The best baguettes according to a foodie

Step-by-step method

At a glance

You're making classic homemade baguettes with a crispy crust, and while this takes a bit of time across two days, the trickiest part—creating a poolish starter—is actually straightforward. The dough comes together in stages with folding and proofing periods, and you'll want a preheated baking stone and steam in the oven to get those perfectly golden, crusty results.

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The day before

We start at least 12 hours before baking, since the poolish starter needs about 12 to 16 hours to mature.
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The starter

Pour lukewarm water into a bowl, crumble in a small piece of yeast, add the flour, and mix thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for the aforementioned 12–16 hours. I usually mix the starter in the evening and bake the baguettes the next day.

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300 milliliter
Water

10 gram
Fresh Yeast

300 gram
All-purpose wheat flour
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The dough

Mix the dough in a stand mixer. Put the flour in the bowl, pour in the water, and crumble in the yeast. Mix and let it stand for 15 minutes. Then add the salt and the poolish starter. Mix and knead until you get a smooth, supple dough.

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18 gram
Salt

600 gram
All-purpose wheat flour

380 gram
Water

10 gram
Fresh Yeast

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Let it rest

Grease a large bowl with oil and tip the dough into it. Cover again with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for another 12 to 16 hours.
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Tip

If you're impatient (like I always am), you can get started after just two hours of proving the dough in a warm place. In the meantime, though, you'll need to fold it twice.
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Folding the dough

Stretch and fold the dough as if you were folding an A4 sheet down to A6. This helps aerate the dough and has a big impact on the final texture of the baguette, so take your time with it.
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Fold again after proving

Once the dough has proved, divide it into five equal portions. Work each one the same way you folded the dough earlier – stretch the edges and fold them in toward the centre. Let the portions rest for ten minutes.
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Shape the baguettes and let them prove

On a lightly floured surface, shape the portions into long rolls – the baguettes. Now comes another waiting period – proving. Ideally two hours, though they can prove even longer in the fridge.
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Score and bake

Transfer the proved baguettes onto a wooden board or a piece of cardboard. Score the tops in several places with a razor blade. Now get the oven ready for the next steps.
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Getting the oven ready

Preheat the oven to 250 °C with top and bottom heat. Place the rack in the middle of the oven and put bricks, a baking stone, or even a baking sheet on it – it needs to get thoroughly hot.
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A pan of water

Place a deep tray on the bottom of the oven. As you slide the baguettes from the peel onto the stone, quickly pour in 100 ml of water. This needs to be done fast, letting as little heat escape the oven as possible. If you have a steam oven, you're in luck – just pour the water into its reservoir.
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Baking time – a crispy crust

The baguettes will puff up and turn golden. After 10 minutes of baking, open the oven briefly to let the steam out – you want that crispy crust, after all. Then continue baking until golden brown. Total baking time is roughly 25 minutes. Arrange the baguettes on a wire rack and lightly spritz them with water.

The best baguettes according to a foodie

Name: Foolproof Poolish Baguettes
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 2845 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 20 gram Fresh Yeast; 18 gram Salt; 380 gram Water; 300 milliliter Water; 900 gram All-purpose wheat flour

bohynekuchyne

Prep 50 min Cook 25 min

Plus overnight of resting (not counted in active time)

5 Ingredients

12 Steps

Hard Difficulty

Ingredients — what you'll need

You only need 5 ingredients

Adjust servings

What's in it?

856 kcal

Calories

175 g

Carbohydrates

1 g

Fats

27 g

Proteins

The nutritional information is an estimate and may vary based on the specific ingredients used.

About this recipe

I know I keep saying it, but homemade bread is simply perfect. Take these baguettes, for instance… the only tricky part of this recipe is making a baguette starter – a poolish. If you're wary of working with a starter, don't worry. It's easy, quick, and pretty much foolproof. For the best results, it's a good idea to bake the baguettes on a preheated baking stone.

Lactose-free Vegan Vegetarian High-protein Bread & Rolls French

Step-by-step method

At a glance

The day before

The starter

For this step

The dough

For this step

The best baguettes according to a foodie

Ingredients — what you'll need

What's in it?

About this recipe