Homemade French Baguettes

Crafting your own Homemade French Baguettes is more accessible than you might imagine. There’s a distinct pleasure in having freshly baked bread at your disposal for every meal. These baguettes, with their delightful combination of a crisp, deep-gold crust and a chewy interior adorned with invitingly airy pockets, bring a taste of authenticity to your kitchen.

Baking genuine baguettes at home can be a rewarding endeavor, even if it’s traditionally perceived as a culinary challenge. This recipe, however, has been crafted to provide a remarkable likeness to the artisanal baguettes found in specialized bakeries. It offers you the opportunity to savor the delight of a well-baked baguette in the comfort of your own home.

The magic of these Homemade French Baguettes lies in the simplicity of their ingredients, which come together to create an unmistakable texture and flavor. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a newcomer to the world of bread-making, this recipe provides clear and achievable steps, ensuring that your results will be nothing short of remarkable. So, without further ado, let’s embark on the journey of creating these scrumptious baguettes in your very own kitchen.

Not what you are looking for? Try these other bread recipes: French Bread, Rustic French Bread or homemade Ciabatta Bread.

Homemade French Baguettes

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Homemade French Baguettes are easier to make than you think. Nothing better than having fresh day bread for all your meals. These crunchy baguettes feature a chewy interior riddled with holes, and a crisp, deep-gold crust. While it’s a challenge to make “real” baguettes at home, this version is probably as close to an artisan bakery version as you’re going to find.

 

• Author: Kelsey Nixon
• Prep Time: :35
• Rise: :40
• Cook Time: :15
• Total Time: 1:30
• Yield: 8 1x
• Category: Side
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: French

Ingredients

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• 2 envelopes dry active yeast (1 1/2 tablespoons)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Canola oil, for greasing bowl
• Cornmeal, for dusting pan
• 3 to 4 ice cubes

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Instructions

1. Combine the honey, yeast and 1/2 cup warm water. Stir to combine and let the mixture stand until the yeast is activated and begins to foam, 5 minutes.
2. Mix the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl with a dough hook and slowly add in the yeast mixture. Gradually add 1 cup warm water and mix until the dough comes together into a ball that is not too wet (you may not need all of the water). If the dough is sticky, add a little bit more flour. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 2 to 6 minutes. You can do the thumbprint test: press in the dough with your thumb and it should bounce back when it’s ready.
3. Form the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly-oiled bowl and cover with a dishcloth, so it doesn’t dry out. Let rest in a warm environment until doubled in size, 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Punch down the dough and divide it in half. Shape into 2 baguettes by making a flat rectangle out of your dough, then folding the top and bottom towards the middle, like an envelope, and sealing the seam with your fingers. Keep repeating the folding and sealing, stretching the rectangle lengthwise as you go, until it’s about 12 to 14 inches long and 2 inches wide. Fold and seal either end to round. Flip seam-side down and place on a sheet pan or baguette pan that has been dusted with cornmeal. Score the tops of the loaves, making deep diagonal slits 1/2-inch deep, cover with a dishcloth and let rise in a warm environment until they have doubled in size, 25 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and position your oven racks with one on the bottom and the other in the middle. Place an oven-safe (non-glass) bowl or pan on the bottom rack.
6. When your bread has doubled for the second time, remove the towel and quickly and simultaneously, slide the sheet tray with the baguettes onto the middle rack while carefully throwing the ice cubes into the bowl on the bottom rack. The ice will create a burst of steam that will give you a nice crispy crust. Quickly shut the oven door so no steam escapes. Bake the baguettes until golden brown, 15 minutes.
7. Cook’s Note: If you have a glass window on your oven, place a towel over it when throwing the ice in, hot glass can shatter if ice touches it.