Guides
Sourdough baguettes with four ingredients
Flour, water, starter, salt. A long warm bulk does the work, and a steamy oven gives you the crackly crust and open crumb of a proper baguette, no commercial yeast in sight.
Mix
Combine flour, water, starter and salt into a shaggy dough and knead to a smooth, fairly firm ball. Adjust with a little flour or water if needed.
Bulk with folds
Leave warm for 6 to 8 hours, doing a set of stretch-and-folds every 1 to 2 hours. The dough should grow noticeably and feel alive.
Divide and shape
Divide into 3 equal pieces and shape each into a baguette, sealing the seam well. Lay them seam-down on a floured cloth.
Short final proof
Proof just 20 minutes on a greased, lightly floured sheet while the oven heats. Baguettes like a short final rise.
Score and steam-bake
Preheat to 240 C (convection) with an empty tray on the lower rack. Score each baguette with long diagonal slashes, load them, and pour half a cup of water onto the hot tray for steam.
Bake until deep gold
Bake 20 to 25 minutes until deeply golden and the base sounds hollow when knocked. Cool on a rack so the crust stays crisp.
Patience instead of yeast
A baguette has nowhere to hide: it's almost pure flour and water, so the fermentation and the bake are everything. This version keeps the dough on the drier side (around 56% hydration) because it makes the long strands easier to shape, and it leans on a slow warm bulk with regular folds to build the structure. The reward is a thin, shattering crust and an airy interior.
What you need
Makes 3 baguettes. A baking stone helps, but an upturned tray works too.
Shaping, the one skill here
Shaping is the part worth practising. Gently flatten each piece, fold it in thirds, then roll it from the centre outward with light pressure to lengthen it, sealing the seam. Don't degas it completely; you want to keep some of those bubbles. A floured couche or the folds of a tea towel hold the shape during the short final proof.
FAQ
Frequently asked
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