Sourdough Baguette
It might seem like an easy task to bake a perfect baguette, but in reality it’s one the most challenging things for a baker.
And I’m so into challenges… that’s why I’ve been mastering the formula over and over again. I asked professional chefs questions, looking for details… attempted to bake it many times and experienced so many failures…
Every time I felt I was so close to the right result, there still remained so much to learn…
And today I am finally ready to share with you my go-to formula…
Easy and delicious.
| Ready in: 24 hours | Serves: 8-10 people |
| Yield: 4 x 250g Demi baguettes | Units: US, EU |
Sourdough starter (night before)
- 5g sourdough starter
- 50g water
- 45g all purpose flour or bread flour
- 5g rye flour
I always feed starter with 90% all purpose flour and 10% rye. Which makes it nice and strong.
Please note, summertime ratio for overnight feeding is higher (1:10:10) compared to wintertime( 1:7:7), because of the temperature difference. Depending on the strength of the starter, you can change the ratio.
Learn how to make starter from scratch here.
Main Dough
- 100g sourdough starter (20%)
- 400g bread flour (80%)
- 100g whole grain whole wheat flour (20%)
- 355g water total (71%)
- 340g(68% will be used for autolyse + 15g will be added with salt)
- 10g salt (2%)
Directions
Starter preparation steps.
Night before:
- 10 pm add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, cover loosely, let sit at room temp 70-75F till next morning until it reaches the peak (10-12 hours), it should at least double (starter isn’t strong enough), or triple in size(strong starter).
Baguette dough preparation steps.
Next morning:
- 8 am mix water with flour, using spoon, cover, let rest 1-2 hours for autolyse (during the autolyse stage the flour absorbs the water, becoming fully hydrated. This will activate gluten development).
- 10 am Add sourdough starter. Mix on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 min, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 min until well incorporated.
- Cover, let rest for 30 min.
- 10:30 am add salt and extra water. The process of adding extra water calls bassinage it helps to tighten up gluten. Mix on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 min, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 5-6 min until well incorporated. The dough should come up together, but still be sticky on the bottom. We will continue gluten development and structure building by performing stretches and folds during warm fermentation period.
- Spray container with water, transfer dough into container, close lid.
- Leave to rest 30 min. At 74-78F /23-26C.
- 11 am wet your hands and perform 1st stretch and fold.
- 11:45 am 2nd stretch and fold.
- 12:30 pm 3rd stretch and fold.
- 1:15 pm 4th stretch and fold.
Performing stretches and folds will help to continue gluten development.
After the final stretch let the dough rest for 15 min. You should see some bubbles on the surface, the dough has to become lighter. We are looking for 30%-40% rise. Some bakers prefer to push fermentation to 50% rise.
If, for some reason, the dough doesn’t feel proofed enough, add 1 more stretch and a fold, after that go to the next step.
- 1:30 pm transfer dough to the fridge for cold slow fermentation.
Next day
Baguette preshaping steps.
Remove the dough from the fridge, turn container on the flourless surface. Using the of scraper divide the dough in 2 equal parts, then each part divide in 2 equal parts again. The weight of each dough piece should be around 240-250g.
Round each piece of dough with help of a scraper. And let rest uncovered for 30-45 min.
Baguette shaping steps.
Baguette loaf shaping requires a technique for proper proofing and achieving a beautiful looking loaf.
- Turn the dough round on to floured surface. Pat it down roughly, form a rectangle.
- Along the longer side, fold the upper third part of the rectangular dough toward the bottom third, then press down the folded section with your palm for it to flatten.
- Now fold the bottom third toward the top, then press down the folded section with your palm for it to flatten.
- Then use your thumb to make a crease in the middle of the rectangular dough, then fold it in half.
- Seal the edges with your fingers, then roll the dough back and forth starting from the center towards the end until you achieve the desired length (about 24-28cm long). Generously sprinkle proofing couche with rice or semolina flour to prevent sticking.
- Now transfer each shaped dough onto a proofing couche sealed side up. Cover baguettes with kitchen towel. Let them proof for 1 hour 30 min. It could take little more or less time.
- Perform poke test to check the readiness. Give the dough a gentle but assertive poke. If the dough springs back right away, let it rise for a few more minutes. If the dough springs back slowly, like it’s waking up from a long nap, and your poke leaves a small indentation, it’s ready to go.
- During proofing time start to preheat oven 500F with baking stone inside and iron tray on the bottom rack for 1 hour.
- When the oven is hot and baguettes are proofed enough, flip them over on a parchment paper, score with 3-4 cuts.
- Prepare 10 ice cubes.
- Act fast, open the oven, transfer baguettes on to the baking stone, dump the ice cubes into the tray and put it on the bottom rack, close the oven door.
- Bake for 10 min.
- Lower the temperature to 475F, open the oven door, remove tray with excess of water. Bake for 15 more min.
- Let your baguettes cool for 1 hour.
Enjoy 🙌
Sourdough Baguette
1832kcal
Ingredients
Sourdough Starter (Levain)
- 5 g Sourdough starter culture
- 35 g Water
- 30 g All purpose flour (or bread flour)
- 5 g Rye flour
The Baguette Artisan Dough
- 405 g Premium bread flour (90%)
- 45 g Fine rye flour (or whole wheat flour) (10%)
- 310 g Water (69% baseline hydration)
- 27 g Cold water (6% – Reserved for bassinage adjustment added later with salt)
- 90 g Active levain (20% – From the stage above)
- 9 g Fine sea salt (2%)
Equipment
- Baking Stone / Baking Steel (Crucial for storing heavy thermal mass to yield immediate bottom spring)
- Stand Mixer (Highly recommended to smoothly manage the initial hydration and late-stage water incorporation)
- Dough Scraper (An essential bench knife for cleanly dividing wet dough and handling shaping steps)
- Linen Couche (A heavy baker’s canvas cloth to support the long baguette logs horizontally during the final rise)
- Baguette Transfer Board (Or a thin piece of cardboard/wood to safely flip and load the delicate dough strands)
- Scoring Lame (An ultra-sharp razor blade held at a precise 45-degree angle for traditional overlapping cuts)
- Ice Cubes (For oven steam generation)
Method
Step 1 – Levain / Starter Prep (Morning Of)
- 7:00 AM – Starter Initialization: In a clean glass jar, add the 5g of mature sourdough starter culture to 35g of room-temperature water and whisk together thoroughly until completely loose.
- Flour Incorporation: Stir in the 30g of all-purpose (or bread) flour and 5g of rye flour. Mix well until no dry pockets remain, cover loosely, and let it sit at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) for 8 to 10 hours until the starter reaches its peak and triples or more in volume.
Step 2 – The Flour Autolyse & Initial Mix
- 5:00 PM – The Flour Hydration: In your stand mixer bowl, combine the 310g of baseline water with 405g of bread flour and 45g of fine rye flour. Mix with a heavy spoon or your hands just until a shaggy, raw dough mass forms and no dry spots remain. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 1 full hour to complete the autolyse, fully hydrating the flour and activating natural gluten development.
- 6:00 PM – Levain Integration: Pour 90g of your mature, peak-ripened levain directly over the autolysed dough.
- Mechanical Mixing: Secure the bowl in your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or use speed 3 on a KitchenAid mixer for 3 to 4 minutes) until the starter is completely incorporated. Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Step 3 – Bassinage & Warm Fermentation
- 6:30 PM – Salt and Bassinage Addition: Sprinkle the 9g of fine sea salt evenly over the dough surface and pour in the reserved 27g of extra cold water. This bassinage process adds a secondary splash of liquid to tighten the gluten network while bringing the total hydration safely to 75%.
- High-Speed Emulsification: Mix on a low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or KitchenAid speed 3 for 5 to 6 minutes) until well incorporated. The dough should pull together into a cohesive ball but remain slightly sticky on the bottom. Cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes at 74–78°F / 23–26°C.
- 7:00 PM – First Stretch and Fold: With wet hands, slide your fingers under one side of the dough, pull it upward gently to stretch it, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Perform this on all 4 sides, then cover and rest.
- Progressive Structural Folds: Continue building vertical dough strength by executing regular stretch-and-folds spaced 45 minutes apart: 2nd fold at 7:45 PM, 3rd fold at 8:30 PM, and the 4th/final fold at 9:15 PM.
- Final Bulk Proof: Following the final fold, let the dough proof undisturbed for 30 minutes at 76–80°F (23–26°C). Keep a close eye on the dough—look for a distinct lightness, small surface bubbles, and a 40% to 50% volume expansion. Transfer the covered container directly into the refrigerator to undergo an overnight cold fermentation retard for 9 to 14 hours.
Step 4 – Precision Dividing & Baguette Shaping
- The Next Morning – Dividing the Portions: Remove the cold, structured container from the refrigerator. Tip the dough out gently onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a bench scraper and a kitchen scale, divide the dough cleanly into 3 equal portions (approx. 250g each).
- Cylinder Preshaping: Take a portion of dough and gently pat it into a rough rectangle. Fold the top third down to the center, and the bottom third up over it, like a letter. Roll it away from you into a loose cylinder. Repeat for all 3 portions, cover with a damp cloth, and let them rest on the counter for 20 minutes to relax the gluten.
- The Final Baguette Shape: Dust your hands lightly with flour. Take a cylinder and flatten it slightly. Using your thumb, create a small indentation down the center length. Fold the top edge down to the center crease and seal the seam with the heel of your hand. Fold the dough completely in half away from you, trapping a core of air inside, and pinch the final long seam tightly shut. Place your hands in the center of the log and roll it back and forth against the counter, applying gentle outward pressure to extend the log into a 14 to 15-inch rope with tapered pointy ends.
- The Canvas Couche Rest: Transfer each shaped baguette carefully onto a well-floured linen couche, pulling the canvas fabric upward between the logs to create a supportive wall that forces them to rise vertically rather than flattening out. Cover loosely with a towel and let proof at room temperature for 1 hour.
Step 5 – The High-Steam Stone Bake
- Preheating and Setup: One hour before baking, place your baking stone on the middle rack and an empty metal iron tray on the bottom rack, preheating the oven to a smoking hot 480°F (249°C).
- The Inverted Transfer & Scoring: Using a baguette transfer board or thin cardboard, gently flip a proofed baguette off the couche so it sits seam-side down on a sheet of parchment paper. Hold your scoring lame at a sharp 45-degree angle relative to the dough surface. Make 4 to 5 swift, shallow, vertical slices down the length of the loaf. Ensure each cut overlaps the previous one by about one-third of its length; this ensures a symmetrical open expand rather than an unappealing sideways twist.
- The High-Steam Stone Bake: Prepare 10 solid ice cubes. Slide the baguettes along with the parchment paper onto the scorching hot baking stone, dump the ice cubes straight into the bottom iron tray to release a massive plume of steam, and slam the oven door shut. Bake with steam at 480°F (249°C) for exactly 10 minutes.
- The Crisp Uncovered Finish: Carefully open the oven door to vent any remaining steam, remove the bottom water tray, lower the temperature down to 450°F (232°C), and continue baking uncovered for an additional 15 minutes until the crust turns a deep golden-brown, crackly finish. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing.
Nutrition
Calories1832kcalCarbohydrates372gProtein60gFat8gSaturated Fat1gPolyunsaturated Fat3gMonounsaturated Fat1gSodium3518mgPotassium625mgFiber17gSugar2gVitamin A8IUCalcium91mgIron6mg
Notes
– **The Purpose of Adding Rye Flour:** Traditional French baguettes rely primarily on high-quality white wheat flour. However, blending 10% fine rye flour (or whole wheat flour) into the autolyse stage serves an important artisan purpose. Rye flour introduces essential natural enzymes and minerals that feed the wild yeast cells, subtly shifting the flavor profile toward an authentic, rich old-world grain depth without weighing down the open, airy structure.
– **Mastering the Baguette Scoring Angle:** The spectacular blistered “ears” and symmetrical diamond shapes on a bakery baguette depend entirely on your blade angle. Never slice straight down into the dough at a 90-degree angle, as this causes the dough to flatten out wide like a football. Holding your lame flat at a shallow 45-degree angle slices a thin flap of dough skin that peels backward cleanly under steam, directing the oven spring upward.
– **The Core-Tension Rolling Method:** Extending a baguette rope requires creating high internal core tension. When folding the dough cylinder over itself and pinning down the seam, you are trapping air and tightening an outer skin. When rolling out the length, ensure you are rolling from the middle outward using the palms of your hands. If the dough snaps back aggressively, do not force it; cover it for 5 minutes to let the gluten relax before finishing the roll.
– **The Steam Dynamics of the Iron Tray:** Ice cubes dumped onto a scorching hot metal tray create a localized burst of dense, moist steam during the critical first 10 minutes of the baking cycle. Steam keeps the exterior skin of the baguette wet, flexible, and elastic, allowing the trapped internal gases to expand fully before a hard crust forms. This guarantees an exceptionally open, light internal crumb structure and a glossy, paper-thin, crackly crust.
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tks a lot for this recipe, is it possible to use this recipe for a loaf of bread? what have I to change or to do ? thank you
Sure! You can use it just for a loaf without any changes. Maybe a little longer warm proofing time 🙏
Bom dia! Magnifico seus videos, suas explicoes bem detalhista e podemos desfrutar dessas delicias aprendendo perfeitamente com suas explicacões. Encantado parabens e sucesso
Thank you
hi natasha, thanks so much for the recipe. i’ve been following u for someitme now. i live in very hot climate, temp of my dough is usually 80-82F, should i shorten the warm ferm by 45min? do u thnk it’s enough? i’m planning to shorten the time between each stretch and fold by 15min, comes to 45min. thank you!
also i find that even if i feed 1:10:10 my starter tends to be pretty hungry in the morning, so i feed it 1:2:2 first thing in the morning then use the levain in the afternoon around 4-5 hours later, what do u think of that?
Jac!
Hi!
You are doing everything correct!
For hot climate you definitely have to shorten time of warm fermentation, and final warm bulk before baking
Also I liked the idea of quick feeding 1:2:2 before adding starter to the dough.
Good luck 🙌
Hi Natasha,
These are gorgeous, can’t wait to try tomorrow. My starter is 1:1:1 ratio. Would I use the same amount in the recipe? I’m still relatively new to this, so still figuring out the ‘science’ part 😜 Thanks so much!
Amy
Amy!
Hi!
If your starter still new, than feeding 1:1:1 or 1:2:2 definitely will work.
Good luck 🙌
Hi Natasha, I have noticed that you use the electric mixer to mix the levain and then again when adding the salt but you don’t use it when mixing up the water with the flour for autolyse. You use a spoon instead. Is there a specific reason why you don’t use the paddle to mix the flour with the water? Thank you.
Daniel, hi!
Yes, you don’t need to use mixer, to incorporate water and flour for autolyse, , unless you wanted too.
Dough stays lumpy, but after autolyse, nice gluten development happens by itself 😊
when you say mixing maching 2-3 min and kitchen aid type mixing maching 4-6min what kind of mixing do you mean with the first with short time one? I have a bosch similar kitchen aid with mouse tail mixer accesorie, and will follow kitchen aid ratios. But I am courios the other mixing machine you reference. Thanks a lot.
Hi!
My regular old mixer (some generic brand), somehow mixes the dough faster, than KitchenAid, that’s why I recommend longer mixing time with KitchenAid.
Hi Natasha. If i want make only 2 baguette.Do I need to do half starter of the specified or only for dough?
Thank you
Julia, hi!
For 2 Demi baguettes, use 1/2 of all the ingredients 😊
Dear Natasha,
I did the baguettes and they are perfect, thank you very much.
During cooking, and it is not the first time, I have the sides of the baguette soft, not crunchy, why?
I have to leave to dry in the open oven for 15 minutes.
🙂
Erica, hi!
Thank you for your feedback.
It could be that baking stone isn’t hot enough, or your oven releases the heat.
But anyway, great, that you Are baking them longer.
There is definately a lot to know about this subject. I love all of the points you made.
Thank you so much 🙏
Hi Natasha,
Thanks for sharing the recipe, I wanted to know how does the icecubes help in the process?
Hi!
It adds more steam 😊
dear Natasha,
I noticed that for your recipe, u always leave your loaves uncovered after preshape. Is there a reason for that? To form a skin?
Hi Natasha, thank you for sharing!
From your experience how much difference makes the baking stone? My baguettes are not raising in the oven. My regular breads do but I bake them in the dutch oven.
Thank you!
Yulia
Yulia, hi!
I’m having same problem.
My oven can’t keep the steam. I’m getting better results, if I bake Demi baguettes in Dutch oven.
Appreciation to my father who stated to me concerning this blog, this
website is in fact amazing.
Thank you so much 🙏
Can you freeze extra baguette or the dough uncooked! Thanks!
You can refrigerate the dough before shaping for up to 48 hours
How do you know when the dough is on 40 % fermetation? How you measure the growth?
I’m making marks on container. Or you can use small glass to track fermentation
Hola. La harinatodo uso del arranque seria lade pasteleria?
Hi Natasha,
I want to say thank you for this amazing recipe.
I’ve been making sourdough bread on my own and this baguette is far the best one I’ve ever made. It is very moist inside and has crispy crust.
Thank you for selflessly sharing this.
Thank you so much for your kind feedback!
I’m so glad you liked it 🙏
Hi Natasha.
I’m going to make your recipe but I don’t have a stone can I make it on my cookie sheet? Thank you
Hi!
You can try, and also you have to provide a steam dough ring baking.
Jeg var i sommerhus og tog en bageplade og vente den omvendt . satte den i ovnen.
Tog bagepapir med dej og skubbede pariret med brød ind i ovnen med 2 isterninger. og det gik godt
Hi Natasha! I’m a big fan of your bakes. Is it possible to make this recipe without the cold fermentation step?
Hi!
Yes!
Proof it longer, then shape, proof and bake
Hi, Thank you for you simple easy to use guides and site. I have had much success with baking loaves and baking baguettes. Hoever I am plagued with the question Why is bulk ferment shorter for baguettes vs loaves? Does it have to do with the proofing of the baguette for the desired shape and crumb?
Hi! Thank you for feedback. Baking baguettes is completely different story from loaves. It requires different timings and approach.
Happy baking!
Hello!
How would you recommend baking these in a gas oven?
Thanks!
Is it ok to not to used the mixed and just knead by hand?
Is it ok to not to use the mixer and just knead by hand?
is there a way to make this a 2 day baguette? Mix one day, bake the next?
Natasha, what would you change if you were going to use baguette pans?
Hi Natasha-
When you reference a 30-40% rise – I get a little confused
To help me understand is 50% rise the dough doubles its original mark if it were in a container 🙂
Hi Natasha-
When you reference a 30-40% rise – I get a little confused
To help me understand is 50% rise the dough doubles its original mark if it were in a container
I find it challenging to score once the dough isn’t cold from the fridge. Any tips?
Can I use unblrached AP by King Arthur flour instead of bread flour?
Hi Natasha,
Love your recipes! Can I bake the baguettes in the Ooni Karu 16 oven?
Thank you!
Hi Natasha:))
I usually bake more than one loaf, and when I prepare my starter (if it’s not a sweet starter), I build it at a 1:5:5 ratio for around 20 loaves and take the starter from there. What do you think about this approach? Or would you recommend keeping a separate starter just for baguettes?
Also, I bake in a micro-bakery deck oven that has a built-in steam chamber. When I load the bread, I add water to the steam reservoir and the loaves are steamed automatically via a spraying system. In this case, do you still recommend using the same baking temperatures, or would you suggest adjusting them when using this type of steam injection?
Thank you so much