This easy French baguette recipe is simple to make at home with only 5 ingredients! There is nothing better than treating your family to a loaf of crusty homemade bread.
More yeast bread recipes to try include easy breadsticks, rosemary focaccia and artisan bread.
Table of Contents
Crusty French Baguette Recipe
Fresh homemade bread is something everyone should make at least once! Believe me, it’ll be way more than once when you realize just how easy it is without the need for a Dutch oven or bread maker!
Making an authentic French baguette recipe sounds fancy, but once you know how to proof yeast and how to measure flour there’s nothing to it! Just a little bit of rising time then in under 2 hours your house will smell like a bakery and you’ll have a loaf of bread with a beautiful outer crust and soft, chewy interior.
French Bread vs Baguette
You may wonder what is a baguette exactly and how does it differ from French bread or even French rolls? The ingredients in these recipes are the same but the measurements, are slightly different which in turn changes the texture of the bread as well as the shape.
A baguette is a long and thin loaf with a sturdier crust. The bread is a wider loaf with a softer crust and just like the rolls is often used to make sandwiches. Baguettes are often used for things like bruschetta or dipping baked spinach artichoke dip recipe.
How to Make French Baguette
This is a great recipe for beginner bakers and every simple step is laid out for anyone just starting their bread-making journey.
- Proof yeast: In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and honey. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until the mixture begins to foam.
- Knead dough: Add flour, salt, and yeast mixture to a large bowl and begin kneading the dough. Add half a cup of remaining flour at a time until dough is formed. It should be smooth, not sticky.
- Form into baguette: Transfer dough to a floured surface and divide it in half. Roll each half into a rectangle and roll each rectangle into a cylinder. With each half, form dough into a baguette shape about 12 inches long.
- Make diagonal cuts: Fold in the ends and pinch the seams. Round the edges and place on the prepared baking sheet or baguette pan, seam side down. Make 3 2-inch diagonal cuts crosswise on top of the loaf. Cover loosely with a towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
- Bake: Bake for 15-18 minutes at 450 degrees F until the tops are golden brown.
- Serve: Sometimes I like to brush mine with melted butter before serving! Then slice and enjoy, it’s so good.
Tips for the Best Baguette
- Test your yeast! There’s nothing worse than realizing too late that your yeast is no longer active. Proof your yeast by taking a small portion of it and allowing it to sit in warm water. If it bubbles and starts to foam, it’s good. If it does absolutely nothing after 10 minutes, discard it and get some fresh yeast.
- Properly measure your flour. I can’t stress enough how important it is to measure flour properly. This means using the spoon and level method so you’re not adding more flour than necessary which leads to dense bread.
- Score the bread. Make a few slashes on the tops of the loaves, using a lame, a sharp knife, or a clean razor blade. Don’t skip this step! Although it’s pretty it does serve a purpose. It gives the crust room to expand while maintaining its appearance. If you don’t score the bread, it will expand anywhere it pleases!
- Avoid overbaking. Cover the bread with foil if you notice it browning too quickly.
- Crispy crust. If you prefer a nice crispy crust, brush the loaf with an egg wash (whisked egg white and water) before baking and keep it in a little longer.
- How to tell it’s done: You’ll know your bread is done baking when you knock on it, it sounds hollow.
Baguette Serving Suggestions
There are endless ways to use a baguette. My kids love a slice on their plate of spaghetti and meatballs or to sop up marinara sauce or hearty soups. Below are some more ways to enjoy your loaf of homemade bread.
- Slice the warm loaf of bread and serve it with butter or cinnamon butter and strawberry jam for breakfast! Try garlic herb butter for dinner.
- Baguettes are a popular choice for a bruschetta caprese with mozzarella.
- Serve as a way to scoop up pizza dip or Knorr spinach dip for game day.
- It’s a great addition to a charcuterie board with your favorite meats, cheeses, and dips.
- It pairs so well for a fancy yet easy appetizer like cheese fondue!
- French bread French toast can be made using smaller baguette slices. They’re thick and will absorb the egg mixture without getting soggy.
- French bread pizza or a French dip sandwich are two other family favorite ways to use this bread.
How to Keep a French Baguette Fresh
While this crusty baguette is best when it’s freshly baked, it can be kept for a few days and will still be delicious. To maintain optimal freshness keep it at room temperature for 2-3 days in a brown paper bag.
If it’s not as crusty as you would like, just place it in a warm oven at a low temp for a few minutes and it will get crusty again! If after a few days you still have some not-so-fresh baguette leftover use it to make homemade croutons or breadcrumbs!
Freezing a Baguette
I say go for it although it may be an untraditional way to store it according to a French bread maker.
If possible, freeze the whole loaf before slicing. Once completely cooled, place in an airtight freezer-friendly bag. Seal the bag, remove as much air as possible and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight on the counter. Reheat by placing it in a 300-degree oven for 5 minutes.
FAQs
If you like an even crustier crust, place a metal baking dish or cast-iron skillet containing boiling water on the lowest rack. Place the loaf on the middle oven rack and shut the oven door immediately. Creating steam allows the outside crust to expand as the bread rises and forms a nice outer layer that settles into a nice crust once the bread stops rising.
If you like the chewier texture of bread, and a slight difference in taste, swap the all-purpose for bread flour.
Instant yeast doesn’t require the initial proofing with water and sugar/honey to activate it. It activates on its own when incorporated into the other ingredients. I prefer to use dry active yeast and proof it first just to make sure it’s still alive. Plus, it’s just a few extra minutes I don’t mind taking!
You can, but whole wheat flour is heavier and denser. It will change not only the flavor of the bread but also the texture. If possible, use a combination of whole wheat flour and bread flour to balance it out.
More bread recipes include this Dutch oven bread, whole wheat bread and homemade bread recipe.
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Easy French Baguette Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups warm water (about 105°F)
- 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar , or honey
- 3 cups (390 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons table salt or fine sea salt
- butter , for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and honey. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until it has begin to foam.
- Place 2 cups of flour into a large mixing bowl with the salt. Stir in the yeast mixture and begin to knead by hand or using a dough hook and stand mixer. Add 1/2 cup of the remaining flour at a time until the dough is smooth but not sticky.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and divide it in half. Roll one half into a 6×12" rectangle. Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a cylinder. Shape each half into a baguette, about 12 inches long.
- Turn both ends in and pinch the seams closed. Round the edges and place onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the second dough ball. Make three diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf. Cover loves lightly with a towel. Let rise for 20-30 minutes.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. When you knock on it, it should sound hollow. If it's browning too fast, lightly cover with foil.
- Remove from the oven and brush the top with melted butter if desired. Slice and enjoy! :)
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 5 Ingredients Or Less, Bread, Freezer-Friendly, Nut-Free, Vegetarian, Yeast Bread
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
Easy, kids loved it! I probably need to work a bit on my shaping technique but no matter the look the taste was delicious! ☺️
Yes I made this bread very easy and delicious. I have used this recipe 4 times. My go to recipe. Thank You.
So glad you enjoyed the french baguette recipe!
Thanks for the recipe! The baguettes were great! I even messed up on the water but I added more flour and still tasted great!
So glad to hear! Thanks for your review Jenny :)
love to make this with my 3 yr old grandson he stirs flours etc so cute and messy couple of sneezies can’t hurt either !thx for a great time and good eats
Love to hear you are spending time together in the kitchen! :)
I’ve been baking homemade bread for the past year and this was my first time making a baguette. Perfection! It was so delicious. My whole family loved it! Thank you for the recipe.
I just made some bruschetta the other day & this is the perfect bread for that!! Easy, soft, & so good!
Mmm love bruschetta! So glad you enjoyed it :)
This turned out so great!! Never thought I could make a good Baguette until I tried this!! So easy to make!
Yay, great job! Glad you enjoyed the recipe :)