Home-style baguette basics
A classic French baguette has a crisp, caramelized crust and an open, airy crumb. Key factors are a relatively lean dough, proper fermentation (often using a poolish or long bulk), hot oven with steam, and skilled shaping and scoring.
Typical workflow:
- Preferment (optional): Make a poolish with equal parts flour and water and a pinch of yeast; ferment 8–12 hours for more flavor and oven spring.
- Mix dough: Combine poolish with additional flour, water, salt, and a small amount of yeast. Knead until smooth and elastic.
- Bulk fermentation: 1–2 hours at room temp with a couple of folds to build strength.
- Divide and pre-shape: Cut into baguette-sized pieces (commonly 250–300 g each), pre-shape into loose logs and rest 20–30 minutes.
- Final shaping: Roll into long tapered loaves using gentle, consistent pressure to create surface tension.
- Proof: Proof on a couche or parchment with linen folds to support shape; final proof until puffy but not overproofed.
- Bake with steam: Score with a razor, bake at 475°F (246°C) with steam for the first 10–12 minutes, then finish without steam until golden and blistered.
Tips for success:
- Use a baking stone or steel for good bottom heat and oven spring.
- Create steam by adding a pan of boiling water to the oven, spritzing, or using a covered cloche.
- Score aggressively to control expansion and showcase the loaf’s ears.
Baguette making rewards practice: learn dough feel, fermentation timing, and shaping to consistently produce that iconic crispy crust and chewy, open crumb.