Description
These Easy No-Knead French Baguettes offer a simple and effortless method to enjoy fresh, bakery-quality bread with an authentic crispy crust and airy interior, using just four basic ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons room temperature water (265ml)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast.
- Pour in the room temperature water and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until fully incorporated. The dough will look shaggy and somewhat sticky.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel.
- Let the covered dough sit at room temperature for 12-18 hours, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and it has more than doubled in size.
- Generously flour your work surface and hands. Gently scrape the dough onto the floured surface.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions, fold each into a rough rectangle, then roll into a log shape and stretch to 12-14 inches in length.
- Place each shaped baguette on a flour-dusted tea towel or parchment paper, seam side down, and cover with another towel.
- Allow them to rise for 1-2 hours, or until nearly doubled in size.
- Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) with a baking stone or inverted baking sheet inside. Place an empty metal pan on the bottom rack.
- Transfer the baguettes to the hot baking stone or sheet. Make 3-4 diagonal slashes on each baguette.
- Pour 1 cup of hot water into the empty metal pan to create steam, then quickly close the oven door.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until deeply golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- For a more rustic texture, you can substitute up to 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.
- If you don’t have a metal pan for creating steam, you can spray the oven walls with water carefully just after putting the bread in.
- Store the bread at room temperature in a paper bag or loosely covered with a kitchen towel to maintain the crisp crust.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 baguette)
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 190mg
- Fat: 0.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: easy baguettes, no-knead bread, French bread recipe, homemade baguettes, beginner bread recipe