The Perfect French Baguette Recipe
The quintessential Parisian snack of baguette, cheese, saucisson (sausages) and a bottle of wine - is totally a thing. When Keith was living in Paris, I lost track of the number of times we’d spend an afternoon chatting away while tearing strips off a fresh baguette, loading it with triple-cream brie, roughly slicing up a saucisson sec (dry sausage/charcuterie) and generously pouring ourselves glasses of Bordeaux. There’s something so simple and wholesome about sharing bread with someone you love. And even more so if you’re the one making it.
I’ve made hundreds of baguettes through the years and I’m finally sharing the recipe with you all. If you don’t have ’00’ flour, don’t fret. This recipe uses all purpose flour - and the loaf will still taste great and remain crispy on the outside while soft and tender on the inside. It’s best consumed the day it’s made (there’s nothing like fresh bread, after all) but you can also use it for French toast the next day or day after.
THE PERFECT FRENCH BAGUETTE
(Makes 4 loaves)
1.5 tsp active dry yeast
1.75 oz warm water
16 oz all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 cup cold water
In a small bowl, add yeast to the warm water. Wait for about 5 minutes or until the mixture gets foamy. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt, and make a well in the centre. Pour the yeast mixture into the well. With a wooden spoon, begin combining the yeast and flour. Add cold water slowly, while continue to mix, until you form a rough dough. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and press dough into a rectangle. Fold the dough in to thirds, turn 90 degrees clockwise and repeat. Place dough into a well-oiled bowl, covered with plastic wrap, and let sit for 2 hours. During this time, the dough should have risen twice its size.
Transfer dough again to a lightly floured work surface and cut into four equal portions. Shape each portion into a loaf. Place all four loaves onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour, allowing the loaves to rise one final time.
Preheat oven to 450 F. Place a bowl of water onto the bottom rack. This will help to mimic a steam oven, ensuring a crispy outer crust.
Remove the plastic wrap. With a sharp knife, create slashes across the top of each loaf. Dust the loaves with flour. Place in oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the crust is golden.
Enjoy!! xx
The Perfect
French Baguette
Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.
