PProvenance
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Baguette
French · Paris

Baguette

France's daily bread — a long (55–65cm), thin (5–6cm diameter), lean wheat bread with a shattering crust, irregular open crumb, and mild tang from a slow, cool fermentation — is the most precisely regulated bread in the world: the 'baguette de tradition française' (defined by French law since 1993) must contain only flour, water, salt, and yeast (no additives, no improvers), must weigh between 250–300g, and must be made and baked in the establishment where it's sold. The crust sound — the crackling sound (le craquage) of a fresh baguette under pressure — is the auditory test for freshness; a mute baguette has lost its moisture balance and is already stale. The baguette's freshness window is precisely 4–6 hours from the oven; after this, the crust softens and the crumb stales irreversibly — which is why Parisian bakeries bake multiple times per day.

‹Swipe for the next dish›
Serves2 baguettes
Total480 min (includes overnight cold fermentation)
Sourced0of 4 in BC
Cook
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I

The Market List

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500g
bread flour
Type 55 or French all-purpose
Origin · CanadaNot yet stocked in British Columbia
325ml
water
room temperature
Your own market
10g
salt
fine sea salt
Your own market
3g
instant yeast
Your own market
II

The Method

1
Mix flour, water and instant yeast in large bowl until shaggy mass forms; rest 20 minutes (autolyse).
2
Add fine sea salt; incorporate by hand folding and squeezing dough for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
3
Bulk ferment at room temperature for 4 hours with four sets of stretch-and-fold every 30 minutes during first 2 hours; dough should increase 50% in volume.
4
Divide dough in half; pre-shape into rounds and rest 20 minutes. Shape into tight cylinders 35cm long; place seam-side up in floured banneton or linen couche.
5
Cold ferment in refrigerator for 12–16 hours uncovered; this develops acidity and extensibility.
6
Preheat oven to 250°C with Dutch oven inside for 45 minutes. Score baguettes with single diagonal slash 1cm deep; transfer to hot Dutch oven, reduce heat to 220°C.
7
Bake covered for 25 minutes; remove lid, increase to 240°C and bake 20 minutes more until deep mahogany crust forms and internal temperature reaches 208°C.
IV

Sensory Tests

◇Where it lives or dies. The moment where baguette lives or dies is the score — the most intimidating step for home bakers. The blade must be wet, angled at 25-30 degrees to the dough surface (not perpendicular), and drawn in one swift, confident stroke. A hesitant cut tears the dough. A confident cut produces the clean incision that opens into a griigne. Practice on the first baguette of each batch — by the third baguette, the cut is becoming muscle memory.
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VI

What to Pour

The pairing
El Silencio Espadin Mezcal
El Silencio Mezcal · Oaxaca — Mezcal
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Agave spirit
From British Columbia
Fort Berens Riesling
Fort Berens Estate Winery · Lillooet
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Wine
Without alcohol
GT's Synergy Organic Kombucha — Gingerade
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Non-alcoholic

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The whole pairing
Pillar VII
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Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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