Need an escape during the pandemic but can't catch a flight to France? Bring a piece of France to you and make this Classic French Baguettes Recipe at home!
Paris is easily one of my favorite places to travel. I've gone there twice thus far and each time, it's been such an adventure. One thing I always wish that I could bring back home with me is the food. Specifically, the baguettes.
There's nothing like a classic french baguette that's crunchy on the outside and nice and airy on the inside. After several attempts, I finally mastered the art of baking baguettes. I'm so excited to share this recipe with you.
Re-creating these baguettes truly transported me back to walking the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Then heading to a small patisserie for a baguette and enjoying simply bread and butter with a café. One of my favorite things to do in Paris is see the sights - and then eat. Since I can't physically visit now as non-essential travel is not permitted, let's talk about how to recreate these classic french baguettes in your own home.
So let's begin by talking about equipment needed. You don't need anything fancy, however, there are a few pieces that will make baking these baguettes seamless!
Firstly, Joann Fabric recently released a new line of bakeware, focusing on bread! I tested some of the products while making these baguettes and WOW, the baguettes came out perfectly every time!
Do you remember when Joann Fabric and I partnered last year for the Holiday Baking commercial last year? If not, go watch it HERE. Well, we've partnered again to showcase this amazing lineup of bakeware to make your bread baking easy, fun, and smooth.
Okay, so what do you need? I recommend the following:
This is not a quick recipe. Baguettes take time, so please keep that in mind. Anything worth having is worth working for and this is so true of this recipe. Let's get started.
To make these classic french baguettes, begin by making a poolish - which is a pre-fermented sponge that sits at room temperature for up to 10-12 hours. The poolish helps develop the flavor of the baguette and also gives the dough a light and airy texture. To make the poolish, combine water, flour, and a little yeast in a bowl and mix to form a shaggy dough. Cover and let this sit as room temperature for 10-12 hours. The poolish should become bubbly.
After your twelves hours is up, add the poolish to a large bowl with the remaining ingredients - flour, water, salt, and yeast. Use the danish dough whisk to mix everything together to form the dough, allow the dough to sit for 20 minutes. This allows the dough to hydrate.
Then dampen your fingers with water and stretch and fold the dough about 3-4 times. Dough will be sticky, do not add additional flour as this is a high hydration dough. Let the dough sit for another 30 minutes and then stretch and fold again, 3-4 times. Repeat this every 30 minutes for two hours, totally 4 stretch and folds.
To stretch and fold your dough, take one side of the dough and gently tug on it to create a flap without breaking the dough. Then place that flap in the center of the dough. Repeat on all sides and then let the dough rest.
After the stretching and folding is done, cut dough into 3 equal size pieces. TIP: Use a scale for this to ensure all baguettes are the same size. Roll each piece into a ball. Then grab one of the pieces and roll into a baguette/log shape, about 12-14 inches long. Pinch the ends of the baguette. Spray a baguette pan with oil and place on the baguette pan. If you don't have a baguette pan, place on a piece of parchment paper and cover with a well oiled piece of plastic wrap or slightly damp towel. Let the baguettes sit for 45 minutes. Then use bread lame to score three deep cuts in each baguette.
While the baguettes are proofing for one last time, preheat your oven to 450° F. Use an oven safe pan and fill with 1 cup of water. Let this pre-heat for 30 minutes. Then bake baguettes for 25-35 minutes, until golden brown. Allow them to cool completely before cutting.
The recipe and blog post for this Classic French Baguette recipe was made in partnership with Joann Fabric! I received compensation in exchange for this work. My opinions on their wine is genuine. If I didn't love their new line of bakeware, I would certainly mention it! Thanks for your continued support!
You made this process look so easy I had to try it. I had never made a baguette or many kinds of bread, tbh. But your tutorial is spot on and I looked like a pro for my family. Thank you!
I love traveling to Paris too! I never thought making baguettes could work out so well, but your instructions made it simple and they came out delicious!
Thank you for your detailed instructions! Making this baguette was so fun and relaxing! It came out perfectly! I’ll definitely be making this again!
This was my first time making baguettes at home and your recipe was the perfect guide! My baguettes were so soft and beautifully fresh! I will never do store bought again!
I too love the baguettes in Paris, particularly the sandwiches. I'm no skilled baker but your seamless instructions helped me be successful.
Making French baguettes during the pandemic is such a lovely idea! I have always wondered how to make French baguettes as my grandma loves them. I am really looking forward to trying your recipe because it looks very straightforward. Thanks for sharing!
I can literally eat bread and cheese for dinner every night. I can't wait to make these baguettes. I've never attempted to make bread before, but your detailed explanation makes it so easy to follow along. I'll let you know how they turn out!
I'm really intimidated by bread baking but these came out AMAZING. The step by step instructions really helped. Perfectly crunchy on the outside and light and airy in the middle. I can bake bread now thanks to you!
Bread is life and French baguettes are a must! Your recipe delivers that crunchy crust with that spongy inside. Amazing!
Thank you so much Marta!
Wow! I love french baguette! I'm excited to try a hand at baking this! I'm new to baking bread but this seems like I can do it. 🙂
I'm so happy to hear this! Thanks so much for your feedback!