Sourdough Baguettes
This sourdough baguette recipe takes the traditional French baguette and incorporates the natural fermentation of sourdough starter. There’s something magical about the simple elegance of a baguette—crispy on the outside with a soft, airy interior.
Servings: 3 baguettes
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups cool water (300 grams)
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter (100 grams)
- 1 tablespoon honey (25 grams)
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (440 grams)
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt (10 grams)
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cool water and honey. Stir to mix well. Add the sourdough starter, flour, and salt, and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to come together. The dough will be thick—just mix as well as you can to incorporate the flour. There’s no need for thorough kneading at this stage.
- Rest the dough: Cover the bowl with a lid, beeswax wrap, or plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. This process allows the water to hydrate the flour, making it easier to work with.
- Stretch and fold: After the dough rests, perform the first set of “stretch and folds.” To do this, reach between the dough and the side of the bowl, gently stretching the dough upward and folding it over itself. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Do this about four times, working your way around the dough. Repeat this process every 30-45 minutes for a total of four rounds over the next 2-3 hours. Cover the dough between sessions.
- Cold fermentation: After the final stretch and fold, cover the dough well and place it in the fridge for 12-24 hours. This cold fermentation helps develop flavor and allows the dough to rise slowly.
- Shape the baguettes: Remove the dough from the fridge and divide it into three equal pieces. Gently press each piece of dough into a rectangular shape, about 1 inch thick. If the dough is sticky, lightly flour the surface. Cover the pieces with a clean dish towel and let them rise for about 1 hour.
- Shape into baguettes: After the dough has rested and risen slightly, gently shape each piece into a baguette by folding the dough over itself lengthwise. Roll each piece into a long, thin loaf, about 12-14 inches long. Place the baguettes on a parchment-lined baking sheet or a baguette pan.
- Final rise: Cover the shaped baguettes with a clean towel and let them rise for another 1-2 hours until slightly puffed.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C).
- Score and bake: Just before baking, use a sharp knife or a razor blade to score the tops of the baguettes with three to four diagonal slashes. This allows the steam to escape and helps create that classic baguette look. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the baguettes are golden brown with a crisp crust.
- Cool and enjoy: Let the baguettes cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Serve fresh with butter, olive oil, or use them for sandwiches.
Notes
- The dough benefits from a longer cold fermentation (12-24 hours), which enhances the flavor and structure of the baguettes. You can leave the dough in the fridge for longer if needed.
- The cold dough is always easier to work with in the beginning because it is a wetter dough than some.
- Be gentle when shaping the baguettes to avoid deflating the dough. The goal is to maintain the air bubbles inside the dough to create that perfect airy crumb.
- Scoring the dough right before baking helps control how the bread expands in the oven, giving you that beautiful baguette appearance.
Nutrition
Calories: 552kcal | Carbohydrates: 117g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 1554mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 6mg
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