A homemade baguette is a true treat! Better yet, this recipe requires only four simple ingredients and absolutely no kneading.
Baguette is perfect for every occasion. From soups to salads to hearty roast dinners, fresh baked bread is always welcome on our table.
Baguette making can be an extremely time consuming process, but with this no-knead recipe you will cut corners without compromising taste. We are obsessed with the chewy inside and crispy exterior. It’s just like the baguette we had on our last family trip to Paris!
What is Baguette?
If you have eaten at a French restaurant, it’s likely you have tried this iconic bread. Simply put, a baguette is a long, thin loaf of French bread that is characterized by a crisp crust and chewy center. The ingredients are pure and simple, consisting of water, flour, salt and yeast.
How Do You Make Baguettes From Scratch?
This method is the easiest way to make baguette and happens to also be my personal favorite. Follow these simple steps to nail the loaf each time:
- Mix the dry ingredients together and add water. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight (up to 20 hours) on the countertop in a well oiled bowl.
- Generously flour your hands and your baking sheet.
- Form dough into baguette shape (about 12 inches long) and let it rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours. Follow this video tutorial for tips on shaping the dough.
- Bake in the oven for ten minutes with a pan of boiled water resting on the bottom rack. Remove the water and bake until golden brown.
DON’T PANIC! The dough will be really sticky and that’s perfectly OK. To make handling it easier, make sure the work surface is really well-floured or wet your hands periodically throughout the shaping process. I also love using a dough scraper for easier handling.
Tips for the Best Baguette
- Use the right flour. Try using flour with higher protein content to get the best texture. A couple of my favorites include King Arthur or Bobs’ Red Mill. Any Canadian brand will typically fit the bill.
- Score the top with a very sharp knife. Scoring, or slicing, the top of your baguettes isn’t just for decoration. When you initially shape your bread, you are creating a very taut surface. When you pop your baguette into the oven without scoring the top, the heat causes a burst of gas called an “oven spring” that can rupture the top of the bread and destroy its shape.
- Freeze and reheat your baguette. I like to bake a couple loaves of bread at once and freeze a couple for later. Reheat them in the oven and they will be just as good as freshly baked bread!
- Make sure your yeast is fresh. This common mistake happens to the best of us. Over time, active yeast deactivates and loses its ability to make your bread rise and fluff. Always check the label to make sure it’s not expired!
- Don’t skip the steam bath. The steam bath is crucial to making the outside of your bread crusty. It’s well worth the extra step!
How to Shape The Baguette
Serving Baguette
I probably don’t have to tell you too much about how to enjoy baguette, but here are some of my favorite ways to serve it.
- European-style butter or high-quality olive oil. Pulgra and Kerrygold are delicious options you can find at most grocery stores.
- Smoked Salmon Dip. This 15-minute recipe is super easy and features an instructional video with yours truly and my husband, Tim! 😉
- Slathered with Raspberry Jam. Our recipe only requires 3 simple ingredients and our boys are hooked on it.
- Alongside a steaming bowl of borscht. It’s sorrel season! Pair a toasty piece of baguette with our schavel borscht.
- Make a steak sandwich. C’mon, you deserve one!
- Serve up some bruschetta. Nothing says summer quite like bruschetta made with farmer’s market tomatoes.
FAQ
Why are my baguettes flat?
When shaping the baguettes you will need to use ample flour to successfully shape the baguettes- have a well floured surface and hands, and keep folding the dough until you get a tight, skinny log/baton shape. Watch this tutorial on shaping the dough.
Why is the dough sticky or wet?
Rest assured it is normal for the dough to be very sticky and wet as this is a high hydration dough. More flour is added when shaping the dough-you will need to have well floured hands and surface when shaping the baguettes.
What if my dough is rising faster than 12-20 hours?
This dough needs ample time to rise because not a lot of yeast is called for. The longer it sits, the better the final texture and taste. You may find that the dough rises much faster if you live in a warmer, humid climate. In this case, the rising time may be closer to 12 hours- you can place the dough into the fridge for the remainder of the rising time, if desired.
Why is the crust so hard?
Baguettes are known for their crispy, golden exterior. If you’d like to soften the crust, wrap your baguettes in a clean kitchen towel after baking.
How many baguettes does this recipe make?
This recipe will easily yield 2-6 baguettes, depending on the size of baguette you prefer!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 cups all-purpose flour (depending on a brand, you may need to add more flour)
- 3 cups lukewarm water
- 2 tsp yeast
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- The night before, combine all ingredients together. First mix the dry ingredients together and then add water. Mix the ingredients until the dough comes together. Cover it with a plastic wrap and let it sit for 12-20 hours on the countertop.
- The following day, the dough should be wet, sticky and bubbly. Generously flour your hands and the baking sheet.
- Take the dough (if it sticks, apply more flour to your hands) and form a baguette shape. You will easily get atleast 2-3 baguettes. For tips on shaping the dough, watch this tutorial. Place it on a baking sheet and sprinkle a generous amount of flour on it. Score the top with a sharp knife and cover it with a towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 450 °F. You will need to have 2 shelves in an oven. Fill a deep baking pan with 2 cups of hot boiled water, and place it on the lower rack, inside your oven. This will make the bread crispy on the outside. Place the bread on the middle rack. Remove water from the oven after 10 minutes. Keep on baking the bread for another 30 minutes or until golden crispy brown.
I've made 3 times and my family loves it.
I'm trying Gluten-Free flour this time around for my daughter's friend and it's all looking very weird. Any changes to the original recipe if I use Gluten-Free flour?
Hi Mindy! I have never made this baguette with gluten free flour, so I'm not sure what to suggest. From some research, it seems like gluten free flour behaves very differently than all purpose flour, especially in bread. There are some methods to try to compensate for the differences, but I would have to test them out to see which ones I'd recommend. How did yours end up turning out?
This was the worst recipe, the amount of water was so much .
After 12 hours of resting it came out like soup.
Awful 👎🏻
I'm sorry it didn't work well, Azi. 🙁 Try adding more flour? What temperature was your house at while rising? How was the dough looking before the resting?
The bread itself is great it’s chewy and soft: my only issue is it doesn’t brown: any tips?
Oh, that's interesting Vanessa! Are you baking it at the suggested temperature and for long enough? My first guess is it needs to bake a bit longer to develop that crispy golden crust!
The dough was soooooo wet and watery and I couldn’t shape it. It just melted and flattened 💔
I'm sorry, Adriana! Did you try adding more flour so it wasn't so wet and sticky?
Can I use a Dutch oven i was thinking about trying to turn this recipe as a sort of loaf
Hi, Victoria! I haven't tried shaping and putting the baguette dough in a Dutch oven. I suspect you'd definitely have to shape it different, and it may need a slightly different temperature and baking time, but I don't want to steer you wrong. If you're looking for more of a loaf, check out my recipe for classic white country bread.
Ah ok I see! Another question im currently proofing my baguette dough and was wondering if it should be put in my fridge if my house is at a steady 72° to 76° average? I 2 hours in now
Hello again! I wouldn't put it into the fridge, as that temperature would be way too cold for it to proof as needed. I would leave it to proof on the counter, keeping in mind your dough might be ready a little bit sooner than average. If you want, you can also try to put it into a cooler area, perhaps closer to the AC vent and in a shady area vs next to the oven or a window (assuming it's summer where you are!).
Once I formed the loaves, I put them in a proofing oven. I checked them after 30 minutes and the loaves flattened out. What did I do wrong?
Hi, Bill! My first thought would be perhaps the loaves overproofed in the proofing oven? Sometimes the heat there is much warmer which leads to a much faster proofing time. I usually recommend a warm place (about 75°F-80°F) for proofing. Another thought has to do with shaping the baguette. When you shape, it should form into a tight, skinny log/baton shape. Watch this tutorial I made on shaping the dough. How did your baguette turn out after you baked it?
Would putting bread dough in a pre heated oven, ( 100. Degrees ) help or hurt dough rise.....I seen this from another persons post saying that they've did this but no visible response was given....???? Would like to know I your thought.
Hi, Sid! I wouldn't put dough in a preheated oven at 100°F to rise. The warmer temperature might make the dough rise quicker, but with the tradeoff of the flavor being different, over proofing being much more fast and likely, and most important it's likely to dry out the outside surface which will then not expand as well when baking. A slightly warmer than room temperature might be okay to put your dough in, but I wouldn't advise 100°F.
What would happen if you use bread flour? I didn’t realize that I used bread flour instead of all purpose flour
Hi, Renee! You can totally use bread flour instead of all purpose flour for this recipe. I've used both. All purpose flour tends to be the flour most people have on hand, and in this recipe, it provides a tighter crumb. On the other hand, bread flour has a higher protein content, which helps create a chewier texture and an open crumb. It's up to you!
Made the mistake of looking up a US cup to a Canadian Cup measurement and they don't seem to be the same. Even though I input for dry conversion, they convert to ml which is liquid, no? So I am just confusing myself. I measured out 6 spoon & level of my Canadian (stainless steel) cups and it weighed out at 780 grams vs your 750 grams. I am going to use the 750 grams and will let you know how it turns out. In the meantime, do you have any advice for this new Canadian bread baker for following what are mostly US recipes. Thank you in advance.
Oh no, Kathy! It is confusing, isn't it?! For most of my recipes, I tend to use the US measuring system but my website automatically converts into metric units in the recipe card. My advice would be when in doubt, go with the metric measurements. If you see a US-based recipe, try to find the metric equivalents or ask the blogger/creator. Or, you can purchase US measuring cups and spoons and have both sets! (partially kidding!) 🙂 Let me know how your baguette turned out!
After I wrote my question to you last night, I remeasured, due to my confusion, and ended up with the Canadian conversion of 780g (130 g per cup) of flour. I went ahead and baked the loaves this morning, and I am so happy, they turned out amazing. I made 2 of the loaves with tuxedo sesame seeds and one plain. I love your idea of having both sets of cups and spoons, will definitely do that (didn't even know that was a thing). So thank you Natalya for such a great and easy recipe and your tip. I will be checking out more of your recipes.
Thanks for following up, Kathy! Did you end up using the Canadian cups or did you stick with the metric measurements from the recipe card? I'm happy your baguettes turned out great!
What temperature should the luke warm water be?
Hi Rachael! Generally, lukewarm water temperature is around 98°F- 105°F. It's the temperature that feels comfortably warm to touch (but not hot). You want it around this temperature so that the yeast activates well. If it's too cold, the yeast won't activate very well, and if it's too hot, it may actually kill the yeast!
Love this recipe, simple and easy and delicious, I have also made it the night before and put it in the refrigerator, the night before after the first rise is done. And also to slow down the proofing over night. The next morning I brought is out cut and weighed the baguettes and let the second rise be straight out of the fridge. Turned out so good chew, crunchy and soft in the middle.
Hi Sara! That's cool that you put your baguette into the fridge overnight, essentially slowing down the proofing process. I've read that cold proofing can create a greater depth of flavor and it becomes easier to handle and score the dough that way. I'll have to try your method sometime!
Messy to deal with and did not rise after 2 hours! Wasted ingredients and time! No idea why all these positive reviews...
RT, I'm sorry to hear that your baguette didn't work out. Did the first rise go ok? If the first rise didn't do well either, I would question if perhaps the yeast was expired. Also, what's the temperature in your house, as that can affect the rise, too? Some readers have also mentioned that their baguettes didn't appear to rise too much after shaping, but in the oven, they rose really well. The dough definitely is a sticky dough, but I add more flour to my hands and work surface when shaping so it's easier to work with. I hope you decide to try again sometime!
Hi! Tried not only your recipe but baking bread for the first time and came out fantastic! I’d like to take the adventure of adding milk chocolate chips. When should I add those in? When mixing the ingredients prior to the first rise? Or after this? Thanks!
Hi, Des! That's awesome that the bread came out fantastic on your very first time baking bread! That's my goal — to make cooking/baking crazy easy! I have never tried adding chocolate chips to my baguettes, but I suspect it would be best to add them in during the shaping step. If you saw the video tutorial on how to shape bread on the blog post, I would sprinkle the chips in when the dough is slightly flattened, then shape it into the baguette shape. Hope this helps!
Mixed my dough last night, it sat for around 16 hrs (I think my kitchen was too warm), it spilled over my bowl and was way stickier than what the video shows. My mixed dough also looked very different than what your photos do. I did however get it in the oven and we will see if it comes out. The recipe calls for AP flour but would I have better luck with a bread flour?
Hey Brittani! I’ve always used AP flour too, but not all brands are created equal. What brand did you use? Sometimes you have to tweak the amount a bit to get the right texture. That literally happened to me this week — I used a different brand and my bread didn’t turn out like it usually does. Its crazy how much of a difference it makes!
I’ve made these using your recipe a few times - love it! I’m thinking to experiment and retard the dough by putting it the fridge overnight after shaping it into baguettes instead of the second rise on the counter. Has anyone tried that with this recipe? Any suggestions?
Hi Marina, I haven’t tried that myself, but my only concern is that it might ferment more than expected. If you plan to let it ferment for longer than 24 hours, I’d probably use a bit less yeast — though that’s just my best guess. I do think it could work, but it would need some testing. If you give it a try, please come back and let me know how it turns out!
Question, on hand I have quick-rise instant yeast. Will that work?
Hi Virginia, Yes, quick-rise instant yeast will work just fine! You can usually add it directly to the flour. It might even speed things up a bit. Let me know how it turns out!
Hi I have a question, what kind of yeast are you using? Active dry or instant
Hi Alex, lately I have been using active dry. But this recipe is very forgiving, either one would work. Enjoy
This has become my go to baguette recipe. I love this bread and my family does too. I do understand some of the comments about the dough looking flat after shaping it. I was concerned the first time I made this recipe, but if you see it through it does rise beautifully in the oven with the steam. I had to adjust temp and time for the perfect combo and have gone to making 3 smaller baguettes instead of 2 hefty size ones. Thank you for this recipe! I will continue using it often.
Hi Ann, this is such a great feedback and great tips. Thank you so much for sharing them!
Firstly, love the method. It works very well. However, the ingredients quantities need checking carefully. If you do exactly as it says, 750g flour to 709g water(?!) you will end up with a liquid, not a dough, hence all the problems of spreading rather than rising as mentioned in many posts below. (Over proofing is NOT the problem) So having made that mistake once, I tried again, this time using my intuition on the water front, stopping when I had a very wet sticky dough, but not as far as a 'liquid' dough. Having done that, followed the rest of the recipe as instructed, this time it worked perfectly. Lovely flavour.
Hi I’m excited to try this recipe. Could I grate frozen butter into the baguette during the shaping step to give them a flaky texture? Or do you think it won’t work? Or would I have to add more flower to the dough?
Hi Leah, I saw the trending butter bread recipe. I think it could work but I personally havent tried it. Can you report back if you do?
Making with gluten free flour! I’ll put an update tomorrow 🙂
Dying to know how it turned out?
Hey Ashley, Please do! Also, please share exact flour brand you used. It will help everyone 🙂
Great recipe! worked great. Some small optimizations on my part to match my flour/environment but this was really easy and worked really well for a first time baker! Thanks a lot. I usually split it into 4 baguettes and freeze a couple. Could you give a comment on to how you reheat the baguettes? I read above you do it in the oven but i dont know the temp and time.
Thanks again!
Hey “some guy on the internet” (love the name, by the way 😄), I’d let them thaw at room temp, then bake at 350°F for about 5 minutes. Depending on the size, you might need a little more or less time. Thanks so much for sharing your feedback!
I left mine out to proof it was so flat and sticky it was hard to shape and cut. Please tell me this will rise and be ok. I made a double batch for some friends
Hi Laura, this is a wet/sticky dough so I always flour my hands well or alternatively wet them to help with shaping. A dough scraper can also be useful for shaping. How did the baguettes end up rising for you after you shaped them?
Left the dough for about 18 hours, it was over proofed and smelled of alcohol. Will try again but I don't think this needs anywhere close to 12 hours to proof.
Hi Stephen, the timing really depends on the temperature of your home. In the summertime, I can sometimes get away with just 8 hours. That said, I would still go ahead and bake it after 18 hours — it should turn out great once it’s baked. I hope that helps!
Very easy and tasty! I cut the recipe in half and made two nice sized loaves, one to eat and one to freeze. I mixed the dough at 7:30 pm, shaped at 10 am, and started the oven at 11:30 am.
Thank you for sharing, Val! Glad this recipe was a success for you!
When my baguettes came out of the oven, they looked good, but when I went to cut them, they were so hard on top. The inside was great. How do I bake them so that the crust isn't so hard to cut into. Thank you
Thanks for sharing! It sounds like you nailed the crumb, which is half the battle—well done! If the crust turned out too hard, there are a few things that might help. First, make sure you’re getting enough steam in the first 10 to 15 minutes of baking. This keeps the crust from setting too quickly and helps it stay thinner and more pliable. Second, consider adjusting your oven temperature and bake time. Try reducing the bake time slightly or lowering the oven temperature by about 25°F once the baguettes start to brown. I hope this helps!
All-purpose flour? No.
Never flour your hands to handle dough. Use a little water.
Technique is really completely wrong. You don't take sticky dough that's fermented overnight and make the baguettes. You need to shape the dough into small "boules," batards then baguettes.
No one in France would score a baguette with a knife. Use a razor blade or "lame."
450 is too low to start. Start at 475 or 500 and lower to 460 after ten minutes.
You're the worst type of person, you elitist bread nazi. Next time you have a thought to comment just stick your head in a bowl of ice water and breath in deeply. I have been cooking/baking since I was 9 and in restaurants since I was 18, I can tell you there are plenty of ways to get one job done so you're "the French would never" is so off base- the French will do it their way and others will do it their way. Being an utter numpty about technique, unless you are looking for a Michelin star, is such a silly way of gatekeeping.
Totally get where you’re coming from—there are definitely more traditional techniques out there! This method just works well for me, and I like keeping it approachable for folks who might be newer to baking. I usually do use a blade myself, but a lot of people don’t have one on hand, so I wanted to give a workable alternative. Always love hearing different takes though—thanks for sharing yours!
VERY disappointing! Looking to make something to go with dinner TONIGHT so I was excited to see only an hour and 5 mins total time! Then I kept reading….better change that total time…spreading false information!! 😡 I’m not waiting 20 damn hours for bread I can get for $1 🙄
Maybe you can order a loaf from amazon for dinner next time. Same day delivery so you can keep scrolling and not doing. Enjoy.
Why would a recipe for BREAD only take an hour and 5 minutes? Bread is yeasted. Yeast takes time to proof. This is common sense.
Hi Jo, I am sorry to disappoint you. This bread does take only 5 minutes of your time but for any baguette to develop proper flavors, it needs time. Hope knowing this will help with future planning. Trust me, you can not find this type of baguette for $1, even in Paris they are at least a few Euro. 🙂
Hi - your comment was confusing ( the blogger) You said "trust me, you can find this type of baguette for $1" - you meant to say you "cannot", no?
Yes, I meant, "you can not" 🙂
Final question! Usually I see instructions to score the bread after second rise and just before it goes in the oven. First rise this recipe it notes to score once bread is shaped before the second rise. As a new bread baker wondering if you score before second rise just for this recipe?
That’s such a great question. In this recipe, scoring before the second rise is a little unusual but intentional—it gives the dough a chance to gently open up as it rises, creating a softer, more natural look to the finished loaf. It can also help reduce the risk of deflating more delicate dough right before baking.
Just baked two baguettes and although they are very large I now see that next time I’ll bake three which is great. Very nice recipe.
That’s fantastic to hear—so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Next time with three, you'll get that perfect size. Thanks for baking along and sharing your results!