Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Perfect French Baguette at Home – Only Impossible If You Don’t Try It

Whenever someone asked me why I hadn’t done a baguette video yet, I’d tell them because you just can’t recreate an authentic loaf of French bread at home. 

I’d explain about the water, the flour, the centuries old starters, and the steam-injected ovens. I told them what I’d been told; that it was simply impossible, or as the French say, "impossible!"

That was, until I actually tried to make some. Much to my amazement, not only was it possible, it was really pretty simple. The key is water. That goes for the dough, and the baking environment. The dough must be very sticky, as in hard-to-work-with sticky. This is nothing well-floured fingers can’t conquer, but I did want to give you a heads-up.

Besides the water content in the dough, the oven must also be moist. This humidity, in addition to some occasional misting will give the crusty baguettes their signature look. How does this work? You know how when someone pours water on the rocks in a dry sauna, and suddenly it feels way hotter? It probably has something to do with that.

Anyway, who cares why it works, the important thing here is that real, authentic, freshly-baked baguette is now an everyday reality. One thing worth noting; I adapted this no-knead version from a recipe I found here last year. The original is in metric, so I’ve converted it, but also included the original flour and water units in case you want to get it exact. I hope you give this easy, and so not impossible baguette recipe a try soon. Enjoy!


For 4 smaller or 2 large baguette:
1/4 tsp dry active yeast (I used Fleischmann's Rapid Rise Yeast)
(Note: if you want to use a traditional bread technique, add the whole package of yeast (2 1/4 tsp) and proceed as usual)
1 1/2 cups water (325 grams)
1 3/4 tsp salt
18 oz by weight all-purpose flour (500 grams), about 4 cups
- Mix dough and let rise 12-14 hours or until doubled
- Punch down and shape loaves, let rise covered with floured plastic 1 to 1 1/2 hr or until almost doubled
- Bake at 550 F. about 15 minutes or until well-browned
- Spray with water before baking, at 5 minutes, and at 10 minutes during cooking time

205 comments:

1 – 200 of 205   Newer›   Newest»
Melbe7 said...

My food wish came true! Thank you so much! I can't wait to make this. :)

jlee said...

Had the best bread when I was in France. Maybe I can finally recreate it. Thank you so much, I've been putting off making baguettes, but a no knead recipe I can't resist not trying.

cookinmom said...

Phew...that's a lot of work for those tiny things! All worth it though. :0)

Unknown said...

How could one preserve the dough to bake it another day and how long is it possible to maintain it for?

Unknown said...

How would it be possible to preserve the dough to bake it another day and also for how long could one maintain it for?

Chef John said...

You can keep a day in fridge. Just punch down and chill wrapped until you need it.

bdwilcox said...

You are the baronet of your baguette.

Penny said...

The baguettes look sooo delicious, Thank you so much Chef John!!!

Coleens Recipes said...

I make a lot of bread, so this looks totally "do-able", LOVE that crunch crust.

Unknown said...

I prefer to put a separate sheet pan with a bit of pre-boiled water into the oven for the first five or so minutes.

Jasen said...

Thanks for another great recipe and video. The before you snip it comment had me rolling

edward said...

The baguette is your marionette.

Anonymous said...

would it be possible to make one big loaf out of this? I wanted to make grilled cheese and was looking for large slices of bread

Deniz said...

My oven has a tendency to scorch the tops of things when I bake at over 400 F, how can I prevent that from happening? Or can I bake these at just 400 F, would they turn out the same? I'm assuming the crisp crust needs a hotter oven.

Unknown said...

Chef John, would a pizza stone add or detract from this wonderful experiment of yours?

Chef John said...

Brian,
It wouldn't detract, but I wouldn't bother, since the bottom crust was great.

Chef John said...

Deniz, Not sure! Maybe try lower in the oven. You can bake at 400 but classic crisp baguette crust won't form as well.

clyderamirez said...

Chef John this is a miracle! I made this today using your exact instructions and you are right you really can't mess this up! Two years of culinary school and one year of pastry and I still can't get bread right...and then there was foodwishes! I love this blog i love the channel thank you!

Jackie Reynolds said...

I make the no knead bread from this site often. This baguette looks so amazing with the big holes. I don't seem to be able to get the big holes with AP flour. I have better luck with bread flour (at least 4 gm of protein per serving. My best bread comes from Stone Buhr bread flour or King Arthur's Sir Lancelot high gluten flour. Even then the holes aren't as big and lovely as yours. Any suggestions?

Chef John said...

I've done with bread and AP flour and don't notice a big difference. I've always thought the bigger holes come from a wetter dough, more so than the strength of the flour.

ponderer [jc] said...

Is it ok to sprinkle water by hand for this? I don't have a spray for it because I'm travelling long term right now. I don't think I can justify buying one to fit in my backpack just for this.

Jackie Reynolds said...

Thanks for answering. I'll keep trying. The thing about using scissors is genius!

amandacp said...

Hi chef, loved the recipe. Do you think its possible to make it in a snake shape for a Halloween party?

(Greetings from Brazil!)

Chef John said...

Never tried to drip, but could work!

Sialia said...

This was dinner tonight. Seriously--I served it for the entrée, with a side of apples, cheese, butter, honey, lox, etc. and let everyone assemble their own--or not. Mostly, we just ate it. It was yummy--exactly as advertised. Will make again and again and again. Thank you so much!
(P.S. also want to use your crème fraiche recipe with your homemade cream cheese recipe to make a spread to go on it. Next time for sure!)

Sialia said...

Also--I forgot to mention--I didn't have a spray bottle and was too impatient to go get one. I used a wet pastry brush. Worked fine.

Elton Carvalho said...

Thanks again, Chef!

I just mixed my batch and it's rising now (and it's 4 AM here!). Let's see tomorrow how it goes.

I forgot to add the salt before mixing in the flour, so I had to add it when the dough was in the "OMG it's too dry" stage. To uniformize the salt distribution I had to do some folding and pressing with the wooden spoon, let's hope it does not break the "no knead" rules.

To Deniz, about the scorching, the guy from vivalafocaccia has the same problem with his oven and he puts an aluminium foil on top of the bread after he gets the desired browness (avout halfway into baking)

P.S.: Thanks for giving the measurements in grams, Chef! I have to press less buttons in my scale ;)

Unknown said...

Hey Chef John,

I was wondering if using the Rapid rise vs dry active yeast will make a difference in the method? Doesn't the active dry need to be 'activated' first with warm water.
Any suggestions?

Thanks

Chef John said...

I've used both and didn't notice a big difference. You should add the yeast to the water first regardless. Enjoy!

Unknown said...

So good.

I am so getting la_d tonight.

Thanks Chef.

(by the way, the I is missing)

J6U said...

So I guess baguettes are out of the question for my new French Bakery...

Unknown said...

This is AWESOME!

but..is it possible to make a french bread loaf instead of a baguette, with this recipe?

Unknown said...

Mine didn't get really dark brown. Light and crunchy.

More time?

Anonymous said...

I don't think you are supposted to use Silpat's at 550 degrees. I just made a French bread at 475 and it came out crispy, I used parchment paper.

Jasen said...

Made this tonight and was fantastic. All four loaves disappeared quickly. Thanks again for all the recipes and videos you post.

Jasen

joker333 said...

wonder how this would work with wheat flour? comments or advice about typical substitutions?

Sialia said...

Umm. Further experiment: if you use a little too much water on the crust, you get a thicker shell, more like a Philly hoagie roll. I love this, too. Just different.

Also, if the oven isn't hot enough to brown the crust after 20 minutes, I move the rack up and turn the broiler on. Seems to finish things nicely. Because of the low sugar and no oil, this is not a dough that browns quickly unless the heat is really high, but the inside does need enough time to cook.
(true confession: I've been making this bread for four days now. Can't seem to get enough!)

Natalie said...

Hmm. I should've quartered the dough like you said.

Either way it's so crunchy and OMFG I can't wait to dig in. It's still cooling off.

https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1384251_10151701618476724_566269003_n.jpg

Drew said...

I would say, after following the written ingredient directions (although to his credit he did suggest otherwise in the video), I would say that in this case, this is "Do as I say, not as I say!" Which may be confusing, but if you watch the video you'll understand.

4 cups by cup measurement is WAY too much and will turn into a near-death wad of crumbling flour, nothing near the sticky soft end result you're looking for. I scrapped it after realizing it was hopeless and pulled out the scale. 2nd time around - PERFECT. Measure by weights, the suggestion is sound!

Chef John said...

You must have packed though cups, as a properly measured (not scooped) cup should weigh 4.5 oz, which would make 18oz total, but yes, the scale is the only way to go.

wvcapt said...

Dough is rising. Plan to bake tomorrow using a baguette pan. Any comment?

Phil said...

Awesome bread but no so awesome French (tray Magnific!!?) haha j/k

Bogey Man said...

Haven't made this yet, but I'm going to. After forming the loaves. I'm going to sprinkle the corn meal on my work surface and lay the loaves on top and lightly tap on them (just enough to get some corn meal to adhere) and then put them on my baking sheet. Should eliminate the burnt meal problems.

Timeless14 said...

Making it right now. Scooped up four cups of flour but it ended up being too much. Added a bit more water and it was fine. Hopefully this didn't screw up the taste. Guess I'll find out tmw. Really should buy a scale...

Timeless14 said...

Making this now. Scooped 4 cups of flour and it was too much. Added a little bit more water and it was fine... though i hope it didn't screw up the taste. Guess I'll find out tmw. Really should buy a scale.

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for this recipe! I've got some work to do practising to shape the baguettes since the dough is so sticky and tough to work with. Tastes amazing though!

Unknown said...

Is it a good idea to use a kitchenaid mixer for this? I was wondering since I need to use a bowl either way and I don't want to overmix it.

tdubyawoods said...

For those without a spray bottle, I just used a soaked paper towel (don't wring it out too much, you want it pretty soaked) and pat the loaves all over the top. Worked like a charm for me.

Don't forget to do it BEFORE you put it in the oven, I missed this step on the first batch and I was amazed how much better the 2nd batch looked like when I remembered to do it before putting them in.

Thanks Chef John for another great recipe! For whatever reason, breads have been my nemesis, but, this one worked really well.

El Jefe said...

I've made this recipe a couple of times now using the KitchenAid mixer. I set it on the lowest setting until the flour is incorporated then bump it to '3' until it 'just' pulls away from the bowl. Works like a charm. THANK YOU CHEF JOHN!!

Unknown said...

Chef - is it possible to make baguette using whole wheat flour instead?

Chef John said...

Yes, but they don't taste nearly as good.

Unknown said...

Did you use instant or active dry yeast?

Chef John said...

Sam, gave specific yeast in the ingredients! ... "1/4 tsp dry active yeast (I used Fleischmann's Rapid Rise Yeast)"

figspot said...

I've made this twice already and the bread comes out okay. My only problem is that it comes out very pale and not dark brown -- it's still cooked, though. Any suggestions?

Chef John said...

Your oven can't be up to temperature. 550 degrees will brown any loaf. Are you using the spray and the water?

Chef Ash lol said...

Chef i have to say not one of your recipes have failed me yet. These included. My crappy oven only goes to 250c but just gave it a bit more time and was perfect. I never made dough before and theres were incredible. Also ur wings kick arse both my girlfriend and i thank you

Chef Ash lol said...

Appreciate all your work chef. You are great at what you do. I hope i can be as good as you one day

DL Warner said...

How do I keep the left over dough? I am also planning to make two loaves at a time. And how long can I keep it before it is unusable.

Unknown said...

Chef John, we really need your point of view on what connieemeraldeyes said. Your Silpat is 480 F max recommended but you are baking at 550 F. I've played with fire today with 500 F (on my well calibrated oven) instead of my usual 475 F just to see what happens with my made in China cheap clone but 550 F is a bigger stretch and not really necessary as 15 min @ 250-260 C is right on target with the pros in France. Do you know something we don't (like Silpat can actually handle more than it claims), or was it a calculated risk or a simple oops on your side? Or maybe we shouldn't be too tight and literal on recommended max temps?

Chef John said...

Didn't give it any thought. I probably should use parchment at that temp, but I didn't think of it. I've used silpat at these temps though and haven't seen an issue.

Chef John said...

Didn't give it any thought. I probably should use parchment at that temp, but I didn't think of it. I've used silpat at these temps though and haven't seen an issue.

El Medico said...

Sooooooooo, i put the water in first, while the oven was pre-heating, and blasted myself in the face with steam..... Not fun. Memo to everyone, careful when you open the that oven.

Unknown said...

Just have this a shot. To be honest I've never cooked bread at all before but when I saw how easy it looked in your video I wanted to try. Did everything step by step with the video. My oven only goes to 500F but I figured that would still be good enough. I sprayed every 5 minutes but the baguettes still did not brown. They cooked through but they are very pale. I'll try it again and try raising the rack to a higher position in the oven. Otherwise I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it work.

Unknown said...

Hi Chef, on my 3rd attempt! It's was with bread flour (ran out of AP) and this was ok. Tried again with AP but too dry. Now on the third batch which had a beautiful sticky consistency but all three batches have had a tendency to 'spread' resulting in very flat (almost ciabatta) style loaves. Any guidance? Cheers Sarah

V said...

The day you posted this recipe I was dying to try it. I finally did a couple weeks later I haven't been able to stop. Bread making was never something I enjoyed, too much of a day was devoted to waiting for dough to rise. This is the perfect alternative, 10 minutes to mix, let sit for half a day, 10 more minutes to shape, another short rise, and 15 minutes to bake. So easy! And the resulting loaves are more delicious than any home made bread I've tried. Thanks Chef!

Anonymous said...

I've made this a couple of times now, with great results, except that I find it extremely difficult to shape the bread when it's so sticky. Any tips for that?

Also, I had a bit of an accident... Instead of spraying the loaves with water, I poured some water directly in an empty metal tray underneath the loaves. That filled the oven with steam, but some water splashed back onto the glass panel of the oven's door, and it ... well, it exploded with a loud bang! Glass everywhere (except on my loaves!).

Has this ever happened to anyone?

Unknown said...

Do I have to bake all 4 loaves in the same day? I saw that you said that chilling it in the fridge for a day would work, but is there any way to store the dough long term? Thanks!

Chef John said...

You can probably freeze, but never tried. Why not just make half a recipe? It's so easy, why bother trying to store?

Unknown said...

Plz advice do you use 1/4tsp instant yeast for 4cups flour or the more yeast plz advice thx chef

Chef John said...

Sorry, I don't understand question

Unknown said...

Dear Chef John,

First of all, thank you for all your video's. You really changed the way my wife and I eat. Much appreciated.
You're like the Bob Ross of food. Your video's are hilarious.

I tried the baguette last night for Christmas dinner, and as nice as the bread was, the dough flattened out too much the second time I let it rise.
They were in a gorgeous shape, but after an hour and a half they looked more like a Chiabatta.

Again, the bread was amazing but how I can make the dough a bit "stiffer". Or stiff enough so it stays in the baguette shape a bit better while it's rising.
Please note I let it rise 16 hours overnight instead of 12 (wasn't back in time).
Could that have been the issue?

Many thanks and keep making video's!

Unknown said...

Dear Chef John,

First of all, thank you for all your video's. You really changed the way my wife and I eat. Much appreciated.
You're like the Bob Ross of food. Your video's are hilarious.

I tried the baguette last night for Christmas dinner, and as nice as the bread was, the dough flattened out too much the second time I let it rise.
They were in a gorgeous shape, but after an hour and a half they looked more like a Chiabatta.

Again, the bread was amazing but how I can make the dough a bit "stiffer". Or stiff enough so it stays in the baguette shape a bit better while it's rising.
Please note I let it rise 16 hours overnight instead of 12 (wasn't back in time).
Could that have been the issue?

Many thanks and keep making video's!

Unknown said...

Oh and merry Christmas to you,John. And all your fans out there. :).

Unknown said...

Chef u hve a 1/4tsp of yeast n in brackets u typed 2 1/4 tsp which is the right amount .thk u

Chef John said...

1/4 tsp!

Unknown said...

Thx chef john they came out nice accept i knw the crust on top came out crispy why did my bread base b hard .plz advice

Paul D said...

My wife executed this perfectly! After tasting the bread, my wife looked at me and said "I hope he's getting paid really well for this". I mean...it's perfect...

Unknown said...

I don't have any corn meal, is there an alternative? Or can I leave that step out entirely?? Thanks!

Angela said...

I have tried many recipes for baguette and this is the easiest. Thank you

Joe said...

Those struggling with oven temps and the crust not browning could try two things. Spray only onto bread, since water drops the temp of the oven significantly. And work fast, closing the oven as soon as you can.

Unknown said...

HOLY CRAP I did it .......

Turned out perfect, no more panera for us

just sayin

Campoamor22 said...

I made it twice, came out tasting pretty good. Great recipe. But why don't I get that smell of baked bread? Is it because of the type of yeast? I thought the whole house would smell heavenly after baking the bread, but nope... Any suggestions?
Thank you very much.
Carmen

Chef John said...

Sorry, no idea! You have goog ventilation!

Vegan in Newport said...

Chef, this is BY FAR, the best bread recipe ever!!! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I thought I would have to go back to PARIS, just to taste it again!!
Marisa

Durand said...

Brilliant recipe! Aside from forgetting to cut them before baking, I think they turned out great. I did have to double the amount of instant yeast and use a bit over two cups of water.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-v602ZWPrT0M/Uu0tSdnQwJI/AAAAAAAAH7s/MwSG1ESXuq8/s0-I/DSC_7814.jpg

Chef John said...

Looks great! Thanks!

Max311 said...

Fabulous recipe. Easiest bread recipe I have done. Instead of misting with water I just throw a 1/2 cup of water in the bottom of the oven at start, 5 & 10 minutes in.

Max311 said...

Fabulous recipe. The easiest bread recipe I have tried. Instead of misting I throw 1/2 cup of water in the bottom of the oven. Turned out perfect like the baguettes we had in San Francisco!

Unknown said...

Brilliant video but puzzled.
What is the relationship between yeast, proving time and flavour ?

This recipe requires a half gram of active dry yeast and 12-14 hours proving ..... elsewhere another requires 10gms of same yeast and one hour's proving.

Both claim to be "traditional" and flavoursome - how do you explain this range and what is the effect on texture and flavour ?

Little G said...

I need some help! My baguettes looked great but they were pretty raw on the inside. My oven would only go up to 515. here are my questions: do I put the pan of water inside the oven as I start preheating it or do I preheat to 515 and then put in the pan of water and the bread? Also, does it matter if I use a glass pan for the water or does it have to be cast iron? in the original recipe, they let the dough rise only for 1.5 hours. you do it for 12 hours. why such a difference? Is it crucial to let the shaped baguettes rise for an hour before you put them in the oven? thank you!!!

Unknown said...

Comment on Max311 mail, about misting :

I put in a large casserole of boiling water at start, which initially filled the oven with steam - then sprayed at 5 min intervals as suggested - but result was not as crisp as shown.
Wonder if my cooler oven was to blame ?
Though it browned nicely in 15 mins, the temperature never topped 350 degrees.

Chef John said...

Little G, I put the water in before I preheat. BUT, if your bread is "pretty raw on the inside" then that's simply under-cooking. Cook them longer!

Unknown said...

Thank you for this blog!!!!!
I am making ciabatta using your recipe for a year and decide to check your web page.... OMG!!!
Last week I made French banquet twice! Then lasagna and today caramel apple tart:)
I check your recipes every day, pick what I want and make it.
Your blog inspires me:)
Thank you!

Little G said...

Hi, I have a question about measurements, specifically for the flower. 18 oz is approximately 500 grams, but according to my measuring cup it is not about 4 cups, it's actually about 2.5 cups. Can you please provide the exact amount of flower (in cups) that you are supposed to use with 1.5 cups of water and 1/4 tsp of yeast. If I follow your proportions in grams as described in your recipe, I end up with dough that is way too runny, it doesn't look like your in your video. For yours, did you put 4 cups of flower or 500 grams? thank you!

Little G said...

Hi, I have a question about measurements, specifically for the flower. 18 oz is approximately 500 grams, but according to my measuring cup it is not about 4 cups, it's actually about 2.5 cups. Can you please provide the exact amount of flower (in cups) that you are supposed to use with 1.5 cups of water and 1/4 tsp of yeast. If I follow your proportions in grams as described in your recipe, I end up with dough that is way too runny, it doesn't look like your in your video. For yours, did you put 4 cups of flower or 500 grams? thank you!

Chef John said...

4 cups is about 500 grams! You're confusing weight and volume. A cup is 8 fluid oz, but weight varies with ingredient. So a "cup" does NOT have a weight... A cup of lead weighs more than a cup of flour. A cup of properly measured flour is about 4.5 oz or about 120 grams each. Yes, the dough is very wet, but you work more flour in as needed!

Little G said...

aha! you're absolutely right, but I've never seen any metrics measurements in american recipes so it freaked me out, especially since you say in the video that you insist we measure everything by weight :) I'm guessing you've kept those measurements since you were convening a european recipe. well, I'm gonna go with cups since I don't have a kitchen scale. So 1.5 cups of water and 4 cups of flower. I'll make it 3.5 and then I'll see if mine looks like yours in the video, if not I'll make it 4. The other bread that I make with this dough (in the dutch oven) is just a plain loaf and it takes 3 cups of flower. Turns out awesome each time. Thank you for the recipe and for you blog! I'm also making your jerk chicken wings today :)

Unknown said...

Can I use self rising flour!!!!????!?!??!! I ran out of all purpose

Chef John said...

no!!

Opalina said...

OK, I tried it for the first time the day before yesterday and yesterday I made it again and today I made 2 loaves again, BEST BREAD RECIPE EVER!! I have suggested it to all of my friends! Thank you!

Unknown said...

chef john, why is my dough too dry? even if i followed all ingredients verbatim. its not actually dry,dry. But it is not sticky anymore. I can even hold it in my hands without it sticking on me. tried it twice, got the same result. why is that? thanks!

Unknown said...

chef john, why is my dough too dry compared to yours? i followed the ingredients as written in the recipe. but mine was way too dry. i can even touch it with my hands without it sticking on me. tried it twice. what could i have done wrong?

Chef John said...

If it's that dry, you have to be measuring or weighing wrong! Or you need to not add all the flour. Just add until your dough looks like mine!

Unknown said...

Hi chef and friends, I tried to make this baguette some times exactly as described, but the bread crust become too stiff, very hard to chew. Do you have an idea what is going on?
I don´t know if it is the quality of all-purpose flour I use here in Brazil or if it is a issue of temperature.
My oven does not reach 550º F, but, as described in manual, reach 500º (I have doubt about that). It is needed more than 30 min for crust start to brown, and that beautiful color come with more time. By this time I feel the bread is overbaked, the baguette start to bend!

If you have a hint, preferably keeping my oven, to solve this problem I will be very gratefull.

thks

Chef John said...

Sounds like you are cooking too long waiting for a browned crust! Try less time.

Annabelle Lee said...

I've destroyed one of my kitchen mitten because of this, but it was well worth it. My bread loaves weren't as high but more flat as quarter sized than half sized baguettes.

Unknown said...

One and one-half cups of water weighs 355 grams, not 325 grams.

No wonder my initial mix was so dry.
One cup of water weighs 8.34 ounces.
8.34 X 28.35 = 354.65 grams.

So much for weighing everything.

achess said...

Chef John add a Print button to your posts pretty please. This recipe is awesome. Made baguettes for my wife for Mother's Day with Borsin and other yummy toppings for bread. She loved it. I am about to make them again and wanted to print the ingredients and you're forcing me to do so much copy/paste =)

Aaron

LDennis said...

I just tried this and while it's good I'm afraid it will mold faster than I can eat it as it is way too moist. Any idea what I may have done wrong?

Daisy Perlmutter said...

Hello Jeff john thanks for this easy recipe I will try it tomorrow but I have a question, Can I use Bread flour???? don't have any of the all purpose flour but I have self rising

Oksana Kaleeva said...

I used your recipe for french baguettes and it came out excellent. So great, that a friend wants me to make about 12-14 loaves for her wedding.

Do you have any tips on preparing such a large quantity? I am thinking of freezing the loaves once they are cooled down.

1. Should I space out making the dough in intervals as they take so long to rise?

2. Should I only keep it in the freezer for a few days?
a. Is a week too long?

3. How long should I allow the bread to defrost?

Chef John said...

I'm glad it came out so well, but DO NOT make 12-14 for your friends wedding! Seriously, I wouldn't even try this.

Also, you would NEVER freeze these as you'd lose all the fresh crispiness that makes this so great. Defrosted baguette is just sad.

You friend needs to get fresh bread from a quality bakery the same day!

Sorry for the tough love, but don't do it! :)

hugo said...

Hi Chef John.

I want to try this recipe, the final product looks so delicious!
How are the quantities in grams of the salt and the yeast?

Sorry for my english.

Thanks!

bethw said...

First attempt not quite right but good eats anyway. My baguettes were pretty flat - didn't rise well. I used regular yeast rather than rapid rise yeast. So, it was either the yeast or too much water - and I do weight rather than measuring cups.

I didn't understand the comment "if you want to use a traditional bread technique, add the whole package of yeast". Does that mean I should have used the full packet of yeast? Or does that mean I should have used some other "traditional" bread making technique - like short rise time?? I was confused.

Will try again soon!

David said...

Will it mess the recipe up if I let the bread rise for 20 hours instead of 12-14?

Chef John said...

The dough has to double so time is not that big a factor, so yes. If it looks like it's getting weird, juts refrigerate until you need to use.

Unknown said...

Chef John

I've tried you recipe twice, and none of them it worked... When I use the amount of yeast indicated, 1/4 tsp = 0,79g, after 12h no rise is obsevable. I live in Brazil and I've used Fleischmann's local dry yeast (Instantâneo, instant in english) supposing that it is aproximately equivalent to your rapid rise. The yeast was recently bought and far from expiration date. When I use the amount indicated in the package it seams to work, although the result is far from yours. Do you think that brazilian Fleischmann yeast is different or that it might be other variable?

Gratefully
Daniel

Chef John said...

Yeast is the same, so probably being killed by chlorine in the water, or you're using iodized salt which also can mess with yeast.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the fast reply, and for the recipe. I never thought that chlorine or iodine in the water or salt could have an effect. The water here is full of chlorine and all the salt is iodized (law decree). I’ll try mineral water and I’ll search for a salt that doesn’t contain iodine.
Thanks Again
Daniel

Unknown said...

Hi Chef John, I don't always know that I will need the baguettes the next day, so, if I use the extra yeast and make in traditional way, will it be as crisp and perfect as yours?

Unknown said...

Hi
I just want to say that I think you should reconsider the amount of flour to put in. You wrote 18oz, but that does NOT turn out to be 4 cups; not even close. It is 2 2/4 cups. I threw away a copious amount of flour before I found out that 18oz didn't sound like 4 cups. I may sound a little ignorant about this but I think a lot of beginning bakers like me would make the same mistake. Americans stay away from ounces so all I read were the cups.
Thank you.

mayada said...

Hi chef John,
I have been watching few of your video now and I want to make the stuff. I find the ingredients but not the instructions i can't keep the links open all the time. There is a lot to make...like the no knead breads and Tiramisu... is there a way to find the instruction. I also use paprika to keep all my recipe organized would I be able to do with your recipe...

richard and erica said...

Hi Chef John...I'm still puzzled with the yeast... On Fleischmann's web site they have both an "Active Dry Yeast" and "RapidRise Yeast"

http://www.breadworld.com/products

cheers, Richard

Unknown said...

Hi Chef John. Found your recipe for these wonderful baguettes. Never thought I could bake bread. But my 14 year old son and I did it yesterday. My only problem was that the top of the loaves started to burn. What could this be from. Trying to inspire my son to start his own mobile wood fired bread company so that he can start to save for Princeton. He thought this recipe was the bomb. Except for the burn on the top of the loaves. Any suggestions would be wonderful. By the way you blog is keeping me up all night. So many great ideas and recipes. Thanks so much for the inspiration.

Chef John said...

Thanks! You amy be cooking a few minutes too long, or your oven is a tad hot. Good luck!

Dan in Michigan said...

I made the bread and it was outstanding, just one concern - Isn't 550 degrees too hot for silicone Baking sheets?

Tetburyman said...

Would it be OK to bake in a convection oven? For most breads, I prefer it because it browns so evenly, but I am not sure if it would be a problem with water in the oven per this recipe. Any idea, Chef?

Chef John said...

Sorry, not sure. I've never had a convection oven.

Nick Burklow said...

So I made this bread, just like you said, and it turned out amazing...just like you said! Thanks for showing us the way Chef John! I made these on a cheat meal day, so I went ahead and ate two of the four loafs. I'm ok with this.

Unknown said...

Chef John! My oven can only each 500 degrees. Is there anyway to make recipe work at a lower temperature?

Unknown said...

Chef John, Great recipe,but the only thing is my crumb is not as white as yours. I've made it a few times and the crumb is slightly light tan. Any suggestions as to what I might be doing wrong?

Anonymous said...

Thanks John for the recipe. Set it up last night for the standard 12-14 hours and this morning baked them. Perfect Baguettes this morning. This retired Chef gig is giving me more time to play with lots of recipes that I never had time for.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the recipe turned out very well and I am quite pleased. Having a ball being retired from cooking and it gives me lots of time to tinker around with lots of recipes. About to do your burger buns which look inviting.

Mike E said...

On 4/10/2015 I tried this recipe and followed direction only I bought regular yeast and did not use the scale for the water used measuring cups. Used a temp of 520 next time 550 made two Baguettes, was really hard to wait for them to cool down! Cut into one on them a bit warm; was great bread simple to make.Tip make on Friday night double the batch and bake on Saturday need about 5 Baguettes for the week wow wonderful recipe... I use them to go with my Greek Salad like you get at Panera Breads.
Thanks
Mike E

Unknown said...

I cannot wait to try this! I have always LOVED baguettes, and I always assumed it would be too hard to try...not anymore. :)

Norton South said...

Okay, that pretty much completes my bucket list.

A W E S O M E

CitrixGuy said...

I have tried to make baguette's 4 time and each time it looks more like flat bread than a baguette. It tastes great but it just doesn't look right; What am I doing wrong???

Unknown said...

Hey Chef John! I live in humid South Carolina, it's summer here and when I usually bake my breads and pie crust I have to add a little extra water, is this recipe forgiving for that? -Elle

Unknown said...

Make sure the dish you put your water in can withstand 550 degrees, haha mine blew up!

Berniw said...

hello
also wonder why the bread tends to flatten at times. thanks

Unknown said...

Hi, may I know how long we need to pre heat the oven before we bake ?

huttonsadeline said...

Hi Chef,
yr baking time call for 550F/288C but my oven max is up to about 475F/240C. Can I still use this recipe to bake this french loaf. Many tks and Hope to hear from you as i am new in baking.

OMW2OWN said...

mmm... all 4 of them are rising b4 baking... hope those will work.

OMW2OWN said...

Hi CJ :)

Wanted to share my exp here... So.. As usual I wanted to be smarter then the pope and so I shaped my silicone mat in a way that every baguette will have its own elongated space to sit in while baking.
Once I was done baking, the tops of my baguettes where sooo... perfectly crusty but, and yes, I know you know but ill say it anyway, the sides and bottoms where pale and flexible.
Now, to try and fix them, yes I know you are guessing what happend next but ill say it anyway (hehe) I sprayed the bottomes with water and placed the baguettes upsidedown back in the oven this time without the matt for 5 min.
Now I had perfect bottoms and almoust burnt tops. The inside how ever was perfect and the best baguetts I have ever had taking in acount the texture, smell, taste and crunch.
So guess what im doing tonight :)
Im making another batch to proof over night and tomorrow ill have some devine baguettes!!

Thank you CJ and cheers
Edith

Chuck said...

I made this last night and baked them this morning.....they came out perfect! They only difference I did in the receive was I used my natural yeast starter but all other measurements and ingredients I followed your recipe and they are delicious. Thank you so much for the video and recipe! Dede

CitrixGuy said...

In June - 2015 I tried to make the bread only to have it fall flat. After many long hours of testing I have it.. The dough hadn't developed enough gluten to hold its shape. So I stopped with the AP flour and went with Bread Flour and made sure that I let it rise for no less than 18 hours. Since I made these changes it hasn't failed. I also found that if I use 1 package of yeast and then knead the bread for 10 minutes in my stand mixer using the dough hook I get the same amount of Gluten, just doesn’t have the same depth of taste as the 18+ hour proof. Thank you all for the suggestions – Enjoy : )

NahlaBee said...

Hi Chef John!

I just made these the other day and they were FANTASTIC! There was only one issue, the bread was a tad chewy, like tough-ish. My husband is Moroccan and they eat bread as a staple, and baguettes are common due to the French influence. I have a batch of dough right now in the oven at home (mixed it up before work and stuck it in the ole oven to rise), so is there anything I can do to help make it more...fluffy maybe? Airy?

Thanks much!

EnnovyII said...

Chef John, my oven cannot go above 200 degrees celcius which is 392 degrees fahrenheit. Is it still possible to use this recipe but just a longer time in the oven?

Unknown said...

Hi Chef John,

I have been experimenting with the No-Kneed method lately and after destroying a 5lb pack of flour I mastered it!!

My major comments are as follows:
What happens if I cut the dough before letting it rise prior to cooking. I like to cut it at first and then let it rest and then cook it. I noticed cutting lets the dough rise much better. Is it wrong?

Also, my douh becomes so soft that it is really hard to shape it! It just rises from the sides more than it rises on the top and after cooking it rises well from the top, but no matter what I do he bread becomes wide!

@ChefAngelooo said...

Hi! Chef John! I have a question. In your recipe, you said it should be cooked in a 550F oven which is equivalent to approx. 280C. But my oven's maximum heat capacity is in 250F only. Does it affects to the bread. What should I do?

@ChefAngelooo said...

recipe, you said it should be cooked in a 550F oven which is equivalent to approx. 280C. But my oven's maximum heat capacity is in 250F only. Does it affects to the bread. What should I do?

Unknown said...

Hi ChefJohn! I have a question. In your recipe, you said it should be cooked in a 550F oven which is equivalent to approx. 280C. But my oven's maximum heat capacity is in 250F only. Does it affects to the bread. What should I do? Please answer. We will use the bread to make sandwiches in school. Thanks!

Unknown said...

I did use 4 cups of wheat whole grain, dough was very heavy with not moist as yours I don't know what to do

Unknown said...

@ Michael Attallah,
The problem was with the whole wheat flour. He recommended all purpose flour instead of whole wheat.

Unknown said...

Chef John
Love your recipe videos laced with subtle humor. Keep up the good work. Thanks.

zendietitian said...

Hi, Chef! Thank you so much for this recipe! My dough is rising right now, and I can't wait to see the end result! For me, the original weights(g) yielded a very dry dough -- perhaps it's the arid climate of Colorado? I tried to add water a little too late, but got it worked in. I was afraid this would compromise the quality of the bread, though, so I started over. I noticed you said a cup of flour is about 120g in another post, so I decided to go with 480g of flour and went with 350g water (the near equiv of 1 1/2 c). This yielded a dough that looked just like yours - thanks for the video..so helpful to see the consistency! I saved both batches of dough, and will see whether there is much difference. Thanks again! Your bread will be the hit of the party tomorrow!

beemo said...

Success! I managed to turn out some decent baguettes after a few tries.

I lived a very hand-to-mouth existence in Paris for a couple of years in the mid-90s and ate a lot of cheap street food. One such lunch was a classic low-budget stripped-down french sandwich: half a baguette, cut open, buttered, with a slice of cheese (french of course but nothing fancy) inserted.

If you come from a middle-class north american background, as I do, your first sight of one of these things is rather disappointing, and biting into it is no great thrill. They are very chewy and take some time and effort to eat. But the day after you have your first one, you want another one, and you're hooked. (It's the bread of course.)

So when I made your recipe here I whipped up a parisian street lunch as described above, and had it with a little white wine, and it was MOST nostalgic.

Unknown said...

I am just starting out baking. I was wondeing... What was on the bottome of the baking pan ? I belive you said corn starch. Not sure if this is a "everybody know that" thing but what is it and why :)

Chef John said...

It's cornmeal, so it doesn't stick.

Unknown said...

I tired these yesterday and only did 1/2 the recipe... really delicious! Thanks Chef John!!! Would love to include pistachios in the recipe... any suggestions on when to add them?

Unknown said...

Chef John! Thank you so much for this recipe! I will definitely give it a try! I have a few questions: do you mind telling me what brand of flour did you use for this recipe? My oven ony goes up to 500. Do you think i would still be able to get the same results?
I am a big fan and subscriber of your youtube channel! God bless you and i hope to hear from you soon!
Antonia

beemo said...

So far I have made this french baguette 4 times, and each time I am convinced it will fail, but it always works out. I worry about the climate here (one of the world's driest for much of the year), the fact that the stickiness of the dough does not look EXACTLY like Chef John's in the video, etc. I even broke down and bought a weigh scale to get the exact weight of flour.

What comes out of the oven looks a bit different each time, but is always so good that it gets eaten with indecent haste, weight-loss regimens notwithstanding. I just wish I had an expert on hand to feed it to for judgement and validation. French baguette after all is one of those things that has a known standard of perfection, and it would be a tremendous pleasure to hear that one had genuinely crossed the finish line.

Unknown said...

Hi Chef,

First of all, greeting from the Netherlands! :-)

I had to find a conversion table for cup-sizes to the metric system,
(gramms, millilitres, and stuff like that),
but my baguette's came out nice and crispy in the first attempt that i made them!

Only minor bump in the road that i had to deal with, was that my over has a limit of 250º celsius, or about 480º fahrenheit. Therefore, my baguette's had to be in the oven for about 20 a 25 minutes. But the outcome was all the same!!

But being the rebel that i am, i divided my dough into 4 pieces before they went in the oven and made 4 baguette's. And right before i put them IN the oven, i sprinkled 1 of them with sesame-seeds, 1 with caraway seeds, and the third one with oregano, (That one especially tasted quite fine with some dutch gouda cheese), and left the fourth one as plane as natural.

I can assure you, i'll make this some more times!!

Thanks for all you're trouble of making the movie!!

Sairah said...

Chef John, can you let me know what bread knife you're using?

Anonymous said...

My oven will only go to 500 . Is that hot enough to cook and brown properly?

Padmaja Kadambi said...

hey! I live in India where the room temperature is around 80F -104F. SO could you tell me the adjustments I need to make for the time I set the dough for rising and baking the bread and other areas?

Padmaja Kadambi said...

Hey Chef!

I am from India, where the temperature is about 80F-104F. So what are theme of the adjustments I need to make regarding the rising time of the dough and setting time of the yeast?

beemo said...

I forget if I ever thanked you for this one, I've made it a few times and it works like a charm. I'm being prevailed upon to make this and some other things I've learned from you, since it's Christmas.

Being popular kitchenwise is nice but it comes with a price (work)

Seriously though, thanks again for adding this whole cooking dimension to my life. Merry Xmas and all that. I'm looking forward to another year with my cooking guru.

Ctrl Alt Eat said...

Dear padmaja,
If this is your first time be ready to experiment. Some tips: use only maida. Once the dough has doubled in size this could be anywhere from 3-6 hours, put the entire door in the refrigerator to ferment overnight for 8 to 16 hours. Then continue as in the recipe. Merry Christmas!

Brian said...


Great videos.

Rather than a dish of water, I heat an empty dish with the oven then as I put the loaves in, throw a bunch of ice into the dish. This creates great steam to create a great crust.

(proving overnight in the fridge helps too if you have time)

Unknown said...

I just made this today (well started last night and finished today) and it was really good. I got some pretty rave reviews from people (including my French partner). Thank you so much John for this truly wonderful recipe.

Unknown said...

Just made these and they are so incredible, I can't even explain with words. So delicious. My husband said it's the most delicious bread he's ever eaten. It's incredible, especially with butter. Easy to follow directions, very satisfying crispy sound on the exterior. Best part.. NO KNEEDING!

Avery said...

Hi Chef John!
1.5 cups of water is 355g, not 325. So did you use 1.5 cups of water or 360g of water?

Waheed said...

Hi Chef John! This is nice and descriptive recipe. I was searching for an authentic and easy recipe for my readers. I learnt it from your page and tried it personally. That was amazing. Then I wrote it for my readers here. Thanks for sharing such a shareable thought about French baguette.

fly_gal22 said...

My baguettes came out looking just like your picture, ya! And they taste like the real thing! Double ya! Thanks Chef John, you are a legend in my own mind.

TropicalGardener said...

Dear Chef John, Really loving your recipes. Thanks for this French baguette. For persons needing to avoid gluten, is it possible to use oatmeal flour (or rice flour) instead of wheat flour? If so, any ideas re holding it all together? Thanks

Anonymous said...

Dear Chef John,

Thank you very much for this recipe. I have been cooking your recipes for some years now and I think you are the best cooking instructor one could wish for.

I baked your baguettes this morning and they turned out just perfect. I never imagined that I could bake high quality bread at home. It tastes better than in most Italian/French restaurants. So thank you.

By the way, I love your Bolognese recipe. It's just perfect.

Greetings from Germany

achess said...

Just a heads up, when spraying down the baguettes make sure you don't hit your oven light bulb. It will explode =)

Unknown said...

Chef John: I just discovered your Food Wishes. It's the best out there! Wow! Great job! About your baguettes: I just returned from Paris where I ate tooo many baguettes. I've made No Knead bread for many years, and have wanted to make baguettes withe the no knead method, and now you have shown me how. But I do have one comment or question: The no knead method uses an enclosed vessel to contain the high humidity, but your (and others) method does not for making baguettes. Have you considered some means of enclosing the baguettes while baking? Mayne simply a large disposable aluminum pan over the baking baguettes to contain the moisture. What do you think? Thanks and thanks again for your great work. Ned

lessons_java said...

Is it correct the analogy of cups to grams for the flour?
1 cup=340grams. So what the 500gramms equal 4 cups?

Unknown said...

Hi,

When I turn on my oven to the 550F (the maximum) it heats up the bottom side only.
Is it enough to bake the baguettes ? Or should I turn on the upper side (like broiler) in order to get a nice color and crust for the baguettes ?

Anthony P said...

I made this exactly the way John said except i don't have a baking mat, came out perfect.
By the way this is the second time i made bread in my life.

Chef John, you're awesome !

Thanks, Anthony.

Powler said...

Chef John,

Thank You very much for a perfect and easy recipe with correct tips. I made it and it turned out exactly the same as shown in video. Please advise me how do I keep it crispy till next day or may be two. Just out of oven for 4-5 hours it was crispy. It turned soggy overnight. Do I need to keep it covered/uncovered? Thank You

NJ

Powler said...

Thanks Chef John, The bread came out just as shown in your video. Please advise me how to keep it crispy overnight, it became soggy and soft on top the next morning. Thank You

jade said...

This recipe is amazing!!!!!!! Pls everybody try it!! It taste just like the real thing ;)

Harry Segal said...

Great recipe, Chef John!
Quick question: what about using a baguette baking mold?

Unknown said...

Thank you chef John! This recipe is awesome. Now I make French baguettes at my convenience.

tm6938 said...

I'm trying to figure out, do I use the ¼ tsp dry active yeast? The other comment threw me: "if you want to use a traditional bread technique, add the whole package of yeast (2 1/4 tsp) and proceed as usual." It sounds like the preference is to use ¼ tsp dry active yeast? I'm dying to try this but want to clarify that one question.

Sairah said...

The 1/4 tsp measurement is for the long proof, no knead method. If you intend to knead and make the bread sooner, you can use the larger yeast amount the other user posted. Hope this helps!

JM Kayne said...

Thank you, making this today! :D exciting!

Unknown said...

Chef John,

After 4 years of experimentation with baguette recipes, your recipe and excellent video solved everything about baking baguettes for me at once. I used Caputo 00 Chef’s Flour and metal baguette pans over a baking stone with outstanding results: the crust crackled, the crumb was full of holes, and the flavor excellent. I baked the breads at the recommended 550°F for 22 minutes, spraying them lightly once and adding ice cubes to a small baking pan on the oven floor.

While slashing the tops with a pair of scissors is a nice trick, it does sacrifice the attractive designs one can achieve with a lame (razor blade). Perhaps with practice, it can be done.

Next time I will place the breads directly on the pre-heated stone to bake. It would be nice if they could hold their shape without support.

Thanks for a great presentation.

Herman

Unknown said...

I made this French baguette recipe this past Thursday for company and the baguettes came out just superb. So easy to make so delicious and spectacular for a young couple that rarely, if ever, get home baked goods. I just love the simplicity of the recipe and how perfect the breads turned out. Actually, I haven't made a recipe by Chef John that hasn't come out 5 Star quality. I'm a true follower and my first go-to recipe is one that Chef John has created (or tweaked to his liking :)) His motto of KISS is just what everyone needs to be a star in their own kitchen.

Unknown said...

Can I use Fleischmann's pizza yeast?

J T B said...

500gs/ 18oz of flour is like 2.25 cups, not 4. Right?

DiverDave said...

Finding French baguettes in the area of the Philippines where I live is near impossible, Since I wanted French Baguettes for French onion soup I was making I had little choice but make them myself. I opted for this recipe because it is no-knead which saves my old hands from pain later on. Everything went well right up to baking time. Very few people here have ovens so they are expensive and almost all gas. The closer you get to ovens found in the US, i.e., spacious, efficient, versatile, the more expensive they are. All electric will easily vault you over the $1000 mark. So I have a La Germania brand gas oven. It is only 15" wide inside and you can use only top or bottom burner at a time. So anyway, I got the baguettes in the oven and 15 minutes pass. No browning. Thirty minutes pass and still no browning. After an hour and no browning, my wife puts an oven thermometer in and although set to 280°C it is only at 250°C. But this is still close to 500°F so what the hey? I finally suggested the bottom burner be shut off and the top burner used. Within 5 minutes the crusts were golden brown and crunchy hard. My wife removed them and against your instructions, cut into one immediately. The inside was near perfect with a nice mix of large and small holes.

Unfortunately, there were a couple issues with the baguettes. First, they had flattened out quite a bit. I'm not sure but that may have been partially, or wholly, due to the application of water to the crusts. Unbelievably, we have been unable to find spray bottles here, food grade or not. The peso stores (similar to dollar stores) don't have any and neither does the baking supply store. So I resorted to a 2" paintbrush to apply water. I was careful not to press against the dough but it may have resulted in some deflation. So now I have to decide whether to order a specialty rack or try to bake the baguettes using an aluminum foil form to hold the sides. Second, once the bread had cooled on a rack the crusts had gone soft. This may be due to the humidity here. I researched this a bit and next time will try letting them cool down in the oven with the door open. I will also not risk over baking them, bringing them to an internal temperature of 190°F and then switching to top burner

Even with the issues noted the bread was perfect for the soup. The leftover bread regained its crunchy crust when heated on a sandwich maker. Do not feel intimidated by this recipe as they were easy to make. If I had a way I would share my pics.

Shadowxsx said...

Thanks Chef John :) Tried this recipe and it turned out great. I just made 2 larger loaves and it sounded like the bread from the movie Ratatouille when squeezed. So crispy outside and perfectly tender inside.

I had pretty much given up on bread making as every attempt and recipe I tried has turned out as well as a building brick. This result gave me confidence enough to try my hand once again going into the bread making world and next is your pita bread recipe for some falafel


Next time I make this I may add in some rosemary and garlic after it proofs overnight to add a little something extra.

Kathy Berken said...

So I got a hankering for some crusty bread and found you! Who'd a thunk it? My fave chef! Making this tonight and tomorrow!

Unknown said...

Hi Chef,absolutely love your videos! Learn so much from you! Real quick just wanted to check on this recipe 1.5 cups of water I get 375grams is that normal, as you've put 325grams, I've done a bit of science digging and looks like a liter of water is 1kg.

Unknown said...

Hi chef :)
Just now first proofing on the way, I'm so interested on the outcome... let's see tomorrow:) doing all by your recipe. Excited! Will write the result!

Unknown said...

Hi chef :)
Just now first proofing on the way, I'm so interested on the outcome... let's see tomorrow:) doing all by your recipe. Excited! Will write the result!

«Oldest ‹Older   1 – 200 of 205   Newer› Newest»