Recipe

Sourdough Baguette

Crackly crust, chewy center, and the kind of tangy, wheaty flavor that makes butter feel like a full meal.

By Matt Campbell

•

4.8

Two golden sourdough baguettes with deep scores cooling on a wooden board on a bright kitchen counter

If you have ever torn into a real baguette and heard that little crackle before the crumb even shows up, you already get the goal here. A great sourdough baguette is thin-crusted, boldly baked, and ridiculously snackable. It is also not the kind of bread that needs secret ingredients or fancy flour if you can be patient and pay attention.

This is my home-friendly approach: accessible ingredients, clear steps, and a couple of small tricks that make a big difference. We use a moderate hydration, easy-to-handle dough, build strength with folds, give it a cold ferment for flavor, then bake it hot with steam so you get crisp edges and a glossy, blistery crust.

A glass jar of active bubbly sourdough starter on a kitchen counter next to a small spoon

Why It Works

Thin, crisp crust with real snap: High heat plus steam in the first part of the bake keeps the surface elastic so the baguettes expand, then turns crackly as the moisture bakes off.
Open but not wild crumb: Baguettes should be airy, not hollow. Moderate hydration and good shaping give you those long, irregular holes without collapsing.
Deep sourdough flavor without drama: A room-temp bulk rise followed by an overnight fridge rest builds complexity and makes shaping easier the next day.
Repeatable results: This method is written for a typical home oven, with options for a baking steel or stone and a simple steam setup.

Pairs Well With

Storage Tips

Day 1 (best crust): Leave baguettes cut-side down on a cutting board, or store in a paper bag at room temperature. Avoid plastic if you want crisp crust.

Day 2 to 3: Store at room temperature in a breathable bag. To revive: mist lightly with water, then heat at 375°F for 8 to 12 minutes directly on the oven rack.

Freezing: Cool completely, then wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes. If you prefer, slice first so you can toast pieces straight from the freezer.

Sliced sourdough baguette on a cutting board with a serrated bread knife beside it

Common Questions

Do I need a baguette pan?

No. A baguette pan helps the loaves keep their shape, but you can get great results on a preheated baking steel or stone. If you do not have either, bake on an inverted sheet pan and expect a slightly less dramatic bottom crust.

How do I get that shiny, blistery crust at home?

Steam, high heat, and a cold ferment. Steam for the first part of the bake, then vent the oven so the crust dries and crisps. The overnight fridge rest also encourages small surface blisters.

My baguettes keep bursting on the side. Why?

Usually one of three things: your score was too shallow, the dough was under-proofed, or you did not use enough steam early on. Aim for confident, angled scores about 1/4 inch deep, and make sure the dough looks airy and jiggly before baking.

Note on the poke test: If your baguettes are cold straight from the fridge, the poke test can be less reliable because cold dough springs back differently. Instead, look for visible aeration, a slightly puffy shape, and dough that feels lighter than when you shaped it.

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?

Yes, but bread flour is more forgiving. If using all-purpose, hold back a tablespoon or two of water at first, and focus on building strength during bulk fermentation.

What if my starter is not super strong?

Feed it 1 to 2 times before baking and use it at peak activity. If it is sluggish, give the dough warmer time during bulk fermentation and expect it to take longer.

Is it safe to pour boiling water into a hot pan for steam?

It works well, but be careful. Use a sturdy metal pan (cast iron is great), pour slowly, and keep your face and hands away from the burst of steam. Avoid glass pans. If you prefer, use a handful of ice cubes instead of boiling water, or add preheated lava rocks to the pan for gentler steam.

A hand scoring proofed sourdough baguette with a bread lame on parchment paper

Matt Campbell

I have always had a huge passion for the culinary arts, people, working as a team, and so on. I wanted to pursue my love for cooking initially at Virginia Commonwealth University with a culinary arts degree; however, I instead decided to apply myself and acquire more practical skills. My end goal is to eventually open my own restaurant or similar establishment.

Kitchen Essentials

Digital kitchen scale
Large mixing bowl
Bowl scraper (helpful)
Bench knife
Clean kitchen towel or plastic bag to cover dough
Parchment paper
Baking steel or baking stone (recommended) or heavy sheet pan
Cast iron skillet or sturdy metal pan for steam (not glass)
Bread lame or sharp razor
Instant-read thermometer (optional, for doneness)
Spray bottle (optional for extra steam)

I did not grow up making baguettes. I grew up eating the kind that shows up in a paper sleeve and somehow disappears on the drive home. The first time I tried shaping baguettes, I rolled them like play-dough and baked two very confident breadsticks.

But here is the thing. Baguettes are a skill, not a personality test. Once I learned to slow down, build tension without tearing the dough, and actually commit to the scores, they started coming out with that crisp, shattery crust that makes you feel like you have your life together. Even if your kitchen is a little chaotic. Mine definitely is.

Sourdough Baguette

(4.8 Reviews)

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 24 minutes

Total Time 14 hours 59 minutes

Servings 2 baguettes (about 8 to 10 slices each)

Ingredients

450 g bread flour (about 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups, spooned and leveled if not weighing)
300 g water, room temperature (about 1 1/4 cups)
90 g active sourdough starter, at peak (best measured by weight)
10 g fine sea salt (about 1 3/4 teaspoons)
Rice flour, for dusting (optional but great for preventing sticking)
Neutral oil, for lightly greasing the bowl (optional)

Measured bread flour, water in a measuring cup, salt in a small bowl, and active sourdough starter on a kitchen counter

Starter note: This recipe assumes a 100 percent hydration starter (equal parts flour and water by weight). If yours is different, the dough will feel looser or tighter and the timing may shift.

Instructions

Mix the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together 300 g water and 90 g active starter until mostly combined. Add 450 g bread flour and mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
Add salt. Sprinkle 10 g salt over the dough. Pinch and fold it in until evenly distributed. The dough will feel tighter after a few minutes of mixing.
Build strength with folds. Over the next 1 1/2 to 2 hours, do 3 sets of stretch-and-folds (or coil folds), spaced 30 to 40 minutes apart. Keep the bowl covered between sets. The dough should go from shaggy to smoother and more elastic.
Bulk ferment. Let the dough rise at room temperature until it looks puffier and shows bubbles along the sides, usually 2 to 4 hours depending on your kitchen. You are looking for roughly a 50 to 75 percent increase in volume, not necessarily a full doubling.
Temperature tip: If you can, aim for a dough temperature around 75 to 78°F. Cooler dough takes longer. Warmer dough moves faster and can overproof if you forget about it while answering one more text.
Pre-shape. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter. Divide into 2 equal pieces (about 420 g each, give or take). Gently pat into rectangles, then roll each into a loose log. Cover and rest 20 minutes.
Final shape (baguette form). Working with one log at a time, gently flatten into a rectangle. Fold the top third down and press to seal. Fold the bottom third up and seal again. Then roll from the center outward with your hands to form a 12 to 14 inch baguette with tapered ends. Repeat with the second piece.
Proof. Place the shaped baguettes seam-side up in a floured couche (or a clean towel dusted well with rice flour), creating folds between loaves for support. Cover and refrigerate 8 to 16 hours.
Couche shortcut: Use a clean tea towel on a sheet pan. Dust with rice flour, then create supports by bunching the towel up between loaves. If your towel is slippery, clip the ends so it stays put.
Preheat oven and set up steam. Place a baking steel or stone on the middle rack. Place a cast iron skillet or sturdy metal pan on the bottom rack. Preheat to 500°F for 45 to 60 minutes.
Score. Remove baguettes from the fridge. Transfer to parchment seam-side down. Using a lame or razor, score 4 to 5 overlapping slashes down the length, angled about 30 degrees, around 1/4 inch deep.
Bake with steam. Slide the baguettes (on parchment) onto the hot steel or stone. Carefully pour about 1 cup of boiling water into the preheated steam pan and quickly close the oven door. Bake 10 minutes at 500°F.
Steam safety: Pour slowly, keep your face back, and do not use a glass pan. If you prefer a gentler method, add a few ice cubes instead of boiling water.
Vent and finish baking. Remove the steam pan (carefully) or vent the oven by cracking the door for a few seconds. Reduce heat to 450°F and bake 12 to 15 minutes more, until deeply golden brown.
Optional: After the first 10 minutes, you can tug the parchment out from under the loaves for a slightly crisper bottom, as long as they release easily.
Check doneness and cool. Baguettes are done when they are deeply browned, feel light for their size, and sound hollow when tapped. For extra certainty, aim for an internal temperature of about 205 to 210°F (about 96 to 99°C). Let baguettes cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes. Cutting too early makes the crumb gummy, even if it smells like the best idea you have had all day.