREAT JOB!
Carmine
What temperature did you bake at Sally?
Sally
I preheated the oven to 550. Baked at 500 for the first 5 minutes then dropped the heat to 475 for an additional 10 minutes. After that, I opened the oven rotated the baguettes as instructed, removed the water pan and baked for an additional 15 minutes at 475.
Carmine
That is amazing your parchment paper did not “burn”. Lovely loaves👍
Fab Mundo
I have just started baking post-post pandemic (if you include all the mutations present and more to come) and I am always searching for the best crumb I can make, I have baked baguette 'like' demi-rolls up to 16 of them at a time as I have 2 containers of dough that I place in the fridge for up to 48 hrs, they always come out yeasty wine smelling and still semi-denser than my ideal crumb (spongy fluffy, semi-dense and filled with small and large crevices) of real french baguettes...I am using Ken Forkishs' seminal book as a guide but I love experimenting with other recipes and techniques as I just happen upon your web site. I look forward to using your techniques and recipes. Fab.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Good luck, Feb. Hope you like my baguette recipe and my other recipes, lots of good stuff here if I may say so.
Mike
The taste you're describing is because of overproofed dough. It's always good to use less yeast and let experience tell you if it's proofed enough or not. Some yeasts tend to be more active than the others.
Beth Bilous
Sorry this bread came out terrible. I am not inexperienced baking bread. I figured i would try just to see if i have been putting in more effort than I had to. Nope, the effort is so worth it.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Sorry to hear that. If you have a recipe/way to make a better baguette then by all means stick to it. As I say, there are hundreds of ways to make a great baguette, that's why they have those yearly competitions for the best baguette in Paris. This recipe has worked well for so many people though. I've been using it for many years with fantastic results. Love it.
P.S. If your bread came out terrible, I am 99.9% sure that it's not the recipe. It could have been not as good as your other recipe but not 'terrible'. Would you mind giving me a little more information as to why you think the bread came out 'terrible'? Perhaps I can help fix that.
Chris
I just attempted this recipe for the first time, and let's just say things did not go as well as I'd hoped. The photos must be the most beautiful baguettes I've ever seen. (I've made them before with other recipes and have had decent results.)
Other recipes I've followed mention trying to minimize how much the dough is 'handled', so I mixed it pretty gently before doing three stretch and fold iterations 30 minutes apart and going into the fridge for 12 hours. I got through the shaping stage and they completely flattened out on the couche. I managed to get them each onto a piece of parchment paper, but there was no way they were going to 'slide' off, onto the preheated baking stone.
Should I have gone ahead and done the initial mixing in a stand mixer? Maybe some more stretch and fold intervals? While definitely stickier than baguette dough I've worked with in the past, I thought it felt good when doing the last stretch and fold before going into the fridge. Any troubleshooting tips would be most appreciated.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Chris,
It sounds to me that your dough may have over-proofed if it collapsed on the couche. What's the temperature in the fridge? That or the gluten did not develop properly. It's hard to say without seeing the pictures, perhaps you can try again and send me some pics taken along the way. Mixing in a stand mixer is what kills the texture and makes 'supermarket' baguettes, I would not recommend doing that. In general, I find this recipe quite forgiving and hard to mess up, a lot of people had good success with it. Anyway, I will email you, send me some pics, let's go from there.
Fernando
Victor,
I have been baking with your recipe for a year. Everything is perfect. My family and friends say it is the best baguette they have tried. However, I am not satisfied with the “aesthetics” of my baguettes. Sometimes they look fine but not all the time. Scoring is not the issue, just the shape. I think that the step where baguettes are shaped is where my problem is. Could you tell us how to get a perfect shape every time?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Fernando, I am glad that you like my recipe and have been having good results with it. Shaping can be a challenge even for me sometimes and I've made them probably well over 100 times. I think there two main factors at play to getting the shape right - one is getting the initial rectangles shaped evenly, and the second one is to let the dough relax enough. Try to be as gentle as you can, don't force the dough. If you feel like you are having a hard time stretching the dough into rectangles or rolling it out, stop and let the dough relax more. That's the key I think. Also, don't stress out too much about the aesthetics, just enjoy them;) Happy baking!
GaryODS
Well written I've tried similar but haven't achieved such an open crumb.
Kitchen tip for you, run your stone through an oven self-cleaning cycle and be surprised how much cleaner it looks.
Nichole Brunsvik
I read that the creator of this recipe kept it in the fridge for 21 hours, can I do that? Seems much easier for me.
Also, the STONE under the bread, can it be any ol stone, or does it have to be what is suggested. thank you, Nikki B
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I created this recipe so I am not sure what you are referring to. There are hundreds of ways to make a good baguette, mine is only one of them. YOu can retard the dough for any number of hours as long as you don't over or under-ferment.
Stephen L Lyford
While baking it says to "rotate". Do you mean turn the baguettes over? or rotate the stone on which they're baking? Thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Oh no, don't turn them over. By rotating I mean turning them 180 degrees. You can do it with the stone but that's too much work. Easier to just rotate the baguettes but do what is easier to you. That said, I had to do it in my old cheapo electric oven. In my new gas oven I don't have to do it as it bakes quite evenly.
Carmine indindoli
Wow never say an article with so many comments, congratulations
. At 475 to 485 F I cannot find a parchment paper that is rated that high. Could you help me, or do I just use a 450 F max paper and live with some burned paper?
Very grateful for your absolutely well written recipe and photos.
Wish you could come visit us and taste our wines and garden meals. Bread of course per your teaching!,🍇💕😃👍
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
LOL, I'll gladly be over, with a bunch of baguettes, just send me your address 😉
So, to your question, there are two ways to go about it:
1 - don't worry about it. I and many others have used the standard 450F-rated parchment paper just fine, in both electric and gas ovens. You can see feedback on that in the comments of this and other bread recipes on my blog.
2- drop the temp to 450F and 425F respectively. Some ovens are more efficient and bake better so lower temps will work just fine. You can also bake at a lower temp for a different reason - to make your baguette less crusty. It's a personal preference thing. You may have to extend the second part of the bake to get the color that you want. You may also use convection during the last 5-10 minutes to get a nice color. The possibilities are endless. I encourage you to experiment and pick what you like best. There are hundreds of ways to make a great-tasting baguette.
Carmine
That was so very kind to write thank you Victor
Just write me personal email for my contact info🍇
Kevin Ricks
Victor, I've been making baguettes for many years but have become dissatisfied with my crumb so I'm off on a mission to find the recipe that works. This looks like the best combination of all that I've found and I'm making them next. I see you use honey in yours. While non-traditional, if it works and you and people like it I say go for it. My question is about diastatic malt or dry malt powder. It looks to me that about one gram per loaf is a general average. Is that something you can recommend, or poo poo? It is relatively cheap and if I can get a better baguette, I'm all for it. I rate the recipe 5 stars just because I've read so many and it seems the best and most doable in a standard kitchen. After I make them, I'll be back as Arnold says.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Kevin, to be honest, I've never tried adding any kind of malt to my bread, not yet, so I can't really comment on it. I have plenty of it though as I brew my own beer but honey just felt like a natural fit for my baguettes. I liked the results so much that I never wanted to try anything else. That's my story;) I would suggest giving it a try though and letting us all know how you like it.
Jeff
Kevin,
I add 1 tsp. diastatic malt powder to this recipe and it works great.
Yann
Howdy, how many folds do you actually do within each 30 mins block for 90 minutes or until some gluten is form ?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi, I do 3 sets of S&Fs, each set consists of stretching and folding each of the 4 corners. If the dough feels a little too lax, I may go around and S&F a couple more times in each set but usually 4 is enough. Each time I do it I want to feel the dough tightening up and getting stronger, hope this makes sense.
Debra Amrein-Boyes
Thank you for the recipe. If doubling (or more) the recipe, are all ingredients doubled? Or is the yeast reduced in the ratio? Thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Debra, yes, double all of the ingredients including the yeast. You could reduce the yeast but your fermentation time will be longer.
Debra Amrein-Boyes
Thank you, it’s done and in the fridge, shall see how it goes tomorrow!
Naomi
Can I ferment this longer than 14 hours? Is there a way to make this dough a few days in advance?
Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Naomi, yes, you can easily go for 24 hours and even up to 48 hours but you have to do so at a lower fridge temp as the dough may over-ferment. It's all about balancing yeast activity/yeast amount, temperature and time. The longer the dough in the fridge the more acidic it becomes and slightly changes the consistency... it's hard to describe but once you see it you know... I don't like going over 24 hours with most of my breads.I suppose you can make the dough in advance but you have to make sure you keep it at a temperature where all yeast activity stops, well below 38F, say 33-34F. I don't like freezing and thawing my bread dough but I suppose it's an option too.
Izzie
Hi! This recipe seems amazing. I don’t have a baking stone, couche, or any of these bread specific tools. Can I still make this bread at home? Thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Where there is a will, there is a way. Of course, you can. In the past, I would use a kitchen towel or Saran wrap instead of a couche. The goal is to keep the pre-shaped dough tight and not let it spread out. Use enough flour to prevent sticking. Instead of a stone, use a stack of 3-4 baking sheets. The idea is to create a surface with enough heat capacity to make the baguettes get a good oven spring. You can also use unglazed tiles if you have them. You may not get the same results as on a good thick baking stone but they won't be bad.
Jacklyn
This is the best and the most reliable baguette recipe I've attempted and I've tried over a dozen of them.
Mo Duggan
I can’t believe the results of this recipe. Amazing bread ! And the step by step instructions are foolproof!I’ve stopped buying bread altogether.
Have you got a really good sourdough recipe.
I think you should write a bread cookbook. I’d be your first customer.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Happy to hear that, Mo. Thank you for the kind words.
Wendy
Hi. Can I use sourdough starter instead of yeast? If so, how much?
Thanks,
Wendy
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Wendy, using a sourdough starter instead of yeast is definitely possible and I have done it many times. However, in this specific recipe, there is no simple substitution of yeast for a sourdough starter. Sourdough behaves differently... it will have to be a different recipe.
Jeff
Hi Wendy,
This is how I converted Victor’s excellent recipe and instructions to a sourdough version. I’ve made it many times now and the baguettes are fantastic.
(Try adding 1/2 cup sliced Kalamata or oil-cured olives to the dough for amazing olive baguettes!)
100g active sourdough starter
450g King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
310g water
10g salt
1 tbsp. honey
NOTE: I have been letting the dough bulk ferment on the counter overnight, instead of the fridge. I do that because during the winter and spring, my kitchen is pretty cool. Now that summer is here, I may switch to letting it bulk ferment in the fridge overnight.
Hope this helps!
Tania Kasdan
I can’t imagine anyone who loves and appreciates good bread more than me.
Born and raised in Moscow, Russia, where bread is truly a food group, and traveling extensively to Europe, I became very picky when it comes to baked goods, bread particularly.
I tried and failed many times to replicate the taste, texture and flavor of French baguettes.
Until I tried this one.
For anyone who decides to use this recipe, my suggestion is to follow every step as instructed. Don’t rush the time.
And if you a bread lover like me, invest in buying necessary tools, it’s so worth it!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, Tania. Happy baking!
neil chapman
Fantastic
I love it
Biba
Excellent recipe! I have tried many before, this one is the winner. I made my bread regularly during the pandemic, used a mix of white and whole wheat flours, white and oatmeal flours or only white, always delicious. I put the leftover baguette (s) in a ziploc bag and freeze. When I need some bread I reheat in a 400 degrees oven and it comes out crispy and delicious like just baked!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome. Happy baking!
Debbie Larkin
By far the best and easiest baguette recipe I’ve ever tried. They get rave reviews whenever served even from husbands for whom “bread is bread.”
Harry O’Rawe
Hi, In the recipe it says 360 grs of water but in the descripción you talk about 75% of hydration, those are 15 grs difference and it makes a huge difference, what is the right amount?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Harry, my apologies for the long delay in responding to your message. Yes, I originally specified 75% hydration in my recipe but eventually dropped it to 72% as many of my readers had difficulty working with a wetter dough. I initially had a problem too. I think that 75% is the optimal hydration for baguettes but I recommend for anyone who is just starting out to use lower hydrations and work their way up to 75% as they get more comfortable. That said, if you like the results using a lower hydration dough, stick to it.
Jeff B
Hi Victor,
This is the perfect baguette recipe and instructions, so thank you!
If I want to use only sourdough starter and no yeast, would I reduce the water and flour in the recipe? I use a 100% hydration starter. So, if I used 100g of starter, would I reduce the water by 50g and the flour by 50g? Thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Jeff, my apologies for the late response. In so many words, yes, that's what you would do. The idea is to maintain the same level of hydration. That said, the dough leavened with pure sourdough behaves differently and the crumb won't be as open, that's why many bakers prefer to complement sourdough with commercial yeast/poolish when making baguettes.
Nick
The BEST baguette recipe I have tried. Baguettes came out perfect.
Mary
i plan to make this tomorrow I have been baking breads but still a novice
My husband bought me baguette pans they fit 2 loaves and the pans have small holes in them Can i bake them in these on my stone?
he also bought me the couche
clearly he wants bread haha
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Mary, apologies for the delayed response. I hope by now are making some impressive baguettes and you and your husband enjoy them. I know it's late, but let me answer your questions. I'd rather bake them directly on the stone, which is what I do, but you can try baking on the baguette pan as well. There are many ways to make a great baguette or bread. Find what works best for you and what gives you the results you are looking for. I think the most important part about home bread baking is to make the process enjoyable, stress-free and convenient. If it isn't, you won't be baking a lot if at all.
Janice
Hi Victor, I have done this recipe 6-7 times now, everything looks good but I cannot get the opening that you have on pictures. I invested on the stone, better. But still not big “mouth” opening. I am thinking when I open up the oven and load the bread one by one, the temperature drops a chunk almost 100F from 500F to 400F. Then close oven, the oven temp climbs backup to set temp. And I did not use convect back so the temperature rising is slower. I am afraid I loose some oven spring due to this reason? What do you think? Baking time is about the same as you instruct on recipe. How can I send you some pictures? Thanks for your reading!!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Janice, I emailed you. Let's see some pictures first.
Dom
Can we store the dough in the fridge for less time? If so, what's the minimum time it has to be stored. I see mine has already risen after about 5-6 hours. I wanted to eat it today so that's why I ask.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Dom, sorry about the late response. Putting dough in the fridge allows to slow down fermentation (known as retarding), which allows for better flavor development and out of convenience too... some may like to pre the dough in the evening and bake early in the morning. Whenever your dough looks ready for the next step it's a good idea to go to the next step. You can skip refrigeration altogether if you want to.
Pamela
Do you not use Bread Flour?
I have an Artisan Blend I use for my breads.
Any type of formula to use Wild Live Yeast?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Bread flour will work too, you will get a chewier texture. Wild live yeast / sourdough - yes I use it too. Prefer a mix of commercial and sourdough, will post my recipe on the blog in the near future.
Mark
Looking forward to a version of this using a mix of wild and commercial yeast also. I assume it would be to make a pre-ferment with the wild yeast and maybe 200g of the total flour? Would love to get your thoughts on it for timings and amounts!
David Swanson
Temperature of the water?
Mix all together with or without letting yeast foam first?
Degas the dough?
Thx
Fernando
Victor, after a few months of getting awesome results I found myself without bread and had to go out and buy some for a special dinner. Wow! What a disappointment... yours (and mine now) are so much better! From now on I will freeze a few for emergencies.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Fernando, my apologies for the late response. I hear you, we rarely buy bread anymore, only in extreme situations or when we see some really nice artisan bread. Modern bread making here is mostly about profitability, not taste or quality, unfortunately.
Arun
Your recipes and instructions are the best I have seen on the subject. Thank you for great detailed instructions. Looking forward to making these.
Cheers!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome. Happy baking!
mo duggan
Amazing results. Can’t wait to taste!
Nat
Hi! I made the recipe and loved it. I am hoping to do 6 smaller loaves instead of 3 big ones next time, do you think that would work? Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Nat, sorry for the delayed response. Yes, you can do that. You may have to adjust the baking time slightly.
Janice
Hi there, I tried a couple times of the recipe but not getting the “big holes” effect, what did I do wrong possibly? The crumb is densed. I do not have a stone so I just bake it in my baguette pan. I baked at 450 for about 20 mins. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Janice, my apologies for the long delay in responding to your message. Dense crumb indicates to me insufficient fermentation and/or proofing. The dough should at least double during fermentation and increase in volume by 30-50% during proofing. Baking in baguette pans may also be the problem. To get a good oven spring you need to begin baking on something with a great heat capacity, like a thick baking stone, or unglazed tiles, or a thick baking steel, or even a stack of baking trays. That heat is what makes the dough puff up/rise/spring up, opening up the crumb. If you just put the dough on a cold baguette pan and into a hot oven, that won't happen, though you may still get somewhat acceptable results. Hope this helps.
Wolfgang
Hello Victor,
Your french baguette recipe is very tasty and the honey adds a great sweet nuance to the baguette. However from a finish perspective mine are not having this vibrant sheen. I only have a regular oven no baking stone and I tried King Arthur All purpose and Bread flower. Any tips you can share would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Wolfgang, my sincere apologies for not having responded to your comment for so long - it got lost in a pile of spam.
The sheen is usually the product of good steam. See if you can increase the steam during the initial baking, that should help.
Betva
I'm going to try this today. One thing do becauseI can't stand day old bread is freeze them after they cool down.
Just like fresh but of course not as goid as right or of the oven but fresh frozen works for me. When I take a loaf lot from the Frazer, I defrost, dampen and cook 8-10 min in a 400 degree over...delicious
Sally Jackson
I have made this bread several times and the baguette recipe from The Bread Bakers Apprentice. My family and I all definitely prefer this recipe. We feel that the flavor of this recipe is far superior. Thanks, Victor.
Sally
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, Sally. Happy baking!
Ann
Hi there,
I just made these for the first time, and although I had some doubts I was doing it correctly, and fumbled getting the loaves onto the baking stone, they turned out really well!! Nice and airy, and super crunchy!
I wasn't sure if each "iteration" set comprised 3 stretch and folds (making 9 altogether) OR whether it was a single stretch and fold per iteration (making 3 altogether). But I read some of the other recipes on this site and it's very explicitly stated when an iteration comprises multiple stretch and folds, so I stuck with just doing one per "set". They certainly turned out well, but wondered if that was the right reading of those instructions?
They ended up slightly overcooked in my oven. My fault, I should have checked them with 5 mins to spare, but got distracted until the buzzer went, so they ended up a little too dark and the crust was slightly too thick - just slightly beyond what I would consider to be "deliciously dark", but honestly still very, very edible! I'll keep a better eye on them next time!
All in all, I highly recommend this recipe, and am looking forward to trying again, so I can perfect this!
Thank you for posting. I really enjoyed all the tips in here too (such as using rice flour to help prevent sticking, and tips around the shaping and using the bread lame).
Ann
Hi there
I am about to make this, but have a few questions (sorry if I’m missing information that is actually written!):
The stretch and fold step: do you only stretch and fold ONCE per iteration? Other similar methods I’ve done in the past, they stretch and fold 4 time per iteration I.e. once per “corner” of the dough.
If once per iteration, do you stretch and fold from the same side each time, or do you rotate around the loaf?
Adding water to the oven for steam: is the towel actually inside the container of water or in another container? I ask because the image posted looks like there are three things in the oven, but I can’t make out what the third thing is.
If the towel is in the pan of water, do you allow the towel to soak up all water or ensure it is saturated enough so that water remains around the towel?
Thank you so much for posting this recipe!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Stretch and fold once per corner, per iteration. So, four corners/four stretches per iteration. In general, in this recipe or other, if I feel that the dough is too lax/weak, I will S&F each corner twice.
The towel is inside the pan of water. What it does is it slows down the release of steam. You can do it without the towel too, the difference, I feel, is not huge. The towel does not soak up all the water, there should be much more water than a towel can soak up. Hope this helps. Good luck.
Angie
I would like to know if it's possible to use active dry in place of instant yeast. I've read that using more of the ad yeast will yield a satisfactory result.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Angie, I've experimented a lot with ad yeast and my results would vary but instant was a consistent performer in this recipe, hence why I recommend it. That said if you activate your ad yeast, get a good foam cap going, it should be sufficient. You could increase yeast by a little but don't go too far as it will impact fermentation time/activity... could be a problem if you are following my instructions to the tee... otherwise, you could make some adjustments on the fly.
Fabiane Rouille
Amazing flavor, easy to make. I did not get such an open crumb dough.
It was nice and crispy out of the oven but it became stale very fast. How do you keep it crispy longer?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Fabiane, I cool down my baguettes completely then seal in Ziploc bags. Try to expel as much air as you can when sealing. That will help keep them fresh longer.
FABIANE
Hello! Can you put the baguettes after shaping and proofing in the fridge to bake at a later time?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Fabiane, there is a risk that your baguettes will over-proof in the fridge unless the temperature is very low. Probably best to shape and proof in the fridge. That said, there are a gazillion ways to make a good baguette, all are good and are driven by your style/preferences/schedule.
Simon
Bread was as described and delicious to taste. Could be an artisan bread maker, Dunsborough
Melissa
Thank you for the excellent recipe and clear instructions. This is the 5th baguette recipe I tried, and they came out well! Minor problem when I tried getting the dough onto the baking stone...the dough felt really soft and stretched out so much and hung over the stone (I do not have a pizza peel so that could be the problem). Just wondering if it's a soft dough or did I add too much water. Still delicious, and will try again.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Yeah, that is a challenging task. I made a long wide 'pizza peel' out of a thin wooden board to help me load them in the oven. You can also decrease the hydration and literally transfer with just bare hands which I've done many times too.
Nora
Is it okay to use flour brand other then King Arthur
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Nora, it's totally fine to use other brands. KA is my favorite one but there are many other excellent flours out there. I'd recommend experimenting with what you have readily available/economical and pick the one that you like best.
Sarah
Have you tried this recipe at high altitude?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Sarah, sorry, I haven't.
Sally Jackson
Sensational! I’ve never made baguettes before, and these were wonderful. I still have some technical skills to work on, like scoring, and and should I mention not dropping one of the baguettes into the bottom of the oven? It landed on the baking element and burst into flames, producing prodigious amounts of smoke. That’s’s probably something to work on not doing. The other two loaves had a lovely crisp crust, soft crumb and a beautiful flavor. Great recipe, clear instructions and a great site. Than