How To Make Baguettes

Baguettes are a funny thing. On paper they look kinda simple to make and in many ways they are. But baguettes, perhaps more than any other bread, have become a standard by which bread baking skill is measured. They’re supposed to look a certain way, the crust and crumb should be just so, and even though they’re typically made from just white flour, water, salt and yeast, the flavors should be complex. Now the good news. You can still make really decent baguettes without a lot of skill or practice. How do I know, Easy, I did it. I just followed this recipe and the results, at least from an enjoyment standpoint, weren’t all that far off from what a good artisan bakery might turn out. In any case, they’re certainly fun to make, so if you haven’t made baguettes before or struggled with them in the past, please give it a try and let us know how it went.

Here’s the core of my food philosophy — if you love what you’re eating, it’s good for you. This comes in handy when I’m indulging in, say, a fresh crackly baguette slathered with butter. It’s no accident that baguettes may be the most popular bread in the Western world. So when you need a break from your virtuous whole grain regimen, try this recipe and love the results. Thanks to Emmanuel Hadjiandreou and his book How to Make Bread for the recipe, guidance and inspiration. It’s no accident that baguettes may be the most popular bread in the Western world. So when you need a break from your virtuous whole grain regimen, try this recipe and love the results. Baguette Thoughts - Baguettes are an interesting bread. In France, where they’re a symbol of French culture, laws dictate the ingredients and customs dictate their distinctive shape. Don’t even think of using more or less than 5 slashes when scoring the dough if you don’t want the baguette police hauling you off to Devil’s Island.

For many a home baker, striving for baguette perfection is a life journey. Making a great baguette is indeed one of the most demanding tests for bread bakers. Achieving excellent results consistently is normally the domain of skilled professional bakers with expensive steam injected ovens. However, even “pretty good” results from your own home efforts can be at least very enjoyable. Don’t be afraid to fail. There is no real downside risk in trying. As with any bread recipe, baguette variations abound. Feel free to mess with this recipe. If you want a little more flavor and nutrition, add some whole wheat flour. I had a mostly durum flour baguette once that was great. Get crazy and roll the dough in sesame seeds before baking. Try increasing the amount of water in the recipe for a more open crumb (getting big holes in bread dough can be its own obsession). There are even stuffed baguettes — you’ll need to Google that one. Most of all, have fun and find what works best for you. Finally, I feel compelled to include this video of Wayne Caddy, from The School of Artisan Food in the UK, knocking out perfect baguettes with apparent ease. Eric Rusch: Founder, proprietor, and Grand Poobah of Breadtopia.

I just cover it with a towel and leave it for about ten minutes. While the dough is resting you’ll need to clean and dry the mixing bowl then spray or rub it with oil. After the dough rests, you’ll continue kneading for another few minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Next, place the ball of dough into your greased bowl and turn it so that the top is lightly coated in oil. Now cover the bowl and put it in a fairly warm spot. If your kitchen is cold, put it on top of the refrigerator or in the oven (turned off) with the light turned on. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. One way to test if the dough has doubled is to push a couple fingers down into the dough. If the holes don’t fill back in, the dough is ready to be shaped.



Carefully dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Again, a bench scraper works well here, but you can cut it with a knife. You want the pieces to be as equal in size as possible. Next, shape the loaves. You can form them into whatever shapes you wish, but I find round loaves (also known as boules) are the easiest. For instructions on shaping, go here. Place the loaves onto a lightly greased baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. You’ll want to cover the loaves while they rise. You can used plastic wrap that has been coated in spray oil or get creative like I did. I just used a big plastic container that fit over both loaves. I did spray the inside of the container with oil just in case the loaves spread out while rising. Again, let the loaves rise in a warm space until about doubled in size. The dough will most likely spread out rather than up, and that’s fine. It should take close to two hours. If the loaves grow into each other, it’s not the end of the world.