Rustic Sourdough Baguette Recipe
Chewy and crisp sourdough baguettes that you can start in the morning and serve with dinner.
Servings: 10 pieces
Calories: 137kcal
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
If you don't want to use yeast, you can leave it out! Just increase the rising times by a few hours. Make sure to start the day before you plan to bake.
Make sure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly before you start. Feed it the night before if needed.
The dough rises best at a cool room temperature (around 70°F). If your kitchen is warmer, check the dough earlier.
Cover the dough with a damp tea towel during rises to prevent it from drying out.
Knead the dough until it’s smooth and stretchy to help develop the gluten, which gives the baguette its chewy texture.
Nutrition
Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 351mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg