Rustic Sourdough Baguettes

Name: Sourdough Baguettes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 24 min
Total time: 1740 min
Ingredients: 150 g all-purpose flour; 150 g lukewarm water; 125 g sourdough starter; 350 g lukewarm water; 10 g salt; 500 g bread flour

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Everyone's favorite homemade bread in baguette shape! Crafted with simple ingredients, these sourdough baguettes boast a perfect crackly crust with a soft, airy crumb. Give them a try today!

sourdough baguette with slices on tea towel.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
Ingredient Notes:
Specialty Equipment Notes:
What is Sourdough Starter and Where Do I Get It?
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Baker's Schedule:
What to Serve with Sourdough Baguettes:
Recipes to Use Day-Old Sourdough:
Recipe FAQ's:
Other Recipes You'll Love:
Recipe:
Sourdough Baguettes
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:

Shareable: As opposed to classic Dutch oven sourdough bread or roasted garlic sourdough, baguettes are the perfect party appetizer because they're easy to slice into bite-sized pieces. For another fun party recipe, try this sourdough pizza dough!

Flavorful: Authentic French baguette recipes typically use active dry yeast as the leavening agent. However, you can make this delicious rustic bread using a sourdough starter instead and get that delicious sourdough taste in baguette form!

Crispy Crust: Crusty French baguettes with a perfectly crisp crust are an art form. Sourdough also makes a beautifully crispy crust with an airy, chewy interior with that signature sourdough flavor everyone loves!

Ingredient Notes:

sourdough baguette ingredients with labels.

Sourdough Starter: Sourdough starter can either be made at home or purchased in various forms (typically dried). I used this guide for making a sourdough starter and it hasn't failed me yet. You can also ask a baking friend to share some! It's important to note that sourdough starters are all different in yeast cultures, consistency, yeast activity, etc. and it may take time to figure out how your starter works with specific recipes.
All-Purpose Flour: When choosing a flour to feed your sourdough starter, select an unbleached flour. Bleached flour likely won't ruin your starter, but I get good results with unbleached all-purpose flour.
Bread Flour: Not all bread flours are created equal. The type of wheat used, and more importantly, the protein content of the flour can drastically affect the outcome of your bread. I get the best results with King Arthur bread flour which has a higher protein content than most bread flours. That's not to say you can't use any type of bread flour, but you may have to test the recipe a few times and adjust it to your liking.
Salt: I use Redmond Real Salt for bread, which is unrefined and has a lower sodium content per gram than regular table salt. If you are using refined table salt, cut the salt down to 8-9 g to make up for the higher sodium content.

Specialty Equipment Notes:

Baguette Pan: This recipe uses a baguette pan to help the baguettes keep their shape and to allow air flow under the bottom. However, the baguettes can still be baked on a normal cookie sheet instead.
Baking Sheet: I use a baking sheet to help preheat the baguette pan before baking. But, you can also use a pizza stone or baking stone. Just make sure it's oven-safe up to 500 degrees F!
Kitchen Scale: A digital kitchen scale is a baker's best friend. You can also measure out the ingredients with measuring cups. But, to get more precise, consistent results, a digital kitchen scale should be used.
Long Silicone Spatula: You can stir your sourdough starter with any clean kitchen utensil that works for you. But this long silicone spatula is just the right size and shape to effectively stir the starter and scrape down the sides of the jar.
Dough Whisk: A dough whisk is great for mixing dough but it isn't necessary. You can mix this dough with your hands or another clean kitchen utensil as well.
Silicone Bowl Scraper: A silicone bowl scraper is a handy tool for removing sticky dough from the sides of the bowl. I highly recommend getting one!
Bench Scraper: A bench scraper is a handy tool when it comes to shaping sourdough. But, you can also shape sourdough with your hands.
Bread Lame or Razor: A bread lame is essentially a fancy razor blade holder and isn't necessary for scoring bread. However, a razor blade or sharp knife is essential for scoring the dough.
Parchment Paper: Parchment paper is super handy for baking sourdough. It makes a great non-stick surface to bake bread on.
Bread Knife: A good sourdough loaf can be hard to slice with a typical bread knife due to its crusty exterior and soft interior. I recommend a sharp knife with scalloped teeth like this scalloped offset bread knife. As an added bonus, the offset shape keeps you from rubbing your knuckles on the cutting board!

What is Sourdough Starter and Where Do I Get It?

Sourdough starter is a live culture made by combining flour and water and cultivating the wild yeast present in flour. Starters are typically made beginning with whole wheat flour and then gradually switching to all-purpose flour. Wild yeast is more present in the outside of the wheat kernel which is present in whole wheat flour and creates a more robust starter.

You can make your own sourdough starter by following this guide from King Arthur Flour: how to make your own sourdough starter. You can also purchase sourdough starters from various retailers like this starter named "Willa" from Ballerina Farm. Also, the easiest route to obtain a starter is to ask a sourdough-baking friend for some!

Step-by-Step Instructions:

How To Feed Sourdough Starter:

Many recipes will tell you to feed your sourdough starter with equal parts starter, flour, and water. But if you start with too much starter, your bread can be overly sour from the lactic acid in the old sourdough starter.

Starters should be fed once a week (whether you bake with them or not) and stored in the fridge in between feedings. Follow the simple instructions below to feed your sourdough starter for mild-tasting bread.

sourdough starter jar with 1-2 tablespoons left. — **Step 1:** Remove all but 1-2 tablespoons of starter from the jar.

pouring water into sourdough starter jar. — **Step 2:** Add equal weights of flour and lukewarm water. (150 g each)

mixing sourdough starter with long silicone spatula. — **Step 3:** Stir the starter with a long silicone spatula and scrape down the sides of the jar. You can also use a wooden spoon or another clean kitchen utensil.

sourdough starter on silicone spatula. — **Step 4:** The starter should be the consistency of a thick pancake batter, but it will be thinner after it rises.

Step 5: Store the starter on top of your fridge or in another warm place.

Step 6: The starter is ready to use when it has doubled or tripled in volume in 6-8 hours. Many recipes will tell you to use the float test to see if your starter is ready to use, but this test isn't always accurate and I suggest using the increased volume of the starter instead.

Pro Tip: Use a rubber band to mark the level of your starter when you fed it so you can see when it has doubled in volume.

How to Make Sourdough Baguette Dough:

Making the dough is probably the easiest step in sourdough bread baking. Follow the simple steps below!

pouring sourdough starter into metal bowl. — **Step 1:** Add 125 g of active sourdough starter to a large mixing bowl.

mixing sourdough starter and water with dough whisk. — **Step 3:** Then, stir with a dough whisk or fork to make a slurry. The starter doesn't need to be fully incorporated into the water.

mixing sourdough dough with dough whisk. — **Step 4:** Add flour and salt and stir with a dough whisk. Alternatively, you can use your hands to combine the ingredients.

mixing shaggy sourdough dough with dough whisk. — **Step 5:** The dough will be shaggy and that's ok! The ingredients will come together more during the stretching and folding process (see below).

bowl covered with white shower cap. — **Step 6:** Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes. I like to use a shower cap but you can use a damp towel or plastic wrap.

Pro Tip: Cover the bowl with a shower cap instead of plastic wrap to cut down on plastic waste. They're easy to clean, fit over the bowl well, and keep the dough from drying out. Just make sure you use a dedicated shower cap for kitchen use. 🙃 Alternatively, a damp kitchen towel can also be used.

How to Stretch and Fold Sourdough Baguette Dough:

Stretching and folding is the term used for a no-knead method for making bread dough. The process is quite literally what it sounds like: a series of stretching the dough and folding it over itself until the desired texture is achieved. The goal is to develop the gluten fibers by stretching them which gives your bread structure.

First Round:

removing sourdough dough from bowl with bowl scraper. — **Step 1:** After the baguette dough has rested for 30 minutes, remove the dough from the bowl with a bowl scraper.

first round of sourdough folding. — **Step 3:** Fold the ends together, turn the dough 90 degrees, and stretch the opposite ends. Repeat this process 2-3 more times or until you can feel resistance from the dough when you try to stretch it.

sourdough dough ball in bowl after first round of stretching and folding. — **Step 4:** Fold the dough one more time and place it back in the bowl, seam side down. It won't be pretty at this point and that's ok! Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Second Round:

Third Round:

Fourth (Final) Round:

fourth round of stretching. — **Step 1:** After the third rise, stretch and fold the dough 3-4 times. Look how stretchy the dough is! It should be fairly supple at this point.

sourdough dough ball in bowl after fourth round of stretching and folding. — **Step 2:** Form the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl, seam side down.

sourdough dough in bowl after bulk fermentation. — **Step 4:** After 10-12 hours, the dough should be doubled (or even tripled) in size. Many recipes will tell you the dough is over-proofed if it triples in size but I find that it makes deliciously fluffy bread this way!

Pro tip: The typical schedule for stretching and folding is 4 rounds over 2 hours. However, you can do it in shorter or longer time periods. The dough needs at least 15 minutes to rest between stretching and folding, but you can also let it rest for up to an hour in between.

How to Shape Sourdough Baguettes:

Baguette translates to "stick" in French. A baguette is a long, stick-like loaf of bread. Baguettes are shaped in a special way that creates surface tension on the outside of the dough, allowing it to rise properly in the oven. Read below for how to shape them!

transferring dough to floured work surface.

Step 1: The next morning after the final rise, transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.

cutting dough into thirds with bench scraper.

Step 2: Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces.

folding dough into ball and pinching seams.

Step 3: Shape each piece of dough into a ball by folding the edges of the dough towards the middle and sealing the seams together.

Step 4: Flip the dough ball over and use a bench scraper to pull the sides of the dough under the bottom. This creates surface tension on the outside of the dough which helps it rise better.

3 sourdough dough balls on wood surface.

Step 5: Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.

Step 6: Cover the dough balls with a clean kitchen towel and let them rest for 1 hour.

pressing dough ball into rectangle with hands.

Step 7: Working with 1 dough ball at a time, gently shape the dough into a rough rectangle by pressing down with your hands.

Step 8: Flip the rectangle over and fold it in half lengthwise.

pressing folded dough rectangle with hands.

Step 9: Gently shape the dough into a rough rectangle again. It should be a little bit longer than the last rectangle.

Step 10: Flip the rectangle over again and fold it in half lengthwise. Gently shape the dough into a rough rectangle again. It should be a little bit longer than the last rectangle.

Step 11: Seal the seams by pinching them together.

Step 12: Using both hands, roll the dough away from and towards yourself in the middle of the dough.

Step 13: Continue rolling towards the ends of the dough until the dough is about 12 inches long and an even diameter. Taper the ends so that they are slightly more narrow than the rest of the baguette. Repeat with remaining dough balls.

covering baguette dough with parchment paper.

Step 14: Line a baguette pan with parchment paper. Gently transfer the shaped baguettes to the pan, seam side down. Cover the baguettes with another piece of parchment paper and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Pro Tip: Don't forget to pinch the seams of the dough before rolling it into baguettes. This helps immensely with creating surface tension on the outside of the dough which leads to fluffier baguettes!

How to Bake Sourdough Baguettes:

Unlike sourdough bread baked in a Dutch oven, you don't have a closed container to help with oven spring when baking baguettes. Instead, you can cover the baguettes with parchment paper to create a steamier environment for the baguettes to rise in the oven. Read below for full instructions!

3 baguette dough covered with parchment paper.

Step 1: Gently transfer the parchment paper with the baguettes to a sheet pan, without disturbing their shape. Keep them covered with the top sheet of parchment paper, then return the pan to the fridge.

Step 2: Place the baguette pan on a sheet pan and place it in the oven. Heat the oven to 500°F. Once the oven is heated, leave the pans in the oven to heat for 30 minutes.

Step 3: Remove the baguettes from the fridge. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and set it aside. Using a sharp razor blade or bread lame, score the top of the dough several times at an angle, about every 1-2 inches.

scored baguette dough on parchment paper.

Step 4: Remove the baguette pan from the oven. Gently transfer the parchment paper with the baguettes onto the hot baguette pan, making sure they lay flat in the baguette shapes.

baguettes covered in parchment paper in oven.

Step 5: Place the extra sheet of parchment paper on top of the baguettes. Then, place the pan in the hot oven on the heated sheet pan. Bake for 12 minutes. The bake time may vary based on your oven and the temperature of the pan.

Step 6: Remove the top piece of parchment paper and continue baking for 10-12 minutes, or until the outsides are a deep golden brown.

Step 7: Remove the baguettes to a cooling rack.

Step 8: Let them cool completely at room temperature before slicing. Enjoy!

Pro Tip: To soften a really crunchy crust, place fully cooled baguettes into a zippered plastic bag before slicing and serving.

Baker's Schedule:

With longer recipes like this, it can be hard to picture how long it will really take. See below for my typical sourdough baking schedule. Of course, you can adjust the times to fit your schedule.

10 am: Feed the starter.
6:30 pm: Make the dough. Cover the starter with the lid and refrigerate for up to a week before feeding again.
7 pm: Stretch and fold the dough, and cover the bowl.
7:30 pm: Stretch and fold the dough, and cover the bowl.
8 pm: Stretch and fold the dough, and cover the bowl.
8:30 pm: Stretch and fold the dough. Cover the bowl and leave it on the counter overnight.
6:30 am (next day): Divide and shape the dough into dough balls and let them rest for 1 hour.
7:30 am: Shape the dough balls into baguettes and refrigerate.
9:30 am: Place the sheet pan and baguette pan in the oven and preheat the oven.
10:15 am: Score the baguettes and bake.
10:45 am: Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack.
6 pm: Eat!

What to Serve with Sourdough Baguettes:

Homemade sourdough baguettes are super versatile and can be served with just about anything. I've listed a few of my favorite recipes below, but you can use your imagination! So, the next time you're asked to bring an appetizer to a party, dazzle everyone with these beautiful baguettes and you'll be the star of the party!

Recipes to Use Day-Old Sourdough:

Recipe FAQ's:

What is the difference between a French baguette and a sourdough baguette?

Traditional baguettes are made with commercial yeast as the leavening agent. However, sourdough baguettes use active sourdough starter (which contains wild yeast) as the leavening agent.

Can I shape sourdough into baguette?

Sourdough can absolutely be shaped into baguettes. Sourdough makes the perfect baguette - crispy on the outside with a chewy, airy interior.

What exactly is a baguette?

The word baguette translates to "stick" in French. A baguette is a long, stick-like loaf of bread. Traditional baguettes are baked in a hot oven with steam to produce a crispy crust. Baguettes are often sliced and served as an appetizer in various ways.

Other Recipes You'll Love:

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Why You'll Love This Recipe:

Ingredient Notes:

Specialty Equipment Notes:

What is Sourdough Starter and Where Do I Get It?