Sourdough Baguettes at Home

Real baguettes aren't easy at home. The shaping is technical, the bake is hot, and the steam matters. But it's achievable, and the result is worth the practice.

Recipe — three baguettes

• 500g bread flour
• 350g water (70%)
• 100g active starter (20%)
• 10g salt (2%)
• ¼ teaspoon malt powder (optional, helps crust color)

Method

Mix

Combine water and starter. Add flour and salt. Mix until shaggy.

Rest 30 minutes (autolyse).

Mix in any malt. Pinch and squeeze the dough until cohesive.

Bulk

4 hours at 75°F with 4 sets of folds, every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours.

Pre-shape

Tip dough onto a lightly floured counter.

Divide into three equal pieces (about 320g each).

Pre-shape each piece into a loose oval. Cover, bench rest 20–30 minutes.

Final shape — the hardest part

This is what makes a baguette a baguette.

1. Take one piece. Place seam-side up. Gently flatten into a small rectangle.
2. Fold the top third down to the middle. Press the seam.
3. Fold the bottom third up to the middle. Press the seam.
4. Fold in half lengthwise. Pinch the seam closed.
5. Roll the log gently with both hands, applying outward pressure to extend it. Work from the center outward.
6. Roll until the loaf is the length of your baking surface (typically 14–16 inches).
7. Keep the surface tight; taper the ends to points.

Final proof

Place the shaped loaves on a couche (a heavy floured cloth) or a parchment-lined baking sheet, with folds of cloth between each loaf to keep them separate.

Cover. Proof 1–1.5 hours at room temperature, or refrigerate 8–12 hours.

Score and bake

Preheat oven to 500°F with a baking stone or steel on the middle rack and a cast-iron skillet on the bottom rack. Preheat 45 minutes.

Transfer baguettes to a parchment-lined pizza peel or upside-down sheet pan.

Score with a lame: hold the blade nearly parallel to the loaf, score 4–5 angled cuts down the length, each overlapping the previous by 1/3.

Boil 1 cup of water.

Slide loaves (with parchment) onto the stone. Pour boiling water into the cast-iron skillet — close the door immediately.

Bake 10 minutes at 500°F.

Drop to 475°F. Bake another 12–15 minutes until deeply golden.

Cool

Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes before eating.

What good baguettes are

• Long and thin (14–16 inches, ~2.5 inches wide)
• Crisp, crackly crust
• Open, irregular crumb
• Three to five clean ears from scoring
• Hollow when tapped

Storage — none

Baguettes are at their best 2–4 hours after baking. After 24 hours, they're stale. Plan to eat them the day they're baked.

Day-old baguettes make excellent French toast, croutons, panzanella, or panko-style breadcrumbs.

Common mistakes

• Won't shape — over-fermented bulk. Reduce time.
• Doughy interior — under-baked. Internal temp 207°F.
• Pale crust — not enough steam, or oven not hot enough.
• Irregular shape — uneven rolling. Roll evenly from center outward.
• Closed crumb — hydration too low or fermentation too short.

Notes on equipment

A couche makes baguettes much easier. It's a heavy-duty linen cloth that supports the dough during proofing.

A baking stone or steel is essential for proper bottom heat.

A lame for scoring matters more than for other shapes — the angled scoring is hard with a knife.

Practice

Your first baguettes will be misshapen. So will your tenth. Most home bakers need 20+ attempts to produce consistently shaped baguettes.

The bake itself is repeatable. The shaping is muscle memory. Keep practicing.