How to Make Baguette at Home (Homemade French Bread Recipe)
Baguette has a crisp crust and longish shape. It is one of the most consumed breads in France. This attractive bread is used to make a number of snacks and starters.
Here are a few common starters and snacks that are made using baguette:
- Veg Club Sandwich
- Cherry Tomato and Avocado Crostini
- Classic Garlic Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread
- Paneer Tikka Sandwich
- Cherry Tomato and Ricotta Sandwich
- Paneer and Tomato Open Toast.
- Mini Pizzas with Mini Pepperoni
- Dill, Cream Cheese and Smoked Salmon Baguettes
- Cheesy Brussels Sprouts
- Cranberry Brie
It doesn’t matter if you’re baking or buying Baguette, you need to know the basic baguette essentials.
Good Baguette Vs. Bad Baguette
Here are five things to look for that differentiates a good baguette from a bad one.
#1. Crispy Crust
Begin by holding the baguette close to your ear. Slightly squeeze the crust and listen to the sound. Does it create a symphony of crackle or a shattering sound?
Add to your shopping cart only if it “sings like a bird.”
#2. Colour Code
Your baguette’s colour says a lot about its quality. If it’s brown and yellow, it means it has the required caramelization.
#3. What’s Inside?
Cut the baguette and notice the colours. A perfect baguette will have a rich cream colour whereas a poorly made baguette will have a white colour.
#4. Holy Holes
Pay attention to the number and size of holes on your loaf. Big and small holes all over the bread are evidence that the dough rose or has proofed properly.
#5. Smell
What does your baguette smell like? The best way to do this is to put it in front of your nose and push it to see if you can smell 100 different flavours.
Making Baguette at Home
Don’t let the recipe scare you, it looks complicated but is not. We assure you that if you follow our instructions properly, you’ll have a beautiful and irresistible baguette in no time!
At step 10, remember to make light incisions. Devour the baguette right away or store it in an air-tight container for up to 2 days.

Baguette (Homemade French Bread Recipe)
Ingredients
- A pinch of salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1½ tsp dry yeast
- 2¼ cups of plain flour and some more (for rolling)
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine together 2 tablespoons of warm water with yeast. Cover and keep aside for 15 minutes.
- Mix the yeast mixture with salt and plain flour. Use warm water to knead into a sticky loose dough.
- Transfer this dough to a deep greased bowl. Cover using a damp muslin cloth. Keep the bowl in a warm place for 40-45 minutes.
- Use plain flour to lightly dust your fingers. Loosen the dough by scraping the sides of the bowl. Pull and fold the dough 6-8 times before covering with the damp muslin cloth. Keep the bowl in the warm place for at least 2 hours.
- Lightly dust your surface using plain flour. Pull and fold the dough 4-6 times but don’t knead it.
- Use a sharp knife to equally divide the dough into 2 portions. Keep one dough portion aside.
- Pat the dough to form a rectangle before rolling it to make a 12” (300 mm) cylindrical roll. Pinch the sides and edges all over to seal tightly.
- Repeat step number 7 and 8 with the remaining dough.
- Place both the rolls on a dusted baking tray. Cover them with the damp muslin cloth. Let them rest for an hour.
- Remove the cloth. Use a sharp knife to make 2-3 light incisions. Fill an aluminium bowl with water and keep it in the lower shelf of the oven.
- Bake the baguettes for 25-30 minutes on 250°C. Brush a little water on both the rolls after every interval of 10 minutes.
- Remove once the baguettes become crisp and golden brown in colour. Cool completely before serving or storing them.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do you make baguettes from scratch?
Follow our easy recipe to have freshly baked, fabulous baguettes. All you need are a handful of ingredients to get started.
How do you make a baguette?
Shaping and baking baguettes are easy if you follow our step-by-step instructions mentioned above.
How do you get the perfect crust on a baguette?
The secret to getting the perfect crust is to place a small bowl of water below the baguettes while they’re baking. Alternatively, you can also preheat the oven after placing the bowl of water at the bottom of your oven. Allow the steam to fill the oven before placing the baguettes to get that beautiful crust.
Also, try our Sensational Thanksgiving Apricot Chocolate Tart
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Shristi likes to write about Food, Finance and everything in between.
Love it…and pictures as well. I made these today!! They were incredible. soft and crispy.
This Baguette is useful for many snacks .Thanks for sharing this homemade Baguette recipe.
After watching “Emily in Paris” all I wanted to do was go to France and try their food. For now I can’t go to France but I would LOVE to try Baguette! Can’t wait to try ALL the recipes with Baguette. Mercie F and B Recipes!
Followed the recipe exactly! Weighing all components. The taste and the crunch is fantastic 😀
They were so tasty and crunchy! ❤
How easy is this recipe! The best part is it doesn’t contain any eggs.
I was surprised that baguettes could be made at home! This recipe is great. My bread came out so crispy and crunchy.
I’m never buying expensive baguettes from the bakery now! 😉
The baguettes were unbelievably good!
I can’t believe how simple they are to make!
I tried this recipe , I had never eaten such a delicious ,soft and chewy baguette in my whole life , wonderful recipe , thankyou very much .
I will surely try it. The recipe looks easier and even yum
Bake it to taste the joy of it, and the spongy texture will make you fall in love with it.
Baked this at home and got the perfect aroma and texture. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
After trying this at home, never wanna go outside for it….. Just loved it! Thank you so much!!
I will surely try the recipe looks soft and crispy ! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Perfect texture and taste everyone should try this atleast once !
Looks to yummy!!
loved the crispness of the baguette and made snacks more tasty 😋.
Get your baking hats on because you are gonna love this recipe and the taste of it.
This recipe turned out to be soo yummy. Everyone should definately try this.
I have made this several times and it’s wonderful !
Nice and crisp and the texture turned out really well…!
Our taste buds also deserve some kind of relaxing therapy! And this recipe is perfect for that purpose.
It’s very crispy and yummy!!
Nice aroma and crispy…wow!
Feels exactly like the one we get from bakeries. Tasty!
I tried this recipe and it was delicious I ate it with butter and it tasted like heaven!
As soft and delicious as bakery bread!
So satisfying!!
This bread was super crunchy. Tried many snacks with it, loved it!
This recipe is so quick!
Yummy recipe!
Nice and crisp.