Artisan French Bread Recipe (Homemade Baguettes)

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Artisan French Bread Recipe (Homemade Baguettes)

Make your own French bread baguettes with this artisan French bread recipe. Get delicious fresh bread with minimal ingredients and minimal time. This easy bread recipe has so much flavor and is a great go-to baguette recipe for when you want fresh bread. 

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Artisan French Bread Ingredients 

To make the best homemade french bread recipe you only need a few simple ingredients that can easily be found at the grocery store:

• 355 grams cool filtered water (60 degrees F)
• 5 grams active dry yeast
• 605 grams all purpose flour
• 15 grams kosher salt
• 20 grams extra virgin olive oil
• 20 grams cool filtered water (60 degrees F)

​How to Make the Bread

The first step in making any homemade bread recipe is the dough. This will be the base for the bread as well as other bread recipes that we create, like pepperoni bread and prosciutto bread. Start with a large bowl and a kitchen scale. You can grab a kitchen scale online here if you don’t have one:  

Pour 355g of water into the large mixing bowl. 

Next, add the dry active yeast. 

Use a wire whisk to vigorously mix the water and yeast.  

Then carefully add the flour to the bowl. 

If you do not have a stand mixer, stir the bread dough with a wooden spoon for 4 minutes while turning the bowl to simulate a stand mixer.

Once the dough feels somewhat combined, knead the dough in the bowl. If you do have a stand mixer then mix using the dough hook attachment. You don’t really need any special equipment for this artisan French bread recipe. You will be able to get great bread either way you mix it. 

Add the remaining 20 grams of water to the bowl.

Sprinkle the salt into the bowl with the wet dough. 

Knead or mix the dough for an additional 6 minutes. Form the dough into a dough ball and cover it with a piece of plastic wrap. Set aside at room temperature for 20 minutes and let the dough rest. Then place in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Preparing Bread Loaves for the Oven

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and cut it into three equal portions. Coat the dough with the olive oil and set aside for 20 minutes to come to room temperature. 

Either line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or use a bread loaf pan. We are using this Silicone French Baguette Bread Pan Food Mat.

Sprinkle a little flour onto the bread mat.

Take each of the three portions of bread dough and shape them into small loaves of bread. Place them onto the bread pan seam side down. Sprinkle a bit more flour on top of the dough. 

Score the Bread

Use a sharp knife or razor blade to score the dough. Simply slice shallow cuts in a diagonal pattern on the top of the dough. This will give you the look of authentic French baguettes, and allows the bread to expand and rise while it cooks in the oven.

Set the fully prepared loaves aside in a warm place for 1 hour for a final rise.

Baking Artisan French Bread

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

When you set the oven to preheat and before you place the bread into the oven you also need to place a sheet pan, roasting pan, or other oven-safe dish on the lower rack at the bottom of the oven. We use a cast iron skillet.

When you place the bread into the hot oven you will pour a cup of water into the preheated pan then quickly close the oven door. This will create and trap steam in the oven. This steam prevents the outside of the bread from forming a hard crust too early in the baking process and allows the homemade French baguettes to fully rise while baking. The steam also creates a delicious crispy crust.  

Bake for 35 minutes until the crispy crust is golden brown. After 35 minutes, remove the artisan French bread baguettes from the oven.

Set the bread loaves on a wire rack to cool.

This crusty bread recipe makes delicious authentic French baguettes with a crispy outer crust and warm fresh bread inside. 

Artisan French Bread Recipe for Homemade Baguettes

Slice the bread and enjoy with simple jelly or jam, dip in your favorite soup, make your favorite sandwich, or eat as a side to any entrée. This is a great recipe because it’s so versatile and can be enjoyed with many different dishes. 

Make sure to check out all of our bread recipes:

FAQs and Variations 

You are always able to adjust a recipe to your own personal preference. Doing this may yield different results. 

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