Sourdough Baguette
Sourdough baguettes with a crisp crust, chewy crumb, and classic French flavor. A simple homemade baguette recipe perfect for practicing sourdough shaping.
These sourdough baguettes have everything you want in a classic French loaf: a crisp golden crust, a chewy interior, and plenty of airy holes inside. They’re wonderful served alongside dinner, sliced for sandwiches, or simply torn apart and enjoyed with butter.
If you’ve already mastered a basic sourdough loaf or sourdough French bread, baguettes are a fun next step. The dough is a little softer and stickier than a sandwich loaf, which helps create that classic open crumb and light texture.
Don’t worry if your first baguettes aren’t perfectly shaped. Like any sourdough recipe, shaping is a skill that improves with practice. Even the slightly wonky baguettes taste amazing.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Classic bakery-style texture: Crisp crust with a soft, chewy interior.
- A great next-step sourdough recipe: Perfect for practicing shaping skills.
- Simple ingredients, impressive results: Just a handful of pantry staples create beautiful loaves.
How to make baguette with sourdough starter
Here is a brief overview of how to make this recipe so you know what to expect when you start to bake. For the full set of written directions, please scroll down to the recipe card below.
Step One: Mix the Dough
In a large bowl, combine the water, active sourdough starter, flour, and salt. Mix until no dry flour remains and a shaggy dough forms.
Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Step Two: Stretch and folds
Using wet hands, perform a set of stretch and folds by lifting one side of the dough and folding it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat on all four sides.
Repeat this process every 30 minutes for a total of 3 sets.
Step Three: Bulk fermentation
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size and looks light and airy.
Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, this usually takes about 4–6 hours.
Step Four: Shape the baguettes
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces.
Gently shape each piece into a loose ball and let them rest for 20 minutes.
Roll each piece into a rectangle, fold the sides toward the center, then roll into a long baguette shape.
Step Five: Cold proof overnight
Place the baguettes seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet or baguette pan.
Cover and refrigerate overnight, or up to 36 hours for deeper flavor.
Step Six: Bake
The next day, preheat the oven to 500°F for about an hour.
Place a pan on the bottom rack and fill it with boiling water just before baking to create steam.
Score each baguette with 3–4 angled cuts down the length of the loaf. Spritz lightly with water and place in the oven.
Reduce the temperature to 450°F and bake for 20 minutes.
Rotate the loaves and bake another 15 minutes, until deeply golden brown.
Allow the baguettes to cool before slicing. The crust will continue to crisp as they cool.
Baker’s Schedule
This timeline is designed for a flexible, overnight fermentation. You can adjust the timing to fit your schedule, but this gives a general idea of what to expect.
Day One
- Mixing the dough – 15 minutes
- Resting the dough – 30 minutes
- Stretch and folds – 1½ hours (3 sets spaced 30 minutes apart)
- Bulk fermentation – 4 to 6 hours
- Dividing and shaping the baguettes – 30 minutes
- Overnight cold fermentation – 8 to 12 hours (or up to 36 hours)
Day Two
- Preheating the oven and preparing steam – 1 hour
- Scoring the baguettes – 5 minutes
- Baking – 35 minutes
- Cooling time – 30 minutes before slicing
Remember to watch the dough and not the clock! The timing of this recipe can vary depending on the temperature and humidity of your kitchen.
Storage
Baguettes are best enjoyed the day they are baked, when the crust is at its crispiest.
Store leftover baguettes at room temperature in a paper bag or loosely wrapped in a clean kitchen towel for up to 2 days.
For longer storage, slice and freeze the bread for up to 3 months.
A note about the crust
A traditional baguette has a crisp crust when it comes out of the oven. Over time, that crust will naturally soften as the bread sits. That’s completely normal.
To refresh the crust, warm the baguette in a 350°F oven for 5–10 minutes before serving.
Sourdough is better when shared
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and rating below.
Love and links are always appreciated! If you’d like to share this recipe, please link to the post directly for the recipe, please do not copy and paste or screenshot. Thank you so much for supporting me. XOXO – Jenni
Sourdough Baguette
Ingredients
Method
- Begin by ensuring that your sourdough starter is active and bubbly. This process typically takes 4-12 hours before starting the bread.
- In a large bowl, combine the warm water, all-purpose flour, the bubbly sourdough starter, and salt. Feel free to use a dough whisk, stand mixer, or clean hands.
- With wet hands, gently mix the shaggy dough for about 5 minutes until it comes together.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Perform a series of stretches and folds: Wet your hands to prevent sticking, then grab one edge of the dough, stretch it upwards, and fold it over. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat.
- Do this every every 30 minutes for 3 rounds.
- Cover the baguette dough with a wet towel or plastic wrap and let it bulk-ferment until it doubles in size. The duration will vary based on factors like room temperature and the activity of your starter. For me, this step took 5 hours. Look for small bubbles on the sides of your proofed dough to confirm readiness.
- Divide the dough into four equal parts using a sharp knife or bench scraper.
- Pre-shape each piece by forming them into a ball.
- Allow the dough to rest on the counter for about 20 minutes.
- Shape each piece into a baguette by gently stretching the dough into a rectangle. Fold the sides into the middle, creating a seam. Roll it over so it’s seam-side down and stretch it to elongate the shape.
- Place the shaped baguettes seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baker’s couche, baguette pan, or mold.
- Cover them with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, or place them inside a large plastic bag.
- Refrigerate overnight or for up to 36 hours. This slow fermentation will enhance their flavor.
- On the next day, preheat your oven to 500 degrees for about an hour and also boil about 2 cups of water.
- Using a razor blade or sharp knife, score the top of each baguette with 3 or 4 deep cuts at a 45-degree angle.
- Fill a baking dish or Dutch oven with boiling water and place it on the bottom rack of the oven. This creates steam, essential for a crispy crust. Next, spritz the baguettes with water for browning and a crunchy crust. Place them in the oven and carefully reduce the heat to 450 degrees. Bake for 35 minutes and rotate the baguettes about 20 minutes into the baking process for even browning.
- Allow each golden brown French baguette to cool slightly before slicing.
