How to Make the Best Authentic French Baguettes at Home
My baking journey started out humbly—with a no-knead loaf that barely rose, but it sparked something in me. Years later, I’ve come to master the art of the French Baguette, and I promise, it’s not as intimidating as it seems. Even if you’re a complete beginner, this quick, easy recipe will walk you through everything you need to know.
It’s about more than just bread—it’s about creating something beautiful, something authentic that carries the warmth of a Sunday morning in France, with the aroma of freshly baked foods filling the kitchen.
How to Make French Baguettes at Home-The Answer
The secret to a French baguette lies in just four ingredients—flour, water, yeast, and salt—yet skilled bakers turn them into crusty, flavorful loaves. While traditional baguettes in France used only natural leaven, many now use baker’s yeast or a mix to lighten the crumb and meet demand. Despite changes, the heart of bread-making remains: simplicity, care, and respect for the craft.
Making the best baguettes means paying attention to the details—like the choice of flour, the timing of your fermentation, and the importance of using a poolish or pre-fermentation to develop flavour and structure. You simply mix yeast, flour, and water, then let it ferment overnight. The dough becomes soft, elastic, and full of life. During the proofs, you’ll see the dough develop that telltale open ear and crackly, dark golden crust. When you slice into it, the crumb should be open and airy, with a slightly chewy, buttery texture. Every stage matters—from shaping to baking on a proper baking sheet, with care in handling time.
What’s amazing is how this single recipe becomes the ultimate accompaniment. Pair it with a French cheese board, charcuterie, or even classics like Onion Soup Gratinée, Lemon Thyme Roast Chicken (Poulet Rôti), Salade Niçoise, or a rustic Olive Tapenade. These traditional recipes feel like a journey straight to France, bringing depth to any meal. My personal favorite? A simple breakfast baguette, sliced and slathered with butter, or filled with dijon mustard, proper ham, and mature cheddar cheese—comforting, satisfying, and full of character.
For those who want to dive deeper, I highly recommend checking out the video tutorial linked with the visual help. It covers the full stages of baking and breaks down how gluten develops during hydration. With a bit of planning, attention to proofs, and a willingness to enjoy the adventure, you’ll discover that baking the perfect baguette is totally achievable—and endlessly rewarding.
What French Baguettes are Made Of?
The, secret, to, a, traditional, French, baguette, lies, in, just, four, humble, ingredients, flour, water, yeast, and, salt, Yet, with, only, these, basics, skilled, bakers, manage, create, beautiful, flavorful, perfectly, crusty, loaves, that, are, anything, but, simple, my, own, kitchen, shaping, homemade, baguettes, on, cool, marble, table, watching, them, turn, golden, brown, the, oven, listening, crackle, of, crust, is, pure, joy, Back, France, were, once, made, solely, natural, leaven, over, time, many, moved, using, baker’s, or, mix, both, which, makes, crumb, more, open, slightly, lighter, This, shift, helped, bakeries, improve, efficiencies, reduce, work, especially, rising, demand, even, changes, soul, remains—simple, bit, care, deep, respect, for, craft, bread, making
Other Factors that Define a Baguette’s Appearance and Taste
When, making, French, baguettes, at, home, the, basic, ingredients, are, just, beginning, what, truly, defines, their, appearance, and, taste, is, process, behind, them, I’ve, learned, that, how, dough, allowed, to, rise, whether, quickly, with, warm, water, ambient, temperature, or, slowly, through, cold, retarding, makes, a, huge, difference, Slower, fermentation, helps, improve, flavor, giving, it, more, complex, depth, you, can’t, rush, way, ferment, retard, later, proof, shape, score, directly, affects, will, bake, final, product, looks, tastes, Small, choices, in, handling, timing, bring, out, best, every, loaf
Baguette Making Process
One, of, the, most, fascinating, baguette, methods, I’ve, tried, is, based, on, a, recipe, inspired, by, Anis, Bouabsa, winner, 2008, Best, in, Paris, contest, In, an, interview, he, shared, that, used, baker’s, yeast, very, little, quantity, and, focused, high, hydration, 75%, ratio, water, to, flour, which, results, wet, dough, What, stood, out, was, how, barely, kneaded, just, folded, three, times, hour, then, placed, fridge, for, 21, hours, According, him, isn’t, fully, risen, when, it, enters, oven, instead, it’s, extremely, hot, heat, about, 480F, creates, final, volume, iconic, shape, This, method, truly, changed, approach, baking, at, home
making every bite delicious
How Do I Score Baguettes?
Scoring, a, baked, baguette, is, more, than, just, making, cuts, it’s, about, allowing, the, dough, to, open, in, controlled, manner, helping, create, that, signature, ear, during, baking, From, my, own, kitchen, I’ve, found, holding, bread, lame, or, razor, blade, at, 45-degree, angle, slicing, 5mm, deep, works, best, Begin, your, cut, on, right, finish, left, then, repeat, placing, each, new, score, slightly, above, last, You, should, see, four, scored, marks, if, you’re, working, with, standard, size, Make, sure, lines, are, almost, vertical, running, down, centre, of, about, 1cm, apart, staying, within, imaginary, borders, Whether, use, sharp, knife, favourite, tool, personally, love, UFO, baker’s, for, its, precision, steady, hand, and, attention, detail, all, difference, final, job, Place, lengthways, keep, focus, top, don’t, let, tear, before, finish
How to Bake French Baguettes at Home?
To, bake, truly, great, baguettes, at, home, I, always, pre-heat, my, oven, with, a, baking, steel, or, stone, inside, as, both, help, retain, intense, heat, for, strong, spring, in, the, dough, Once, is, transferred, high, begins, creating, that, open, texture, and, signature, ear, personally, choose, because, it, retains, gives, off, more, often, resulting, better, though, larger, loaves, bottom, can, risk, over-cooking, due, to, higher, transfer, shape, speed, of, cooking, make, this, method, perfect, stop, crust, from, forming, too, early, create, steam, using, hot, tray, pan, add, about, 40ml, water, couple, ice, cubes, expand, during, initial, part, improving, crumb, sometimes, use, coiled, non-treated, stainless, chain, vessel, which, you, see, video, share, students, learning, Everything, time, even, danger, overcooking, needs, care, but, when, done, right, results, are, fine, absolutely, worth, it
Ingredients
Poolish or pre-ferment
150g strong bread flour (protein content 12% or higher)
150g room temperature water
3g instant dried yeast
Main Dough
303g of poolish (pre-fermented dough) from the above recipe
220g room temp water
13g sea salt
4g instant dried yeast
380g strong bread flour (protein content 12% or higher)
Times & Temperatures
My kitchen temperature:
20c / 68f
Oven temperature: 250c / 485f
Oven setting: Bake mode (top & bottom heat with the fan turned off)
Bake time: 20 minutes
Can you Freeze Baguettes?
Yes, you, can, absolutely, freeze, your, homemade, baguettes, if, done, right, I, usually, let, them, cool, completely, to, room, temperature, before, wrapping, tightly, in, cling, film, or, placing, a, plastic, zip-lock, bag, then, into, the, freezer, They, keep, well, for, several, months, but, my, opinion, they’re, best, consumed, within, two, of, freezing, When, defrosting, prefer, warm, gently, low, oven, crust, crisp, Sometimes, also, part, bake, during, first, remove, as, just, begin, get, some, colour, leave, wrap, Later, defrost, at, 220c, 430f, until, golden, brown, perfect, again
What we Cover in the Baking Baguttes for Beginners Workshop
If, you’re, a, beginner, wanting, to, make, beautiful, French, baguettes, learning, how, proof, your, dough, is, the, real, turning, point—it, sets, tone, for, everything, from, texture, shape, When, I, first, started, found, that, using, dry, active, yeast, was, surprisingly, easy, and, honestly, it, felt, super, rewarding, see, rise, just, right, moment, transformed, my, baking, right, ways, of, rolling, scoring—small, changes, but, they, helped, shapes, come, out, looking, like, something, professional, Chef, had, try, different, techniques, follow, expert, tips, get, look, crunch, Even, though, use, simple, electric, oven, once, understood, cooking, times, temperature, control, everything, clicked, Along, the, way, I’ve, made, plenty, mistakes, knowing, start, correcting, them, where, real, happens, Now, even, bake, extra, keep, later, because, storing, leftovers, properly, means, can, eat, next, day, without, losing, quality—plus, trying, new, recipes, each, setting, keeps, things, fun
What is the Secret to Making French Baguettes?
Baking a crusty French baguette at home starts with long fermentation to develop the dough and produce a nice, golden crust. I’ve learned that adding steam by tossing ice or water onto a preheated tray or pan in the oven helps bring out that crispy finish. This simple step makes a huge difference in texture, bite, and overall flavor, and it’s one of the biggest secrets I always focus on when I bake.
What is the Secret of the Best Baguette?
The best French baguette starts with flour high in protein content for great texture. Always score the top with a sharp knife—scoring or slicing isn’t just decoration, it helps the rise. A steam bath gives the perfect crust. Use fresh yeast, and if needed, freeze and reheat later. These tips always work
What is the Best Flour for Traditional Baguettes?.
The best flour for French baguettes is Type 55, known for its lower protein content—usually around 11.5%. It’s not found in every standard supermarket, but you can buy it online from King Arthur Flour if All-Purpose doesn’t give you the results you want.
What is the Difference Detween a Baguette and a Traditional Baguette?
A traditional French baguette, or baguette tradition, is made with strict adherence to classic techniques and pure ingredients, giving it a crusty exterior, chewy interior, large irregular air pockets, and a richer flavor. A standard or ordinary one is often longer, softer, may have additives, and a uniform crumb with less complex taste.
