Oats 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 to worry about. For anyone navigating grain sensitivities around oats specifically, that simplicity is a genuine relief, since so many store-bought breads and bakery loaves are produced on shared lines where cross-contact is nearly impossible to avoid. The magic here comes from a long, cold ferment and a series of gentle stretch-and-folds that build structure and develop a complex, slightly tangy flavor without any shortcuts. A screaming-hot oven and a burst of steam in the first ten minutes give you that signature blistered crust that shatters when you slice it. The open, chewy crumb inside is everything a great baguette should be. Once you taste one still warm from the rack, the idea of buying a bagged loaf will feel like a very distant memory.
About FigFig is a food discovery app that helps you find foods and recipes that fit your dietary needs. Whether you have food allergies, intolerances, or follow a specific diet, Fig makes it easy to eat with confidence.
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.
Want the full recipe?
Create a Fig account for step-by-step instructions, access to our full recipe library, and more!