🥖 Sourdough Baguettes: Crispy, Airy, and Irresistibly Tangy
There’s nothing like the crackle of a fresh baguette. This sourdough baguette recipe delivers a deeply caramelized crust with a light, custardy crumb that’s perfect for sandwiches, soups, and snacking.
Natural leavening brings gentle tang, nutty depth, and superior keeping quality compared to commercial yeast. The slow, cool fermentation develops flavor and structure with minimal hands-on time.
Expect a shattery crust and glossy, irregular holes inside. Gentle handling and an overnight rest build strength, while steam in the first minutes of baking boosts oven spring.
This post is part of our Sourdough Series — approachable, family-friendly bakes that make your starter shine from rustic loaves to sweet discard treats.
🧰 Tools You’ll Need
- Baguette pan
- Bench scraper & kitchen scale
- Lame or sharp blade for scoring
- Mixing bowl, danish whisk, or a spatula
- Baking stone or steel (optional for extra oven spring)
- Spray bottle for steam or preheated tray with hot water
🌾 Variations
- Garlic & Herb: Fold in minced garlic and chopped herbs during the first set of folds.
- Seeded Crust: Mist loaves and sprinkle sesame, poppy, or everything-bagel mix before baking.
- Whole-Wheat: Replace 15–20% of bread flour with whole wheat for a nutty flavor.
- Cheese Ribbon: Add shredded Gruyère or cheddar while shaping for a melty surprise.
🕰 Timeline (What Happens When)
We make the dough → bulk proof → cold proof → next-day shape → 1-hour final proof in the baguette pan → bake.
| Stage | Time | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Morning, Day 1 | 8:00 AM | Feed starter |
| Noon | 12:00 PM | Mix dough and autolyse |
| Afternoon | 1:00–4:00 PM | 3 stretch & folds during bulk fermentation |
| Evening | 6:00 PM | Cold proof overnight in refrigerator |
| Next Day | 9:00 AM | Divide & shape 3 baguettes |
| Next Day | 9:00–10:00 AM | Final proof in baguette pan |
| Next Day | 10:00 AM | Score and bake with steam |
⚙️ Troubleshooting
| Issue | Likely Cause | Quick Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Loaves spread flat | Overproofed or hydration too high | Shorten bulk; reduce water; chill dough before shaping |
| Dense crumb / low oven spring | Underproofed or weak shaping | Proof until airy; build surface tension during shaping |
| Pale crust | Insufficient steam or underbaked | Add steam for first 10 min; extend bake 3–5 min for color |
| Crust separates or blisters excessively | The oven too hot or the dough too cold when baked | Bake slightly lower (~450°F); let shaped loaves rest 10–15 min at room temp before scoring |
New to sourdough? Start with our day-by-day starter guide:
Sourdough Baguette Recipe
This sourdough baguette recipe makes crisp, golden loaves with a chewy open crumb and gentle tang. Naturally leavened with your starter and baked with steam, these baguettes have bakery-quality texture and flavor right from your home oven.
Servings: 3 baguettes
Calories: 632kcal
Ingredients
- 500 g bread flour
- 360 g water
- 100 g active sourdough starter
- 10 g salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, water, and sourdough starter until no dry flour remains. Cover and let rest for 30–45 minutes (autolyse).
- Add salt and mix by hand or with a dough whisk until incorporated.
- Perform 3 sets of stretch and folds over 3–4 hours during bulk fermentation, keeping the dough covered in between.
- Once the dough has risen about 50% and feels airy, cover tightly and place in the refrigerator overnight (cold proof).
- The next morning, gently divide the dough into 3 equal portions. Preshape each into a loose log and rest for 10–15 minutes.
- Shape each piece into a baguette and place seam side down on a baguette pan or floured couche.
- Cover and proof for 1 hour at room temperature, until slightly puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C) with a baking stone or steel inside.
- Score each baguette with a sharp blade or lame, and load onto the hot stone or tray.
- Bake with steam (add hot water to a tray or mist oven walls) for 10 minutes, then vent steam and continue baking for 10–15 minutes more, until golden brown.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
• For extra-crispy crust, leave the oven door slightly ajar for the last 5 minutes of baking.
• For a more open crumb, slightly increase hydration to 370 g water.
• Use a baguette pan for consistent shape and even browning.
• For a more open crumb, slightly increase hydration to 370 g water.
• Use a baguette pan for consistent shape and even browning.
Nutrition
Serving: 1baguette | Calories: 632kcal | Carbohydrates: 127g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 1302mg | Potassium: 167mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg
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