Cashew Free Crusty French Baguette
Few things in the kitchen feel as satisfying as pulling a deeply golden, crackling baguette from your own oven. This recipe relies on just four ingredients — bread flour, sea salt, instant yeast, and water — so there is absolutely nothing hidden in the mix and no reason to second-guess the label on a store-bought loaf. The magic here is time: a long, cold ferment in the refrigerator builds the kind of complex, slightly tangy flavor that most home bakers assume is impossible without a professional bakery setup. A series of simple stretch-and-fold techniques replaces the need for heavy kneading, gradually developing the gluten structure that gives a proper baguette its signature chew. Steam in the oven during the first phase of baking is the secret to that audibly crisp, shattering crust, while the interior stays open and airy. Once they come out of the oven and cool on the rack, the crust continues to crackle and set — honestly one of the best sounds in cooking. Slice into one while it's still slightly warm and you will understand immediately why this is worth every hour of patience.
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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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