Pork Free Classic French Baguettes
Few things in the bread world rival the satisfaction of pulling a deeply bronzed, crackling baguette from your own oven. This recipe builds serious flavor through a poolish — a simple overnight starter made with just yeast, water, and bread flour — that gives the finished loaf that complex, slightly tangy depth you'd expect from a proper French bakery. The entire ingredient list is completely clean: yeast, water, bread flour, and sea salt, nothing more. That simplicity is actually what makes these so special, and it means there's nothing hidden to worry about for anyone avoiding pork or pork-derived additives. The stretch-and-fold technique replaces heavy kneading and develops a beautifully open, chewy crumb without much effort. Scoring the dough at a confident angle and blasting it with steam in the oven is the secret to that signature blistered crust that shatters when you bite in. Slice into one after the 20-minute rest and you'll understand why this method is worth every hour of the process.
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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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