Barley Free Crusty French Baguette
Few things in the kitchen feel as satisfying as pulling a deeply golden, crackling baguette from your own oven, and this recipe delivers exactly that. The ingredient list is beautifully stripped back — bread flour, sea salt, instant yeast, and cool water — which means there's no barley flour, barley malt, or any grain-based additive hiding in the mix. That simplicity is actually what makes this loaf so special: a long, cold ferment in the refrigerator does the heavy lifting, building complex flavor without any shortcuts or suspect additions. The technique here is approachable even if you've never shaped a baguette before. A series of gentle stretch-and-folds develops the gluten gradually, and the overnight rest in the fridge rewards patience with a tender, open crumb and that signature chewy bite. Scoring the dough at a shallow angle right before it hits the blazing hot oven lets the crust bloom dramatically, and the steam from a pan of hot water on the lower rack locks in that audibly crisp exterior. Once you hear that hollow knock on the bottom and catch the smell drifting through your kitchen, you'll understand why people bake these on repeat.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 3 cups (360g) bread flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp instant yeast
- 1 ¼ cups (295ml) cool water (about 65°f/18°c)
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bread flour, salt, and instant yeast. Pour in the cool water and stir with a wooden spoon or your hand until no dry flour remains and a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- 2
With damp hands, perform a series of stretch-and-folds: grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward until it resists, then fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat three more times for a total of 4 folds. Cover and repeat this process two more times at 30-minute intervals (3 sets total). After the final fold, the dough should feel noticeably smoother and hold its shape briefly when released.
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