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No, we cannot live on bread alone, but it sure is a very good place to start! Make your very own French baguettes easily. There is nothing like sinking your teeth into these soft and chewy French bread baguettes!

Yes, warm crusty French bread from your very own oven! With this easy French Baguettes recipe , it only takes some extra time, not extra effort. Besides, what else have you to do today? So even if you are working from home due to Covid 19, you can still make fresh French bread baguettes to have with your dinner tonight. This technique only requires a little attention now and then, the most effort comes when you have to shape the loaves. So if you start the process early, during your coffee or lunch break you can shape the dough into four baguettes and bake them for dinner tonight!

This bread recipe makes 4 large crusty French baguettes.

Ingredients:

  1. 5 cups bread flour
  2. ½ teaspoon instant yeast
  3. 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
  4. 2 ⅓ cups of cool tap water

Need high quality bread flour? Click here.

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Need a bread couche? Click here

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Helpful Tools:

  1. spray bottle of water for creating extra steam in your oven
  2. sharp knife or bread scorer. ( I used a stainless steal straight razor)
  3. clean cotton tea towel or couche

Easy from Start to Finish:

Whisk together flour, salt, and yeast
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  • whisk together flour, salt, and yeast
add water and mix until flour is moistened
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  • add water and mix until all the flour is moistened
cover bowl and with plastic wrap and allow dough to rest for 45 minutes
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  • cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 45 minutes
after resting period, scrape dough onto a clean surface.  Using wet fingers, fold the dough over itself and give the dough a quarter turn and continue this process for 6 times.  Tip: avoid adding more flour even if the dough is sticky, as you want to keep the higher water/flour ratio.
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  • after resting period, scrape dough onto a clean surface.
  • using wet fingers, fold the dough over itself and give the dough a ¼ turn and repeat this step six times. TIP: avoid adding more flour even if the dough is sticky, as you want to keep the high water/flour ratio.

return the bread dough to the bowl and cover again with plastic wrap.  Allow the dough to rest for 45 minutes.  At this time the dough is visible smoother.
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  • return the bread dough to the bowl and cover again with plastic wrap
  • allow the dough to rest for 45 minutes.

*at this time the dough is visibly smooth and more supple

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  • after resting repeat the folding process and resting process for a total of four times over three hours.
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  • following the last resting period, scrape dough onto a floured surface and cut the dough into four equal parts

Shaping the Loaves

shape each piece of dough and shape them into an oval 
cover them with plastic and let rest for 15 minutes
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  • shape each piece of dough and shape them into an oval loaves
  • cover them with plastic and let rest for 15 minutes

sprinkle some flour on your work area and place one piece of dough and flatten with your fingertips
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  • place a well-floured couche or well-floured clean tea towel on a flat baking sheet
  • sprinkle some flour on your work area and place one piece of dough and flatten with your fingertips
place a well-floured couche or well-floured clean tea towel on a flat baking sheet.  Roll the top third toward the middle and using the heel of your hand and tap down the edge and roll down again and tap down again. Roll the dough out into baguette sized lengths, place the baguettes one at a time onto the couche or tea towel.  Cover with another towel and let rest for 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Tip : put baking pan in bottom of the oven and pour boiling water into the hot pan just before placing the loaves in the oven.  The steam will help with a fuller rise of your bread.
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  • roll the top ⅓ of the dough toward the middle and using the heel of your hand tap down the edge of the dough and roll down again and tap down again with the heel of your hand
  • using both hands, roll the dough out into baguette sized lengths
  • place the baguettes one at a time onto the couche or tea towel
  • cover with another towel and let rest for 30 minutes
  • preheat oven to 400℉ TIP: put a baking pan in the bottom of the oven and pour some boiling water in the hot pan right before you place the loaves in the oven. The steam will help with a fuller rise of your bread.

Scoring the Baguettes

remove top towel and roll the baguettes carefully onto  another large baking sheet
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  • remove top towel and roll the baguettes carefully onto another large baking sheet
lightly spray the tops of the baguettes with water and score each loaf with four cuts in a diagonal pattern with a sharp knife, bread scorer, or razor
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  • lightly spray the tops of the baguettes with water and score each loaf with four cuts in a diagonal pattern with a sharp knife, bread scorer, or razor
place loaves on the center rack of the oven.  Spray some water onto the sides of the oven to add steam before you closes the oven bake loaves for  20 minutes, or until golden.
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  • place loaves on the center rack of the oven. Spray some water onto the sides of the oven to add steam before you closes the oven door
  • bake loaves for 20 minutes, or until golden.
allow the loaves to cool completely before slicing
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  • allow the loaves to cool completely before slicing
four crusty French bread baguettes on a cooling rack. Enjoy!!
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Enjoy!

About Author

Susan

Hello, I am Susan and creator of mylovingoven.com. I live in the beautiful state of New Hampshire. I love to cook and all that it entails, including finding that perfect recipe, gathering the ingredients, then adding my personal flare. I have many passions and cooking is one of them. I also enjoy hiking, biking, trail running and travel but most of all spending time with my family and friends in that all time favorite place to gather, the kitchen. Preparing food for the ones I love is pure joy!

I love to hear from my readers. If you liked a recipe that you found here, please let me know.

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