There is nothing quite like the aroma of a freshly baked French baguette. With its crisp golden crust, chewy interior, and delicate flavour, the baguette has become one of the most recognized symbols of French food and culture.
While baking a traditional baguette may seem intimidating, this recipe breaks the process down into simple steps so you can enjoy homemade French bread straight from your own oven, and with only 3 ingredients.
Whether you're serving it with a French soup, a famous French cheese, one of the many types of French pâté, or simply a little butter, a freshly baked baguette brings a taste of France to every meal.
🔍 Quick Look: French Baguette Recipe
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 20 minutes |Rise Time: 1 hour 45 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 3 loaves
- 📊 Calories: ~823 kcal per loaf (based on nutrition panel)
- 🔥 Cook Method: Oven
- 👩🍳 Flavour Profile: A distinct, forward flavour of toasted wheat and sweet, roasted grain, with a thin, crackling crust and a light, airy crumb.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Difficult/Highly difficult and is often described as one of the hardest breads to master. While the ingredient list is incredibly simple, success relies entirely on mastering technique, precise fermentation times, dough shaping, and oven steam to achieve the perfect crispy crust and open crumb. But you will have success by following my simple instructions.
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❤️ Why You'll Love French Baguette Recipe
A French Baguette is a long, sausage-shaped bread and is the most common bread eaten in France and sold in all markets.
I invite you to embrace the art of French bread-making, following my tried-and-true recipe, and experience the joy that comes from bread baking.
Try Socca, a chickpea flour flatbread for an easy French delight, or learn how to make Naan at home. Although not originally from France, it is well-received and great for cleaning up your plate just like a 3-ingredient baguette!
Whether you're a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, my step-by-step guide will help you unlock the secrets of authentic French bread, and you'll find yourself returning to this recipe time and time again.
The aroma of freshly baked French bread wafting through your home is nothing short of enchanting! More tasty breads to mix up an orange blossom water French bread fouace or another well-known and famous French pastry bread croissant.
🗝️ Key Ingredients
This recipe calls for very few ingredients, three to be exact:
- strong bread flour - is a high-protein flour milled from "hard" wheat with lots of protein and gluten
- bread yeast - feeds on sugars in the dough, releasing carbon dioxide gas in a process called fermentation. This trapped gas creates bubbles in the dough, causing the bread to rise and giving it a soft, airy texture.
- water
How could it be simpler?
For your French baguette recipe, you will need 2 things:
- a very hot oven
- lots of steam!
🔢How To Make This French Baguette Recipe
- Step 1: Prepare The Dough
In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. In a separate bowl, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water. Gradually add the liquid to the flour mixture, stirring until a shaggy dough forms. Alternatively, if using dried yeast, sprinkle it into the bowl with half of the flour and salt before adding the warm water.)
Mix in the remaining first half of the flour gradually to form a batter. Cover with plastic film and leave at room temperature for about 1 hour or more, if necessary, or until it has tripled in size. It will be bubbly and expanded.
- Step 2: Knead
Add the remainder of the flour into the bubbly batter, gradually mixing it in with your hands.
Now, put the dough onto a floured board and knead for about 10 minutes. (Fold half the dough over the other half towards you, then push the dough with the heel of your hands away from you, and turn the dough ¼ turn.) Repeat, for the full 10 minutes. You will feel the texture of the dough change and feel more elastic.
- Step 3: Second Rise
Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave again to rise for 1 hour.
- Step 4: Dough Has Doubled
When doubled in size, knock back with your fist. (This removes the air from the dough.)
- Step 5: Divide Dough
Turn it out onto a lightly floured board and divide the dough into 3 pieces.
Shape each piece of dough into a ball and then into a rectangle 6 x 3 ins/15 cm x 7.5 cm.
- Step 6: Shape Dough
Take the bottom third of the rectangle, lengthwise, and fold it up, then bring the top third down and press the layers together. Repeat this process about 3 times. Each loaf will now be an oblong.
Gently stretch each piece of dough into a 13-14 in / 33-35 cm long loaf.
Important: Do not over-work the dough while shaping or your bread may be dense.
- Step 7: Third Rise
Pleat, a floured dishcloth/tea cloth on a baking tray to make 3 moulds for your loaves!
By placing them between the pleats of the dishcloth/tea cloth, the loaves will keep their shape while rising.
Cover with lightly oiled cling film and leave to rise for 1 hour.
- Step 8: Bake Baguettes
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to maximum, at least 450°F/230°C/Gas 8 Hot/Very Hot.
Place the top oven rack at the top of the oven.
Roll the loaves onto the baking tray, spaced apart. (Do not lift them because they will stretch and you will lose their shape.)
Slash the tops in several places across the width with a sharp knife.
9. Last Step: The oven also needs steam to bake the baguettes correctly.
Spray the inside of the oven with water, and it should be sprayed with water twice more during the first 5 minutes of baking. A moist oven is important during baking, but do not spray the loaves.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Place your freshly baked baguettes onto a wire rack to cool.
Time is the biggest part, but even then, you are free to take care of other tasks. If you have children, they will be delighted to help with the punching and scrunching the dough!
It is wonderful to smell the aroma ༄.° of French bread baking in the oven, and you will have bread that is far superior to any that is commercially made.
You may feel a little urgent to smell that wonderful aroma more often. So try these yummy French bread recipes that are much easier brioche bread loaf or my milk bread roll recipe.
A crispy French baguette recipe to give your family and friends a treat. Just follow my easy step-by-step instructions for the best results.
🥖 How To Serve A French Baguette
A fresh baguette is wonderfully versatile. Try it:
- With butter and jam for breakfast
- Alongside French onion soup
- As part of a French cheese board
- Filled for a classic jambon-beurre sandwich, butter and ham
- Toasted for crostini and appetisers
Tips For A Perfect Crust
- Use strong bread flour for better structure.
- Don't skip the second rise.
- Steam is essential for a crisp crust.
- Score the dough to allow proper expansion.
- Let the bread cool fully before cutting. (Confession. This never happens at my house. 🤗)
The French Baguette!
The French baguette was granted UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE STATUS on November 30, 2022. A long-deserved and grueling achievement.
Traditional French baguettes are famously made from just flour, water, salt, and yeast, and the French "Bread Decree" defines strict standards for traditional baguettes. Seriously, that is a real thing in France. 🙂
✨ Great French Bread Recipes To Try
- Don't like the idea of hours to make bread? Then make French Socca, which is really a scrumptious flatbread. So easy and fast!
- Brioche is a famous classic French Bread for you to bake! This brioche bread recipe has instructions to make in a bread maker!
- Make the well-known French breakfast bread, the quintessential French Croissant! So buttery, light, and melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness!
❓ French Baguette Recipe FAQ
French baguettes are best eaten on the day they are baked. But, if necessary store at room temperature in a paper bag for up to two days. To refresh a day-old baguette, sprinkle lightly with water and warm in a hot oven for 5 minutes or simply place in a microwave for a short time.
You can also freeze baguettes for up to three months if tightly wrapped.
No, just follow the directions I have given for making a French baguette above by using a kitchen towel, it works well. Its the method I use without a special pan. (FYI - There are special trays called bannetons for resting the bread in before baking, which will help keep their shape. But, it is not necessary.)
Scoring the top of a French baguette loaf before baking allows the bread to expand properly during baking and creates the classic baguette appearance.
Yes! For even better flavour, refrigerate the French baguette dough overnight and bake the next day.
The French baguette dough may not have risen long enough, or it may have been overworked during shaping.
📖 Recipe
Prep Like a Pro
Before you start cooking, chop, measure, and prep every ingredient, and gather your tools.
This simple habit reduces stress, prevents overcooking, and instantly improves your meals. Mise en Place - "Everything in its place."
French Baguette Recipe: Authentic Crusty French Bread At Home
Ingredients
- 1½ lb bread flour
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon dry yeast 515 gram/½ ounce fresh yeast; or 1 tablespoon dry yeast; or 1½ teaspoons of fast action dried yeast. The type and quantity of yeast used are important! If you can't get fresh yeast, put all dry ingredients together, then add the water.
- 15 oz water lukewarm - very important, must not be cold
Instructions
Stage 1
- In a large bowl, sift the flour and salt together.
- If using fresh yeast, place the yeast in another small bowl and gradually add the water, mixing it well to dissolve it. (If using dried yeast, sprinkle it into the bowl with half of the flour and salt before adding the warm water.)
- Beat in half the flour gradually to form a batter.
- Cover with plastic film and leave at room temperature for about 3 hours or until it has tripled in size. It will be bubbly and expanded.
Stage 2
- Add the remainder of the flour, gradually beating it in with your hand.
- Now, put the dough onto a floured board and knead for about 10 minutes. Fold half the dough over the other half towards you, then push the dough with the heel of your hands away from you, and turn the dough ¼ turn. Repeat, for the full 10 minutes. You will feel the texture of the dough change and feel more elastic.
- Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave again to rise for 1 hour.
- When doubled in size, knock back with your fist. (This removes the air from the dough.)
- Turn it out onto a lightly floured board and divide the dough into 3 pieces.
- Shape each piece of dough into a ball and then into a rectangle 6 x 3 ins/15 cm x 7.5 cm.
- Take the bottom third of the rectangle, length ways, and fold it up, then bring the top third down and press the layers together.
- Repeat this process about 3 times. Each loaf will now be an oblong.
- Gently stretch each piece of dough into a 13-14 ins / 33-35 cm long loaf.
- There are special trays called bannetons for resting the bread in before baking, which will help keep their shape. If you do not have any, then just follow these instructions for an easy remedy! It is what I use!
- Pleat, a floured dishcloth/tea cloth on a baking tray to make 3 moulds for your loaves!
- By placing them between the pleats of the dishcloth/tea cloth the loaves will keep their shape while rising.
- Cover with lightly oiled cling film and leave to rise for 1 hour.
Stage 3
- Meanwhile, preheat your oven to maximum, at least 450°F/230°C/Gas 8 Hot/Very Hot. Place the top oven rack at the top of the oven.
- Roll the loaves onto the baking tray, spaced apart.
- Slash the tops in several places with a sharp knife.
- The oven also needs steam to bake the baguettes correctly.
- Spray the inside of the oven with water and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- The oven should be sprayed with water twice more during the first 5 minutes of baking. A moist oven is important during baking, but do not spray the loaves.
- Place your freshly baked baguettes onto a wire rack to cool.
- As you will see, your French baguette recipe has been well worth the wait. Delicious!
- You can fill them with your favorite filling or a good slice of cheese and a glass of wine! Enjoy!
Notes
- If using fresh yeast, place the yeast in another small bowl and gradually add the water, mixing it well to dissolve it.
- If using dried yeast, sprinkle it into the bowl with half of the flour and salt before adding the warm water.
Nutrition
Loved it, tweaked it, or not your "cup of tea"... I’d really love to hear how it went for you.