Crusty French Baguette Recipe
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Few things compare to the magic of a crusty French Baguette fresh from the oven. With its golden, crackly crust and tender, airy interior, this bread is irresistible served alongside a bowl of hot soup, piled high with sandwich fillings, or torn off piece by piece to enjoy with butter.
The best part? This recipe is made with just four simple ingredients, and most of the work is hands-off. A little patience goes a long way here, and the results are so worth it.
I am over the moon about that crunchy, splintery outer crust. See how it shatters? And the interior- soft, pillowy, and so airy. It's perfection.
My family loves a good crusty French baguette. We eat this kind of bread with so many things! It's so chewy, yeasty, and good. I've always been a little afraid to try making it myself. Everything you hear suggests it's complicated and fussy, and only a French boulanger could ever get it right.
WRONG! Here's living proof that anyone can make a killer baguette.
Why You'll Love This Baguette
- Bakery-style at home: You don't need fancy equipment to get an artisan-quality loaf.
- Simple ingredients: Just flour, water, yeast, and salt.
- Crispy crust, tender crumb: For the perfect balance of crunch and softness.
- Versatile: Enjoy it as a snack, side dish, or as a base for sandwiches.
Ingredients You'll Need
The recipe card at the bottom of the post contains the full list with all of the amounts. Refer to that when you're cooking.
- Bread flour - Provides the higher protein content needed for that perfect chewy texture and airy interior.
- Kosher salt - Balances flavor and strengthens the gluten structure.
- Active dry yeast - The key to a good rise and light texture. Instant yeast can also be used.
- Water - Warm water helps activate the yeast, while cool water keeps the dough manageable.
- Additional flour - For dusting your work surface and shaping the loaves.
How To Make A Homemade French Baguette
Step 1: Start the Dough
Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let it sit until it becomes foamy. This ensures the yeast is active and ready to work.
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast. Slowly stir in cool water until you have a shaggy, stiff dough. You may not need all of the water. Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Fold and Rise
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press it into a rectangle, then fold the sides into the center and flatten and rotate it. Repeat the process. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover it, and let it rise until it has doubled in size (about 1-2 hours).
Step 3: Shape the Loaves
Divide the dough into four equal portions. Shape each into a long, thin loaf, approximately 15 inches long, with tapered ends. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover loosely, and let it rise again until doubled in size (30-45 minutes).
Step 4: Bake with Steam
Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Place a pan of water on the bottom rack to create steam, which helps form that signature crust.
Slash each loaf with a sharp blade, dust lightly with flour, and bake until golden brown and crusty, about 30-40 minutes. The baguettes should sound hollow when tapped.
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- Don't rush the rise: A slower rise develops more flavor and better texture.
- Use steam: That pan of water in the oven is the secret to a crisp, golden crust.
- Slash with confidence: Clean cuts help the bread expand properly in the oven.
- Cool before slicing: As tempting as it may be, let the loaves rest for at least 10 minutes to allow the crumb to set.
Classic French Baguette FAQ
This type of loaf is infinitely versatile! Slice it into ½-inch rounds and it's perfect as a base for bruschetta or crostini. Or it can be used as a dipper for your favorite party dip. And we love it toasted with garlic butter, for garlic bread. So good with a pasta dinner! Or just tear into it and eat it with a hot bowl of soup. So satisfying!
Baguettes are best when they're freshly baked, but they're still pretty darn great after a few days!
To store a French baguette, wrap it loosely and keep it at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. If you notice it's not as crusty after a while, just pop it in a warm oven (around 170 degrees-ish) for 5-10 minutes, and it should come out good as new.
A fancy French boulanger might not agree with me on this one, but I say go for it!
I do this a lot at my house. When the baguette is still fresh, slice it into thin rounds. I'll often cut on the diagonal so there is more surface area to spread yummy things on. Then, just slip the baguette slices into a zip-top freezer bag, and into the freezer they all go.
Whenever we want a slice of crusty French bread, we just pull out what we need.
The baguette slices thaw in just a few minutes at room temp. Alternatively, they can be warmed in the oven or toasted. It's super convenient!
Yes, but the texture won't be quite as chewy or airy. Bread flour is best.
No. A parchment-lined baking sheet works beautifully for this recipe.
This could be due to inactive yeast, cool rising conditions, or using too little water. Ensure your yeast is fresh and allow the dough plenty of time to rise.
Spritz the loaves with water right before baking, in addition to using a steam pan.
More Homemade Bread Recipes
Ingredients
- 3 ½ tablespoons (52.5 g) warm water
- 1 ½ teaspoons (4.67 g) active dry yeast*
- 3 ¾ cups (468.75 g) bread flour
- 2 teaspoons (12 g) kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cup (295.74 g) cool water, (you may not need all of the water)
- additional flour,, for dusting
Instructions
- Place the warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside and allow the yeast to dissolve and become foamy.
- Place the bread flour into a large bowl and stir in the salt.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and stir in the dissolved yeast.
- Add the cool water, a little at a time, while stirring, just until a stiff, shaggy dough (watch the video below to see what this should look like) has formed (you may not need to use all of the water).
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, gently press it into a rectangle, and fold the short sides into the center. Flatten, turn 90 degrees, and repeat.
- Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 to 2 hours).
- Divide the dough into 4 equal portions, and shape each one into a long loaf (about 15-inches long and 1 ½-inches in diameter), with pointed ends.
- Place the loaves on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with oiled plastic wrap, and allow to rise until doubled in bulk (about 30 to 45 minutes).
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, and place a pan of water on the bottom rack.
- Bake the breads until crusty and brown (approx. 30 to 40 minutes). The baguettes should give a hollow sound when tapped.
This bread came out perfect! I am a newbie at baking so when these came out perfect I was so happy! Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. And tasted so good!
A few tweaks made though cos I was using instant yeast. Had to cut down the rising time by half for both risings. Used a warm oven that was heated at 80c for 5 mins then switched off. First rising-1 hour, second rising-20 mins. Made into four small and shorter loaves so there is width to it. Baked at approx 200c for 20 mins cos they were smaller. And voilà!
Thank you so much for the recipe!
can you confirm that this recipe uses 16 ounces of flour (2 cups). based on your video it just doesn't seem to produce enough dough to make 4 loaves.....I was only able to make 2 loaves using 16 ounces....did I do something wrong.
thanks
It is correct- the loaves are to be shaped very thin. They will rise and expand to twice their original size. Good luck!
Love this recipe, baguettes turn out great, but only need a cooking time of 15mins in my oven. Are any adjustments needed to use wholemeal bread flour?
I never write reviews. But this one beyond deserves it. After attempting and failing to find just the right baguette recipe for years... I tried this one for my husband’s birthday and it was EXACTLY what we’ve been looking for. We both loved it!! The baguettes are perfect. I halved the recipe (which was a mistake because we ate them in 2 days) and wish I made the whole thing because they were so amazing! Truly authentic and fresh and SO simple to make! Thank you for finally solving my baguette problem - this will be my go-to recipe from now on and I’m already making them a second time now! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Absolutely fantastic thank you
Hi, can I find out when u said freeze and warm up at 170 degrees was it at Fahrenheit? And roughly how thick did you cut to freeze? Will the bread not be soft but get all round toasted and crispy like a crisp?
Yes, Fahrenheit. You can cut it as thick as you like. If you want to toast it you will probably need a higher temp- this would just be for re-warming the bread.
Great recipe! My bread usually doesn't turn out that great, but this one turned out perfect! The 35 minute baking time was actually correct for me, just wanted to mention that since some people said it's way too long.
I rate this five stars. First try turned out perfect!! Everyone loved it!
No oil in your dough? I'm very much a beginner at this, but why is there no oil and what difference would oil make?
I'm not sure why you'd want to put oil in the dough- I have not heard of doing that for this type of bread. Perhaps I am missing something?
You answered my question with the words "this type of bread". I've not made french bread before and my usual bread doughs have oil in them. 🙂 So for whatever reason., french bread dough has no oil.
Hi - I've been in France many times, and I have to say what a fantastic recipe this is - I only started making bread last week (this is my fourth loaf), and I think these are just about the best baguettes I've tasted outside France - congratulations on the clarity of the recipe/method!
Made these this morning and was absolutely delighted with the results! I've been making loads of bread over the past few months and these were one of the simplest but best ones I've made! I definitely will be making these again.
I halved the recipe and that seemed to work fine. Thank you so much!
Easy, well-explained, and consistently good - this is my go-to bread recipes for family dinners. Bake times will vary, so keep a close eye on your baguettes as the crust finishes.
These were amazing!!! Sooo crusty and delicious. It felt like we were back in France. My family was in awe of my bread, especially when it was first out of the oven. Thanks for the simple instructions - and although it does take quite a bit of time to wait...and wait... and wait... this bread will not disappoint. Can’t wait to make it again! THANK YOU!!!
I'm wondering if the video for this recipe is inactive now. I only see the words "Recipe Video" just below the recipe and it is not hyperlinked for me. Wondering if there is a different place to look for it or if it is not available anymore.
Hey there! It's showing up for me on Chrome and I can see the html code on the back end as well. What browser are you using? Are you using an ad blocker by chance? Ad blockers will prevent videos from loading.
This recipe took me 2 tries to get it right. The first batch I made the dough did not rise much and the result was very small baguettes but they were still very good. Instructions are vague in some areas especially for a non baker, like not stating to let yeast sit before adding to flour, "what a shaggy" dough is etc. The fist time I just sprinkled the yeast over water and poured in flour right away. Second time I let sit for 10 mins. I also doubled the recipe second time to ensure I would get a normal size baguette and it worked. I made 6 baguettes by doubling the recipe. Salt content was good, and this time the dough did rise and I got "normal" sized bread. The first time I also did not measure ingredients by weight but second time I did. I did make a few modifications by doing the pull & fold method 3 times every 30 mins, Prior to step 8, I formed the dough into mini loaves and let sit for 15 mins before forming into baguettes. My kids loved the bread.. I left 3 baguettes out and put 3 in the freezer, hopefully they taste good when its time to take out of freezer. I also discovered that my oven has a proofing feature which works great. I have a gas stove and it only took about 20-25 mins @ 450. I did have to rotate the bread every 10 mins to ensure even cooking as I found the bread on outer was cooking much faster than bread in the center. Overall its an tasty & easy recipe once you get the hang of it.
Will the dough rise without adding sugar to yeast?
Yes!