Rye Free Classic French Baguettes

Total time10 hr 5 min

Prep time40 min

Cook time25 min

Few breads are as satisfying to pull from the oven as a proper French baguette, with its crackling crust, open crumb, and that unmistakable yeasty aroma that fills the whole kitchen. The entire recipe is built on bread flour, water, salt, and yeast — nothing more — so there's no rye or rye-derived ingredient anywhere in sight, making it a genuinely clean bake for anyone avoiding that grain. The overnight poolish is the secret weapon here, developing deep, complex flavor without any shortcuts or specialty flours that might introduce unwanted ingredients. Stretch-and-fold technique replaces heavy kneading, building strength in the dough gradually so the final loaves have that airy, chewy interior that makes a baguette worth the effort. The steam-injection method — a hot skillet of water on the bottom rack — gives the crust that signature shatter and glossy color you'd expect from a proper bakery. Scoring with a lame at a confident angle lets the dough bloom beautifully in the oven rather than bursting at the seams. Once they cool on the rack and you hear that hollow tap on the bottom, you'll know you've nailed it.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the poolish

¼ tsp active dry yeast
½ cup cool water (about 70°f / 21°c)
½ cup bread flour
King Arthur Baking Company Unbleached Bread Flour King Arthur Flour Organic Unbleached Bread Flour, 5 lbs Bob's Red Mill Unbleached Artisan Bread Flour - 5 Lb Pillsbury Best Bread Flour - 5 LB Bob's Red Mill® Unbleached Enriched Artisan Bread Flour
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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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