Easy Sourdough Baguettes
Thanks to a pinch of yeast (but you can leave it out if you prefer), these sourdough baguettes are ready in one day. Gentle kneading instead of stretches and oflds lets you make these and forget about them for a while.
We love them served with pasta or sliced up for dips. A sourdough bread recipe you’ll turn to again and again.
Rustic Sourdough Baguette Recipe
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wooden spoon or dough whisk
- Damp tea towel or plastic wrap
- Clean bowl
- Flat baking sheet or special baguette pan
- Lame or sharp knife
- cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2/3 cups water
- 2 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup sourdough starter (fed)
- 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
Instructions
- Combine ingredients. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir. The dough may look slightly dry but should come together. Cover and let rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Adjust dough consistency: Check the dough's consistency and add a bit of water or flour until the dough is soft but not overly sticky. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead by hand for 5 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- First rise. Cover the dough in a clean bowl with a damp tea towel. Allow to rise at cool room temperature for 2-3 hours until doubled in bulk.
- Shape baguettes. Turn the dough out onto the counter and divide it in half. Shape into rough 10-12 inch logs and cover with a damp towel to rest for 10 minutes. Prepare a flat baking sheet or a special baguette pan by spraying it with vegetable oil and dusting it with cornmeal.
- Final shaping and rising. Shape the dough into 15-inch-long loaves and rub with flour. Make 1/4-inch deep slashes with a lame or sharp knife. Place on the baking sheet or baguette pan and cover with heavily greased plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 1 hour at room temperature or 3-4 hours in the fridge. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C).
- Bake. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool it. Allow the baguettes to cool on a rack.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Tips:
When shaping the dough, handle it gently to keep the air bubbles inside. This helps create a light texture inside.
When making cuts on the dough, use a sharp knife or lame and do it quickly and confidently to allow the baguettes to expand properly in the oven.
Take your time with the rising process. Letting the dough rise slowly brings out better flavor and texture.
For a crispy crust, put a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven while it’s preheating. The steam will help achieve that perfect crust.
Allow the baguettes to cool completely on a rack before slicing to make sure that the inside texture sets properly.
About the Ingredients
Need to swap ingredients for this recipe? Here are some ideas:
- Bread Flour: Use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour (it might be a little less chewy).
- Instant Yeast: Try active dry yeast instead of instant yeast (proof it in warm water first).
- Sourdough Starter: Use commercial sourdough starter instead of homemade (adjust water/flour as needed).
- Cornmeal: Swap cornmeal with semolina flour for dusting.
These substitutions may alter the final result, but feel free to give them a try!
With some patience and practice, you can enjoy a tasty, fresh loaf that goes well with any meal.

By Katie Shaw
Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.
Easy and delicious. My family likes soft bread so I wrap them in a damp towel as soon as they come out of the oven.
Can I use KA all purpose flour instead of bread flour? Plan on making some today. Thank You!
yes! reduce the water a bit, about 20% less and then add more if needed…they won’t be as “crusty”… but still delicious. enjoy!
May the baguette be frozen prior to baking.
hi susan… i’ve never had. good luck with that. but they will freeze beautifully fully baked and cooled 🙂
The text section say first rise is 1 hr but the recipe says 2-3 until doubled. Which is it?
2-3. i’ll fix it!
This has become our staple baguette recipe that I bake with at least once a week. Thank you so much for the simple yet fail proof recipe!
i am so glad you like the baguettes! thank you for letting me know! 🙂
This recipe came out great!
We almost felt like we where in Paris.
What recipe adjustments would I make if I substituted a .63 oz. PKG of instant sourdough?
Laura I’m so sorry I have no experience with instant sourdough. if its equivalent to a package of yeast, you would use the whole thing. I’m just not sure how it works.
Hello Katie, After a few disasters: starter dying, baguettes with a hard crust and not risen enough, I suspected my starter was still too young, so your email has told me so, am going to try with a pinch of dehydrated yeast for the next batch.
A suggestion, it is better to go by weight than by cups, cups are not exact and digital scales are cheap now, I bought mine from the super market for $20. I used to make baguettes with dehydrated yeast by making the dough in a Panasonic bread machine, shaped the baguettes straight out of the machine because the machine does the first rise, than waited for the baguettes to rise and baked them. It was very easy, regards, Claudine PS. have rated the recipe but haven’t tried it yet!
Wow! I am so happy to have found this recipe. I tried it today – easy and absolutely delicious. I actually used a 1/4 cup of whole-wheat flour in place of some of the bread flour. My whole family were raving about it and the kids wanted more and more! Thank you so much for sharing.
It was easy to follow. I was afraid my baguettes wouldn’t rise, but they did. It was easier than other recipes I have tried
I just finished the initial shaping of the baguettes. Do you bake directly from the fridge after the cold proof or let them come back to room temp? I’m deciding whether I should just let them rise at room temp so they can be ready for dinner.
I bake directly from fridge. but for dinner tonight, I’d leave them out. they do not get sticky and wet if left out at room temperature
My crumb was too fine, more like regular bread. Is that from kneading too much or proofing it too long?
kneading and lower hydration. these are designed to be easy 🙂 if you want a true open crumb baguette, try this recipe: https://myloveofbaking.com/sourdough-baguettes/ (it’s a bit more difficult to work with the dough)
I’m new to sourdough, which I thought was a different leavening agent, so I’m confused why this adds a bit of yeast. Can it go without?
hi Lorena, you are correct! I add the pinch of yeast to these so they will be ready in one day. you can absolutely leave it out! the rising times will be a few hours longer and the final proof may need to be overnight in the fridge
Has anyone converted this using grams so I can go by weight? Thanks.
Made this with a few tweaks. Added a little bit more water. I let the dough sit covered for about 45 mints after I barely mixed the flour. I just mixed it until the flour couldn’t be seen anymore.
I then pulled and stretched it rested it and did that a few times. I let it proof for about 1 hr at room temperature and then put it in the fridge to bulk ferment over night. Took it out in the morning let it come to room temp about 2 hours. -Preshaped it let it sit for about 15 mints and then I did the final shaping. Placed in a baguette mould and let them rise for about 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. Preheated the oven to 500 with a steel and a pan at the bottom to drop in the ice. Scored the loaves spritzed them with water. Dropped in the ice cubes spritzed the oven walls and quickly closed the door. Amazing. Best way to bake this type of bread. Thank you.
Thank you. for sharing your method Angela! I love the idea of more water and longer rest. ????
I’ve made this multiple times for my family. My dad, who is very German, loves them and asks for them all the time now. About to pop 2 into the oven now to have with our lasagna! Thank you!
aw saskia thank you so much for letting me know that. I am so so happy you like them
I love your recipe! My first pair of baguettes were amazing! I used all-purpose flour, which was just fine. However I am running low now but have self raising flour – do you think it will work? Also wondering if I can use the bread machine’s dough cycle for the kneading , and leave it in there for 2 hours before shaping and final proofing?
Yes you can absolutely knead in the bread machine! Just make sure to check it a few minutes in to make sure the dough is coming together as it can a little dry. I don’t know about the self rising flour. It has baking soda in it which I’m not sure about! Let’s pray for the return of flour soon
Made this because most of the recipes are to labor intensive with my grandkids. Plus I’m new to sourdough starter! My house is cold so I let rise 4 hours the first time. 1 hour in the garage for final proof… Can’t wait until they get out of the oven. Easy peasy and look and smell delish. Thanx for the recipe!
so glad you liked the recipe! my kids love helping with this one too. enjoy your baguettes 🙂
My 15 year son old loves baking bread, particularly baguettes. He’s into chemistry so it makes sense. I am going to give him this recipe. He has tried many, some way too complicated with disappointing results! This is just in time for soup season…if it ever cools off!????Thanks!
I love some of the crazier bread recipes out there, but I think they make it seem very simple when it’s really not!