Homemade French Baguette Recipe

There’s nothing better than fresh bread, which is why I can’t believe I never shared my homemade baguette recipe before. Some links are affiliate links which earn me a commission if you shop through them.

Do you have a favorite smell? For me, it’s bread fresh from the oven.

My biggest problem when I make this baguette recipe? I break it open and eat it still steaming. Did you know that’s bad for your bread? Just like you should let meat rest after it cooks, bread has the same need.

If you cut it while still hot, all that steam lets moisture out so your bread dries out faster. Of course , in my house, a loaf of bread rarely lasts more than an hour, rending this moot. This simple homemade baguette tastes amazing, and the light, fluffy interior means I never stop with just one slice or chunk.

We use this baguette recipe every year on Christmas Eve go to with my husband’s Caesar salad and my lasagna. It makes a perfect base for crostini. We serve it on sandwiches, slathered with hazelnut spread and fruit for dessert, and even make cheesy garlic bread with it. On the rare occasion we have any left, this fits wonderfully in my apple pie bread pudding, too.

No matter how you enjoy it, try this baguette recipe. I know so many people fear yeast, but it isn’t as scary as people fear. The good news? Ingredients are cheap – just flour, salt, yeast, sugar, and water. If it doesn’t work the first time, try again. That said, this baguette recipe has never failed me. Never.

Is this your first time working with yeast? Check out this tutorial on yeast to get a primer before you start.

How to Make This Baguette Recipe

Make your bread dough

Add warm water to a bowl. You want it warm to the touch but not hotter than comfortable – think warm shower. Too hot (over 130 degrees), and you’ll kill your yeast, but turn your hot water heater down! Make sure to use fresh yeast.

I know my yeast lives because I use it regularly. I don’t bother to proof it before making my recipe. Proofing only proves your yeast lives and isn’t required to make bread. If you aren’t sure, go ahead and proof your yeast. Add it to your bowl and sprinkle the sugar over it. If you don’t see bubbles after 5 minutes, start over with new yeast. Bubbles, and you’re golden.

If you know your yeast is good, skip the five minute wait and move ahead. Add a cup of flour plus the salt and mix. Add two more cups of flour and mix again. Watch your dough and add the remaining flour slowly.

You may not need all the flour, depending on your humidity levels, the flour, etc. I use anywhere from 4-5 cups of flour depending on the weather. You want your dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl but still be slightly sticky. If you poke at it, the dough should feel tacky but not immediately attach itself to your finger.

Knead with a stand mixer for 5-7 minutes or by hand for 10-15 minutes on a lightly floured service. It should feel smooth, like a baby’s bottom.

Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rise for an hour and a half.

Make your dough into baguettes

Gently punch it down and separate it into two equal portions. One at a time, stretch the dough into a flat rectangle about 5 x 9 on a very lightly floured surface. Fold a long edge 2/3 the way up the rectangle, then fold the other long edge over. Pinch both long ends together next so that you have a neat seam atop your rectangle. Flip over your rectangle and gently roll with your hands to finish up the loaf shape. Repeat with the remaining ball.

Place both loaves onto an oiled baguette pan. Cover them with your damp towel again, and let them rise for another hour or two. Once risen, use a bread knife to slash three to four diagonal cuts along each loaf to allow expansion while baking.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees with a small pan on a low rack. Place your loaves into the oven (after removing the towel!). Add 1/2 cup of water into the pan on that low rack, but NOT on the loaves. Shut the door immediately to steam the bread.

Repeat this process three or four times during the first several minutes of cooking. It will create a steam bath in the oven which will help create a great crunchy crust to your bread. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and it has a hollow sound when you thump it.

Let it cool for a couple minutes, then slice and enjoy.

Have you ever made a homemade baguette recipe? What’s your favorite way to enjoy fresh bread?

Homemade Baguettes

There is nothing better than bread fresh from the oven. This easy baguette recipe creates the perfect loaf every time. Whether this is your first time playing with yeast or you're a seasoned baker, you'll fall in love with bread all over again after making this!

4.64 from 25 votes

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: French

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours hours 18 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 hours hours 3 minutes minutes

Servings: 20 slices

Calories: 104kcal

Author: Michelle

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 1/2 cups flour

Instructions

• Add warm water to a bowl.
  1 1/2 cups water
• Proof yeast if you aren't confident it's live. Add it to bowl and sprinkle sugar over it. If you don't see bubbles after 5 minutes, start over with new yeast.
  1 teaspoon yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar
• Add a cup of flour plus the salt and mix. Add two more cups of flour and mix again. Watch your dough and add the remaining flour half and then a quarter cup at a time. Stir between each addition and keep adding until dough pulls away from the bowl but remains tacky.
  1 teaspoon salt, 4 1/2 cups flour
• Knead with a stand mixer for 5-7 minutes or by hand for 10-15 minutes. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rise for an hour and a half.
• Gently punch down and separate into two equal portions. One at a time, stretch the dough into a flat rectangle about 5x9. Fold a long edge 2/3 the way up the rectangle, then fold the other long edge over. Pinch both long ends together next so that you have a neat seam atop your rectangle. Flip over your rectangle and gently roll with your hands to finish up the loaf shape. Repeat with the remaining ball.
• Place both loaves onto an oiled

  baguette pan. Cover with damp towel again, and let rise for another one to two hours. Once risen, use a

  bread knife to slash loaves three to four times diagonally along each loaf to allow room for expansion.
• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees with a small pan on a low rack. Place your loaves into the oven (without the towel). Add 1/2 cup of water into the preheated pan, but NOT on the loaves.
• Add water to the pan three or four times during the first several minutes of cooking. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and it has a hollow sound when you thump it.
• Let it cool for five to ten minutes, then slice and enjoy.

Equipment

Baguette Pan

Bread Knife

Stand Mixer

Notes

• You may not need all the flour, depending on your humidity levels, the flour, etc. I use anywhere from 4-5 cups flour depending on the weather. You want your dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl but still be slightly sticky. If you poke at it, the dough should feel tacky but not immediately attach itself to your finger.
• For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Sodium: 108mg | Fiber: 1g

This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.

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