French Baguettes
French Baguettes are homemade stick loaves of French bread with a crispy crust and soft, chewy texture baked to a golden brown.
Servings: 4
Calories: 440kcal
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon rapid rise yeast
- 1½ cups water, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
French Baguette Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast, water, and salt.
- Add flour and mix with a wooden spoon until all of the flour is incorporated. The dough should be sticky.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rise on the counter for 12 up to 20 hours. The dough will be bubbly and sticky.
- Pour the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with a little flour as well. Using floured hands, shape the dough into a rectangle and cut it into four equal pieces.
- Gently roll each piece into a long loaf to about 10 inches long and 1½ inches in diameter.
- Prepare two large baking pans with parchment paper. Generously sprinkle flour on the parchment.
- Transfer the dough to the floured parchment paper. Place two loaves on each pan.
- Dust the tops of the loaves with more flour and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
- Allow the dough to rise on the counter for 1-2 hours (or until doubled).
Baking French Baguettes
- When ready, adjust the positions of the baking racks in your oven to the middle and bottom positions.
- Preheat your oven to 550°F, or as high as your oven will go.
- Once the oven has preheated, fill a 9x13-inch baking dish with water and place it on the bottom rack.
- Using a sharp knife that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, cut 3-4 angled slashes into the top of each loaf.
- Spritz the loaves with water and place them in the preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, spritzing and rotating the pans every 5 minutes.
- When done baking, the baguettes should be dark golden brown and sound hollow. Let loaves cool completely before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 440kcal