No-Knead French Baguette Recipe

Ingredients

For 3 small baguettes:

• Water: 300ml (10.1 fl oz)
• Active dry yeast: 6g (2 teaspoons)
• Bread flour: 380g (13.4 oz / 3 cups)
• Salt: 8g (1½ teaspoons)

Instructions

1. Prepare the Yeast Mixture

• Pour 300ml of lukewarm water (around 110°F/43°C) into a large mixing bowl
• Add 6g of active dry yeast
• Stir gently until the yeast completely dissolves

1. Create the Dough

• Add 380g bread flour and 8g salt to the yeast mixture
• Mix with a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains visible
• The dough will look shaggy and irregular – this is perfectly normal
• Spray the dough surface lightly with water

1. First Rise

• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel
• Let the dough rest at room temperature (68-72°F/20-22°C) for 60-90 minutes
• The dough should double in volume

1. Shape the Baguettes

• Dust your work surface generously with flour
• Flour your hands well to prevent sticking
• Gently turn out the dough onto the floured surface
• Using a lightly oiled bench scraper, divide the dough into 3 equal portions
• Without pressing or kneading, shape each portion into an elongated form

1. Final Preparation

• Transfer the shaped baguettes to a baking sheet
• Spray each baguette lightly with water
• Dust the tops with flour
• Using kitchen scissors, make diagonal cuts across each baguette

1. Baking

• Preheat oven to 240°C/464°F with steam function if available
• If no steam function, place a shallow pan of hot water on the bottom rack
• Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and crusty

Nutritional Information

Per baguette (when divided into 3):

• Calories: 420
• Carbohydrates: 85g
• Protein: 14g
• Fat: 1.5g
• Fiber: 3g
• Sodium: 780mg

Expert Tips and Tricks

• Use room temperature water in summer and slightly warm water in winter
• The wetter the dough, the more open and airy the crumb structure
• Create steam in your oven by spraying water on the walls when you put the bread in
• For extra crustiness, leave the baguettes in the turned-off oven with the door cracked for 5-10 minutes after baking
• Using a pizza stone or baking steel will improve the crust development

Variations and Substitutions

• Replace 20% of bread flour with whole wheat flour for a heartier version
• Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil for a softer crumb
• Incorporate herbs like rosemary or thyme for flavored baguettes
• Use all-purpose flour if bread flour isn’t available (though the texture will be slightly different)
• Add 1 tablespoon of honey for a slightly sweeter taste and better browning