Making homemade crusty French baguettes are easier than you think. Nothing beats the smell of warm bread filling up the kitchen! Make this delicious recipe today!
So I had been craving some crusty French bread for a while. Well, that’s not entirely true. What I was really craving were herbed dipping oil and crusty bread. I had made the herbed dipping out but had no bread. Well, that is, no bread that was best suited for the oil. Therefore I had to make bread.
Now I know some of you are probably thinking “Go to the store woman and buy some!” Um no… I prefer to control the ingredients I put in my bread and honestly my bread ROCKS!
You can keep your grocery store, specialty chain bread stores (that arrive frozen and aren’t made from scratch on-site btw!). I want MY bread! And once you make this, you’ll only want THIS bread again!
Easy to Make But Plan Ahead
Now, this bread is fairly easy but you do need to plan for it as it will be an all-day thing.
No, you won’t be with the bread all day working on it but rather you’ll have to let it rise, fold it, rise again and repeat a few more times.
So the night before you want to eat this, you’ll have to start the recipe as you need to create the sponge.
What’s a Sponge?
“So what’s a sponge? Why’s it important anyway? Aren’t those the things you use to wash your car or dishes with? ”
A sponge is a wet batter that has yeast added to it. The yeast creates bubbles in the moist batter and makes the batter, well, sponge-like.
The sponge method is used for 3 different reasons:
- Taste
- Texture
- Chemistry.
The flavor that is created is dependent on the ingredients used and the fermenting yeast. Just like sourdough, the longer the ferment, the greater the taste difference.
Even though this dough took a full day (well okay I’m not counting the night prior to let the sponge ferment), it was well worth it! The bread was crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside.
It was absolutely PERFECT for the dipping oil…
… and the butter I had on it later
… and the crostinis I made later
… and what leftovers I had, I made awesome herbed croutons.
As you can see below I use a 2-Section Non-Perforated Non-Stick French Baguette Bread Pan.
If you want seriously crusty bread, GET THIS PAN! I use this for baguettes as well as Italian Bread. Now this one makes 2 ‘fatter’ baguettes or Italian loaves. If you want the thinner style baguettes, then use this pan: 3-section Non-Perforated Non-Stick Baguette Pan.
If you’re like me, the first time I bought this pan I was really, really nervous about using it as well it has holes. I was afraid that the dough would 1 – stick and 2 – seep through the holes and do bad things to the inside of my oven.
I can tell you that with this recipe, it doesn’t stick nor seep through. All you have to do is spray it lightly with baking spray and then sprinkle on some cornmeal.
PrintCrusty French Baguettes
Making homemade crusty French baguettes are easier than you think. Nothing beats the smell of warm bread filling up the kitchen! Make this delicious recipe today!
Ingredients
Sponge
- 1/2 cup bread flour
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/2 teaspoon yeast
Dough
- 3 – 3 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon yeast
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
Glaze
- 1 large egg beaten with 2 tablespoon water
Instructions
Make the Sponge
- Stir all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for at least 8 hours but no more than 24 hours. Essentially the sponge will rise and fall some.
Make the Dough
- The next day, make the dough by combining 3 cups flour and the yeast in a Stand Mixer fitted with the dough hook.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the water and mix until the dough comes together ~ 2 minutes.
- Stop the mixer, cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Just wrap the plastic wrap around the top of the bowl with the dough hook in it. Don’t bother removing it.
Mix it all together
- Let the covered bowl sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the plastic wrap, add the sponge and salt, and knead the dough on medium-low speed until it is smooth and elastic ~ 8 minutes. If after 4 minutes the dough seems a bit too wet, add the remaining 1/2 cup flour, 2 tablespoon at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl, but sticks to the bottom.
- Lightly oil a large bowl, set aside. Sprinkle some flour on your counter and turn the dough out on to it. Gently knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball. Place the dough in the bowl and cover tightly with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, ~60-90 minutes. Turn the dough in the bowl with a Dough Scraper. Essentially you’re folding the dough on top of itself. Cover, let rise for 30 more minutes, then repeat the turning process. Cover and let rise until the dough has doubled in size, about 30 minutes longer.
- Sprinkle some flour on your counter and gently scrape the dough out of your bowl on the floured counter. Using a Bench Cutter, divide the dough in half. Gently pat each piece of dough into an 8 by 6″ rectangle with the 8″ side towards you.
- Fold the bottom third of the dough up towards the center and press gently to seal. Take the top third of the dough and fold that overtop the center gently pressing down to seal. Lightly flour the side of your hand and create a large crease length-wise down the center of the dough. Starting at one end of the dough, grab the outside of the dough (on either side of the crease), pull up to the top, and pinch to secure. Repeat this for the entire length of the dough. Gently roll and set aside. Repeat the above folding, crease indention, and pinching steps for the other dough ball.
- Spray the Baguette Pan with cooking spray and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place both baguettes in the pan. Mist the baguettes with vegetable oil spray, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size and the dough barely springs back when poked with a knuckle, ~ 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the lower third position, heat the oven to 500F. Place an empty metal pan on the bottom of the oven. Score the top of the bread with a sharp knife, cutting three-four 1/2″ deep slashes along the width of each baguette. Brush the bread with the glaze, then spray lightly with water. Place the baguette pan on the rack and immediately pour 1 cup of VERY hot water into the pan on the bottom of the oven. Shut the door fast and IMMEDIATELY reduce the oven temperature to 425F and bake until the crust is deep golden brown and the center of the bread registers 210 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 25 minutes, rotating the loaves halfway through baking.
- Transfer the bread to a wire rack and let cool for about 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Things you need: Stand Mixer Dough Scraper
Bench Cutter 2 Section Baguette Pan or
3 Section Baguette Pan
Charles Putzer says
While backing I cover my bread with a big aluminum pan. Also put small cast iron skillet in bottom of oven to heat up while oven gets hot and a pizza stone 500 degrees put loafs in oven add water to iron skillet to make steam also spray water in oven about every 10-15 minutes after about 20 minutes remove aluminum pan to let loafs crisp up. With I could share a photo great bread I make this all the time I’m a new york city guy living in south Oklahoma the bread they make here nothing like this. People at my church love it. Say to me open a bakery cause this bread is way better then what they bake around here. Thank you
Anna says
Good morning- is there a video for how to fold/form the baguettes? Thank you!
TKWAdmin says
Hi Anna!
No, there’s not yet BUT I just got an amazing new camera for Christmas and I plan on making videos now for my recipes (well, once I figure out how to edit them in Adobe Premiere).
I found 2 on Youtube – One from King Arthur Flour – https://youtu.be/IRDL3lPQSkc and this one as well https://youtu.be/IRDL3lPQSkc
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Charles Putzer says
You tube I watched about every video on making baquette from scratch. Wish this site let me post a photo. Bread is Awsome every time. King Arthur Bread flour I use roll it in sesame seed and Seminole flour before baking. As we say in. New York. Fugetabouit which means the Best
TKWAdmin says
Hi Charles!
I’m so happy you loved it! You’re more than welcome to post a picture of your bread creations on our Facebook page or tag us on Instagram. I’d love to see it!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Janet says
AHHHHH! This recipe is life changing! After literal decades of trying to make a good loaf of French bread (and many many many failures)I had given up for a long time. Thank you so much for this recipe and the great directions.
TKWAdmin says
Yeah!!! I’m so happy that you loved it Janet! Thank you! This is one of my favorite bread recipes!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Gina M Davis says
OMG the best! just right! super crust and oh so many lovely holes! always love your recipes that are amazing and the dipping oil is the BOMB~! If you want a smaller loaf just third the dough 🙂
TKWAdmin says
Hi Gina!
Thank you so much; I really appreciate it! I am a bread freak and this is one of those recipes that I could seriously make my dinner! LOL
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Gina M Davis says
LOL ME TOO! I eat and eat and eat bread and then I will eat some more of it and some more lol I ate a whole loaf with the dipping oil by myself and the next day I ate a whole loaf of fresh made ciabatta again by myself with the dipping oil Right there with ya’ on eating bread for the main course lol
Jean B. says
You baguettes seem to be right in terms of ingredients, texture and color but a french baguettes are much more elegant shape-wise. They supposed to be thiner and quite even all around.
These ones look more like a “pain” (bread) than a baguette. They are identical in every way with the only the difference that the Pain is much thicker and has resemblance to your baguette.
Reli says
The pictures of this bread look amazing, but your recipe is a little confusing. The first instruction is to mix all ingredients together and then cover, yet you then go on to add more ingredients. So, am I mixing all ingredients or not? It would be useful to differentiate between the sponge ingredients and the bread ingredients. As it is written I am reluctant to try it. It would also be nice if you recommended alternatives to the fancy pan for those of us who can’t afford one or are not heading to the store before they make this recipe. Cheers!
TKWAdmin says
I see the issue. I had to do code upgrades for iPad and iPhone printing. By doing this it altered the formatting. The first few ingredients are for the sponge. If you can hold off until tomorrow I can fix this. I thought I got all the formatting fixed but I must have missed one. Thank you for bringing it to my attention! I’ll also discuss using regular pans too.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
TKWAdmin says
Hi Reli!
Okay I fixed the recipe formatting. If you happen to see other ones like that (ones that I missed in the formatting fix) please let me know!
As for baking them without having the special pan, it’s super simple! In step 21 line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray it. Place the baguettes on that and continue with the rest of the steps. If you want a really super crunchy crust, when they are done turn off the oven, crack it open about 2″, and allow the baguettes to cool in the oven.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Reli says
Thanks for revising the recipe! I’m very excited to try it this weekend and will let you know about the results. These loaves look so delicious, and I am trying to eat the perfect baguette without paying an arm and a leg for it. I have high hopes based off of the photos. 😀
Charles Putzer says
Spong. First. 3 steps. Then rest 8 -24 hours then follow rest of recipe. How easy. Awsome loafs. Feel like I’m back home in new york. I roll mine in sesame seeds before baking. Great 10 stars
Nate - Station 43 says
Hey TKW! Long time no talk! It’s Nate and the guys from Station 43! Sorry we’ve been MIA but I got hurt and have been in recovery. I’m back on light duty which means more time in the kitchen for the gang!
Have to say this bread was phenomenal! I’ve been to Paris and this rivals the best bakeries there! I ate entire loaf myself in one day!
Missed you bunches! The guys have been going nuts as they can’t cook so they’ve been torturing themselves looking at your site and literally leaving me prints out with ‘MAKE THIS’ on it!
Love your gang from Station 43!
TKWAdmin says
Nate and family!!!
OMG are you okay??? I hope you’re resting and everyone is taking care of you!
Wow, rivals Paris bakeries? Now THAT’s an awesome complimentl thank you!
I’ve missed you guys too 🙂
Be safe and loves!
Best Kitchen Wishes!