adfree-recipe

We use cookies

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. For more information on how we use cookies, please see our cookie policy.

By clicking "Accept", you agree to our use of cookies.
Our cookie policy.

How to Make French Baguettes
0 Likes
Prep Time:
30 minutes
Cook Time:
15 minutes
Total Time:
825 minutes
Create authentic French baguettes with Chef John's recipe for a taste of Paris at home.
Ingredients:
  • 0.25 teaspoon rapid rise yeast
  • 1.5 cups water at room temperature
  • 1.75 teaspoons salt
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
  • 0.5 teaspoon cornmeal, or as needed
Instructions:
  • In a large mixing bowl, start by adding yeast to the bottom. Pour in water and stir gently. Add salt and then incorporate flour, beating with a wooden spoon until the dough becomes thick, sticky, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This should take about 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm oven for 12 to 14 hours until doubled in volume. The dough will develop bubbles and become delightfully sticky.
  • Cover a baking sheet with a silicone mat and sprinkle generously with cornmeal.
  • Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface using a floured spatula. Dust the dough with flour and use floured hands to pat it into a rectangle. Divide the rectangle into four equal pieces.
  • Dust one piece of dough with flour, stretch it with floured fingers into a 10-inch long and 1 1/2-inch round log, then gently transfer to the baking sheet. Optionally wipe off extra cornmeal with a damp paper towel. Repeat with another dough piece. (Save remaining dough for later or use another baking sheet to bake all loaves together).
  • Sprinkle loaves with flour and cover them with floured plastic wrap, allowing them to rise until doubled in volume, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to its highest setting (500 degrees F / 260 degrees C). Position one oven rack on the bottom and another on the middle. Place a water-filled oven-proof baking dish on the bottom rack.
  • Using sharp kitchen shears, make four or five angled slashes on the top of each loaf. Press down any sharp dough tips left behind. Lightly spray the loaves with water from a bottle.
  • Bake the baguettes in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes until they are nicely browned, spraying them with water after 5 and 10 minutes. Rotate the pan during the second spraying.
  • Place baguettes on a cooling rack and allow them to cool to room temperature. Use a serrated knife to slice.

Similar Recipes