Go Back
–+ servings
No Knead Baguette

No-Knead Sourdough Baguette (Hybrid Method)

604kcal
No ratings yet
Share Print
Prep 35 minutes
Cook 25 minutes
Rise & Rest Time 15 hours 30 minutes
Total 16 hours 30 minutes
Based on a brilliant King Arthur formula, this is the easiest way to bake baguettes yet. This No-Knead Sourdough Baguette method uses a hybrid combination of sourdough starter and a tiny touch of commercial yeast. It completely cuts out intensive kneading, letting you have crackly, golden baguettes with a light, beautifully open crumb ready for dinner in just 5 to 6 hours.
Servings 2 baguettes
Cuisine French (Artisan Sourdough)

Ingredients

The Sourdough Starter Levain (Night Before)
  • 5 g Sourdough starter culture
  • 30 g Water
  • 25 g All-purpose flour or bread flour
  • 5 g Rye flour
The Hybrid Baguette Main Dough
  • 270 g Bread flour (90%)
  • 30 g Whole grain whole wheat flour (10%)
  • 219 g Water (73% Hydration)
  • 50 g Active sourdough starter levain (16.6% - From the stage above)
  • 6 g Salt (2%)
  • 0.5 g Dry yeast (Instant or active dry)

Equipment

  • Large Mixing Bowl or airtight dough container
  • Proofing Couche or a heavy canvas kitchen towel
  • Dough Scraper & Bench Knife
  • Baking Stone or heavy steel (Alternatively, a Challenger Bread Pan)
  • Heavy Iron Tray (For setting up steam on the bottom oven rack)
  • Sharp Razor Blade or Lame
  • Parchment Paper
  • Kitchen Scale

Method

Night Before – Starter Initialization
  1. 10:00 PM: In a small glass jar, dissolve your 5g of starter culture into 30g of water. Whisk together cleanly, then stir in 25g of all-purpose flour and 5g of rye flour. Mix thoroughly, cover loosely, and let it ferment at room temperature 70–75°F (21–24°C) overnight for 10 to 12 hours until it at least doubles or triples in size.
Next Morning – Same-Day Autolyse & No-Knead Coil Folds
  1. 8:00 AM – The Autolyse: In a large mixing bowl or dough container, combine the 219g of water with 0.5g of dry yeast and 50g of your active overnight starter peak until fully dissolved. Add the 270g of bread flour and 30g of whole wheat flour. Mix with a spoon just until all dry pockets vanish. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes for an automated autolyse.
  2. 8:30 AM: Sprinkle the 6g of salt over the dough. Lightly mix using your hands for 1 to 2 minutes until the salt crystals are fully incorporated. Round the dough into a smooth ball, cover, and let rest at 74–76°F (23–24°C) for 30 minutes.
  3. 9:00 AM: Perform your 1st coil fold. Wet your hands with water, lift the wet dough from the middle, and allow the loose edges to tuck cleanly underneath the mass to build structural tension. Round the dough, cover, and let rest for 1 hour.
  4. 10:00 AM: Perform your 2nd coil fold. Round the dough, cover, and let rest for 1 hour.
  5. 11:00 AM: Perform your 3rd coil fold. Round the dough, cover, and let rest for 1 hour.
Precision Preshaping & Crease-Tension Shaping
  1. 12:00 PM – Preshaping: The dough should feel significantly lighter, showing clear signs of gaseous fermentation and tiny air bubbles on the skin surface. Tip it out gently onto a slightly floured workspace.
  2. Using a bench scraper, divide the dough cleanly into 2 equal parts (roughly 220–230g each). Round each piece into a loose ball with your scraper and let them rest completely uncovered for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
  3. 12:30 PM – Final Baguette Shaping: Turn one rested dough round over onto your floured surface and pat it down gently into a flat rectangle.
  4. Fold the upper third of the rectangle down toward the center, and press down firmly along the seam with your palm to lock it in. Next, fold the bottom third up over that, pressing down firmly again to flatten.
  5. Use your thumb to press a clean, deep crease right down the middle of the dough rectangle, then fold the entire log in half along that line.
  6. Seal the outer edges tightly with your fingers. Roll the dough log back and forth under your palms, starting from the center and moving outward, until it stretches to your desired length (about 20–24 cm long if baking in a Challenger pan, or 24–28 cm if using a wider baking stone).
  7. Generously dust your proofing couche or heavy towel with whole grain flour. Transfer the shaped baguette logs onto the fabric seam-side up, bunching the fabric up between them to form supporting walls. Cover with a kitchen towel and let proof for 1 hour at a warm 78°F (25°C).
  8. The Poke Test: Give the dough a gentle poke; if the indentation springs back slowly and leaves a tiny dimple, it is ready to bake. While they finish proofing, preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C) with a baking stone on the middle rack and an empty iron tray on the bottom rack for 1 full hour.
  9. The Launch: Flip the proofed baguettes gently onto a sheet of parchment paper so the smooth, sealed side faces downward. Score the tops with 3 to 4 long, clean, shallow diagonal cuts. Gather 10 ice cubes.
  10. Transfer the baguettes on the parchment directly onto the roaring hot baking stone, immediately dump the ice cubes into the empty iron tray below to unleash a heavy cloud of steam, and shut the door. Bake with steam at 500°F (260°C) for exactly 10 minutes.
  11. Lower the oven temperature to 475°F (246°C), carefully remove the steam tray, and continue baking bare for an additional 15 minutes until the crust turns thin, crackly, and deep golden brown. Let cool for 1 hour before slicing!

Nutrition

Calories604kcalCarbohydrates121gProtein22gFat3gSaturated Fat0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat1gMonounsaturated Fat0.3gCholesterol5mgSodium221mgPotassium258mgFiber6gSugar1gVitamin A8IUVitamin C0.1mgCalcium36mgIron2mg

Notes

  • The Power of the Hybrid Multiplier: This formula relies on a tiny 0.5g pinch of dry commercial yeast working alongside your active sourdough starter peak. This addition acts as a reliable helper engine that cuts your bulk fermentation and proofing timelines down to a single morning, entirely skipping the traditional 12-hour cold fridge rest while still delivering a gorgeous open crumb.
  • Why Leaving Dough Uncovered is a Game-Changer: During step 8, letting your divided dough rounds rest on the counter completely uncovered for 30 minutes serves an important technical purpose. It allows a very thin, non-sticky outer skin to form on the surface. This structural skin makes the dough incredibly pleasant and easy to shape into a tight baguette log later without sticking to your fingers.
  • Managing Warm Kitchen Timelines on the Fly: Keep a close eye on your environment during step 13. Because this dough contains active commercial yeast, overproofing can occur very quickly if your kitchen runs unusually warm. Check the baguettes right at the 40 to 45-minute mark—if the dough springs back slowly from a gentle poke, launch them into the hot oven instantly to lock in a proud, high-rising oven spring.
  • The Thumb Crease Shaping Secret: To secure that iconic, uniform baguette structure that stands tall instead of spreading flat into a pancake on the hot stone, do not skip step 11. Using your thumb to drive a clear crease down the center before folding and sealing creates deep structural tension along the outer skin, forcing the dough to explode upward and form beautiful open air pockets.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!