I was making a soup recipe the other day (I’ll post that on Sunday), and it included crispy, cheesy toasts that sounded perfect alongside it. The recipe called for a baguette, but I didn’t feel like spending several dollars on a loaf, so I decided to bake my own.
These baguettes are rewarding but fairly time-consuming. If I had a rectangular baking stone or a proper baguette pan, they would have looked more rustic; instead I heated a baking sheet in the oven and used it like a stone. The crust was crisp, but the loaves looked more like standard French bread than artisan baguettes. Still, they were delicious and my kids kept asking for the “special bread,” so I thought they were worth sharing. If you have a relaxed weekend, try making them — the steps are straightforward, just allow time for rising and rest.
Crispy Baguettes
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Ingredients
Starter:
- ½ cup (118 ml) cool to lightly warm water
- 1 pinch active dry yeast
- 1 cup (120 g) bread or all-purpose flour, (stir, spoon & level)
Dough:
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 to 1 ¼ cups (237-296 ml) lukewarm water*
- all of the starter
- 3 ½ cups (420 g) bread or all-purpose flour, (stir, spoon & level)
- 1 ½ to 2 tsp salt, depending on personal taste
Instructions
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Make the starter: mix the pinch of yeast into the water (cool to lightly warm), then stir in the flour to form a soft dough. Cover and let it rest at room temperature for about 14 hours or overnight. The starter should be bubbly and slightly risen.
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When the starter is ready, prepare the dough. In a stand mixer bowl, dissolve the yeast into the lukewarm water. Add the starter, the flour and the salt. Mix and knead on low to medium speed until the dough is soft, cohesive and mostly smooth — about 5 minutes on speed 2.
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Place the dough in a lightly greased medium bowl. Cover and let it rise for 3 hours, gently deflating and turning it after 1 hour and again after 2 hours.
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Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased surface and divide it into three equal pieces. Shape each into a rough, slightly flattened oval. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
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Work with one piece at a time: fold it lengthwise, seal the edges with the heel of your hand, flatten slightly, then fold and seal again to build surface tension.
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With the seam-side down, roll each piece from the center outward until you have a roughly 15″ log. Place the logs seam-side down in a baguette pan or on a lightly greased or parchment-lined sheet pan. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and let them rise until very puffy, about 1½ hours.
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Toward the end of the final rise, preheat your oven to 450°F. If using a baking stone, place it on the lowest rack.
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Using a sharp knife held at about a 45° angle, make several diagonal slashes across each baguette. Spritz the loaves generously with warm water to promote a crackly crust.
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Bake until deep golden brown, about 25–30 minutes. Remove and cool on a rack. For an extra-crispy crust, turn the oven off, crack the door open about 2 inches, and let the baguettes cool inside.
Notes
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