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Crusty French Baguettes: No Starter Necessary Recipe

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4.4 from 15 reviews

  • Author: Eliza
  • Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: 3 baguettes

Description

This Crusty French Baguette recipe requires no starter and uses simple ingredients to create authentic, artisan-style baguettes with a perfect crispy crust and soft interior, all in about 4 hours. The method involves mixing, kneading, resting, shaping, and baking with steam for an excellent bakery quality finish at home.

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups (12 oz) spring water or distilled water, heated to 115°F
  • 1 teaspoon (1/8 oz) active dry yeast (instant yeast can be used)
  • 3 1/4 cups (14-2/3 oz) all-purpose flour (additional flour may be needed)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (3/8 oz) kosher salt

Other

  • Vegetable spray for greasing bowl
  • 1/2 cup ice cubes (for steam during baking)

Instructions

  1. Activate Yeast & Mix Dough: Whisk together warm water and yeast in the stand mixer bowl; let sit 10 minutes until foamy. Add flour and salt, stirring with a fork until dough forms and all flour is absorbed. Let rest 20 minutes for flour hydration.
  2. Knead Dough: Attach dough hook and knead dough on medium speed until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
  3. First Rise: Spray a large bowl with vegetable spray, transfer dough ball to it, cover with plastic wrap or shower cap, and place bowl in cold oven. Let dough rest until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
  4. Shape and Fold Dough: Transfer dough to floured surface. Shape into an 8"x6" rectangle. Fold 8" sides toward middle, then fold shorter ends to center like a t-shirt. Return dough seam-side down to greased bowl, cover, and place back in oven to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
  5. Prepare Oven and Baking Setup: Remove dough-covered bowl from oven. Place a cast-iron skillet/heavy pan on bottom oven rack, position another rack above it with a baking stone or upside-down rimless sheet pan. Preheat oven to 475°F.
  6. Shape Baguettes: Transfer dough to floured surface, cut into three equal pieces. Shape each into a 14-inch rope. Flour parchment paper on a rimless baking sheet, place ropes spaced apart on paper. Lift paper between ropes to create pleats and place two rolled kitchen towels under long edges of parchment as support. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 50 minutes.
  7. Score Dough: Uncover, remove towels, and flatten parchment to space loaves evenly. Using a sharp blade or scissors, score the top of each loaf at a 30-degree angle in four places, about 4 inches long.
  8. Transfer to Oven: Pull out oven rack with stone/pan. Using parchment paper corners, slide loaves onto the baking stone or pan.
  9. Add Steam: Place ice cubes in the skillet/pan on the bottom rack to generate steam during baking.
  10. Bake: Bake baguettes for 20 to 30 minutes until dark brown and crispy. Cool completely before serving.

Notes

  • Using instant yeast is acceptable, following the same activation and mixing procedure.
  • You may need to adjust flour quantity slightly depending on humidity and flour type.
  • The towel supports under the parchment help maintain loaf shape during final rise.
  • Steam from ice cubes creates a crusty exterior by delaying crust set during baking.
  • Letting dough rise in a turned-off oven provides a warm and stable environment without risking overheating.
  • Use a sharp blade for scoring to ensure proper expansion during baking.
  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: French

Find it online: https://recipekind.com/crusty-french-baguettes-no-starter-necessary-recipe/