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Authentic Baguette Recipe
Paris, France
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We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
With its recognizable shape, crispy golden brown exterior, and undeniable charm, a baguette is a world-renowned staple of French cuisine and culture. Extremely prominent in its home country, the bread can be bought nearly everywhere, in one of the numerous boulangeries. This elongated, slender kind of bread is traditionally made solely with wheat flour, water, yeast, and salt. The authentic dough composition is defined by law, and can, besides the essential ingredients, incorporate small amounts of broad bean, soya, or wheat malt flour. Artisanal loaves are sometimes made with bread starter instead of yeast, which enhances the flavor complexity. A typical baguette weighs about 250 grams (8.8 oz), has about 5 or 6 cm (2 inches) in width, and is approximately 65 cm (25.6 inches) long. The preparation starts by mixing the required ingredients and kneading a smooth dough, which is then left to rise for several hours. The risen dough is then shaped into a baguette form, sliced with ... Read more
Cooking tips
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flour
The traditional French baguette is made with type 55 flour, which has less protein than the regular all-purpose flour (usually around 11.5 %). Since type 55 is not easily found in stores outside of France, try buying it online or simply use the unbleached all-purpose flour. -
poolish
Poolish, a wet sponge (pre-ferment) made with equal amounts of flour and water, and some yeast, increases the extensibility and the flavor complexity of the dough. If working with a pre-fermented dough, make sure it does not become overripe, since that will destroy the gluten and make the dough weak and hard to handle. -
method
Avoid kneading the dough. Instead, fold it over at least twice before shaping the loaves. The dough needs to be very sticky because its moist consistency is responsible for the chewy texture of the bread. Make sure not to over-proof the dough once you have shaped it (an adequately proofed baguette should be just shy of doubled in volume). When proofing, the loaves need to be supported from the sides ... Read more -
authentic features
The authentic loaf should have a deep golden brown-colored exterior and a cream-colored interior. The crust needs to be very crispy. The crumb should have irregular alveoli and elasticity, meaning it should spring back once pressed. A traditional kind has a lightly sweet and yeasty scent. The flavor should be nutty, buttery, sweet, and savory.
Recipe variations
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Sourdough Baguette
Ready in 1d 10hThe following is the sourdough baguette recipe, which is a bit more complicated than the typical traditional one made with yeast. Still, besides yeast-leavened baguettes, the traditional recipe states that baguettes can also be made with the sourdough starter. The levain is ready to use when it has at least doubled in size and is light and feathery, with visible yeast strands when being scooped out of the jar. Be mindful not to let it rest for too long or in a room too warm because it will become watery and hard to work with. If you wish for a more open end crumb, add 50-100 ml (3-7 tbsp) more water to the dough to make it wetter. The whole process of making this bread lasts for over a day, so take all of the proofing and resting time into account when planning.
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Poolish Baguette
Ready in 4h 25minThe following recipe is adapted from the French Culinary Institute's Fundamental Techniques of Classic Bread Baking. It shows how to make baguettes with poolish, a type of pre-ferment made with commercial yeast often used in French baking that gives flavor and softness to the dough. Note to take resting time into account when planning on making this recipe.
Sourdough Baguette
PREP 40min
COOK 35min
RESTING 1d 9h
READY IN 1d 10h
The following is the sourdough baguette recipe, which is a bit more complicated than the typical traditional one made with yeast. Still, besides yeast-leavened baguettes, the traditional recipe states that baguettes can also be made with the sourdough starter. The levain is ready to use when it has at least doubled in size and is light and feathery, with visible yeast strands when being scooped out of the jar. Be mindful not to let it rest for too long or in a room too warm because it will become watery and hard to work with. If you wish for a more open end crumb, add 50-100 ml (3-7 tbsp) more water to the dough to make it wetter. The whole process of making this bread lasts for over a day, so take all of the proofing and resting time into account when planning.
Ingredients
Sourdough Baguette
FOR THE LEVAIN
70g (2.5 oz) sourdough starter
70g (2.5 oz) high-grade flour (minimum 11% protein)
70 ml (1/4 cup + 2 tsp) water
FOR THE DOUGH
900g (2 lbs) high-grade flour (minimum 11% protein)
600 ml (2 1/2 cups) water
2 ½ tsp salt
Preparation
1
Sourdough Baguette
Step 1/8
Thoroughly mix the levain ingredients in a clean jar. Let the mixture rest for at least 4 hours (up to 8) until it has well-doubled (but make sure it does not collapse).
Step 2/8
Once the levain is nearly doubled, start the autolyse. To make the dough, combine the flour and the water and use wet hands to make a rough ball. Let it rest for at least an hour. Next, add the doubled levain and salt into the dough, and thoroughly combine using wet hands.
Step 3/8
Transfer to stainless steel or ceramic tray. Coil fold the dough every 15 minutes for 2 hours (with wet hands, lift the halve of the dough closer to you and let the bottom part fold underneath the middle part, repeat the process with the other half, then rotate the tray 90º and repeat the whole process). After the folding period is over, let the dough rest for 2 more hours.
Step 4/8
Carefully transfer the dough onto a floured work surface and divide it into 4 chunks. Take one piece and shape into a square, then bring the four corners into the middle, forming a parcel. Turn over the dough, so the seam side faces downwards and rotate on the counter between your hands to form a ball. Repeat the process with the other chunks of dough. Let the dough rest on a floured counter for 2 hours, covered with a tea towel. If your kitchen tends to run cold (below 22°C/70°F), increase the resting period to 3-4 hours.
Step 5/8
Shape the rested dough into baguettes by carefully forming horizontal rectangles. Fold the bottom third of the dough into the middle and seal it together using your palm. After rotating the dough 180º, repeat the process. Do this once again on both sides to elongate the dough sufficiently. Turn over the baguettes, so the seam side faces downwards and roll them on the work surface to lengthen. Narrow the dough at the ends to acquire authentic baguette tips.
Step 6/8
Transfer the loaves of bread into a floured baguette tray or in-between floured towels and place them into the refrigerator for 8 to 20 hours.
Step 7/8
Preheat the fan-bake oven to 230ºC (450°F), and take out the dough from the refrigerator. Dust the loaves with a bit of flour and score them, so that the air can get out in the process of baking.
Step 8/8
Place a tray with some ice cubes in the oven alongside the bread to create steam. Arrange the loaves in a baguette tray or a floured oven tray, then bake for 30-35 minutes. Leave to cool completely before cutting.
Other Variations
-
Poolish Baguette
Ready in 4h 25minThe following recipe is adapted from the French Culinary Institute's Fundamental Techniques of Classic Bread Baking. It shows how to make baguettes with poolish, a type of pre-ferment made with commercial yeast often used in French baking that gives flavor and softness to the dough. Note to take resting time into account when planning on making this recipe.
Other authentic recipes
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