← Nouns Cooking · French

Ingredients

• 500 g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 370 ml cool water
• 10 g Salt
• ½ tsp instant dried yeast

Method

1. Mix the flour, water, salt and yeast in a large bowl into a shaggy, sticky dough with no dry patches. Cover and leave for 30 min.
2. With a wet hand, stretch one side of the dough up and fold it over the middle; turn the bowl and repeat on all four sides. Cover and repeat these folds three more times, every 30 min. The dough will become smooth and stretchy.
3. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, for 12–16 hours. The slow, cold rise builds flavour and makes the dough easier to shape.
4. Tip the dough onto a floured surface, divide into 3 and gently pat each into a rectangle. Fold the top third down and the bottom third up, then fold in half lengthways and seal the seam. Rest for 15 min, then roll each into a 35 cm log with tapered ends.
5. Lay seam-side up between the folds of a well-floured tea towel, cover and leave for 45 min, until puffy. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 250°C (230°C fan, 480°F) with a baking tray inside and a roasting tin on the shelf below.
6. Roll the loaves onto baking paper, seam-side down. Slash each 3–4 times along its length with a razor or very sharp knife at a shallow angle.
7. Slide the loaves on their paper onto the hot tray, pour a mug of boiling water into the roasting tin for steam and shut the door fast. Bake for 20–25 min, until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath. Cool on a rack for at least 20 min.

Tips

• Steam in the first minutes is what gives the thin, crackly crust; do not skip the water tray.
• Baguettes stale fast: eat the same day, or freeze and reheat at 200°C (400°F) for 5–8 minutes.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

King Arthur Baking Serious Eats