Nitrate & Nitrite Free Classic French Baguettes
Few things beat the crackle of a freshly baked baguette pulled straight from your own oven, and this classic French version delivers that bakery-worthy crust and open, chewy crumb without any of the additives hiding in store-bought loaves. Commercially produced breads often contain preservatives and curing agents to extend shelf life, so baking from scratch is one of the cleanest ways to sidestep those concerns entirely. This recipe keeps things beautifully simple — just yeast, water, bread flour, and fine sea salt, nothing more. The overnight poolish is the secret weapon here, building deep, complex flavor through natural fermentation so you never feel like you're missing anything. A series of stretch-and-folds develops the gluten structure that gives each baguette its signature chew, while a blast of steam in a screaming-hot oven creates that shatteringly crisp, mahogany-brown crust. Scoring the dough at a confident angle lets the loaves bloom dramatically in the oven, giving you that gorgeous ear that makes a homemade baguette look almost too good to eat. Let them cool on a wire rack just long enough for the crumb to set, then slice into them and enjoy bread that's as pure and honest as it gets.
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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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