Sourdough baguettes are a superior version of the classic French baguette that uses store-bought yeast instead of a sourdough starter.
These baguettes have a delicious crunchy crust with an open crumb, light airy and slightly chewy. All the sought-after qualities you want in the perfect sourdough baguette.
Below is a simple-to-follow, step-by-step guide bakers of all levels can easily use at home, with all your questions answered, and a special section explaining how to fix issues you might run into.
The recipe is tailored for home bakers so that they fit into a regular-size oven. It makes four demi baguettes which are half the length of classic baguettes.
Jump to:
- Why make sourdough baguettes
- Equipment for making baguettes
- Ingredients
- Baking Schedule
- Sourdough baguette dough
- Dough temperature matters
- Shaping baguettes
- Proving
- Scoring and baking baguettes
- Video
- How to get the perfect crust
- Tips for successfully baking baguettes
- Troubleshooting
- Variations
- How to soften hard baguette
- Serving suggestions
- Frequently asked questions
- Other recipes you might like
- Recipe
- Comments
Why make sourdough baguettes
Traditionally baguettes aren't made with sourdough but rather with fresh yeast. The process takes a lot quicker but the result is much inferior to a sourdough baguette.
Sourdough baguettes are also healthier and easier to digest than regular yeasted baguettes. Making them lighter and the preferred option in top restaurants and bakeries.
Equipment for making baguettes
Sourdough baguettes are best baked on a baking stone if you have one. It ensures a perfect rise and crispy crust. Otherwise, use a heavy steal tray instead. Whichever you choose, make sure to preheat the oven for at least an hour before baking.
To proof baguettes you also need a sturdy material like a special linen baguette couche or simply use thick kitchen towels.
A spray bottle of water is useful for spraying the inside of the oven as well as the loaves before they go into the oven.
You need to slash the loaves with a special tool called a bread lame. It's essentially just a little handle with razor blades.
Bread Baking Set
Electronic Kitchen Scales
Cooling Racks
Baking Sheets
Ingredients
- Starter - Use my rye starter recipe or, if you already have a sourdough starter then use what you have. Your starter must be active and healthy. If your starter has been frozen or sitting in the fridge for a while, then first feed it a few times to get it nice and bubbly before using it.
- Flour - Use all-purpose flour that has a protein content of between 10 - 12 per cent. You can use stronger flour but, don't go any lower. I've also included some other substitutes you can use a bit further down in the post. Gluten-free flour won't work as expected.
- Water - Clean drinkable room temperature water. Do not use lukewarm water as you would to bloom yeast for burger buns and other quick-to-make breads.
- Salt - Fine non-iodised natural sea salt is my recommendation but if you only have fine iodised salt then use that. It slows down fermentation somewhat and might have a slightly bitter taste sometimes, which is why I opt for the natural salt.
See recipe card for quantities.
Baking Schedule
Below is an easy-to-follow example baking schedule I find manageable, but you can adjust it to fit into your schedule as you wish.
Day 1 | Mixing dough/ Bulk fermentation/ Shaping/ Cold fermentation |
10:00 pm (the night before) | Feed your starter. |
8:00 am | Make the dough and autolyse for an hour. |
9:00 am | Add the salt, give it stretch and fold # 1. |
9:00 am | Bulk ferment for 1 hour. |
10:00 am | Stretch and fold # 2. |
11:00 am | Bulk ferment for 2 hours. |
1:00 pm | Shape the dough. |
1:30 pm | Cold ferment in the fridge for 18 to 24 hours. |
Day 2 | Scoring and baking |
7:30 am | Preheat oven and prepare baguettes for baking. |
8:30 am | Score and bake baguettes. |
Sourdough baguette dough
Step 1: Mix 250 grams of water with 100 grams of bubbly, active sourdough starter. Add in the flour and mix until fully incorporated.
Step 2: Cover and rest for 1 hour. During this time dissolve the salt in the remaining 30 grams of water.
Step 3: Add the salty water to the dough and mix well until the dough is smooth. Give it a stretch and fold by pulling up one side of the dough and folding it over itself, repeating around the perimeter of the dough. When done, form into a ball and place into a clean, lightly oiled bowl covered with a damp cloth. Let it rest for 1 hour.
Step 4: Repeat the stretch and fold process twice more resting the dough for an hour after the second set of folds. After the 3rd set of folds let it bulk ferment for 2 hours. Make sure to cover the dough with a damp cloth when not handling it.
Dough temperature matters
Ideally, the dough mixing and fermentation up to cold fermentation, happens at room temperature. For most people, this will be around 20–22 °C (68–72 °F).
However, If you live in a colder area then try and let your dough bulk ferment in the oven with only the light turned on.
Likewise, if you are in a very hot climate without temperature control then cut the fermentation times in half.
Fermentation time is all the time the dough is left alone and covered.
Shaping baguettes
Step 1: Place the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.
Step 2: Divide it into 4 equal pieces for demi baguettes or two for longer baguettes if your oven and equipment allow for it.
Step 3: Gently pat out some air and flatten it into a rectangle.
Step 4: Fold the far side over keeping tension pushing down and away into the dough with your thumbs.
Step 5: Keep rolling and keeping the tension until you have a tight sausage shape.
Step 6: Press the seam down with the palm of your hand.
Step 7: Pinch it close with your thumbs and forefingers to make sure it's completely sealed.
Step 8: Roll out from the centre to the outsides, keeping more pressure on the outside of your hands, to create the pointy ears on either end.
Proving
Step 1: Line a baking sheet or tray with a couche or well-floured thick linen cloth. Fold it so that it will hold your baguettes in place. The flour can be a 50/50 mix of semolina and regular flour or simply rice flour.
Step 2: Place your baguettes seam-side up into the folds you made with the cloth.
Step 3: Sprinkle with more flour mix and cover with plastic wrap or another baking sheet turned upside down.
Step 4: Proof in the fridge for 18 hours or up to 36 hours.
Scoring and baking baguettes
Step 1: Remove the baguettes from the fridge and prove at room temp if they are still a bit flat. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Celsius or 480 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a container filled with boiling water in the bottom of the oven. Place your baking tray or pizza stone into the oven so it's hot when you need to bake. Dust the hot tray with semolina flour. Place the baguettes seam-side down onto the baking sheet. Use a special bread scorer or sharp knife to slash the loaves. The cuts should be made at a 30-45-degree angle and 1,5 centimetres deep along the length of the dough.
Step 2: Place the baguettes into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 15 minutes, rotate the baking sheet and turn the oven down to 220 degrees Celsius or 428 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the baguettes from the oven. Let them cool down slightly and admire their crunchy crust and pillowy crumb before slicing a piece to sample. Enjoy with some good butter or olive oil and balsamic glaze.
Video
How to get the perfect crust
Enough moisture and a high temperature.
That's what gives baguettes or any sourdough bread such a lovely crispy and crunchy crust.
When we make bread we hydrate starches. The starch at room temperature only takes up about 40% of its potential hydration level.
As the bread bakes, those hydrated starches take up more moisture the closer it gets to 82 degrees Celsius or 180 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, starches gelatinise irreversibly.
The high moisture level ensures that the temperature of the dough rises very slowly.
The yeast can perform a final supercharged fermentation and the bubbles already trapped in the dough have time to expand before the protein structure around them sets.
To make a crispy crust we want to bombard the hydrated starches with moisture so that they become so saturated with moisture, they burst and form a liquid gel.
This gel, in turn, bakes into a glass-like structure or thin crust and then finally browns due to the Maillard reaction.
For this reason, the first 10 minutes of baking is crucial as the moisture level during this period needs to be kept at a maximum. We don't want the exterior to dry out and set while the inside is still expanding.
Make sure your oven is extra steamy by placing a container with boiling water inside.
Spray the inside of the oven and also the loaf with a fine water mist every 2 minutes during the first 10 minutes of baking.
After that, you stop spraying it with water and you let the crispy crust form.
More on all that technical stuff here at Bakerpedia if you are interested in the science.
Tips for successfully baking baguettes
- Use scales for accurate measurements.
- Use an active sourdough starter.
- Dust your couche very well, otherwise, it will stick. Rice flour works better than regular flour if you have it.
- Make sure to cover the dough when not handling it to avoid it from drying out.
- Use common sense when proving and baking it. If it seems ready before the mentioned time frame then bake it, if it needs longer then let it prove longer.
- Use boiling water instead of ice cubes when baking. Ice cubes only cool down the oven whereas boiling water is only a moment away from becoming steam.
- Make sure to cool down your baguettes for at least 30 minutes before eating.
- Practice makes perfect. Very few people make great baguettes the first time. It takes practice and everyone's starter, flour, kitchen, fridge and oven is different. Practice and you'll make perfect sourdough baguettes all the time.
Troubleshooting
My baguettes didn't rise
Either your starter is spoiled or you didn't give it enough time to prove before baking it. Make sure your starter is active and bubbly and do a poke test before baking as shown in the video.
The dough got stuck to the couch.
Use more flour. If you over dust you can always brush off the excess before baking.
The color is dull.
Your oven temperature is too low or you didn't have enough moisture at the start of baking. Ensure you properly preheat your oven well in advance and bake in a nice steamy oven.
The crumb is dense and the bread is heavy.
This happens when you underproof the dough and bake it so the crust sets. Prove it properly and bake in a steamy oven.
My baguettes aren't crispy.
The temperature was too low and the moisture too high.
Variations
You don't have to stick to the classical white baguette. You can easily modify this recipe by following these steps.
- Flour - Replace 10 per cent of the white flour with rye, wholewheat, spelt, buckwheat, oat or flax meal.
- Seeds and dried fruit - Add chopped dried apricots, cranberries, cherries, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds.
- Other add-ins - For a burst of colour add a tablespoon of one of the following. Turmeric powder, cocoa powder, blue pea flower powder.
How to soften hard baguette
When you go through the trouble of making your sourdough baguette from scratch, you want to eat it all instead of giving it to the pigeons.
Refreshing it is easy and you don't waste a crumb.
Hard baguette means it has dried out and the little moisture that was in there has evaporated. This is easily fixed.
Remember we talked about hydrated starches irreversibly gelatinise when the bread is baked? This means that the structure of the bread is fully intact and the only thing we need to do is replace the lost moisture.
To do this you need to spray or dip your bread into water. Make sure the crust is completely wet but not soaked.
Turn your oven to 160 degrees Celsius or 320 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the soaked baguettes on a lined oven tray or baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
Your stale baguette will be as good as new with a crunchy crust and soft interior.
Note that you can only use this lifeline once. After that, it's pigeon food.
Serving suggestions
Like with any good sourdough bread, you can simply have it with good butter or go the extra step and cook something else delicious to serve it with.
- Sandwiches - Make a simple cheese and ham sandwich for a truly French snack. refrain from overloading it with soft ingredients. Because the crust is crispy and the interior chewy, it's best to use dry ingredients like cheese, ham, liver spread or something down those lines.
- With soup - Toast it or dip it into your favourite soup like Ukrainian borscht or creamy potato and leek soup.
- Croutons - Make croutons for salads by drizzling with olive oil, salt and pepper and baking until crispy in the oven.
- With dips - Dip into baked Morrocan eggplant or pea and mint dip. My favourite is to dip into good olive oil, homemade balsamic glaze and Egyptian dukkah.
Frequently asked questions
Classic French baguettes are made with a poolish or an old dough made with fresh or instant yeast. Sourdough baguettes are made purely with a sourdough starter which contains wild yeast.
Yes, you can. When you autolyse the dough you get a technically better loaf and increase the chances of success. However, if skip the autolyse and just add all the ingredients together you will still get delicious good looking baguettes.
No. This recipe only works with a sourdough starter and long slow proof. If you don't have a sourdough starter then you would need to use a recipe specifically created with fresh or instant yeast.
Once completely cooled you should store it airtight and keep it in a cool dry place. It will keep for up to 5 days. Do not store in the fridge as bread goes stale quicker in the fridge.
You can easily bake and freeze sourdough baguettes for longer storage and for the convenience of having freshly baked bread to hand at all times.
I suggest you slice the bread and store it in airtight ziplock bags. It will keep for up to 3 months.
Because a baguette is a long round shape you will have trouble just popping it into a regular toaster. It is also browned all over so if you cut it in half lengthways you might burn the already browned side. The best way is to either fry it in a pan or toast it under the grill drizzled with a bit of olive oil.
Other recipes you might like
If you love baking bread are desserts then you will find the following recipes useful.
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Recipe
Sourdough Baguette Recipe
Ingredients
For the baguette dough
- 450 g (3.6 cups) flour - white bread
- 280 g (1.1 cups) water
- 100 g (0.4 cups) active sourdough starter
- 15 g (3.0 teaspoon) salt
Instructions
Making the dough (This all happens at room temperature)
- Mix 250 grams of water with 100 grams of bubbly, active sourdough starter. Add in the flour and mix until fully incorporated. Cover and rest for 1 hour. During this time, dissolve the salt in the remaining 30 grams of water.
- Add the salty water to the dough and mix well until the dough is smooth. Give it a stretch and fold by pulling up one side of the dough and folding it over itself, repeating around the perimeter of the dough. When done, form into a ball and place into a clean, lightly oiled bowl covered with a damp cloth. Let it rest for 1 hour.
- Repeat the stretch and fold process twice more, resting the dough for an hour after the second set of folds. After the 3rd set of folds, let it bulk ferment for 2 hours. Make sure to cover the dough with a damp cloth when not handling it.
Shaping
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 4 equal pieces for demi baguettes or two for longer baguettes if your oven and equipment allow for it.
- Gently pat out some air and flatten it into a rectangle.Fold the far side over keeping tension pushing down and away into the dough with your thumbs.Keep rolling and keeping the tension until you have a tight sausage shape.Press the seam down with the palm of your hand.Pinch it close with your thumbs and forefingers to make sure it's completely sealed.Roll out from the center to the outsides, keeping more pressure on the outside of your hands, to create the pointy ears on either end.
Proving
- Line a baking sheet or tray with a couche or well-floured thick linen cloth. Fold it so that it will hold your baguettes in place. The flour can be a 50/50 mix of semolina and regular flour or simply rice flour.
- Place your baguettes seam-side up into the folds you made with the cloth. Sprinkle with more flour mix and cover with plastic wrap or another baking sheet turned upside down. Proof in the fridge for 18 hours or up to 36 hours.
Scoring and baking
- Remove the baguettes from the fridge and prove at room temp if they are still a bit flat. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Celsius or 480 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a container filled with boiling water in the bottom of the oven. Place your baking tray or pizza stone into the oven so it's hot when you need to bake. Dust the hot tray with semolina flour. Place the baguettes seam-side down onto the baking sheet. Use a lame or sharp knife to slash the loaves. The cuts should be made at a 30-45-degree angle and 1.5 centimeters deep along the length of the dough.
- Place the baguettes into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 15 minutes, rotate the baking sheet and turn the oven down to 220 degrees Celsius or 428 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the baguettes from the oven. Let them cool down slightly and admire their crunchy crust and pillowy crumb before slicing a piece to sample. Enjoy with some good butter or olive oil and balsamic glaze.
Video
Notes
- Sourdough baguettes will last for about 5 days sealed airtight. They will lose their crunch but you can refresh them by toasting or frying in a pan with a bit of olive oil.
- It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Cut it into slices and store airtight in the freezer for convenience. Whenever you want a little snack or a piece of baguette, simply take a slice from the freezer and warm it up.
Denise Haney says
I have been making this recipe for quite some time now and they are always delicious. I notice that you recently updated the timing in the recipe with a bulk fermentation after the stretch and folds. What was the reason for this?
Charlé Visser says
I realised that a lot of people are having difficulty getting the proper proof. Maybe they have super cold fridges or slow starters. Many reasons. So, to help get around that I added a bit more time out of the cold. If the previous method worked for you then stick to that!
Roberto says
I thought you posted a baguette recipe using the poolish method and refrigerating overnight but I can't find it now.