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 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 same ingredients, differ in appearance and taste. This is largely due to the process that is employed. You can 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 the 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 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 stretch 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 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 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 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 flower works best as rice flower 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 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
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. Thank you!!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome. Glad I could help. The joy of eating a freshly baked French baguette is priceless.
Madison
Do you have any recommendations for storing them? Its very humid where I live and I worry about the bread getting stale
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Cool them down and store them in a tightly sealed container or a Ziploc bag. That’s what I do but usually, the 3-baguette batch that I normally bake is gone by the end of the day.
Patrick
Hi Victor,
Can you recommend a good organic flour (I live in Florida) that would give airy french baguettes?
I tried Great River Organic Milling, Lily White Bread Flour, All-Purpose, Organic, purchased on Amazon and get a good looking baguette but too dense to my liking, even using 75% hydration. Is it possible to get a airy baguette using organic flour?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Patrick,
I’ve tried many flours and all of them worked well, some a little better than others, but they all worked. The differences sometimes are very subtle. I think you should experiment with what you have available to you and pick whichever one gives you the best results. I like KA flour a lot but I also like other flours. I haven’t tried the ones you mentioned so can’t comment on them.
As far as how to make the bread less dense, airier with more bubbles… Perhaps start with searching the comments section, we have discussed this a few times. In general, bigger holes, more airy product, has to do with higher hydration, gentle handling, no punching down, proper fermentation, proper bench rest, longer proofing, better oven spring (a function of good steam, good scoring), better gluten development. It takes some practice sometimes. It took me a while to get the results that I got but I’ve seen people use my recipe and get excellent results right away. It could also have to do with expectations, I suppose. What I may call soft and airy you may call dense. I will send you an email, send me a few good close-up pictures of the crumb that you would call dense. Perhaps I can suggest what you could improve.
Brandi
I’m excited to try this recipe, but I’m wondering if you can refrigerate longer?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Brandi, you can refrigerate for up to 24 hours. I’ve gone as long as 48 hours but you will start getting a more acidic taste. You have to experiment with you fridge. If it’s too warm, the dough will over-ferment.
Jeff B
Excellent recipe and instructions!
I started them last night and baked them off this morning. These are delicious baguettes that remind me of my time in France.
The only minor disappointment is that mine didn’t have the airy, hole-filled structure that the picture shows. They were great inside, just not open and airy like the pic. Is there anything specific that contributes to that texture?
Thanks for sharing the recipe and techniques!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Jeff, did you find the dough easy to work with? If so, I’d suggest you increase hydration to about 75%, which should help get a more open crumb. I also shared other tips for that in the comments below, just do a quick search.
Jeff
Yeah, I think it may have been 75%. After I mixed the dough, it seemed a little dry. So, I added more water. So, it was a pretty wet dough. I wet my hand to do the stretch and folds, cuz it was sticky.
But, I’ll check out the tips, thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Jeff, sometimes how wet/dry the dough feels depends on the flour you use. I’d recommend adjusting the hydration to where you feel comfortable handling the dough. My typical bread dough used to be fairly dry and so was my baguette dough, now I use a much higher hydration. Heck, I made two loaves of 50/40/10 white/ww/rye bread yesterday with 84% hydration and it was terrific. It was a little more difficult to handle but I’ve learned a good way so it was pretty easy for me. All it takes is some practice.
Kelly
Good Morning Victor! Thank
You for. Sharing your recipe! I have been baking for a couple of months now. My baguettes have been tasting delicious but I’m not getting consistent results on the shape of my baguettes. They’re not consistently elongated like the picture you have on your post! 🙂 advise on how to get that shape. Is the scoring? Shaping?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Kelly,
It takes a little practice to get them perfectly shaped so keep trying and I am sure they will be better and better each time. Mine initially were all over the place as far as shape, ears, oven spring… but got much better over time. That said, I’ve noticed that when the dough is not relaxed enough I would have a hard time stretching it and getting a uniform shape. Proper fermentation and bench rest are important. When the dough is tight, you will get thicker and thinner parts which will expand during baking unevenly. Hope this helps.
Christine
Definitely the best bread I have ever made! Easy to follow instruction, thank you
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome.
Mary Kelly
Great recipe! For proofing, I place the loaves (I make 2 batards from this recipe) on parchment paper, and put rolled up kitchen towels in-between and on either side so they hold their shape. Then simply slide the loaves on the parchment paper into the oven using a peel or cookie sheet. Easy-peach.
Mark
It seems to measure out 72% hydration, which seems too low to do the stretch and fold method. My dough came out as a taught little ball. Can’t do stretch and fold. I don’t think this will yield those large bubbles as seen in your picture.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
72% works fine for S&F, done it numerous times. The optimal hydration for baguettes is 75% though. My initial recipe specified 75% but many people had a hard time working with wetter dough so I changed it to 72% which seems to be the sweet spot for most and works very well. If you are comfortable working with a higher hydration dough, I suggest you try 75%. Really, there is no right or wrong here. I always recommend experimenting and settle on what works best. Ideally, you want the process to be so intuitive and easy that it becomes your second nature. Only that way you will be making baguettes often and enjoy making them.
Charlie
Can I just not add the honey or does not adding honey (no other substitutions either) change the weight amount for the other ingredients?
I prefer an unsweetened baguette!
Thank you!!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Simply omit the honey. Simple as that.
Petar
Hello! Great recipe!
I was wondering – how is gluten developed without kneading? Last time I did it, my baguett became flat before going to owen.
Thanks for answer!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Petar, gluten development is a function of kneading and time. Stretching and folding strengthen the dough and also promotes gluten development. Your dough should have a very strong gluten structure by the end of fermentation. If the dough goes flat before you stick it in the oven, most likely it’s over-fermented and/or over-proofed. There could be something else, of course, but it’s hard for me to say without knowing more details at each step.
Mary miller
Can you use a marble slap to cook it on x
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I would not, unless it clearly states that it’s oven-safe. I don’t think I’ve seen/heard of anyone using marble slabs for baking.
Syb
Can you recommend baking time and temperature for convection oven? Thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I haven’t really experimented with convection baking for this recipe but check the comment below – it looks like 15 minutes produced great results.
Friederike
So yummy. In my convection oven it takes only 15 min baking.
Katie
Fantastic recipe!! So easy and makes perfect baguettes every time. Will definitely become a regular addition to my baking schedule.
Laura
Hello, if I can’t find the istant yeast it’s better if I use the dry one (3grams) or the fresh one (and in this case how many grams)?
Do you suggest adding 3 spoons of sourdough?
Thankyou for your advice
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hello Laura, my apologies for the late response. Hope I can still help. If you don’t have instant yeast, you can use traditional yeast but activating it first. Fresh can be used too, I normally use 3x fresh relative to dry yeast. E.g. if a recipe calls for 3g of dry yeast I will use 9g fresh yeast. Adding sourdough starter is fine but account for the added water and flour of the starter accordingly. That said, in this recipe starter is not necessary. Someday I will post my hybrid baguette recipe that uses yeast and sourdough.
Glen
Great recipe. I hadn’t tried the stretch and fold before. Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are welcome, Glen.
Anais
Am I able to use bread flour in substitute for all purpose flour?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I’ve made my baguettes using bread flour and it worked fine.
sorrin
The recipe tastes amazing and the dough while sticky is still easy to handle, especially the next day.
The frustration I have after having made these about 6 times now, is that my crumb is dense. I’m struggling with achieving those lovely airy holes you have in your photo.
Otherwise, the crust is golden dark, thin but very crisp without being tough and the bread nicely chewy.
How much does the knead factor into this – am I perhaps over proofing? Not sure what I’m doing wrong.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Sent you an email, I’ll need to see some pics, please.
Nina
Just took the baguettes out of the oven – outstanding recipe, many thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome.
Sam
Victor
Thank you for the amazing recipe!
Have you ever done all of the steps to the final fold, and then put them in the fridge and baked the next day? Do you think it would work just as well or would it slowly over proof overnight? Thanks again!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Sam, apologies for the delayed response. Both fermentation and proofing can be retarded overnight. In this recipe, you do all S&Fs before putting the dough in the fridge to retard overnight. I think that’s what you want to do, no?
Vince
I made 3 baguettes yesterday and they came out rock hard but brown though. I think my Samsung oven is too hot with the heating element on top and with no element at the bottom. I also used convection bake, which might be too dry and too hot too fast. I think I will try standard bake (vs. convection bake) next time, and move the rack lower away from the top heating element. Thanks.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Vince, that makes sense. I would avoid convection and perhaps lower the temperature. A little bit of experimenting will be needed for sure in your case.
Vince
I made 3 baguettes yesterday and they came out rock hard but brown though. I think my Samsung oven is too hot with the heating element on top and with no element at the bottom. I also used convection bake, which might be too dry and too hot too fast. I think I will try standard bake (vs. convection bake) next time, and move the rack lower away from the top heating element. Thanks.
Dana
Hi, thanks for sharing your recipe! I am new to baking baguettes, and am excited to try this recipe soon (especially the addition of honey!). Many other recipes that I’ve seen knead the dough before proofing. Why don’t you knead your dough, and do you know how this could affect the texture?
Thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Dana, kneading is a fast way to develop gluten and, unfortunately, kill the texture. S&F and time is another way to get gluten developed without ruining the texture. Kneading will result in a more of a supermarket baguette, with tiny holes and crumbly texture.
Ryan
Hi victor. Here in Canada we don’t have king Arthur all purpose flour will Robin Hood all purpose flour suffice ?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Ryan, KA is not the only flour that will give you good results. Of Canadian flours, I really like organic La Milanaise all-purpose from Quebec, very nice but grittier than KA. Inexpensive unbleached Baker’s Hand AP from Business Costco is very good. Robing Hood is one of the few Canadian brands that I disliked. Haven’t used it for many years, perhaps it got better.
Irene
Thanks for the information about making baguette s. It was very interesting and informative. I will try it out and let you know the outcome .
Viara
Excellent recipe, thank you! Despite cold proofing in a bowl far too small, and not scoring them deep enough, they turned out very good. I think I’ll make four rather than three baguettes the next time to more easily fit them in my oven – but obviously that’s just due to the size of my appliance.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Glad to hear about your success, Viara. Happy baking!
Herman
Hi Victor,
Due to delivery problems, I had to switch flours from Montana AP to Heckers AP, which has a higher protein content. The water amount became a problem, producing a much more hydrated dough. It was so wet that simple tasks like rolling and stretching were impossible. I persisted and made believe the dough was workable. Out of the oven, the baguettes were delicious, with a very open crumb. However, they refused to brown deeply after additional baking so rather than dry them out, we ate them as is.
I’m sure using less water will benefit both the dough and myself next time. Love this recipe! Sending a photo..
https://tasteofartisan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/homemade-baguettes-4.jpg
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hello Herman, that’s a very good example of how little is needed to throw off the ratios. One type of flour may be more hydrated than the other and that’s sometimes enough to have a significant impact on the dough. When people ask me for measurements in cups and spoons I am terrified to think what kind of unpredictable results they may potentially get as there is so much variance in weight between one cup and another. And that’s on top of variances between different flours, as your example demonstrates.
To get a deeper color, you may try dropping the temperature by 25 degrees and bake longer, say 10 min longer. You could also move them up to the top of the oven, which promotes top browning. Another thing is removing the excess flour. Try to brush off as much as you can, that will also help with browning.
P.S. Thanks for sending me your baguette pictures. They look very well-made, with a beautiful crumb. Happy to see those wonderful results you’ve achieved.
Emily
I’ve tried 3-4 baguette recipes and this was a total winner. No poolish required. My crust was crisp and the inside was nice and fluffy with good holes. It did come out a bit more brown than I liked, and the second time I only did it for about 10 minutes after turning it. I might try to check in on 5 minutes next time. I don’t use a stone or couche. Instead, I have a baguette pan. It stuck to the bottom which my other baguettes didn’t. I might want to try to dust it with flour or butter to keep from sticking.
Jeff B
I have a baguette pan and I spray with cooking spray then dust with flour. I’ve never had one stick.
Jeff
I have a baguette pan and spray with cooking spray, then dust with flour. I’ve never had them stick.
Emily
I’ve tried for recipes for baguette, this is the only one that got me what I wanted! Crispy, and giant holes on the inside.interesting that you didn’t start with a sponge and just mix the entire dough. It worked out better, and it was easier!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Emily, happy to hear about your success. Enjoy!
Ira Bernstein
Victor,
I recently started baking my own bread and discovered your recipe. It came out fabulous and became my go to recipe. Unfortunately I also just had bypass surgery and have to adjust my diet to reduce simple carbs like white flour. I’d like to attempt a multigrain baguette. Do you have suggestions as to how I can modify your recipe? I think I can greatly benefit from your experience.
Best,
Ira
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Ira, sorry for the delay in responding to your question. Generally, flours like whole wheat absorb more water so you’d need to bump the hydration up a little. When substituting a small amount of flour for, say, rye flour, I don’t even make any adjustments. Whole grain and multigrain breads will have less of an open crumb but they taste great and I bake them a lot. Don’t be afraid to experiment, you will discover a lot of cool things. Happy baking!
Leslie
I’m new to baking anything at all and this was the second baguette recipe I followed, (we won’t talk about the first one) they turned out amazing!! Thank you for sharing this. Can this be baked as a loaf and maybe infuse different herbs in it?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Leslie, my apologies for the long delay with responding. Yes, this can be made as a loaf and you can add mix-ins. Take a look at my other recipes, especially the no-knead bread. Perhaps you can use that recipe for your loaves, it’s similar. You can experiment with substituting different flours. Rye is a great one. Rosemary and some cream cheese is a fantastic mix-in, as are walnuts and figs, my favorite.
Meg
Your recipe is spot on – thank you for sharing. I have French neighbors who unreservedly said it was excellent. My family adores both your baguette and advanced no knead bread recipes.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome.
Anna
Absolutely amazing recipe. I don’t have baker’s couche but I hacked it by reshaping a large waxed-linen (the reusable food wrap from Trader Joes) to become my baguette shape holder which I line with baking paper. I cut the paper as close to the dough as I can to help transfer the baguettes into the over. It makes it super easy to slide it down and position them on the pizza stone.
Not gonna lie, i’m making this almost daily now and can’t wait to get tired of it enough that we can start freezing some. So far it’s a huge hit with the fam. Thank you!!!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, Anna. Sorry for the delayed response. Happy baking!
Reva
Hi I’ve just made the baguettes and the top is dark and crispy and yet underneath is so pale. Whatever bread I make the underneath has no colour how do I get the underneath to go darker and crispier?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Reva, can you email me some photos?
Jeff B
I always turn mine over during the last 10 minutes or so, and the bottoms brown beautifully.
Jeff
Such a great recipe and instructions! I’ve made these four times now and just love them.
My only problem has been that they are hard to score before baking. I have a good lame, but it seems that the baguettes get dry or develop a “crust” while they are proofing for the oven and the lame cant cut thru the dough well. The dough kind of stretches and rips when I try to slash it, instead of making a ice clean cut. I even cover the dough while it’s proofing. So, I’m not sure what to do about this.
P.S. if you want to experiment, try replacing 10% of the flour (50g) with rye flour—very tasty.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Jeff,
crust during proofing means you need to do a little more to protect them – no drafts in the room, cover with a damp towel, or cover with a piece of Saran wrap. To be honest with you, I never came to like using a lame… I get lame results with it;) What I use now most of the time is my very old Wusthof bread knife – I score everything with it – baguettes, bread… It works very well and it’s right there, in the knife block and is easy to clean. Perhaps can you try something like that.
Speaking about adding rye flour, I do it very often. I think I mentioned it in the post or in the comments somewhere. Agreed, rye adds a noticeable flavor boost and subtle sweetness. I love it.
Julie
Hi Victor. Tried the recipe for the first time and for the most part my baguettes came out lovely. I did have to cut time in the second half of the bake as I think my oven was running hot so the loaves were getting a bit overdone. However, the one thing I’d like to know for my next attempt is the approximate size of the rolled rectangles – mine ended up being very long and skinny rather than a nice uniform shape. I do have to work on my scorning skillz, LOL! Thanks in advance!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Julie, I’d say 9-12 inches long.
Dayna
What you do if the dough is sticky when it’s time to shape?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
The only way is to use more flour for dusting to be able to handle it. Next time drop the hydration. It helps to weigh the ingredients as even 15-20 grams of too much water can make a huge difference. If you did, then drop the hydration by 1-2% next time.
Dayna
Good day, I’m making the baguettes for the first time and I don’t have cloche or a baking stone at this time how should I bake them?
Everything is perfect this far into the baking process light beautiful doughy in just a few short hours baking time can’t wait . Thank you
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I used to use a plastic wrap instead of a cloche and it worked great. Make sure to dust with enough of flour to prevent sticking. Paper towels will work too… A kitchen towel will work. You want to keep them very close to each other to keep their shape but without getting stuck to each other. A cloche is useful and easy to work with but is not a 100% requirement. You can get very creative here. If no stone, you can use a stack of baking sheets, unglazed tiles, etc… search the comments below, it’s been discussed, should help you.
Dayna
So do I still need pan of water ? And how many baking sheets?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
2-3 baking sheets. You need enough stored heat to give the baguettes a nice oven spring. yes, still need a water pan for the first part of the baking.
Mr Kelly
Absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing your recipe! I’m a beginner and your website has help me make some amazing baguettes!!!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome. Happy baking!
Tracy Albright
Can this recipe be halved for smaller loafs and cook in a toaster oven?
Do you have a video avalable for this recipe?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Yes, you can halve it but I have no idea if you can do it in a toaster oven and how it will turn out. No video yet but I am planning on making it soon.
Cat
How should the recipe be modified if using active dry yeast? Should it be mixed with warm water before adding it to the mixture? Can bread flour be used instead of all-purpose? How would the flour type change the texture? I’m trying to get the light airy inside (with lots of air pockets) and crunchy crust of the ‘tradition’. Thank you 😉
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Activate the AD yeast, make sure it’s alive and very active. I’ve had much better, more consistent success with instant yeast though. I don’t Any flour can be used. More gluten = chewier baguettes. Follow the process in my recipe, you should get a light and airy baguette. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Use different flours, change temps, baking time… you will be surprised how texture/taste changes with some tweaks.
Cat
Thank you for the recipe. I am excited to try it after reading all your replies to questions. I’m a novice and have tried King Arthur and Baking A Moment’s recipes without luck. Can you tell me what I can use if I don’t have a baking stone (can I invert a baking sheet or use tiles) or couche? Also, can you explain how oven temperature affects the crust? I know every oven is different and I would like to know how to troubleshoot as I suspect my electric oven is hotter than it says. How does opening the door affect the bread? Can I use table salt or sea salt and how would the measurement differ? Have you considered making a video to show the techniques? Thanks again!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Cat, welcome to my blog. Yeah, a video is coming. Search my comments, I’ve explained how to bake without a stone, it’s totally doable. You can use a stack of 2-3 baking sheets to get enough stored heat to help baguettes ‘spring’ in the oven. A cloche (long one) will work too. With a baguette cloche you don’t need to steam either. Tiles, unglazed, will work too. The higher the temp the better the color and the thicker the crust. Lower temps create thinner crust. You can get good color too with lower temps by increasing baking time. Also, make sure that the oven is as dry as possible. Humid air will result in a pale color. You can finish baking with the oven door cracked open, it promotes a very thin, crackly crust. The best way to find out is to start baking and experiment with your oven.
Cherylann
Hi Victor.
I’ve successfully baked your delicious baguettes numerous times. Thank you again for sharing the recipe and for the great tutorial that accompanies it. I recently tried the same recipe and technique using French T55 flour. The dough started out much wetter but became manageable and I thought showed promise, being supple and shiny albeit sticky. The resulting baguettes were a disaster! No oven spring, dense crumb and thick, hard crust. Same oven, same stone, same fridge, same water, same yeast. Do you have any thoughts about what could have gone wrong?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Cherylann, drop the hydration by 2-3% and try again. That should work. I’ve made baguettes with La Milanaise T55 (from Quebec) and it worked well for me. I didn’t adjust the hydration. But perhaps yours was very fresh and more hydrated so you’d need to adjust. T55 is grittier, perhaps a little more S&Fing to better develop gluten.
Herman
Victor,,
The baguettes I just pulled out of the oven are my best ever. Thank you for your well-crafted recipe. These are nice looking and so tasty. No more commercial baguettes for me!
https://tasteofartisan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Best-baguettes-by-Herman.jpg
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Glad to hear it, Herman. We’ve stopped buying most of the bread products a while ago… not much of store-bought excites us anymore… homemade bread, even if not perfect, still beats commercial bread every time…
P.S. Thanks for emailing me your pictures, I attached one to you comment. Beautiful crumb and the crust, I can feel that crispy, crackly crust… Great job!
Christine
You had mentioned using a towel, but you never mentioned it t in your instructions?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Christine, I place a towel in the bread pan filled with hot water. Simple as that, nothing fancy here.
Grant
Very good crust, crumb, and chewy interior. Perfect amount of sweetness.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Glad to hear that, Grant. Thanks for the feedback.
Elle
Hi! Excited to try your recipe. Quick question: is traditional high-protein flour (approx. 13-14% protein) compatible with this recipe? I see that you use all-purpose flour, which is not traditionally used for baguettes. Why do you choose to use all-purpose rather than a flour with a higher protein content? I’m a passionate but amateur baker, so I’m asking just because I’m curious and I want to make the best possible bread. 🙂
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Well, that’s debatable. Traditionally, they use T55 and T65 flours to make baguettes. Without boring anyone with details, KA AP is very close to T55. It makes an excelent baguette and is easy to find. I’ve tried dozens of different flours and this one I tend to prefer when making baguettes.
Olga Woodrow
These turned out amazing! I used active dry yeast(and activated prior to its addition to my dough), and cheap flour. I used a pizza stone, and I didn’t have a bread lame or couche, but it was still good.
My only warning to you if you are novice to baking or worried about trying this recipe: don’t rush it, and follow the instructions!
I stupidly ignored instructions and shattered one of my glass pans due to adding cold water to the hot pan:)
Thanks for posting. Truly a great, dependable recipe
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Oh-oh, cold water and hot glass don’t play well together. You’ve made a very interesting point – even with mediocre flour and no special tool you can still make a delicious baguette. These are the tastiest when they fresh hot out of the oven. Can’t get that in 99.9 of the stores.
Durre
Long time baker, first comment ever, that’s how amazing this recipe is! I’ve recently started experimenting with bread and had multiple failures, none of them tasting like the baguettes I’ve had in France- this is a winner! Tastes just like the chewy crusty baguette in Panera!
One thing I’d like to add is that when I put the baking tray with water on the shelf above the bread I had much better results than the other way around. I think it makes the oven humid without the steam going up and directly hitting the underside of the tray the bread was baking on.
With regards to the measurements, I used my scales and did exactly as the recipe stated in ounces and had zero issues.
Thank you for this brilliant recipe!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Durre, thanks for the kind words. Water pan above baguettes? Hm, it never occurred to me to try that but thanks for the tip, I will try it.
Elle
Hi! I’m excited to try out your recipe. I have made baguettes a few times before (using a different recipe) and I’m interested in exploring other takes on the bread. I have a couple of questions for you, if you don’t mind!
1. Why do you choose to use instant yeast rather than active dry yeast? I’m a novice baking enthusiast and am slowly learning about the science behind it all. I have been under the impression that active dry yeast, rather than instant, is more compatible with prolonged proofing periods, but perhaps this is not the case. Anyway, just hoping to learn a bit. 🙂
2. Many baguette recipes that I have come across have called for a flour with a high-protein content, like the one I use, https://www.bobsredmill.com/artisan-bread-flour.html. I imagine substituting this for the all-purpose flour would create a chewier, more glutinous texture. Is this true? In what ratio would you recommend substituting, if at all?
Thanks for your help!!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Elle,
I use instant because it gives me consistent results. With AD had hits and I had misses.
Yes, the more gluten the chewier they will be. I’ve even made baguettes with KA high gluten flour and pizza flour (type 00). Way too chewy for my liking but some people in my family liked it. What ratio to use if you want to sub? It depends on your preference. No right or wrong here.
One variant that I like a lot is 10% rye and 90% AP. It makes a ridiculously flavorful baguette. One of my favorite variations.
Jill
Wow, turned out FABULOUS! How well do these freeze?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I never tried freezing them, but they should freeze as well as any other bread, which is quite well.
Monique
Jill, here is what I do and it is working out GREAT. After I bake the 3 loaves, since we can’t eat them all that day, I wrap 2 of them SEPARATELY in foil and put them in the freezer.
When I want to eat some great french bread (thank you Victor) I will pull one out, remove the foil, put it on the rack of the cold oven, then turn the oven at 350° and leave it for about 8-10 mn.
The baguette will be crisp and almost like you just baked it. My french sister gave me this tip ! You might have to adjust the temp or time in YOUR oven. ENJOY !!!
Jojo
Great recipe! Thank you! I’ve been struggling with baguettes using the KAF recipe.. I could never get a good crumb, but no problem following this.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Happy to hear that. Glad my recipe helped you. Happy baking!
Monique
Victor, your recipe for baguettes is wonderful ! I have made them quite a few times this past month and I am delighted at how well they turn out and the TASTE is delicious !
Thank you! 😊
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, Monique. Happy baking!
Callie Hughes
I made this baguette bread to go along with a French onion soup and overall the bread was a absolute hit. My boyfriend and I both loved it. The only thing I changed is I left the steaming water bowl in for the entire cooking process because it is so dry here in Wyoming and i also didn’t have any rice flour so I didn’t want my bread to dry out too much. Thank you for sharing it!!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome.
Thomas
Great recipe. Out of all of my attempts to produce a great loaf this stands as one of the best. Due to scheduling and wanting to have fresh bread for New Years Eve I actually let the cold ferment go for 25 hours with delicious results. Great crust, crumb and oven spring.
JEFF
Just like in Paris – maybe better because it is so fresh. Incredible crackling crust! Success the first time and rave reviews from my family. Simple if you follow the steps and well worth the time. Resist the temptation to add more flour. Dough is sticky but manageable. Glad I had a couche for the proofing process.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Glad to hear it, Jeff. Happy my post helped. Couche is very helpful, makes things much easier. They’ve come in done in price considerably over the past 10 years.
Deborah Murray
Loved this recipe and planning to make it again this week. The only issue is the top of my oven, turns out, is quite hot – burnt the baguettes within ten minutes. I managed to salvage by moving them down and covering with tinfoil for the remainder of the bake; they were still delicious! Will bake on the centre rack from now on.
Lisa G
How would you adjust the recipe if you wanted to omit the honey? Thanks
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You can use an equal amount of corn syrup or maple syrup. Those work great in this recipe.
Andy
Hi
Have now used your recipe many many times. Always works great. Thanks for sharing.
Perfecting it, I would appreciate your advise
1. Compared to French baguettes from France, mine still has too firm a crumb. I would to make the a bit less beady.
2. Can you recommend a stand alone half standard sheet size electric oven?
We have a Wild but the measurement is strange and i can only fit a quarter size sheet in there.
Thanks
Merry xmas
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Andy, Merry Christmas to you too. To make your baguettes with a softer crumb, try proofing a little longer and baking at a lower temperature. Try mixing the dough in a stand mixer while skipping S&Fs. I am being a little humourous here with the latter suggestion but really, that’s how all that soft and airy supermarket bread is made. They mix the heck out of the dough, killing the texture, but it’s soft. I am not sure if you are looking for that kind of softness though. I also think much has to do with the ovens – pro ovens have a much better steaming/humidity/temperature control that can produce results not easily attainable in home ovens.
‘French baguette’ is way too generic of a term… When in Paris, I tried baguettes from over a dozen places, and the differences between them were staggering at times. The very first baguette I tried there was more like a very long sub roll that you would get at a supermarket and my first thought was wow, what a disappointment. I lived in Germany back then and was used to very good European bread that I was buying from local mom and pop bakeries. Then I tried another one from a different bakery and it was love at first bite.
Andy
Hi
Thanks for your reply.
Well, this has made me think a bit about what I am trying to achieve..
I guess what I am after is more flaky and crunchy but less bready.
Ill try to increase steam and shape them thinner.
Thanks again
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Take a look at the last picture of my challah bread recipe. Flaky like that? You can adap that recipe to make baguettes.
Kelly
Great recipe Victor!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and expertise with a newbie like myself!! It was a total success!! My wife and kids devoured the baguettes!! I’m making them again soon!!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, Kelly. Thanks for the kind words. Make my challah bread for your wife and kids, I have no doubt that they will love it.
Salma
Started this baguette last evening, baked this morning, ate for lunch. Just too good and tasty and so easy to make. Gave away one loaf. Started again this evening to make another batch tomorrow. Love it. Thank you.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Happy to hear it, Salma. You must try my challah recipe. It’s my new hit – everyone keeps asking for it. I am baking 4 today and yesterday’s 4 are gone. Most of them I gave away to friends and neighbors. The one that I had left for us yesterday was gone in 2 hours. I will update the recipe though (today or tomorrow) – instead of one large one I am now making two smaller ones and do a 4-strand braid instead of 6-strand. Much easier that way and they look cuter.
https://tasteofartisan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/challah-bread-chewy.jpg
https://tasteofartisan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/challah-bread-2.jpg
shirley
The salt in your recipe, is it table salt or kosher salt? thanks.
Shirley
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I use kosher salt.
grant
Really nice baguettes, mine were a little bit too brown, but I wasn’t watching them very closely, so that’s to be expected.
Connie
We made twice already and now addicted to this bread recipe! You’ve inspired my 12 yr old son to the artistry of bread making. Thank you!
Mila
Hi Victor,
Can I skip the cold retarding?
Thanks,
Mila
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Mila, yes, you can but you will need to make some adjustments.
MONICA
What adjustments need to be made when not doing the cold method?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Well, the process will be very similar to what I described in my no-knead bread recipe. So, you ferment all the way, cut into pieces, bench rest, shape, proof, score and bake. Since the dough will be warm, all stages will progress faster so you have to see how your dough behaves and go from there.
Bob
I have two issues – not sure if they are related:
1. Dough was kind of gooey and quite sticky through the entire process, although I used a kitchen scale to measure ingredients. Suggestions?
2. Baguettes were quite golden brown after first 15 minutes baking at 475. I only baked for 5 additional minutes at 450. I don’t know my oven to run too hot, but maybe? Was baking on a stone with a pan of water and submerged rolled dishtowel.
Thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Bob, increase the flour by about 2% and see if you are more comfortable with that consistency. If needed, increase some more until you are. Also, try preheating to 485F then bake at 450F and 425F respectively. Experiment. Different ovens bake differently so you may need to find your optimal combination of baking time/temp.
Chris
can you use bakers yeasts for this recipe and if so how much? this can sometimes be called fresh yeast or compressed yeast.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Chris, I think you should be fine. I rarely use fresh yeast but when I do, I shoot for 3x times the amount of dry yeast.
Charlene
Followed the recipe exactly and also made sure oven was 475 when I cooked the baguettes in the baking stone. They were dark brown within 7 minutes and I quickly had to cover them in foil. I did not place them too high in the oven or too low. Inside texture was perfect, though.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Charlene, I’ve never experienced what you have… I am puzzled. No baguette can bake in 7 minutes. It’s possible that your oven bakes hotter than it reports. Also, not enough steam in the oven will prevent oven spring and start browning prematurely. But, if they turned out that’s all that matters. Enjoy!
Charlene
Thank you. The baguettes were not done in 7 minutes. Just the tops were dark brown. I had them in the middle of the oven on a pizza stone and baked at 475 degrees F for 15 minutes, then turned the stone and baked another 15. By the first 7-8 minutes the tops were already too brown. I also used boiling water in a pan in the bottom and water misted in the baguette. Advice? Cover loosely in foil until the end perhaps? Also they stuck badly to the stone. I want to do the whole thing over tonight. Thanks
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Charlene, I would try dropping the temperature first. Decrease by 25 degrees and see how that works. Covering is best during the first half of the baking… mine are pale brown at 12-15 minutes. Your oven must bake much more efficiently than mine so either decrease the temp or reduce the baking time. Stuck badly to the stone? Hm… try adding more rice flour, that should help. You can also try baking on parchement paper, I do it very often when baking baguettes or bread, no sticking at all and loading in the oven is easy.
Steve Michael
I’m just a beginner and have only tried 3 or4 different recipes. This recipe sort of put me off because I am lazy by nature. The time and care is worth it in the end. No other recipe I have tried has near the flavor in this one. I recommend you the investment for a superb result.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Thank you for the kind words, Steve. Happy baking!
Sherry
I love this baguette recipe. The flavor profile is just way better than the done in a baguette. My kids prefer sourdough flavor. How do I modify the recipe for a sourdough baguette?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Sherry, I use the same percentages only incorporate 50/50 poolish and sourdough starter, about 100g each.
Ethan Atack
This was so incredibly good, I think there was a problem with my oven so I put it on broil quickly at the end to get that dark brown crust shown in the picture and slightly burnt them ….. lol
After all that I screw ur up but thank you so much I’ll be using this again
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, enjoy! Let me know if you need any help making that perfect baguette.
Mary
I loved this recipe … have been in search of one for ages. But while the crust was perfect shortly after it came out of the oven, by the next morning (to have as my prima colazione) the crust seemed soft and slightly rubbery. Is this a characteristic, or did I do something to make it that way?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I’d say yes, it’s a common characteristic. If you want it crispier, what I do is to bake during the second half with the oven door slightly ajar. What this does is it dries out the air in the oven, resulting is in a thinner, crispier crust. It will stay crispier longer and won’t be as rubbery the next day. What flour you use may also be a factor. How your oven bakes (too humid) may also have an impact. There may be several factors at play.
Donna
What temperature is the water you use in this recipe?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Room temp, I use re-mineralized RO water that comes from a tank that sits at a room temp. I’d say about 68F-69F.
Donna
Thank you victor! I couldn’t wait for your response … just a little impatient … I used room temp and the bread turned out fabulous! The only issue I had was that it was baking too fast so I turned the temperature down to 450 after 10 min and then down to 400 after another 10 and it was perfect!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I’ve noticed that some of my blog readers have had this issue. Different ovens bake differently and some quite a bit differently so it’s always a good idea to watch your first batch closely and make necessary adjustments if needed. You did exactly that and the baguettes turned out perfect. Enjoy!
Jane S
The bread was absolutely delicious! Great recipe. I wanted to eat all three loaves in one sitting, it was so good. Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome.
Lloyd
Thank you, your recipe worked perfectly.
M3shoes
Hi there. I absolutely love this recipe and used it over and over again. However, I am temporarily unable to have white flour and only 100% spelt flour. Would this recipe work just as well or would I have to change it as it is a different flour? No worries if you don’t know. Thank you.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
It’s a good question to which, sadly, I don’t have the answer. If you try making these baguettes with 100% spelt, do let me know how they turn out. Good luck.
Patricia
Hello Victor,
Instead of a couche, can the aluminum baguette pan be used for rising/resting time?
What would be the advantages to using couche over the metal pan?
Thank you!
~ Patricia
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Patricia, a baguette pan will work I think but I’ve never used it. You want the baguettes to hold their shape while proofing. As long as you can do that, it’s fine. Also, you don’t want them to get stuck, you want to add enough flour to prevent sticking. A couche is great for that – no sticking and you can keep the baguettes tightly together so that they don’t spread out and hold shape.
Jean milu
The best guide ever thank you
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome.
Patricia
Victor, can this KAF baguette pan be used in lieu of cloche?
https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/king-arthur-baguette-pan
Btw, those baguettes look scrumptious; look forward to trying this recipe!
~ Patricia
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Patricia, looking at the picture, I am concerned that the baguettes may spread out too much while proofing. You want to keep them tight next to each other to keep their shape. I’d rather use paper towels as a cloche, which I’ve done in the past and it worked well for me. Just cover them with a damp kitchen towel if you do.
AK
I used that exact pan with this recipe and it worked out well for me. They produced a nice round shape.
Fernando
Victor, can I use this same recipe to make pain d’epi? Have you tried it?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Fernando, yes, I have made it using this recipe. A long time ago though but it turned out very well.
Ranae
Hi Victor! Thanks so much for this recipe…I really enjoyed making it! When making a new recipe, I like to follow directions exactly the first time. All went exceptionally well except I feel like I got my baguettes too dark. My oven is testing at correct temp and I followed all directions. Anyway, would you suggest lowering temp some or baking for less time? To give you a better idea…once bread is cool, the outside is really hard unless I dampen and re-warm. I’m just new to making bread so looking for a little insight. Also, I did brush off my rice/unbleached flour before baking but think I could have brushed off more. Could that have added to the extra darkening? Otherwise, taste was good and lots of airy holes inside. I wish i could post pictures! Thanks again…😄
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Ranae, you’ve probably heard this 1 million times but here it goes again – everyone’s oven bakes differently. If the crust is really hard, lower the temperature by 25F and evaluate. You can also bake a few minutes less. Or both.
One thing I’ve noticed is that if you cut baguettes while they are hot and don’t finish, they will get a very hard crust. I’ve noticed the same thing with bread. It’s best to let them cool down completely then cut. If you cut it hot, the steam comes out. My theory is that it’s that steam that softens the crust from the inside. If you lose the steam, the crust will get hard. So, if you cut that baguette hot, better finish it all;)
Ranae
Thanks so much for the great advice…I will keep experimenting! 😀
Camille
Best recipe, I actually love all of your recipes. I made this bread 4 times at a high altitude and added a little extra water and they came out perfect. I just made them at sea level and they really puffed up. I wonder if I should adjust the amount of yeast? Have you heard of that? Still amazing but they were much larger than before.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Interesting, but no idea. When you say ‘really puffed up’, I wonder what it looks like… I good oven spring to me is a very desirable thing…
Gregory Couture
This is great recipe. It takes some time to get the stretch and fold down but, as they say, practice makes perfect.
Tasting a nice warm baguette with cold butter reminds me of France, especially good in these times of travel bans.
Julie
Wonderful recipe!! Makes 3 baguettes that fit in my smaller Miele steam oven.
Jackie
I’m very new to bread baking. I’ve used Mark Bittman’s no-knead bread recipe several times for a great rustic loaf, baked in my Dutch oven. Someone told me I could use that same recipe for baguettes. Noooo! Dough was way too wet to shape the baguette. So next time, I will try your recipe. My main question: I have an Emil Henry baguette baker, which allows for 3 smaller sized baguettes–about 13″ long, I believe. I think this baker is supposed to generate steam similar to how my Dutch oven worked with the no-knead recipe. Are you at all familiar with this baguette baker? And do you think it will work with your recipe? We can’t use water in our European oven to generate steam, as it gums up the electronics.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Yes, that baker will work very well with my recipe.
Vernon LeCount
Hey Victor,
Been using your recipe for awhile now (over a year), but have been experimenting with a Pate Fermentee and Poolish, prior to the main mixing. I took a baguette class in Paris last winter, and their attention to the temperatures of flour, water and the room was intense. (they had a formula). I also found a YouTube video of Julia Child running around a Paris bakery with a thermometer. So I keep experimenting with your recipe, but found I can get a good flavor with your recipe by just doing a poolish, either the night before or earlier in the day. The poolish seems to give a flavor I like. But I think the main thing is the temperature of the room when letting the poolish ferment. Currently for the poolish I am using 70 gram water, 70 gram flour and 1/8 teaspoon of active dry yeast. I subtract the ingredients amounts from your 500 gram (flour) recipe. The length of time I let the poolish ferment is dependent on room temperature. By the way, the bakery in Paris was using your higher hydration proportion. Have you tried a Pate Fermentee or Poolish with your recipe? Have you tried to start the Poolish a day before?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Vernon, you are right, fermentation temps make a difference. Not only with bread but also with any other fermented product, e.g. sauerkraut… higher fermentation temps favor lactic acid production while lower – acetic acid. Different flavor profiles. Different fermentation times. But to be honest, I don’t obsess about temps too much. I think bread making must be simple. If it’s not, you will get tired of this very quickly. I’ve been making bread for over 10 years now and every time I do it it’s still enjoyable as well as quick and easy. I don’t want to make it too complicated.
I would imagine that a highly reputable bakery must maintain a certain standard/taste that can be achieved by a repeatable process that any employee can master. If you know what you are doing you can adjust on the fly. Results may vary. Nothing wrong with that. That’s how you discover new things. In a bakery, they want the same result every time. Hence their obsession with temps. Temperature is another ingredient as they say.
As far as using poolish, pre-ferments (Pâte fermentée), I use them too to make bread/baguettes. They do add flavor similar to cold retarding. There are many ways to make a tasty loaf of bread… I try using different techniques.
Fernando
Hello Victor,
I have been baking baguettes, using you recipe, for about three months. I bake twice a week. I tweaked almost every step in order to get what I want. I noticed that different ovens behave very differently and times vary depending on your kitchen temp and other factors. Note: Even the first time, following your recipe to the letter, the result was very good.
Question: when I increase hydration scoring becomes difficult and I can’t get “ears”. However, if I reduce hydration to 70% I get perfect ears and still get a very airy and good baguette. Is that normal?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Fernando, yes, it’s easier to get nice ears with lower hydration. There is no right or wrong here, if 70% hydration gives you optimal results – go with it. High hydration is not just about air crumb and big bubbles. It’s more about the texture, that delightful moistness to it… I just love it. 75% for me is optimal for baguettes. Bread – I go as high as 80% or even higher sometimes. I never went that high until I tried one man’s bread at a farmer’s market in Sarasota, Fl. The bread was outstanding, we had a long conversation about bread baking with him and he shared some tips with me. One was high hydration. That said, tastes differ and what I like may not be what someone else does. Experiment and stick to what works best for you and what you like the most.
George
At last! A baguette recipe that works and the results are just like proper French bread.
Shawn
Hi – My baguettes are coming out of the oven with brown spots, rather than evenly browned. I adjusted the recipe to make three 240 gram baguettes. I use a baguette pan with a pan of water in a lower rack and a foil pan covering the baguettes for the first 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Then I remove the foil pan for the final baking time. They taste great, the crumb inside is perfect. I’m not digging that uneven, spotty browning. I’m wondering:
–is the honey not getting evenly distributed into the dough
–or baked too long with the steam/cover
–or something else.
Thanks for any feedback.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Shawn,
I remember seeing that problem too but heck if I can remember why it was and how I fixed it. Perhaps try lowering the temp in the second part of baking by 25F and bake them longer. Shortening the first part and extending the second part of the bake is good idea too. Let me know if either of those work.
Joseph
I made this twice over the last week, here are my results and minor tribulations.
First effort. I used 2:3 bread flour to all-purpose. I didn’t use honey. I don’t have a baking stone (I used a baking sheet) nor a sufficiently fine knife for the cuts. The transfer to the baking sheet was a challenge, with some less-than-straight loaves. I feared much, this being my first attempt at making baguettes. I otherwise followed the directions (fridge fermentation etc) up until the second half of the baking as the loaves were looking overly dark, so I took them out after 9 minutes. The results were quite pleasing! My wife said it was the best baguette she’s had in awhile, better than she’s found at the local farmer’s markets. I agree. They were a little over-baked on the outside but all completely edible. They had a nice crust, nice structure inside, a little chewy in a good way and good flavor all around.
Second effort. I used only all-purpose flour and I used honey. I skipped the fridge fermentation (we wanted bread). I let the dough rise in a warm room and this time I made two loaves rather than three in order to have bigger slices. Still not easy to transfer the loaves neatly to the pan! After the first bake of 15 minutes they looked fairly golden brown but I didn’t want underbaked bread so I carried on. To try to avoid the over-baking issue I put the oven down to 435 on the second half of the bake. After 5 minutes they were quite browned, and greater darkness on the bottoms so I took them out. The inside of the loaves were *just slightly* underbaked. Again there is a good crust, if a bit softer this time. The inside is overly bread-doughy in flavor, attributable I suppose to the less time baking of larger loaves and perhaps the skipping of the fridge fermentation? And I think I preferred the dimension that a portion of bread flour added in my first attempt. Still, this was superior to any “baguette” at the grocery store and as good as anything at the farmer’s market.
I’m not sure if next time I should turn the over even lower or cover the loaves during the second half. But a baking stone and a proper knife are on my grocery list…
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Joseph, sorry for the delay with my response.
Yeah, different ovens bake differently so you sometimes have to make adjustments. If yours brown too fast, lower the baking temperature in the second half by 25F. Or pull them sooner like you did if they look and taste great. But 9 minutes sounds a bit fast so I would try lowering the temp and see how that works.
Now, baguettes getting fairly golden brown by the end of the first 15 minutes is not a good thing. It tells me that there was not enough moisture in the oven. You need good steam. Either your are not supplying enough steam or your steam quickly finds its way out of the oven. Mine are pale yellow by the end of the first 15 minutes and bursting/showing nice ears. If there is not enough steam, you will get a poor oven spring. Are yours getting a good oven spring? If anything, you should be covering them during the first half of baking. Back in the day, I would put a foil dome over them to get a good spring, then remove and bake for another 15 minutes. With a foil dome you don’t need to steam as there will be enough steam from the dough itself. This way is a bit awkward and limiting but it works.
The transfer has been an issue for me too. I now often bake on parchment paper. Turn them over from the couche onto parchment, score, pick up with a large enough pizza shovel and slide onto the stone in the oven. Simple as that.
Sabera
I tried this recipe for the first and my baguette turned out perfect! Its definitely a keeper as my grandsons keep asking for more! Thank you so much for sharing this simple yet professional recipe!
Brianna Hodges
Best baguette I’ve ever eaten- crusty, chewy flavorful. This is my recipe from now on. Tastes delicious and I love the idea of honey, its the subtlest hint of sweetness with the perfect amount of salt to balance it out. Just a classic baguette. Made it for the first time and it came out perfect. Im an avid bread baker so I think that helped but anyone can do this and it comes out impeccable. Look no further for a baguette recipe people- this is it.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Happy to hear that, Brianna. Thank you for the feedback.
Jacquelyn
Thank you very much for sharing this easy and delicious recipe. Made some with Yeastie Boy, my starter (50% wholegrain flour and 50% water, used a total of 150g and subtracted the flour and water from the original recipe accordingly, which is 75g each). I halved the recipe and made one big baguette, free formed as I didn’t have a cloth that I would put the dough on. So it bulked sideways lol. Baked at the same temperature and timing per recipe. I must have been heavy handed while stretching the dough, because mine had small air bubbles. Also didn’t have a baking stone, just made do with a regular baking tray. Still, the taste is really good and the crust is superb. My family members say they won’t be buying baguettes anymore 🤪 my uncle wants to eat this with a pat of good butter. This bread is the epitome of simple pleasures. I hope those who are experimenting with their starters will give this a shot. If you’re not sure about the strength of your starter, or are using unfed/discard, add the yeast the recipe called for.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Fantastic! Glad to hear about your success. I normally make my sourdough baguettes 50/50 starter/poolish for a more airy crumb but 100% sourdough are quite amazing too. They are all different, not better or worse than the other.
Loan Ngo
Best baguette recipe online! Thank you! They came out crusty, soft and chewy.
Michelle
Hello from England!! My google app highlighted your No-knead bread recipe to me this morning, I’ve been browsing your wonderful site for the last couple of hours and I’ve come to rest on this one.
Before I ask the questions that have come to mind, I’d just like to say thank you soooooo much for actually providing proper recipes with accurately measured (weighed) ingredients!! I can’t tell you how many enticing sounding recipes I’ve come across, only to find that at best they’re nothing more than a list of “cup” based guidelines. How anyone can think something as arbitrary as a “cup” still has a place in modern baking, I do not know. Anyone would think kitchen scales cost a lot of money!! There’s a reason why every pastry school in the world teaches weight not volume, when it comes to baking, it just doesn’t work…
As is quite common here, my built-in oven is a standard 600mm appliance (not sure of actual oven size), so unfortunately I can’t physically bake anything the size of a full baguette. Obviously I can tweak the amount later, but could you possibly give me a starting point with regards to the dough weight I should portion into in order to make good sized batons out of your recipe?
In England we seem to have a much wider variety of flours than is available in the US, but we simply don’t have APF, in any brand. But Italian Type 00 and French T55 are really easy to come by, and I have a sack of French baguette flour I purchased recently which I’m thinking should be perfect to try in your recipe. Do you think I’ll need to make any adjustments, I believe its protein content is 9.5%?
And the last thing I wanted to ask about is the overnight cold retardation, because this topic continues to confuse me completely…! Everything I read states that yeast is inactivated below 4degC. So does that mean the 12-14 hours in the refrigerator should be at a temperature warmer than 4degC? I ask because I keep my refrigerator set at 1degC, and when I tried doing an overnight proof for 12 hours, when I took the dough out it didn’t look any different to when it went in, it hadn’t increased in size at all. Which I guess makes sense if the yeast gets put to sleep?
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and again, thank you for such a wonderful blog. I’m really looking forward to exploring it ❤️
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Michelle,
you are very welcome and I am glad to hear that you are finding useful information here on my blog.
My stone is about 21 inches (~52 cm) so I try to get my baguettes about that length. It’s about 6 inches or 13 cm shorter than the standard 65 cm. A standard baguette is made of 350 g of dough IIRC. So, if your oven is 56 cm wide inside, you can go for 50 cm baguettes (leaving some space around the stone/baking sheet for air circulation). If you are baking half-length baguettes, shoot for 150 – 175 grams of dough per baguette. You get the idea.
Here in the US and Canada we also have quite a big selection of flours but you definitely need to know where to look. French T55 is what they use to make baguettes, you can’t go wrong with it. I sometiems bake with organic La Milanaise T55 from Quebec, its very good. No adjustments needed generally. I find T55 a touch coarser than KA AP. The coarser the grind the higher on hydration you normally go so you may want to bump it up a little. It really depends on personal taste though.
Cold retarding is often misunderstood and sometimes surrounded by misinformation. Retarding is normally done between 35F to 40F (1.7C – 4.4C). Humidity should be around 85F (hence always cover your dough with plastic or a damp towel). Such conditions are not intended to freeze the dough or kill fermentation completely, but slow down its fermentation rate so the dough can remain stable for a few hours and develop complex flavors. 1C is too low, you need to bump it up. Retarding can be very tricky and the temperature plays a big role. Where the dough is in fermentation process is very important too. You want the dough to be partially but well into fermentation before going in the fridge in this recipe. All morning steps are critical too. The steps in this recipe are very specific to, well, this recipe. There are many variations and other ways to incorporate cold retarding though.
Happy baking!
Sarah
Do you have any tips for baking these at high altitude? Thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Sarah, don’t have any experience with high altitude baking but I can suggest this: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking. Hope someone else can chime in and speak from experience.
Jean RB
Wonderful! I didn’t have some of the special equipment, but used my pizza stone and a heavy kitchen towel and a sharp knife. Cuts were wanting…but bread is very good. Thank you for making this easy to follow and understand. Much appreciated by this rookie bread maker and her bread hound husband!
Peggy
What brand of parchment do you use? My Reynolds brand is only good up to 425 F. Also, I don’t have a stone, but I do have a baguette pan. Hoping that will work until I can find a good stone.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I use PaperChef, it’s also rated for up to 425F but it works fine for me in an electric oven. In a gas oven, it’s a slightly different story.
Kana
Used my scale, couche, everything on the recipe except the yeast so I let it proof longer. In a fridge for 15 hours. Baked in a baguette pan with a pan with water for steam. Nah. I see a couple air pockets but that’s all. Not impressed.
meen
Hello, can i skip honey?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Won’t taste as good if you ask me, but sure, no problem with that.
Kana
I say skip it. I don’t taste any sweetness at all.
Simon
Kana as an avid and experienced baker, I will say that following this recipe has resulted in spectacular baguettes – I use it almost daily. I put these up against 3 French bakeries in Chicago and they were extremely close if not better – try it again.
Lilith
I tried like 3 recipes befor this and every time smth was wrong with my baguettes, but this recipe is bomb!!! I love it, my whole family liked it so much, now iam gonna bake baguettes everyday😘Thank you so much
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome! Happy baking!
Ram
Hi Victor
Thanks for this recipe. My third attempt and it came out well with that hydration. One thing i am struggling with is, when its hot or warm, there is crunch but after it reaches room Temperature, the crust becomes soft. What should i do in this case please.
Thanks once again
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Every bread loses crunch over time because of moisture in the ambient environment. You can slow that process down by letting the bread could down completely then sealing it in a plastic bag, expelling as much air as possible. I’ve also noticed that baking at higher temperature creates a thicker crust that lasts longer, so that could another thing to try.
Ram
Thanks will try higher temps. But, am talking about take it out of oven, good crunch. Bow leave it to cool down and it looses crunch. Am talking about few mins after bread is out of oven
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Well, all bread loses crunch like that as far as I can tell, that’s why many of us like eating bread fresh out of the oven when it’s at its freshest and crunchiest. I guess the best way to deal with that is to bake more often;)
Laura
This recipe was amazing. Very well instructed. I had to make adjustments for high altitude but this recipe allowed me to bake my first successful baguette. Thanks so much!
Sylvi
Thanks for the recipe!!! My baguettes came out great, I forgot to reduce the heat to 450 when turning them so they were a little dark but delicious anyways. 😋
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome!
Poonam Bhalla
Awesome Recipe , the baguettes come out perfect . Have made it for others too
Peter
This is by far the best baguette recipe I’ve tried. The flavor was perfect. (I did omit the honey, sorry. I’m a purist. I also used Kind Arthur bread flour rather than all purpose. I think the extra gluten really makes a difference).
The only part I had trouble with was the shaping. Apparently I didn’t seal it sufficiently after folding because in the oven, it burst out at the score points but burst out even more at the seams. Delicious still, but visually, well a Frenchman would have been appalled. More practice is needed I guess!
Also note I used Active Dry Yeast because I have a huge tub of it in the fridge, but did NOT “activate” it first. Rather I mixed it in with the dry ingredients just as though it was instant / rapid rise, and then made sure the water temp was 120-130 degrees. I also used about 1.5tsp. It rose perfectly and was airy with different sized holes just like I hoped for. Per several sources you do NOT need to “activate” Active Dry Yeast anymore.
Honestly not sure what the difference is from instant if any but it worked just fine and was far superior to dissolving the yeast first – which in my prior attempts resulted in homogeneous texture characteristic of American white bread rather than European artisan bread exactly like you said in earlier comments.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Happy to hear about your results, Peter. Ain’t nothing like a freshly baked French baguette on a Saturday morning with a cup of coffee. Never gets old for me. I could eat these baguettes every day;)
Elisa
Thank you for a fantastic recipe! And I need to add, I am European and very very demanding with my bread. This is truly a French baguette. The recipe is easy to follow (I baked several batches so far and all of them successful) and the bread is incredibly tasty.
I follow the recipe to the letter. I love that I can get the first step ready in the evening, and then I can choose when to start baking; I can time it to have it ready for lunch or for dinner. After trying several recipes, this won by ease and taste.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Elisa,
thank you for the kind words and I am happy that my recipe worked for you. I spent a long time and it took many batches before I could make a consistent baguette that tasted as good or even better than what I tasted in Paris. This recipe works perfectly for me and I am happy that others enjoy it as much as I do. Happy baking!
judy colannino
Does the Baguette bake with the parchment paper on the stone?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Yes, I bake mine on parchment paper on a stone.
Heather
Certainly the most delicious recipe I’ve found and one of the easiest. Requires waiting and patience but it’s so worth it.
Question for you: I’m not much of a baker and didn’t realize there’s a difference between active and instant yeast. I used active yeast and the recipe turned out great, but is there any issue with doing it this way?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Heather, no, not really. If it works, use it. My results weren’t very consistent with active dry yeast hence I prefer instant.
Macy
Hello question about the stone, can I use a regular baking sheet instead? Thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Macy,
yes, you can but it’s best to stack a few sheets on top each other to get more thermal mass for a great oven spring. This worked for a number of people, search through the comments below. Also, check my comment from April 2nd 2020.
Dars
Best baguette recipe I’ve found so far! I’d love to try it with a poolish. In one of the comments you mention doing so with 50/50 poolish starter. Could you please explain? Are you refering to equal amounts of flour in each? Thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Thank you Dars. I make my poolish of equal amounts to water and flour with some yeast added. I normally do 150g water, 150g flour and 3g yeast. The starter is my usual sourdough starter.
Jim
Here’s what I’ve learned:
1) this bread is amazing in every way.
2) I’m terrible at shaping loaves.
Gert
Hi Victor
Thank you very much for sharing this recipe. I have been making it for months now, and every time it gets a bit better. One challenge I have is that I am doing this in a pizza-oven which has it’s own challenges, but still great fun. The first time I destroyed half of the dough.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Gert, happy to hear about your progress and improving results. You are doing much better than I did when I was starting out with baguettes. Happy baking!
Stephanie
Made these today. My daughter who loves french baguettes took a bite and said with joy “these actually DO taste like an actual baguette!” Great recipe and thorough instructions. Mine were done after 15 mins and got pretty dark. Will lower temp and maybe cover with tin foil next time.
Adelina
This is a great recipe! I made my first batch and love the crumb and crispness of the crust!
Hoping you can help with one thing that I’ve been trying to accomplish. My baguettes always come out with “glued down” ears, instead of the beautiful opened ears. I’ve watched numerous clips on scoring, and believe I’ve followed everything correctly. I don’t think I’m under or over proof the loaves as they do come out with nice crumbs, textures. One thing I notice is whenever I score the loaves, they tend to go flat slightly, but they do spring back in the oven.
Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
‘Glued down’ ears points to higher hydration, over-proofing/less of an oven spring or sometimes even too much steam in the oven. Some flours may be too fresh and have more moisture in them so I would start with dropping hydration until you get good perky ears, then work your way back up carefully observing the behaviour of your baguettes.
Bonnie
Wow wow wow!!! This recipe and method was perfect!!! First time making artisan French baguettes and I knocked it out of the park!!! We ate it all before dinner!!! Can’t wait to make it again!!!
Mina
I have made these twice and they were excellent both times. I am curious about the portion where you let the dough rest 15 minutes and then over the next 1 1/2 hours do 3 sets of stretches. I have been letting it rest for the 15 and then doing my first stretch after another 30 minutes. Then a second stretch after another 30 minutes and the final stretch 30 minutes later. Am I doing this correctly? Thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Yes, that’s correct. Happy baking!
Ernesto
It was excellent! I replace half of the honey with malt syrup.
Three question ref stretch and fold:
1. How long do you stretch and fold each time? 5 minutes? only once? more?
2. Do you do it in the bowl or on the table?
3. What would happen if I do it four times instead of three? Would it hurt the dough?
(I’m just trying to see how to get more tension: the scoring was good, but should have been better.
Shelby
Can I use a starter in place of yeast? I only have active dry yeast and a starter.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Baguettes using just a starter require a different approach and will be noticeably different. I will make a post on that sometime in the future. Most of the time you will see bakers use a combination of commercial yeast and a starter, this gives baguettes better flavor and the same volume and crumb textures that you get with commercial yeast. If you want to use both, make poolish with the active dry yeast, then use 50/50 poolish and starter. Or just use active dry yeast, making sure to activate it or making poolish with it first.
Hanh
Felicitations, Victor! I am not a baker, and the bread still turns out excellent the first try, thanks to your instructions! If you have updates to short-cut the stretch and fold, first rise, second rise, etc., pray post! For those of us who are more on the spontaneous side, being able to prep and bake on the same morning would be ideal! That said, I will now prep a second batch for tomorrow. Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, Hanh. Happy baking!
Lisa Koblentz
Hi Victor,
Thank you for your recipe and the information. I am going to be making your baguette tomorrow. I have one question for you- Someone recommended placing ice cubes in the cast iron pan in the oven where you use the towel. Have you tried using ice cubes to create steam rather than a kitchen towel? For some reason, the idea of putting a towel in the oven scares me a bit.
I look forward to wonderful results (I hope!)
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Lisa, a kitchen towel is fine, I’ve used it well over 100 times in my oven. If you are not comfortable, don’t use it. Its purpose is to regulate steam release – slow and even. I’ve use water pans without a towel as well and, frankly, the results were kind of identical. In any case, what you want is good, even steam in the oven during the first part of the baking. When my baguettes are going in, the water in the pan gently simmers along the sides of the pan, releasing steam that is barely visible. This works for me.
Ice cubes (or water) on a cast iron pan create a plume of steam, then nothing for a while, until the water heats up and starts steaming again, creating uneven steam. I didn’t experiment much with ice but I used to pour water on a hot cast iron pan, empty or filled with lava rocks. I have a huge issue with this method, which I used initially many years ago upon someone’s recommendation on some internet forum. First, it creates a LOT of steam, where a lot of it gets out of the oven before you shut the door. You have to be very careful and keep your face/hands away. It may also kill your oven. It did make my electric oven stop working after a few months of steaming this way.
Lisa
Thank you so much Victor for your response! I did end up using a towel and the results were fantastic! I really love your recipe and am excited to make it many more times in the future. I would like to see a bit more open crumb with slightly larger holes and will increase the hydration a bit as you recommended to see if that works. Thank you again!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, Lisa. Happy to hear about your success.
Bonnie
This is the BEST baguette recipe! My husband is French, and he said it is even better than French bread since it is still delicious the second day. IF there is any left, that is! And Victor is so nice!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Glad to hear that, Bonnie. Happy baking and thank you for the kind words.
Neda
Love this recipe. The baguettes turned out delicious. I did buy the baguette pan for oven and love it.
Danesh
I follow your recipe and the baguette came out just fine, although not as pretty as yours, but very decent. Also taste great. Thanks again, for this great recipe.
Yunxia Lu
Thank you for the detailed recipe.
Sheryl
Will I get comparable results with Robin Hood AP flour? My grocery store has never had King Arthur brand flour.
Great blog and great discussions of recipes. Thank you
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Sheryl, it’s been a long while since I used Robin Hood flour so I can’t recall how I liked the results but you should be able to get a comparable outcome. I just came to prefer KA flour seeing slightly better results for my taste. I buy my flour from a wholesaler so it’s always super fresh and is quite a bit cheaper per pound too. I’ve also used many organic flours, including La Milanaise T60 flour from Quebec, which was outstanding, though a little grittier than KA. Baguettes made with it were fantastic, but the flour is quite a bit more expensive. I encourage you to experiment and pick the flour that is readily available to you and which gives you the best results. If the flour is a pain in the back to find, you won’t enjoy baking and/or won’t do it frequently… where is enjoyment in that?
Mari
Hi thank you for this recipe. Tried them today and they were great. Wanted to ask how could I get better crumb? I didn’t have as many holes/bubbles as your picture. A few factors I think might be the cause: 1) I used a steam oven and the max temp was 435F – I did have the ability to inject steam and did that for the first 20mins. The loaves all had very nice spring. Crust was thin and crunchy. The only thing was that when cut in half, I didn’t have the holes. 2) I only left the dough in the fridge for about 8 hrs. Should it stay longer? All other rest and proofing times were the same as your recipe 3) I used a baguette pan not a baker stone. 4) used active yeast nor instant yeast. Would appreciate clues on what else I could try. Thank you.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Mari,
seems to me like you have covered all the bases. One thing that comes to mind is the yeast. If you think about it, active dry which is first dissolved in water, will result in very even distribution of yeast cells and leavening of the dough, resulting in smaller very even holes. Instant, on the other hand, will have yeast granules distributed less evenly and more spaced out, resulting in pockets of intense yeast activity. I think that may be the cause. I’ve seen the same when making sourdough bread – dissolving leaven in water results in smaller, even holes as opposed to mixing the leaven into the dough.
Mari
Thank you very much – I’ll try that out. My kids have declared that I should make a fresh batch of baguettes every other day (instead of daily to give me a break 🙂 ) They love these – thanks for the recipe, detailed instructions, tips and advice.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome! Happy baking!
Sheryl
I have Robin Hood AP Flour. I have never seen King Arthur flour at my grocery store. Can I use Robin Hood AP and get comparable results, do you think?
I have SAF instant yeast.
Thank you and I am looking fwd to trying this recipe very soon. Beautifully written blog and replies to comments.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Sorry, missed this comment but responded to your other question. Yes, that should work. SAF yeast is very good, I use it all the time now. And thank you for the kind words. Happy baking. Let me know how your baguettes turn out. Take some pictures, I’d love to see them.
bonnie
Should this “3 g instant yeast about 1 tsp; also known as Quick Rise or Rapid Rise yeast” be 1 Tbsp = Tablespoon, not tsp?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
No, it’s a tsp. A Tbsp is about 9 grams.
Bonnie
The bread was very good. I wonder if it could have had a bit more flavor. It did rise quite a bit!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You can get more flavor by extending/retarding fermentation or proofing. You can do it by using less yeast or fermenting/proofing in a cooler room, or in a fridge. I also like substituting in about 5% of rye flour, it adds a lot of flavor. Another way to add flavor is to use 50% less yeast and adding about 1/2 a cup of sourdough starter.
Bonnie
You had warned me that the bread might have a less robust taste since I used 3 times the yeast! I like the idea of using some rye flour. Do you have a recipe for a hearty rye bread with caraway seeds?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I have a few, let me see what I have and I will email you.
bonnie
Of course, you are correct. For some reason, I got confused by the envelope information = 1 packet (1/4 oz) = approx 2.25 tsp. = 7 g. So, 1 tsp = 3.5 g. I used a whole envelope! The bread did a nice rise! Hope it’s good! I’ll know why if not!!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Bonnie, it shouldn’t be a problem as long as you keep an eye on it. It will be a little more active and ferment/proof a bit faster, that’s all. The faster it rises the less flavor you get, that’s one shortcoming really.
Peter whiteley
How was the bread? and how long did you leave the dough to rise for once you used too much yeast ? Reason i ask is becuasr i have just done the same think and the dough has been in the fridge for around 5hrs so far
Nick
“This bread is so good it tastes like heaven.” John, 7 years old
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I am very flattered and thank you for your feedback. Kind words like these is what motivates me to write for this blog.
Simon
I have made this recipe 5 times a week for 14 weeks – it’s a major success. Question: have you ever tried a 36 hour rise – I have someone visiting tomorrow who wants to take the dough home and bake themselves. Does the yeast eventually run out of food leaving you with a giant ball of discard?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Simon, all I can say is WOW! I am impressed. To your question, I’ve gone as long as 48 hours. The dough gets more flavorful but also a bit more sour. Not bad sour but you can taste it. It’s different but still good. I have a feeling that you will like it.
Joy
Looks like I will love this recipe
Jason
My baguettes have been splitting on the side when I bake them. Any clues on why that is?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Most likely the scoring on the top is no sufficient. Make longer, deeper, firmer scores, it should help.
Dennis
I have been trying baguettes recently (not this recipe yet) and while they taste delicious, they are a bit dense and never truly brown. I cook with steam pan, on a stone and at 475 degrees. I did wonder if there might be some adjustments I need to make for cooking at altitude (5280 ft)? My first plan this weekend is to buy new yeast and flour, but thought I would ask about altitude. I want these baguettes with those air pockets!!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Dennis, I don’t have experience baking at high altitudes but I believe you need to increase the baking temperature by 25F. No browning may or may not do with the high altitude. The more moisture is in your oven the worse the browning will be. I bake many of my breads with the door slightly cracked-open during the second part of the bake (no steam). This allows for a much better browning and a formation of a thin, crispy crust. If you have convection, you may try baking on convection during the last 10 minutes or so, it helps with browning too. Air pockets – less yeast, longer/proper fermentation, gentle handling, proper proofing, higher hydration… all those contribute. Happy baking!
Diana
Brilliant recipe! Got beautiful baguettes. Thanks!
Ari
That recipe was foolproof! Nailed it first try and made 3 amazing baguettes! Will definitely use and share this recipe! Thank you so much-I don’t think I will ever buy bread ever again.
DJL
Nice recipe!
I had been baking them by the King Flour Recipe and I couldn’t get air pockets.
I did it your way and made the best tasting baguettes to date with nice size air holes. First batch didn’t look as good as pictured, but tasted perfect.
Thanks. I will be using your method from now on!
Robert
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I’ve been making 80% Hydration baguettes for some time, making a poolish the night before with 1/2 the recipe-in the fridge for 17 hours. The next day the rest of the flour, yest and salt is added and a series of stretch and folds every 45 minutes. I bake it for 25 minutes at 465, throwing about 1/2 cup of water in the oven at the beginning. I use French yeast and usually hard red winter wheat bread flour.
How will the baguettes made with your recipe differ from mine in taste and texture. They look about the same.
Robert
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You can answer that question by making both and comparing for yourself. There are dozens if not hundreds of subtly and not so subtly different ways to make a baguette. Neither is necessarily better than the other if made well, just different. Though, Paris’ Best Baguette Competition tries to pick the best one each year out of dozens of submissions.
Sreeram
I tried once more 🙂 The hydration is high for me to handle. I transferred from the couche to the baguette peel but it got stuck on the peel (even after I threw in some flour) when I tried to transfer it to the pizza stone in the oven. Do you recommend lower percentages of hydration like 62%?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Absolutely. I always recommend starting where you are comfortable and work your way up. Also, it could be that you need to change your technique. When transferring, roll the baguettes off as opposed to sliding. And use enough flour. Rice flour helps a lot.
Ariana
Hi, great recipe! What do you mean about rolling vs sliding? I have a hard time getting the bread from the transfer board to the stone. I think I have to slide or the scoring will end up on the bottom.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Ariana, I roll the baguettes off the couche onto a piece of parchment paper, turning them upside down, then score, scoop up with a large pizza shovel, together with the parchment paper, and slide off onto a hot baking stone. Does this make sense? But there are many ways to transfer baguettes to the oven. Another way that I used before is to place proofed baguettes on a large thin wooden board, heavily dusted with flour, score then slide them off onto the stone.
Brian
Really great post. This answered the majority of my questions and my baguettes are better than ever.
Jen
I might add some vital wheat gluten next time. What do you think? I used a baguette pan to bake them in as opposed to the baking stone. Do you think this is ok? Lastly I found the shaping part to be a little tricky due to stickiness. It didn’t roll out thin like those in visits I watched. Any suggestions? Sorry, I know, so many questions. Total amateur here.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Jen, vital gluten is a great addition, I like using it when baking whole wheat and rye breads. Don’t overdo it though or your baguettes will turn out too chewy. Baguette pans are fine but I like the stone as gives a better oven spring. The more stored heat the better. Stickiness is a problem but don’t be afraid to use some flour when shaping, it helps a lot. Put some flour on your hands too before rolling and stretching.
Jeremy
So does that mean I shouldn’t use bread flour? I’ve tried another baguette recipe in the past and it called for bread flour. I’ll be using yours very soon, though. Thanks.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You can use any flour you want with the expectation that the results will be different.
Jen
This was by far the best French bread recipe I have ever tried. The depth of flavor is amazing. It tastes just like bread you find at high end restaurants. I used Miller Milling Co H&R flour. Could this be why I didn’t get as many air pockets as you show in your picture? Like others my bread would have burned if I cooked it at the recommended temp, so I had to modify. I am new to baking and have been frustrated with my results with French bread until now. Thank you so much for this fantastic recipe. I hope to keep improving my results.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Jen, it could be the oven. Different ovens bake differently. Steam is also a big factor. Not enough steam and you will get a lot of browning right away. Holes? Gluten, dough strength, handling, proofing and fermentation, sufficient steam, hydration – all play a role. A little of experimenting should give you an indication of what works.
Bunny_tech_support
It came out amazing! Thank you so much! The best baguette recipe ever I used. I definitely make again.
Emma
Hello!
I’ve been using this recipe for a long time now and it’s beyond the best! I’ve made slight alterations to suit my oven but other than that it’s perfect.
My mom recently found out she is gluten intolerant and I was wondering if you would suggest a type of flour I could use to sub in this recipe. Any other gluten free recipe I see seems….well not great. They all seem to be more of a white bread version and not the crusty French style.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Sorry Emma, I haven’t experimented with gluten-free baking much so can’t make any suggestions here… perhaps some else can.
Perry
This recipe and instructions along with the tips is fantastic. This is my 3rd time baking baguettes and they have turned out perfect. Great recipe.
Alice
Fabulous recipe – a few hitches in my first attempt (mainly at myself not reading instructions thoroughly/forgetting the time :/) but they are still glorious.
What is the best way to store them? and how long do they keep? (theoretically of course, the reality is they wont last until the end of the day)
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are right, they don’t last long. At my home, they are done if not by the end of the day then by the next morning. If you want them to stay fresh and last a few days, cool them to room temperature and store in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag. If possible, refrigerate, they will last even longer.
Kris
I freeze them, and then lightly toast after thawing. Not exactly like fresh out of the oven, but still tasty. One could put the entire baguette in the oven to warm, but I normally cut a chunk off, split it, then drop it in the toaster. Makes great sandwiches.
Fernando
After many unsuccessful tries with other recipes my wife found this one. Almost perfect the first time. It was delicious but proper scoring was an issue. I’ll try again. Thanks Victor!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, Fernando. Happy baking!
Cherylann
This baguette recipe and the included instructions are excellent. I’m a novice bread baker and they turned out amazing. Thank you so much for sharing!!!!
Marian
Hi, Victor! Thanks for sharing this recipe. Similar to Mayu, my baguettes seemed to be pretty well baked by the end of the first fifteen minutes. In my case, however, my bread was not near the top of my oven, but rather in the middle/bottom area. My personal concern is that by the end of the entire baking time the baguettes began to burn a bit, actually. Luckily, the burnt taste wasn’t overwhelming and it was mostly near the ends (I made sure that the ends weren’t too thin when I made the point- in fact they were pretty close to the size of the middle portion of the baguette.) I’m trying to think of how to adjust the bake time and/or temperature for next time. So, I’m wondering what your input is! I’d absolutely love to hear it and I’m also open to trying anything new! Thank you, again, for sharing this recipe. It was 100% fun to make and my family loved it! Especially my older brother who is picky about baguettes haha.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Marian,
I can think of three things that could lead to what you described. Obviously, if your baguettes somehow are quite thinner (but longer) than mine, they will bake faster. I know, this is likely not that case but still. Another possibility is that your oven is more efficient and bakes better. I’ve seen this many times. Or the thermostat in your oven is off, underreporting the temperature. This is also a very distinct possibility. I would get an accurate BBQ thermometer with a probe and test it. Finally, there isn’t enough steam in the oven. By the end of the baking with steam, my baguettes are pale, dough-like color. It’s only once I remove the steam they begin to brown. I’d suggest first to make sure that there is enough steam that doesn’t escape through a vent (I block mine with a kitchen towel), then look at adjusting the temperature. I would drop the temperature by 15 degrees and/or shorten the baking with steam and without one to 12 minutes. Once you start making those adjustments you will most likely see an improvement and jus work in that direction to perfect the results.
Mayu
Mine came well cooked (nearly over baked) in the first 15mins so I had to cut out the second half completely. My oven had different setting. One with heat at the top, bottom and from both. Is there a specific setting you’d recommend?
Should I still look underdone after first 15?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
I can’t make an informed recommendation as I don’t know what your oven is and what settings it has, or how it bakes. Based on your description though, you should not use top heat. I can see how your baguettes got cooked in 15 minutes with top heat/broiler on. After 15 minutes of baking with steam baguettes should have increased in size, opened up (have oven spring), be pale, have a very thin and soft crust, and not be fully baked. The second half of baking thickness the crust, gives the baguettes the color and finishes off baking.
Mayu
Hi
I love this recipe and I’ve already made this baguette 4-5 times.
Results were pretty amazing, love this taste but I have a problem with scoring.
The dough was too sticky to cut. I’ve bought a scoring knife but dough stuck to knife.
And even if I could manage to cut, score wouldn’t open like yours.
Could you please give me any advice?
Maybe final proof ware too long or l need more flour…
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Mayu, it could be that your dough’s hydration is higher than you think, it could be due to more hydrated flour, or because of using cups. You cold drop hydration by 1-2% and see how that works out… as you become more comfortable build your way back up. Proofing for too long can definitely be an issue. All that said, most of my breads have even higher hydration, around 80-82%, but I don’t find it particularly hard to score them. What I think helps is to use a firm but very swift motion. When scoring, I also tend to hold my baguettes with the wingers of the other hand so they don’t move. Personally, I tend to score with plain blades or a serrated bread knife. Hope this helps.
Bob Taheri
Hi there,
I am currently trying to make all the bread in the world! I own a food business and have access to commercial equipment. Currently trying to find the right recipe to make in large batches.
I have made this now twice with great results. I was wondering if you have any advice on making this recipe in large scale? are there any tweaks I should be aware of? I will try a triple batch and see for myself but I would like your opinion on the matter if possible. Thanks for your time!!
Bob
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Bob, no experience here with large scale production so I can hardly be of help. That said, once you run your triple batch trial and see a problem, let me know, perhaps I can help.
Magdalena
Absolutely wonderful recipe everyone loved it👍👍😊
Tim
Exceptional. I gave up on baking bread about five years ago after years of trouble. Each loaf I would make came out dense and had an unpleasant strong yeast taste. With so many people baking bread during the pandemic, I thought I would give it another shot. I watched a number of videos, and read a number of articles, and this recipe seemed to encompass all the tips and suggestions I found. I started the dough at 8 pm last night, put it in the fridge overnight, took it out at 2 pm, and had amazing bread ready by 4:30 pm. Only thing I have to experiment further with is the baking time. My loafs started burning after the initial 15 minutes in the oven. Thanks for such a great recipe and renewing my confidence in making bread.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, Tim. Glad I could help. Enjoy your delicious bread and happy baking!
Wendy
You may want to get yourself an oven thermometer. They are only around $5 and will ensure your oven temperature is accurate. I just started using one and found that my oven was around 25 degrees cooler than what it was set too, maybe your problem is caused by it being higher.
mary b wright
Love this recipe and I’ve enjoyed great results, thank you! I am going to try reducing the honey to 15-20 grams next time…probably in my head, but I think the bread tastes a little sweet (?). It hasn’t stopped me from eating it however!
I used 150g of a “European style” flour from a local bakery (it had a picture of a baguette on it) and 350g KA AP for latest batch….wasn’t sure of the best ratio so guessed at about 1/3 of the non AP.
I had an oven shelf mishap that resulted in the oven not preheating as I thought and thus my dough proofed for 1.5 hours, seemed to go ok (but I was grumpy at myself for a while).
Thanks so much!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome! Thanks very much for your feedback and happy baking!
George
For the fold section, is it 3 folds every half hour or one fold ever half hour amounting to 3 when don’t with the hour and a half
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
One fold every half an hour…
Patrick
Hi Victor,
I have made this recipe a couple times and it is always great with crunchy crust, big bubbles, and chewy inside. My problem is they seem to end up thin which results a larger crust ratio. The dough appears the same size during proofing but yours appears to spread out much more than mine when transferred for scoring. Any ideas on how to make sure mine do not keep ending up thin?
Thank you,
Patrick
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hm… that’s an interesting question. I think I’ve seen this when my dough was a bit underfermented/underproofed or when I didn’t give it enough of a bench rest. It tightens when you handle it so if you try to roll it up like that it will be thin. You would also bump up the hydration, it will help. Or try different flour… Or make them shorter – and if that works, increase the amount of dough to get the right length/thickness. Sometimes you have to experiment a little to get perfect results.
Maky
Hi Victor
I made the recipe a second time, and I love the texture but I seem to have the same issue as Patrick. I don’t get the rise I want; the cross section of my baguette is rather oval than round. Any suggestions? I’m always afraid of over proofing the dough but I did let it proof for almost an hour( I know the temperature is also a factor) at room temperature. Do you think other than something being wrong with what I’m doing, a baguette tray would help?
Thank you in advance Victor
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Maky,
there are a few things that cause that. You’ve been having problems with the dough being too sticky before, have you resolved it? It could be the hydration level. Drop it further and the issue will go away. Some flours are more hydrated so you need to account for that. As well, I heard of people having this issue when baking on humid days… never experienced that but interesting. Overproofing will cause flat baguettes too. Not enough gluten development can also be a factor… hard to say without seeing the whole process. It would help if you took good, well-lit pictures along the way, all the way to the baked product with the cross-section visible, I can take a look. Email the pictures to me.
Donna
Thank you so much for this recipe! My husband is French and we moved from France to Canada a few years ago. We have been dearly missing fresh baked baguettes from the boulangerie. This was my first attempt at baking a baguette. I’ve tackled croissants, but I’ve been hesitant to try my hand at baguettes. They turned out wonderful, with a crisp but not too thick crust. My husband and son were in heaven, and the bread did not last long! My husband was soon making plans for having them again the very next week.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, Donna. Glad to hear about your success. Happy baking!
Maky
Hello,
I made this recipe today and the outcome was good but the dough was super sticky and out of control and each time i transferred it to a new surface it stretched and got longer and out of shape. Do you have any tips in this regard? What do think about using 30% bread flour?
Your reply is greatly appreciated.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Maky, I would recommend for you to decrease hydration (add more flour) until you get comfortable and get perfect results. It could also be the flour that you are using. Using 30% or even 50% bread flour will definitely improve the structure of the dough. Yes, I would experiment with that as well.
Jeremy
Can I use bread flour instead of all-purpose?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Yes, you can.
Celestia
By rotate do you mean flip them?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
No, no flipping. Just rotate them 180 degrees so that they brown evenly.
John Calcote
This is a true French baguette at the required 76% plus hydration. It’s also very similar to that shown by John Kirkwood on YouTube, except that his has no sweetener and no overnight retardation period. The hydration is about the same as his if you consider the honey a liquid (which you should).
I can’t tell you the number of French bread recipes promoted as baguette – the two are not the same. French bread has a fine texture and soft crumb, whereas baguette has this course open texture with a chewy almost translucent crumb. The higher hydration in baguette dough is the difference.
Traditionally speaking, French baguettes don’t have any sugar, but hey – if this was a winning recipe in a French contest, then – who knows? Maybe the French are becoming more open to new ideas! 🙂 Thanks for the recipe.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
You are very welcome, John. Thanks for your feedback.
Ram
Hi
I tried this recipe and cant say how good the bread is. Have few questions though
1) Does the high hydration (72%) have any effect on the spring or how crunchy bread turns out?
2) Why cant we use 62% hydration where the dough is easy to handle? Reason is, my first and second batch both had issues with handling right from S&F all the way to transferring it to the pizza stone.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Ram, higher hydration results in a more open, softer crumb and larger holes. 72% is a relative value. I consider it low as most of my breads are around 80%. For someone new to baking it may seem high as you need to build confidence and the technique to handle higher hydration doughs. If your dough seems too wet for you to handle comfortably, by all means, drop the hydration until you get good results. Then work your way up if desired. Loading is always a challenge, high hydration or low. Try baking them on parchment paper. So, you would put them on your pizza shovel (make a big DIY one with sheet metal) lined with parchment paper, then score and slide them onto the baking stone with the paper.
Cindy
I am currently making your bread. I am in the stretching and folding stage. I find that the dough is very sticky. Am I able to use more flour to prevent it sticking to to my hands Or will that make my bread dry and hard?
Thank you, Cindy
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Cindy, initially, the dough will feel wet and sticky by as gluten develops as a result of S&Fs, the dough will firm up and become much less sticky. That said, you can definitely incorporate more flour. Star with a little, a tablespoon, then evaluate. You want to be comfortable handling the dough. As your comfort grows, you can increase hydrations. Did you weigh the ingredients or used cups and spoons? If you didn’t weigh them, it’s possible that you ended up with higher hydration.
Victoria
This turned out fantastic, I’ve never tried a recipe with truer results to the Parisian baguette I so love.
Oven couldn’t get hot enough and used a baking sheet but still, top class baguette achieved. Thanks
Jimmy
Re: French Baguettes recipe
Greetings from Queens, NY. At the heart of the quarantine currently, my GF and I have been hard pressed to find good quality breads at the store so I suggested baking our own (we’re having a “bake-off” lol). For my first ever attempt at bread baking I found your tasteofartisan recipe and currently I am about an hour from cold retarding.
As I look ahead to what my steps are tomorrow, I was wondering if anybody ever asked you this question, because I didn’t see it in the comments:
Have you or anyone ever experimented with different herbs/spices in the steam water pan instead of just plain water? I don’t plan on it this go around, I want to follow as instructed. But just curious for your feedback.
Can’t wait until tomorrow night to pull my project out of the oven! Thanks for what I’m sure will be a delicious recipe!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hey Jimmy, welcome to my blog. I hope your baguettes turn out great. Even if they don’t get an awesome oven spring, they will still taste great I guarantee you.
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To your question, I don’t think flavoring water/steam will add much flavor to the bread itself, there just isn’t enough time. But mixing in different herbs into the dough, or sprinkling them on top is a great way to add interesting flavors.
Jimmy
As expected it was delicious!
And by stacking my baking sheet on another upside down one, on top of an bottom-up glass Pyrex dish, I actually got a really good oven spring! I think I won the bake-off lol. Thanks again.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hey Jimmy, you are welcome… glad to hear about your success. There is nothing like freshly-baked baguettes, especially if they turn out great.
Joe
I followed this recipe to a ‘T’ and in general it turned out excellent. I should note that I baked in a gas oven and baked on a cast iron griddle (one side has raised ribs to allow grease/fat to drain, but I used the other, totally flat side). I set the oven as directed, to a pre-heat of 500F and then immediately down to 475F after putting the dough in.
As another commenter noted, the bake time was indeed 15 minutes for me as well, with an interior temp of 205F. While the bread was definitely done, it lacked the thick, crispy crust that sends crumbs flying three feet in all directions when you cut it.
I need to experiment with baking times and pans. I can perhaps still pre-heat the cast-iron skillet but then put the dough on a regular baking sheet and then put that on top of the cast-iron skillet, to get that initial spring that’s needed. I also have a pizza stone with which I can try the same two combos (baked directly on, or used underneath a baking sheet). Options to try for sure.
But overall the crumb, texture, and taste are terrific.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Thanks for the detailed feedback, Joe. Glad to hear that you achieved good results. Happy baking!
Alex
Victor, are you using a gas or electric oven? I also find that I can’t seem to get a shiny, crispy crust using two loaf pans with towels. I wonder if the venting on a gas oven is simply too much for any open steaming method.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Alex, I am using an electric oven. I have the same problem with the vent though and I plug it with a kitchen towel during the steaming phase.
Mike
Sceptical at first but followed recipe as written. Results were well beyond expectations and the resultant baguette was crusty with the ‘mie’ soft chewy With incredible taste. Chapeau to Victor!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Awesome! Happy baking! Why skeptical at first, I wonder?
Joseph
Awesome writeup of the recipe and tools needed.
Jessica
Can I use regular active dry yeast? I don’t have any instant.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Please see my comment below on March 26, 2020.
Richard