Baguettes

Baguettes are so wonderful—with their soft, doughy center and super crunchy, chewy crust. They’re really versatile, so you can get creative and use them for any meal or snack. For this recipe, I’ve included a few variations for scoring that really add to the simple beauty of the bread. 

This is one of only a few times ever that I’ll heartily encourage you to eat these loaves while they’re warm! They’re just not the same once they’ve cooled. Enjoy with butter and jam, pâte and grapes, or dipped in soup!

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups warm tap water

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 tablespoon honey

3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

Splash of olive oil, for coating the bowl

2-3 large ice cubes

Directions: 

The night before you want to bake the baguettes, fill a couple of cups or containers with water and freeze. You’ll use the large ice cubes for baking.

For the dough, combine the warm water, yeast, and honey in a large bowl. Allow to sit for 10 minutes or until the yeast begins to activate. 

Add the flour and mix with a fork until fully combined. The dough will be tight and somewhat dry. Let it sit for 20 minutes so the dough can hydrate. 

Transfer the rested dough to a clean, lightly floured work surface, and stretch out slightly. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of salt on the dough and work it in. Repeat until all of the salt has been combined and the dough comes together and forms a smooth ball. 

Lightly oil your bowl and return the dough to it, turning it to coat the outside. Cover the bowl and let it rise for 2 hours, until doubled in size.

Stretch and fold the dough by loosely grabbing one section of the dough, gently pulling it upward, and setting it back down on top of itself. Stretch and fold 4-5 sections of the dough until you’ve worked your way all the way around the bowl. Flip the dough over so it is seam side down to the bowl, cover, and let it rise for another hour. 

Preheat the oven to 450 F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Sprinkle the dough with flour, then turn out onto a clean, lightly floured counter. Divide into three equal sections using a bench scraper. Gently roll the dough sections in the flour to coat. 

Lengthen the dough by stretching it gently or by picking it up by one end and letting it stretch downward as it hangs. 12-15 inches is about what you’re looking for. 

Shape and score your dough (see notes below), then place on your pan for a final quick rise. Cover with a damp towel for about 15 minutes. If you don’t have a baguette pan, a jelly roll pan is fine. Just be sure to space your baguettes a couple of inches apart so they don’t bake together. 

Place the pan in the oven and reduce the heat to 425 F. Remove the ice cubes you made and place them at the bottom of your oven. They’ll create steam and give you a beautiful crust. 

Bake for 30–35 minutes, until deep golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before slicing. Baguettes stale quickly, so enjoy them while they’re fresh!

Classic scoring

The classic baguette shape is long and thin with slightly pointed ends. This is done by stretching then rolling the dough lengthwise, so as to tuck the dough into itself, pressing out some of the larger air bubbles. Once a general shape is achieved, roll the ends under your hands to bring them to points. Scoring is done by slashing diagonal (but nearly vertical) lines down the center of the dough. Imagine staying within a 1-inch column down the front of the dough and slashing just on the diagonal. 

Rustic twist

For a really beautiful, imperfect country baguette, simply twist the dough—no scoring necessary! It’s easiest to lay the dough flat, twist one half, and then the other, rather than trying to hold the two ends up in the air.

Pain d’epi

Pain d’epi is a really artistic way to score the baguette, and it has the added bonus of creating naturally portioned sections that are easy to tear off once the dough is baked. It’s perfect for family gatherings or picnics where you can just tear a hunk off the loaf and pass it along. The finished product resembles a shaft of wheat and is absolutely gorgeous. Using kitchen shears, snip ¾ of the way through the top of the dough, creating a small spike. Gently pull the spike to one side, then repeat the process, pulling to alternating sides until you have a beautiful ear of wheat. It’s tricky to move once you’ve cut it, so I recommend placing it on your pan first.