Nightshade Free Crusty French Baguette
Few things in the kitchen feel as satisfying as pulling a genuinely crusty, golden baguette from your own oven. This recipe keeps things beautifully simple — just bread flour, sea salt, instant yeast, and water — which means every ingredient is naturally free of nightshades without any substitutions or workarounds required. The slow cold ferment overnight is where the magic happens, building that complex, slightly tangy flavor you'd expect from a proper French loaf. A screaming-hot oven, a burst of steam, and confident scoring with a razor blade give you that signature shatteringly crisp crust and open, airy crumb. Whether you're serving it alongside a nightshade-free soup or just tearing into a warm slice with good butter, this baguette delivers bakery-level results from your own kitchen. The technique takes a little patience across the stretch-and-fold stages, but none of it is difficult — just methodical and deeply rewarding.
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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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