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Crusty French Baguette Recipe

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4 from 13 reviews

This Crusty French Baguette recipe offers an authentic, satisfying way to bake classic French bread at home using simple ingredients like flour, yeast, salt, and water. The process involves a slow rise to develop flavor and texture, then baking on a hot stone with steam to create a golden, crisp crust and tender crumb.

  • Total Time: 5 hours 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 medium baguettes

Ingredients

Dough

  • 2 cups (475 g) warm water (95–100°F)
  • 1½ teaspoons active dry yeast
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 4½ cups (640 g) bread flour
  • 1½ teaspoons salt

For Baking

  • 3 tablespoons cornmeal (for dusting)

Instructions

  1. Activate Yeast: In a large bowl, combine ½ cup warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy, indicating that the yeast is active.
  2. Make Dough: Add flour and salt to the bowl. Pour in the remaining warm water and mix everything together until a shaggy dough forms.
  3. Knead Dough: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 3–5 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
  4. First Rise: Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 3 hours or until it has doubled in size.
  5. Pre-shape: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, divide it into equal portions, and shape each portion into a ball. Let them rest for 20 minutes.
  6. Shape Loaves: Shape each dough ball into a long baguette loaf and place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet or baguette pan dusted with cornmeal.
  7. Second Rise: Cover the loaves with plastic wrap and let them rise for 1½ to 2 hours until puffy.
  8. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) with a baking stone or inverted baking sheet on the middle rack and a pan on the lower rack.
  9. Create Steam: Just before baking, pour 1 cup of hot water into the pan on the lower rack to create steam, which helps develop a crusty exterior.
  10. Score and Bake: Slash each loaf 4–5 times with a razor blade or sharp knife, then bake for 30–35 minutes until deep golden brown.
  11. Cool: Remove the baguettes from the oven and cool them on a rack for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • Weighing ingredients provides more accurate results than using volume measurements.
  • Warm water should be between 95–100°F to properly activate yeast without killing it.
  • Creating steam in the oven is essential to developing a crisp, crackly crust.
  • Allow the bread to cool fully before slicing to prevent a gummy texture.
  • Using bread flour helps achieve the chewy interior typical of French baguettes.
  • Author: Monica
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: French

Find it online: https://monicarecipes.com/crusty-french-baguette-recipe/