Breastfeeding Friendly Classic French Baguettes
There is something deeply satisfying about pulling a batch of golden, crackling baguettes out of your own oven, and this recipe delivers that bakery-level result with nothing but flour, water, yeast, and salt. Those four simple ingredients are exactly what makes this such a smart choice when you're paying close attention to everything going into your body — no additives, no preservatives, no mystery oils. The overnight poolish is the secret weapon here, giving the dough a complex, slightly tangy flavor that you just can't rush or fake. Stretch-and-fold technique builds the gluten structure gradually, so even if you're working around a demanding schedule, the hands-on time is surprisingly manageable. Scoring the loaves at a confident angle and hitting them with a burst of steam in the oven creates that iconic shatter-crisp crust and open, airy crumb. Slice it warm with a little butter or tear it apart alongside a bowl of soup — either way, you'll feel good knowing exactly what went into every bite.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the poolish
- ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- ½ cup cool water (about 70°f / 21°c)
- ½ cup bread flour
For the dough
- 1 ½ tsp active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water (about 95°f / 35°c)
- 3 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 ½ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Make the poolish: In a large mixing bowl, stir together 1/4 tsp yeast, 1/2 cup cool water, and 1/2 cup bread flour until no dry flour remains. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 8–12 hours (overnight), until the poolish is bubbly, domed, and smells pleasantly yeasty.
- 2
Make the dough: Add 1 1/2 tsp yeast and 1 cup warm water to the poolish and stir to combine. Add 3 cups bread flour and 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, then mix with a stiff spatula or your hand until a shaggy dough forms with no dry patches. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
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