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.
Hi, I was wondering how to combine the yeast into the recipe? Usually when I make bread I add my yeast to warm water and sugar and let it foam, but your recipe said to add the wet ingredients to the dry. Does it matter?
Hi Maryam, I make the recipe by combining all ingredients together as described in step 1. If you want to combine yeast with water first before adding the salt and flour, you can.
Good lordy what a goopy mess this was! I used SO much flour during the formation process pand ended up dumping it back in the bowl and hand mixed because there was no way I was going to be able to roll it into Baguette shape as it was (like atleast 6 additional cups of flour 🤯)I used regular all purpose flour and yeah this was a nightmare lol. I'll give it 2 stars because it still tasted like a Baguette but was more ciabatta/French loaf shaped (flat and wide). Next time I think I'll just buy the Baguette from the store for the $1 it costs 🤣
Hi! I’m sorry this was frustrating—that’s never what you want when you’re making bread. Adding 6 extra cups of flour is definitely not typical for this dough, so something was likely off. A few things that can really affect hydration are flour brand (protein content varies a lot), how the flour is measured, and elevation/humidity.
I’ve made this baguette many times and it should be a soft, slightly sticky dough, but still very workable with floured surface—not a goopy mess. If you’re open to it, let me know which brand of flour you used and your elevation, and I’m happy to help pinpoint what might have happened so it turns out better next time.
Do you have a tutorial for making the thing? Start to finish?
Hi Colleen- other than the short video that's posted at the top of the recipe, I don't! I am working on adding even more tips & updates to this recipe though!
Do you use active dry yeast or instant?
Does it matter what type I use?
Hi Dina, I use active dry yeast but instant yeast can work in a pinch. Hope you love the recipe!
So easy to make. We had a neigbour’s get-together for the holidays and I brought everyone a still warm, wrapped baguette, it was a total hit. So thank you so much for this simple and deliscious recipe.
Hi Elvira- fresh homemade bread is the best gift! Thanks for giving my recipe a try!
Flat loaves. FAQ says need more flour but the recipe nor the video show how to incorporate more flour. I tried several ways and they are still flat. Pass.
Hi Jane- I'm sorry to hear that! We are working on adding even more tips and info so that this recipe is succesfull for everyone!
Can I use half bread flour and half AP flour?
Hey Virginia! Yes, you can combine both. You may just need to adjust the amounts slightly, as different brands can behave a bit differently in recipes. Hope this helps—enjoy!
This recipe is so easy and pretty much foolproof. I turn it into 3 or 4 baguettes. My family thinks they’re from the store!
Wow, I love this so much—it truly makes me happy to hear! I hope you told them it was all your hard work!
There’s no way 6 cups flour to 3 cups water is right. I got a liquid mess. I suspected it was not right and add even more flour. Still a liquid runny mess. Are you sure it’s the right measurements?
Hi Jeff- this is a high hydration dough. The dough is wet and sticky and I recommend lots of flour when shaping the baguettes!
What a Mess!
I pride myself on nailing almost any recipe on the first try... because I'm stubborn I gave this a second and even a third try.
Like a lot of the other comments on here, no success other than a crap load of frustration, waste of time and ingredients.
Strange that you had a runny mess. I had just the oposite result. I used a cup less flour and added more water. I believe the trick is to know your flour. Different flours have different hydration levels.
Hey David, it really does depend on the brand of flour.
Hi Mik- I'm so sorry to hear that. I think the type of flour used is key..using a quality flour like King Arthur or Bob's Red Mill and plenty of flour for shaping is key. I hope these tips help!
I follow this recipe exactly, yet my dough is always super floppy, and the baguette comes out flat. Im using instant yeast and 100 degrees F water, first rise for 20 hours. What else can I try?
Sounds like you’re putting in hot water instead of warm water. It’s likely killing the yeast and stopping the bread from getting a good rise.
Thats a great tip!
Hi Sarah- using a quality high protein all purpose flour for the baguettes as well using lots of flour when shaping the baguettes is key! I like using King Arthur or Bob's Red Mill flour. I am sorry it came out flat though..I hope these tips help!
Absolute love this easy to make baguette! I ordered special flour and they turned out perfectly! I made it a second time and forgot to use special flour so they collapsed. Instead of baking like that, I mixed in some special flour to give them a bit of body, so any shortcomings are on me, not on the recipe. They turned out ok’ish, but not like the first batch. Having experimented, albeit unintentionally, I can say with confidence that using the right flour is the trick to perfection. I used Bob’s Artisan Bread Flour the first time.
Hi Trudy, I couldn’t agree more with this! The right flour really does make all the difference. So glad your first batch turned out perfectly, and thank you for sharing your experience — it’s super helpful for others!
We don't have all purpose flour in South Africa, I used bread wheat flour. the crust was nice but the center was not cooked even after baking for longer time period. What did I do wrong?
Hi Mike - the type of flour you use can make a big difference. I'd only recommend all purpose or white bread flour. If you prefer to use wheat flour, try my whole wheat baguette recipe!
ChatGPT said:
Never had issues with baguette dough before, but this recipe came out extremely wet and unmanageable for me, even using the metric measurements. With 750g flour and about 710ml water, the hydration is roughly 95%, which is much higher than most baguette recipes and made it hard to shape. In my experience, a more typical baguette dough for 750g flour is closer to 525–585ml water (around 70–78% hydration). 750g of a highly praised flour wasted 🙁
And no, my flour and yeast were not old....
Hi Michelle, it really depends on the brand of flour you use. When you ask AI for feedback without specifics like flour type or even elevation, it can only give a general answer. We usually suggest using a higher-protein flour — it can handle more hydration and stay manageable. Higher hydration also means more bubbles in your baguettes.
You can always add a bit more flour if the dough feels too hard to manage. I hope you didn’t toss it and were able to save it by adjusting! Thanks so much for your feedback.
Not sure why everyone complains about it being too wet/sticky. I've been using this recipe for a couple years. Struggled first few times but learned to sprinle flour on it while shaping. The only change that I made was I add 1 tsp of sugar to help the yeast and sprinkle the formed dough with sea salt after scoring. Comes out perfect every time.
Hey Joseph, Thank you for sharing your tips! It’s so helpful for others to hear what worked for you. A little extra flour while shaping and your sugar/sea salt tweaks sound perfect — love that you’ve been making it for a couple of years!
I'm Peter and my 88 year old Italian mom and I, who is also my roommate for life and best friend, are making this bread again at 1145pm. Why? Because a friend is heading out early for the holidays to visit family and we're sending them our love and faith through these beautiful baguettes. Don't fear making bread. Always make extra for a neighbor or a window or a new person in the area that needs reminded they are part of the community. We hope to endorse and share this recipe on our little YouTube change. I'm Peter and Mom is Domenica. Mom just survived a stroke and heart attack and pneumonia and is now out of inpatient rehab. Every morning I awake, as her loving son and 24/7 caregiver. When we see each other we smile and hug and tell each other we love each other so much. The bread brings us closer and you'll see our little family in Florida at #PalmBeachPeter and we truly welcome y'all as new family. Enjoy these beautiful baguettes and enjoy life. Tomorrow is not a given. Of tomorrow arrives it's a gift from God. I recently survived a construction truck backing into me and running me over. My arm and elbow is broken but my gratitude for this life is 5000 times greater than prior to October 14 2025. Happy Thanksgiving to y'all will love. Peter and Mom #PamBeachPeter
Peter, your story touched my heart so deeply. The love you and your mom share is absolutely beautiful, and the way you turn something as simple as bread into a gift of community and connection is truly inspiring.
Thank you for welcoming all of us into your little Florida family and for reminding us to treasure life, cherish each other, and share generously. Sending you both love, gratitude, and a very warm Happy Thanksgiving. 🤍 P.S. I always say that I am Italian at heart! 🙂
Hello! Am I able to make this with homestyle white bread flour?
Hi Georgia! I always use Bob's Red Mill flour, so I can't say for certain if that flour would work just as well. I do know different flours can behave differently, especially in this recipe.
I started baking bread 2 years ago. This was the first recipe I tried, and though I have tried so many others since then, THIS ONE I always return to. I have a batch going right now! After sharing this bread, 5 more of my friends picked up bread making! Thank you for the inspiration!
Note: I started adding a little drizzle of maple syrup to the mix and just slightly over measure the salt. It gives it a nutty flavor and aroma. Yum!!
Hi Lindsey! Thanks so much for the comment. I feel so honored you've been making this for so long, and that it's worked so well for you and your friend. And that addition of maple syrup is so interesting! I'll definitely have to try it sometime. 🙂
Worked perfectly for me! Like the freshest baguette from the best bakery but home made. Family loves it!
That's so great, Cat! What kind of flour did you use?
Bakers flour. I do find it makes a big difference for all baking 👩🍳.
Thanks for sharing! Is there a specific brand?
Just made these and I followed the recipe to a T and they came out so well! So fluffy and chewy inside! It was my first time making baguette and this recipe was extremely easy to follow. Thank you!
Love to hear that, B.C! Thank you for sharing your feedback.
I’m the world’s worst dough shaper, fun fact. Even with the tutorial, I had a hard time shaping it, but they still taste delicious! I’m going to make some garlic bread with them for my dinner party on Saturday! Thank you so much for the recipe!
For those having a hard time, I suggest letting the resting take place in a truly warm place and watching the shaping tutorial.
Hi Bill! I'm sure you're not the world's worst dough shaper! Haha! It may just take a few more practice runs. I am very glad the baguette turned out well for you in the end, and thanks for leaving a comment and the suggestions!
I followed this perfectly and had the same problem as others. Not rising, wayyyyy too watery but that’s ok I added more flour. Thanks for the recipe but it failed .
Hi Angie, I'm sorry it didn't work for you. You mention it didn't rise — could the culprit possibly be the yeast? I always like to make sure my yeast is fresh and active before I make my baguettes!
Waste of ingredients. So many of the reviews say the same thing - too watery and second rise didn’t rise. Why not adjust the recipe for a specific amount of more flour so people avoid this issue?
Hi Lana! I'm sorry it didn't work out for you. The amount of flour can vary a little bit between people depending on the type of flour, how tightly they pack their measuring cups, etc. Did you end up adding more flour to yours? Also, how did the first rise go?
The metrics instructions are entirely wrong. I could not shape it at all as it was basically like wet slime. Could not even score it or do anything at all. Waste of ingredients, really. In US units it’s 6 cups flour and 3 cups water, that’s half the amount of water compared to flour, aka 50%, yet in metric the water is 94% of the flour amount?! I’m gonna use the US units tomorrow to try it out again. No matter how much flour I added (half a container) or wet my hands, it would not get any more manageable. I highly suggest you don’t use the metric system conversion for this.
Hi Dylan, I'm sorry you're having a hard time. High-hydration (wet) doughs like this can be incredibly tricky if you aren't expecting it. The metric vs US conversion is actually correct! With the US units, I believe you're just thinking in volume/size (3 cups is half of 6 cups), but metric units are based on weight. Water is actually so much heavier than flour so 3 cups of water actually weighs nearly as much as 6 cups of flour! It's confusing, I know!
Any thoughts on why mine didn’t brown but the crust was seemingly too tough? I used White Lilly AP and followed all else to a tee. Taste was great and inside was great.
Hi Chris! That sounds tricky for sure! I have two guesses. First, I just want to make sure you baked the baguette with the pan of hot water? The steam from that plays a big part in browning and making a thin, crispy crust. Secondly, I wonder if your flour might be the culprit. White Lilly AP has a 9% protein content, which is actually on the lower end. I recommend using a high-protein flour for this recipe. There is something about the chemical reactions with the protein that helps the bread to brown and the outside rise and crisp up. Hope this solves your problem!
Thank you so much!! Deliciously delish, this came out perfect!! I made a creamy potato and smoked sausage soup, roast chicken and veggies to go with.. it's definitely less time consuming than some of the recipes I learned in Culinary School..
Thanks so much for the comment, S.P! I'm glad you didn't have any problem making this baguette and that soup and bread combo sounds absolutely spot-on. Enjoy!
I let this rest for 12 hours and after forming baguettes they didnt hold their shape. The dough is very loose, especially for a baking sheet. They baked flat, not round.
Hey Ashley, I’m so sorry this happened to you! Could you share your elevation and the brand of flour you used? Both of those can really affect how this recipe turns out. You can also try adding a bit more flour next time if you notice the dough is on the runny side.
can you cut into the bread immediately after its done baking or is there a minimum amount of time that you need to let the bread cool and rest?
Hi Ina! It's up to you, but it is best practice to allow bread to cool until you slice into it. The bread is actually still slightly cooking on the inside when you take it out of the oven, and if you cut into it too early, the steam escapes and may cause the bread to have a gummy texture. I usually wait at least 15-20 minutes before slicing my baguette! (I know, it's hard to resist sometimes!)
Can I use 3 cups of bread flour and 3 cups AP flour?
I haven't personally tested it, but I think that could work Mia! Keep us posted on your results!
Question here: Do you bake the baguettes on a baking sheet ? Thank you
Hi Julie! Yes, I do! The baguettes are on a baking sheet and the hot water is in a deep dish below it.