Xanthan Gum Free Classic French Baguettes

Few baked goods are as satisfying as a proper baguette — that shattering crust, the open, chewy crumb, the faint tang that only comes from a long ferment. The secret here is the poolish, an overnight pre-ferment made from just yeast, water, and bread flour that builds deep flavor before the main dough even comes together. Because the entire recipe relies on four clean, simple ingredients — bread flour, yeast, water, and sea salt — there is absolutely nothing hiding in it, no stabilizers or additives of any kind. That makes it a natural fit for anyone avoiding gum-based thickeners, since the gluten network developed through stretch-and-folds does all the structural work on its own. The steam-baking technique, created by pouring hot water into a skillet on the oven floor, gives you that bakery-quality crust without any specialty equipment beyond what you likely already own. Scoring the loaves at a confident angle lets them bloom dramatically in the oven, producing those gorgeous, ear-like ridges that make a homemade baguette look almost too good to eat. Cool them on a wire rack, resist the urge to slice too soon, and you will have something genuinely worth bragging about.

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