These Classic Baguettes Made With Fresh Milled Flour are a simple 4 ingredient, same day recipe. They are perfectly crusty on the outside with a soft, tender interior! They are delicious with butter and jam, made into garlic bread, bruschetta, or mini pizzas or —- simply dipped into a bowl of your favorite soup.
What You’ll Need To Make Classic Baguettes Made With Fresh Milled Flour
Fresh Milled Hard White Wheat Flour
Water
Instant Yeast
Salt
Making The Baguette Dough
First you are going to mix the flour and water and autolyse for 1 hour. This is a high hydration dough and it needs this important step. When I tried to rush it they seemed gummy inside after baking. *Don’t skip*
Next, add in your yeast and salt and knead for 2 minutes. I find this easiest to do by hand in the bowl. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Perform 1st stretch and fold and rest for 30 minutes.
Perform 2nd stretch and fold and rest for 30 minutes.
Divide evenly into 3 pieces. (I like to use a scale)
On a floured surface, preshape into rectangles while trying to preserve the air. Cover with a towel and rest for 15 minutes.
*These will have some air pockets when done, but like fresh milled flour sourdough, it is not like what you would achieve with standard white flour.
Preheat your oven to 450F. When the oven is cold place your cast iron baking sheet/baking stone and small cast iron skillet in the oven to preheat with it. The small skillet will be for the water you add to create steam while baking. You could also use a metal pan if you don’t have a small cast iron skillet.
Shape your baguettes and place into your couche to rise for 30-45 minutes while the oven is preheating.
When baguettes are done proofing, score them, and gently roll them onto a baguette peel (I use my long pizza cutter) to load them onto your preheated cast iron baking sheet/baking stone. You can do this while it’s in the oven or quickly remove it for this step. I personally like to do it outside of the stove.
Next, CAREFULLY pour boiling water into the preheated small skillet to create steam. Bake your baguettes with steam for 15 minutes.
Remove water and continue baking for 10-12 minutes until crust is a beautiful golden brown.
Cool on a wire rack completely before slicing. Slicing too early traps steam, resulting in a gummy, doughy texture inside.
Note: To make a “couche” with a flour sack towel or dish towel generously dust a clean, flour sack towel with flour to prevent sticking. Lay the towel flat and create accordion-style pleats or “tunnels” to hold baguettes in.
Shaping Baguettes
I’m going to share my method for shaping baguettes. I have watched multiple videos and can’t totally do it like the pros yet, so if you’re a pro at it more power to you! I will keep practicing.
What Tools Do I Need To Make Baguettes?
You most likely have things around your house already to make baguettes. I have also linked these options below in my “Shop This Post” section.
Here are the tools needed to make baguettes at home:
Couche (pronounced koosh) – This is a thick linen cloth with pleated seams to help baguettes rise vertically instead of flattening out. If you don’t want to buy this you can also use a flour sack towel to make your own. A dish towel will also work. I prefer a flour sack towel because it is large enough to fold over the baguettes while they are rising.
Transfer Peel – This is going to be used to transfer your baguette from the couche to the preheated baking stone/sheet. Alternatively you can use a 16″ pizza rocker cutter. I already owned the rocker pizza cutter so I have been using that as my transfer peel. You can also use a thin cutting board, a stiff flat piece of cardboard covered in parchment paper, or a rimless baking sheet.
Lame (pronounced lahm) – You will need a lame to score your baguettes. This controls the expansion and prevents unpredicatable blowouts. Razor sharp lames are preferred, but in a pinch you can use the sharpest kitchen knife you have.
Baking Stone/Cast Iron Baking Sheet – Either of these will work for baking your baguettes. The preheated stone/pan results in maximum oven spring and a crisp, crackly crust. The preheated surface allows the baguette to quickly rise before the crust sets.
Do I Have To Bake Baguettes With Steam?
To make a baguette with a crisp crust you will need to bake with steam. If you skip the steam it will still work, but you will get a thicker, less crisp crust closer to standard bread crust. To create steam in your oven, place a cast iron or other heavy duty pan on the lowest rack while preheating the oven. Immediately after you load the baguettes into the oven put boiling water in the preheated pan. Alternatively you can use 1 cup of ice cubes in place of the water. This will create the steam needed for the first 15 minutes of the bake.
*Be careful and pour your water in slowly as you will get a “steam cloud”. Also, take care to not get water on your oven door. The difference in temperature could crack or shatter your glass.
How To Store Baguettes
Baguettes are best eaten within 24 hours. They are going to be the crispiest right out of the oven and they will naturally soften some as the day goes by. Keep the baguette at room temperature in a paper bag orr wrapped in a kitchen towel. This helps to preserve the crust. If the baguette has hardened, run it quickly under water, then bake at 450F for 5-10 minutes to restore crispness.
Shop This Post
![Utopia Kitchen White Flour Sack Towels [6 Pack - 28 x 28 Inch] 100% Cotton Tea Towels for Cleaning & Drying - Highly Absorbent Kitchen Dish Cloth](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41gbkUr3NcL._SL500_.jpg)
Where To Buy Grains Online
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Mix the flour and water and autolyse for 1 hour. This is a high hydration dough and it needs this important step. When I tried to rush it they seemed gummy inside after baking. *Don't skip*
- Next, add in your yeast and salt and knead for 2 minutes. I find this easiest to do by hand in the bowl. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Perform 1st stretch and fold and rest for 30 minutes.
- Perform 2nd stretch and fold and rest for 30 minutes.
- Divide evenly into 3 pieces. (I like to use a scale)*If you prefer bigger baguettes feel free to divide into 2 pieces.On a floured surface, preshape into rectangles while trying to preserve the air. Cover with a towel and rest for 15 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 450F. When the oven is cold place your cast iron baking sheet/baking stone and small cast iron skillet in the oven to preheat with it. The small skillet will be for the water you add to create steam while baking. You could also use a metal pan if you don't have a small cast iron skillet.
- Shape your baguettes and place into your couche to rise for 30-45 minutes while the oven is preheating.
- When baguettes are done proofing, score them, and gently roll them onto a baguette peel (I use my long pizza cutter) to load them onto your preheated cast iron baking sheet/baking stone. You can do this while it's in the oven or quickly remove it for this step. I personally like to do it outside of the stove.
- Next, CAREFULLY pour boiling water into the preheated small skillet to create steam. Bake your baguettes with steam for 15 minutes.
- Remove water and continue baking for 10-12 minutes until crust is a beautiful golden brown.
- Cool on a wire rack completely before slicing. . Slicing too early traps steam, resulting in a gummy, doughy texture inside.
SO GOOD!!! They were a little on the flat side for me, Do you think if I added Vital Wheat gluten it would help it to be more puffy/dome like?
Glad you enjoyed them! That may help, but overall it sounds like a proofing/shaping issue.