Four crusty baguettes cooling on a wire rack

Classic French Bread Baguette

Crackling crust, open crumb, and bakery flavor from a home oven cold ferment. Four ingredients, strong folds, sharp scores, and steam do the heavy lifting.

Yield2 baguettes
Prep20 min
Cold Ferment12–16 hr
Bake25–30 min
Hydration72%

Ingredients

  • 400g bread flour • 3¼ cups
  • 288g warm water • 1¼ cups
  • 4g instant yeast • 1¼ tsp
  • 8g fine sea salt • 1½ tsp

Quick Method

  1. Mix flour and water, then work in yeast and salt.
  2. Rest 30 minutes, then do 3 fold sets 30 minutes apart.
  3. Cold ferment 12 to 16 hours.
  4. Divide, pre-shape, rest 15 minutes, then shape into baguettes.
  5. Proof 45 to 60 minutes while the oven preheats.

Bake

  1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with a steam pan inside for 30 minutes.
  2. Score each loaf with 3 to 4 overlapping diagonal cuts.
  3. Bake 10 minutes with steam, then remove the steam source.
  4. Finish baking 15 to 20 more minutes until deeply golden.
  5. Cool at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Henry's Tip

Don't add extra flour just because the dough feels sticky at the start. Wet hands and a bench scraper keep the hydration where it belongs, and that's what gives you the open crumb.
pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/french-bread-baguette/one-sheet