Home | About | Contact
800.827.6836 | Norwich, Vermont

shopping cart  
0 items in cart | checkout

Baguettes


kaf-guaranteed

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. And hey, all you vegans out there: this is probably my favorite vegan recipe. It's beautiful in the utter simplicity of its ingredients.

Step-by-step photos illustrating how to make this recipe are available at Bakers' Banter, our King Arthur blog.

Our guarantee: These baguettes, right out of the oven, will have a crunchy crust; later, the crust will become chewy. They'll be a deep golden brown, about 16" long, and 1 3/4" to 2 1/2" in diameter.

Ingredients

Starter

Dough

  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast or instant yeast
  • 1 cup to 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water*
  • all of the starter
  • 3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • *Use the lesser amount in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate), and somewhere in between the rest of the year, or if your house is climate controlled.

Directions

1) Make the starter by mixing the yeast with the water (no need to do this if you're using instant yeast), then mixing in the flour to make a soft dough. Cover and let rest at room temperature for about 14 hours; overnight works well. The starter should have risen and become bubbly. If it hasn't, your yeast may not be working. Dissolve 1/4 teaspoon of yeast in 1 tablespoon lukewarm water with a pinch of sugar, and wait 15 minutes. If nothing happens, replace your yeast, and begin the starter process again.

2) If you're using active dry yeast, mix it with the water, then combine with the starter, flour, and salt. If you're using instant yeast, there's no need to combine it with the water first. Mix and knead everything together—by hand, mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle—till you've made a soft, somewhat smooth dough; it should be cohesive, but the surface may still be a bit rough. Knead for about 5 minutes on speed 2 of a stand mixer

3) Place the dough in a lightly greased medium-size bowl, cover the bowl, and let the dough rise for 3 hours, gently deflating it and turning it over after 1 hour, and then again after 2 hours.

4) Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased work surface. Divide it into three equal pieces.

5) Shape each piece into a rough, slightly flattened oval, cover with greased plastic wrap, and let them rest for 15 minutes.

6) Working with one piece of dough at a time, fold the dough in half lengthwise, and seal the edges with the heel of your hand. Flatten it slightly, and fold and seal again.

7) With the seam-side down, cup your fingers and gently roll the dough into a 15" log. Place the logs seam-side down onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined sheet pan or pans.*

8) Cover them with a cover or lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the loaves to rise till they've become very puffy, about 1 1/2 hours.

9) Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 450°F; if you're using a baking stone, place it on the lowest rack.

10) Using a very sharp knife held at about a 45° angle, make three 8" vertical slashes in each baguette. Spritz the baguettes heavily with warm water; this will help them develop a crackly-crisp crust.

11) Bake the baguettes until they're a very deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack. Or, for the very crispiest baguettes, turn off the oven, crack it open about 2", and allow the baguettes to cool in the oven.

Yield: Three 16" baguettes.

*Advanced baker version: Place the shaped baguettes, seam-side down, in the folds of a heavily floured cotton dish towel. Allow them to rise as directed. When fully risen, gently roll them onto a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet, floured side down. Bake as directed. Or roll them onto a baker's peel, and then onto a heated pizza stone in the oven. Bake as directed above.

Variation: Make six stuffed sandwiches, perfect for picnics or lunchboxes.

Stuffed Baguettes
1) Divide the baguette dough into six pieces instead of three, and shape each into a 5"-long rectangle.

2) Layer with your favorite filling; we like mustard, ham, and Swiss cheese. Don't use too much filling, as it'll make the baguettes soggy. Also, use a dry filling (e.g., sliced deli meat, cheese) rather than something wet like meatballs in sauce.

3) Roll up like a jelly roll, sealing the long seam and pinching the ends closed.

4) Place on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.

5) Slash each baguette twice lengthwise, if desired. The cheese will ooze out. Some people like this look; some don't. Your choice.

6) Bake until golden brown, as directed above. You may need shorten the baking time a bit from the original recipe.

Recipe summary

Hands-on time:
20 mins.
Baking time:
30 mins.
Total time:
19 hrs 50 mins.
Yield:
3 baguettes
*Overnight
Rate recipe
****+
Recipe comments (47) »

Tips from our bakers

  • The ingredients in baguettes are pure simplicity: flour, water, salt, and yeast. It's the baker's technique that turns an average baguette into an all-star. The more you practice your baguette-baking techniques, the better the baguette you'll make. Don't expect perfection the first time out!
  • Why the small amount of yeast and the extra-long rise? Because as yeast grows, it releases organic acids and alcohol, both of which are flavor carriers. The extra-long rise will give your baguettes outstanding flavor.

Bookmark/share
this recipe

Del.icio.us Yahoo Digg reddit Google Squidoo StumbleUpon Yahoo
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size one 3" slice
Servings Per Batch 16
Amount Per Serving
Calories 120 Calories from Fat 0
Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g
Saturated Fat 0g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 220mg
Total Carbohydrate 24g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Sugars 1g
Protein 4g
* The nutrition information provided for each recipe is determined by the ESHA Genesis R&D software program. Substituting any ingredients may change the posted nutrition information.

Reviews

*****

11/10/2009

angie from Renick West Virginia

I tried this receipe and the bread was fantastic. I left some of the remaining dough in the refrigerator overnight and baked it up the next day and it was even better. Still trying to figure what restaurant it matched up to. I am ordering more of the french flour since that is what I used. I did not get the holes when I sliced it open, but I only have a small convection oven which never gets a baking stone hot enough. Anyone know where you can purchase mini baguette pans?
Angie - Try USA Pans, Chicago Metallic and Prince. Elisabeth @ KAF

*****

11/02/2009

dh from Georiga

Wow, these came out really great. Very simple. Might recommend to those who were having trouble with this coming out bland....if you use kosher salt, you need to add more. I used 2.25 tsp. and it was pefrect.

*****

09/12/2009

from

Knocked this one out while the daugher was visitng for the holiday, she ate half a loaf by herself and stole one of the 2 remaing ones to take home for lunches. Not to difficult for the experianced baker and the taste was good, even some nice rustic mismatched holes in the break

*****

08/26/2009

Rob from Las Vegas

Perfect Bread. Made plain and stuffed with ham and cheese. It looked and tasted Great on outside. Just one question please. I still want my bread to have more holes and be a little more crunchier/lighter on the inside like the picture on your "Baguettes Redux" link: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2009/08/06/baguettes-redux-an-easy-almost-no-knead-recipe-for-the-kneading-challenged/ I called customer service on Monday (I think it was) and they told me I was using too much flour. So I reduced the flour a little today and bread was much better than before but I sure would like to make it like it is in the picture. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks for your patience and putting up with me.

08/25/2009

Rob from Las Vegas

Hello Again. I have a question on the stuffed baguette towards the bottom of this page. If I understand you correctly you are saying to cut the dough into 6 pieces. Then lay one piece out, top the dough with ingredients (ham, cheese, whatever is dry) and then lay the 2nd piece of dough over top the ingredients and then roll like a jelly roll. Is this correct or am I misunderstanding the technique? Thanks so very much for your help. Tried emailing baker but the link wouldn't work for me. Thanks again!
You cut your dough into 6 pieces and flatten each into a 5 inch square. Place your fillings on the square and roll up jellyroll fashion. You will be able to make 6 of these. Joan@bakershotline

*****

08/24/2009

Rob from Las Vegas

Can someone please supply photo of what "Perfect" baguette looks like? I think mine is too chewy and tight knit. Thanks a million! Good Luck. Rob Vegas

*****

08/24/2009

Rob from Las Vegas

Thanks to KAF for this recipe and all the comments and support here. Okay, here's the deal: I'm a total newbie but I really want to do this Perfectly! My bread came out very nice, very tasty, nice crust and chewy inside. Just one expectation not fulfilled: For some reason or another (could be wrong) (make that probably wrong LOL) I was under the impression that the inside had a lot of holes/airiness to it i.e. this bread was a little bit lighter and crunchier throughout the inside. If this is true, then I think my slashing/slits may be flawed. Everything went perfect until I tried making those slits and that did not go well. "I just did it" as you suggest with the sharpest knife I had but it seemed to really deflate the bread. So I pushed/puffed the dough back up some (probably now losing a slot of my slits) spritzed it and popped it into the oven. Should it have more holes/be lighter/puffier etc. on the inside and if so what am I doing wrong? If it's not suppose to have more holes/lighter...... then maybe I hit a home run on my first try with this recipe. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Rob Vegas
Try using scissors to cut the slash instead of a knife. If you still have problems, give us a call and we'll help troubleshoot the recipe with you. Molly @ KAF

*****

08/23/2009

Rob from Las Vegas

Okay, Okay, I shouldn't have rated this but I am just crazy with this bread/baguette recipe thing! Obviously I am brand new but I really want to do this. All of my bread (including "almost no kneading" recipe) has turned out heavy/no air pockets/flat/etc/etc. Never realized that making bread is such a science. You ladies/gentlemen are genius scientists! I have read this takes time, experience, patience etc. BUT the definition of insanity is: "when you keep doing the same thing expecting different results." Well call me crazy but I don't seem to be getting anywhere. Any ideas of where to begin? God Bless you and Thanks. Rob

*****

08/20/2009

mburgh from Fort Smith, AR

Perfect baguettes the first time out. Bravo! I can't wait for my triple baguette pans to arrive. Simple, easy, and surprisingly, a great crust without a lot of trouble (cast iron, clay, etc). I recommend this recipe to anyone trying to bake bread for the first time; it demonstrates the patience and commitment required to produce a great loaf, or in this case three loaves.

*****

08/20/2009

mburgh from Fort Smith, AR

Perfect baguettes the first time out. Bravo! I can't wait for my triple baguette pans to arrive. Simple, easy, and surprisingly, a great crust without a lot of trouble (cast iron, clay, etc). I recommend this recipe to anyone trying to bake bread for the first time; it demonstrates the patience and commitment required to produce a great loaf, or in this case three loaves.