How to Make Traditional 4-Ingredient French Baguettes

July is a month for celebrating! Even the Hallmark Channel shows Christmas movies in July… “Christmas in July”! Is that a thing? While Americans celebrate Independence Day on July 4th, the French celebrate their independence on July 14th. Many people from around the world flock to France during July, thanks to the Tour de France. With so much on the calendar, it’s time to celebrate France! Let’s make some traditional 4-ingredient French baguettes! But first, I’m compelled to share a little of my story.

My Love for France (& French Baguettes) Started with Cycling

Before I get into French baguettes, I have to share my personal connection to France where the love of French baguettes began. I have a deep, emotional, and personal connection to the country.

France appeared on my radar in the early 80s when I was just 7 years old. I started cycling (racing) at 9 years old with my dad (who was a cyclist). Together, we watched the Tour de France every July on TV. Check out these funny old pics of me… age progression on a bike.

• 

• 

• 

I was a fan of Greg Lemond and aspired to be a great cyclist like him (even though that was not common for a girl). While still in elementary school, my dad told me that if I learned a little French, he would take me to France to see the Tour de France. WHAT!!! Uh, duh… yes, I will!!

A Dream Come True!

Well, long story short… that’s what I did. Following my senior year in high school, I spent the summer living in the French Alps (the town of Cluses) with a family who connected me with a cyclist (a local elementary school principal). In addition to cycling, during my summer in Cluses, I would run along the river below in the mornings.

During this trip, I saw several days of the Tour de France and even cycled through the Alps on the days the professionals were there. It really was a dream come true! Thanks dad for keeping your promise!! I still can’t believe I saw the cycling greats of the time- Miguel Induráin (5x Tour winner!), Bjarne Riis, and Richard Virenque quite a few times that summer.

Cycling Led to my Career & Love of French Baguettes

After I spent a summer in France, I knew that France or French had to become a part of my future. But how? I didn’t know until graduate school. Teaching seemed the most logical route and one that made sense to me since I LOVED talking about France and the INCREDIBLE food, especially French baguettes!!

I’ve been fortunate and blessed to have traveled to France many times. I always returned to the US missing French food, especially good French baguettes. In fact, it takes me a couple of weeks for that food longing to subside… you just can’t find (well, rarely find) a good French baguette in the US. Though, they are better these days.

I have many incredible memories living in a French home in France as a student and traveling with my family, my in-laws, my husband, and chaperoning student trips. I’ve always been incredibly passionate in talking about France with my students and sharing my many personal adventures.

I Feel like Anne de Bretagne… Queen of France.

This deeply rooted love and fascination I have for the country, history, culture, people, and food, fills a lot of space in my heart. I continually long to return. While I don’t resonate with being queen of France like Anne de Bretagne, my heart resonates with hers.

Anne de Bretagne lived during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. She was born in Nantes (considered a part of Brittany, at the time) in Northwest France and was the Duchess of Brittany. She lived in the Loire Valley after becoming queen of France. Even as queen, she fought exhaustively for the autonomy and safeguard of Brittany.

After she died, her body was entombed in the Basilica of Saint-Denis in Paris. BUT her heart was sent to Brittany and encased in gold where it still resides today. I know, I know, I know… creepy!! But if you can get past the literal sense and consider the figurative sense… it’s quite romantic.

Herein lies my figurative-sense connection with Queen Anne de Bretagne. Regardless of what I do and where I go, my heart will always be somewhere in France.

Why Did I Choose French Baguettes?

When I started this baking adventure, I knew that my French bakes would occur in July. I’ve spent more Julys over the years in France than any other month of the year. For me, July belongs to France. While France has some complex, elegant, hearty and delicate breads, the hearty French baguette is the iconic bread of the country.

For my first of what I hope are many French bakes, the French baguette was most certainly the first one calling my name. I have lots of memories eating traditional French baguettes and cheese… OH! And yes… dunking them into hot chocolate on a cold day!!

One of my favorite French baguette memories is stopping at the local boulangerie on my way to school (l’Université d’Orléans) for a baguette or baguette viennoise (sweeter baguette, sometimes with chocolate chips… my preference). Once I arrived at school, I would buy a cup of hot chocolate from a vending machine on campus. I made sure to get to class early so I had time to sit and enjoy dunking my baguette in hot chocolate while appreciating the incredible life I was living.

I can taste that baguette viennoise in chocolat chaud now, the sweet chocolate-soaked interior with that soft, chewing exterior dripping with hot chocolate. Miam!! It really was the perfect afternoon sweet snack on a cold day.

The French Baguette Making Process Begins

Before beginning this adventurous bake, I knew I needed to spend time researching and learning about baguette making. While authentic French baguettes only contain 4 ingredients, flour, water, salt, and yeast, it’s the technique that makes this bread so incredibly unique and seemingly complex. If you’ve eaten your fair share of baguettes, then you know how diverse baguette quality can be even with those same 4 ingredients.

The French Bread Law of 1993 (Le Décret Pain 1993) states that boulangeries (French bakeries) can only label breads as traditional French baguettes if they are made with said 4 ingredients. The law even specifies the acceptable types and maximum weights of flour that can be used (wheat, soy, and bean). Sorry gluten intolerant folks! That means me, too. Ugh!!

Recipe Development of French Baguettes

After several baguette making trials, recipe adjustments, and practicing lots of different techniques, I’ve taken all that I’ve learned to “create” a recipe (modifying several different recipes, that is) with tips and techniques that work for homebakers like me.

The recipe below is a 2-day process. We mix all the ingredients (including the salt) along with an hour and half of intermittent stretching and folding on day one. The first day isn’t very time consuming, you just need to be available for that hour and half period. Day 2 is all about shaping (2 different times), resting, rising, and baking. Guess what? NO kneading!!

Day 1: Making French Baguettes

The dough preparation should be done the day or night before the day you want to bake. The purpose is for the dough to develop that ultimately creates flavor depth to those 4 ingredients.

Some French baguette recipes use a starter called “la Poolish” which means “starter”. It basically refers to most of the wet and dry ingredients (minus the salt) all mixed together and allowed time to develop overnight in the fridge. The recipe I’ve adapted does not use a “Poolish” but rather the entire dough sits in the fridge overnight to develop. AND it even works with the salt!!

Step 1: Combine the French Baguette Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk flour, yeast, and salt. Stir in water, cover, and rest for 15 minutes. This recipe flour-to-water ratio is at a 75% hydration level. I’ve played around with several traditional recipes to create one that works for me. Most French baguette recipes use between 75%-80% hydration levels. While this recipe is 75% hydration to start, we’ll add water as we stretch and fold to increase that hydration level.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

TIP: I highly recommend using a food scale for this recipe because the hydration levels are more accurate based on weight rather than cup measurements. But I will give you the approximate cup measurements in the recipe. Keep in mind that all-purpose flours are not all the same. They have different gluten, protein, & ash percentages which can affect the hydration levels.

Step 2: Stretch & Fold

This really important step is what hydrates the dough and allows gas to develop as the dough rests in the fridge overnight. This step includes three 2-minute sets of intermittent stretching and folding over the course of 1 ½ hours. There is NO kneading in making this bread because we want to develop those signature air pockets found in the bread. We will do this by adding more water and trapping gas in the folds.

Perform the technique shown in the photos below for 2 minutes; be sure to set the timer. You will likely only stretch and fold 2-3 times during the 2-minute time frame. I used a bench scraper tool, but you can just use your hands. Cover the dough in the bowl and allow it to rest on the counter for 45 minutes. Be sure to set the timer.

Stretch & Fold Wet Dough Technique Video! If you’re interested in the Stretch & Fold Technique only, check out this video providing the ins and outs of this technique.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

TIP: Use WATER instead of flour for this step. Keep a bowl of water near your work surface. Add water to work surface. Dip hands in water. Dip utensils in water as you use them. Water keeps the dough hydrated, bubbly, and prevents the dough from sticking.

Repeat Step 2

After 45 minutes of rest, uncover the bowl, and wet your hands, board, and utensil. Perform another 2 minutes of stretching and folding. Return the dough seam side down to bowl, cover, and rest for another 45 minutes.

Repeat Step 2 AGAIN

After the second 45-minute rest, uncover the bowl, and wet your hands, board, and utensil. Perform the third and final 2 minutes of stretching and folding.

After the final stretching and folding, cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight for about 12-20 hours. The dough will rise, but don’t worry about it oozing out over the bowl, the plastic will keep it contained.

Day 1 French Baguette Making Complete!

Day 2: French Baguette Shaping & Baking!

Take a look at the risen dough. Although we added salt to this dough, the dough still developed and rose overnight. Salt can interfere with the yeast causing slow development, but I have not found that to be a problem with this dough recipe. Case in point, check out the air bubbles… CRAZY air bubbles, too!

• 

• 

Step 3: Divide & Shape

Prepare a work surface with a little flour, not water this time. Scoop the dough out. Use the scale (if you have one) and divide the dough into 3 equal portions (300 grams each). Traditional baguettes are 350 grams each, but my baking pans are too small for the traditional size. Thus, my baguette recipe makes three 300-gram baguettes.

Shape each dough portion into rectangles.

RECTANGLE TECHNIQUE DESCRIBED: Press out the large gas bubbles and fold each side to form a letter. There’s NO stretching, just folding. Fold the top and bottom to form a letter shape and flip over seam side down. Set aside on floured surface. Cover and let rest for 45-60 minutes.

RECTANGLE TECHNIQUE VISUALS:

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Preparing the Oven

Once the 45-60 minutes are up, prepare the oven. Prepping the oven is more than just preheating it. The oven prep is what provides that signature crunchy exterior. Place a large baking sheet in the oven with the top grate set in the upper-half position. Place the bottom grate on the lowest level and add a large cast-iron skillet filled with water. Now preheat the oven to 500˚F/260˚C. The high heat and skillet with water will create the steam needed for the crunchy exterior.

Step 4: Final French Baguette Shaping

This step creates the signature baguette size. There are 2 different shapes required in this step. The shaping techniques are not difficult, but they are pretty involved. Check out my description and accompanying visuals.

SHAPING TECHNIQUE DESCRIBED: Stretch out each dough rectangle slightly, pushing out any large bubbles. Fold one side down a little less than a third and seal the seam with your fingers. Fold down the same side about another third to NEAR edge and seal again with your fingers.

Use the edge of your hand and press an indention/crease at the center, long ways of the log from side to side. Fold one more time along indention and seal bottom edge with the palm of your hand to make a short, fat “rope”.

Starting in the center, use both hands and roll the rope gently back and forth, stretching it to desired length. The length will depend on the baking pan size, about 15-17 inches. Traditional baguettes are 22-inches long and 2-2½-inches thick.

Taper the ends slightly by cupping your hands at the ends and pressing down as you roll the ends. Careful not to taper too much, just a little. We don’t want pointy ends.

Shaping & Forming the Baguettes Video! If you’re interested in the 3 different techniques presented above (folding into rectangles, shaping into logs, and final rolling into baguettes), check out this video providing the ins and outs.

SHAPING TECHNIQUE VISUALS:

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Making a Couche

Traditionally, a boulanger will place each baguette on a lightly floured “couche”. “Couche” is French for stretched out or lying… which is what the dough is going to do, right? BUT if you don’t have a couche (which you can buy on Amazon), you can use a clean kitchen towel, like me. This is what that looks like.

COUCHE TECHNIQUE DESCRIPTION: Take a clean, kitchen towel and place it on the flip side of a cookie sheet (to give you a flat surface so you can move it around your kitchen). Heavily flour the towel where the baguettes will rest. Turn each baguette seam side up when you place it on the towel making sure to bunch up/gather the towel between each baguette to create a distinctive divider. The purpose of the couche is to allow the baguettes to rise as they rest without deforming them.

COUCHE TECHNIQUE VISUAL:

Cover and allow baguettes to rise at room temperature for 45-60 minutes, or until the dough has sufficiently proofed. Dough is ready when you press a finger in the dough and the indention bounces back most of the way.

Transfer Time!

The hour is over and the baguettes have risen. We need to transfer the baguettes to a piece of parchment paper on another cookie sheet, seam side down. At this point, we don’t want to touch the baguettes very much. We neither want to deflate them nor leave unwanted marks and bends all over the dough. So, we will transfer them creatively. If you have a pizza peal or a long. thin board, those would work very well here. However, if you’re like me and don’t, here’s what you can do.

TRANSFER TECHNIQUE DESCRIPTION: Place the above homemade couche that’s on a cookie sheet next to the flip side of another cookie sheet. Place a sheet of parchment paper (the size of the cookie sheet in the oven) on top of the second cookie sheet and roll the baguettes from the couche onto the parchment paper with seam side down. Gently scoot them as needed to fit onto pan.

TRANSFER TECHNIQUE VISUAL:

Step 5: Score

It’s time to score each baguette to allow for appropriate intentional expansion. You can use a sharp knife or a razor blade. Score each baguette 3 times at an angle going down ~1/4-inch deep. When scoring, use a swift and firm motion to ensure nice and clean cuts. For an artisan look, use a sifter/strainer and evening sprinkle more flour on the top of each loaf for that artisan look.

Step 6: Bake! Finally!!

Open the oven and quickly step aside (avoid getting burned by the steam and heat). Remove the large baking sheet and place it on top of the oven with one long side touching the back of the stove for leverage. Place the cookie sheet with the baguettes in front of the large baking sheet with the long side touching the long side of the large cookie sheet. Carefully slide the parchment paper with baguettes into the large cookie sheet adjusting the baguettes to allow room to expand and brown on all sides. Ideally, the baguettes will NOT touch as they need to brown all around.

• 

• 

Return the large baking sheet to the oven. Close the oven door and reduce the temperature to 475˚F/246˚C. Bake for 15 minutes. You should still have water in the skillet, if not add more (boiling water, if possible).

The first 15 minutes are up. Remove the skillet containing the water, rotate the baguettes, drop the temperature to 450˚F/232˚C and continue baking for another 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

• 

• 

All DONE! Check them out! All baked and ready to cool.

Cooled & Ready to Taste

Upon closer investigation, I think these baguettes would rival any decent baguette found in a bakery (maybe with the exception of the little extra flour on top)😉 . Knocking on the bottoms produces that typical hollow sound. When slicing into them, you hear the crunch. The inside is soft with lots of air holes. The real test though is the tear. As you tear into them, you can feel a stretchy resistance, still hear the crunch, and see the gluten stretch. YES! Authentic French Baguette recipe ACHIEVED!

• 

• 

Final Thoughts…

Boulangers (French bakers) are highly regarded for their French-baking skills, so it is entirely unfair for me to compare myself to any of them. They work full-time for years as an apprentice before being considered a decent bread baker. However, if you are looking for a good baguette and can’t find one, OR you want an awesome baking challenge, this recipe will fit the bill.

Baker’s Perspective

I never thought I would be able to produce anything remotely close to the baguettes I’m accustomed to eating in France. Since all traditional French baguettes have the same 4 ingredients, creating a baguette with all of those signature authentic baguette elements was pretty intimidating. It’s amazing to think how much technique plays into bread baking. You can have 5 different people make baguettes using the same ingredients and each person will have very different results. I always knew that bread baking can be tedious, but it wasn’t until I made French baguettes that I realized just how true that is.

As an amateur baker learning to make French baguettes, I feel I have learned more about bread baking with this one type of bread than I ever have. Granted, I learn something new with every bake, but the skills and techniques required in making this bread successful present quite the challenge. I’m extremely pleased with my results and hope you have the same success.

Taster’s Perspective

Due to gluten in the bread, Scott was the taste tester and overall consumer of multiple baguette bakes over the past couple of weeks. He’s eaten lots of baguettes over the years in both the United States and France. 😊

Scott found the texture of the bread both inside and out to rival any good, authentic baguette he has eaten. When it came to flavor, he also found them to be spot on. While he’s not a professional baguette taster, I think he knows when something is good. When it comes to taste, I’m taking this bread bake as a total WIN.😊

Check out my video on the step-by-step visuals of making this bread AND learn about me in my French-speaking intro. “How to Make Traditional 4-Ingredient French Baguettes: Learn Techniques & My French Connection“.

Interested in some other bread recipes? Check out these!

Mexican Bolillo

Homemade Hamburger, Hot Dog, & Hoagie Buns

The Berry Rolls (Grandma’s Yeast Rolls-Family Recipe)

Turkish Pide Flatbread

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes.