Skip to content
FriendsPantry

French

Baguettes with poolish

Vegetarian

Baguette

Thin, crackling French sticks with a creamy, irregular crumb, made with an overnight poolish that gives deep wheaty flavour from a tiny amount of yeast.

Baguettes with poolish is a French bread from France, ready in about 17 hours 15 minutes and made with all-purpose flour and instant yeast. It serves 6 and is rated advanced to cook.

Start cooking

No licensed photograph of this dish yet.

Prep
40 min
Cook
25 min
Rest
3 h 10 min
Total
17 h 15 min
Serves
6
Level
Advanced
Calories
304

Includes a 12–16 hour poolish at room temperature started the evening before.

Ingredients

6 servings (half a baguette)

Poolish

Dough

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Evening before: stir the poolish flour, water and pinch of yeast into a smooth batter in a jar or bowl. Cover and leave at room temperature (18–21 °C) for 12–16 hours until bubbly, domed and just starting to sink in the middle.

    • 3 min

  2. Step 2

    Add the dough water to the poolish to loosen it, then the flour, salt and yeast. Mix to a shaggy dough, rest 15 minutes, then knead by slap-and-fold for 5–8 minutes until smooth and elastic and a small piece stretches thin enough to see light through (windowpane).

    Hands kneading dough on a floured surface
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Bulk ferment, covered, for about 1½–2 hours at 24 °C, giving a set of folds after 30 and 60 minutes. It should grow by about 50% and feel airy.

    • 4 min

  4. Step 4

    Divide into 3 pieces (about 285 g each). Preshape each gently into a loose cylinder without knocking out all the gas and rest, covered, for 20 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Shape: pat each piece into a rectangle, fold the top third down and seal with the heel of your hand, then fold in half lengthwise and seal the seam. Roll under your palms from the middle outwards to 35–40 cm with tapered ends. Proof seam-side up in the folds of a heavily floured linen cloth or tea towel for 45–60 minutes, until a gentle poke springs back slowly. As soon as the proof begins, put a baking tray or stone on the middle shelf and an empty roasting tin on the shelf below, and preheat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 250 °C (fan 230 °C) for about 45 minutes so both are thoroughly hot.

    A tray or stone that hasn't fully heated gives weak oven spring and a pale underside.

    A tray of food roasting in the oven
    How it looks · Photo: locrifa on Pexels

  6. Step 6

    Roll the baguettes onto parchment, seam down. Score each with 4–5 overlapping slashes almost parallel to the length, holding the blade at a shallow 30° angle. Slide onto the hot tray, pour a cup of boiling water into the roasting tin and shut the door quickly.

    Food safety: Pour water for steam carefully and stand back — the burst of steam can scald hands and face. Don't pour water onto a glass oven door.

  7. Step 7

    Bake 12 minutes with steam, then remove the water tin and bake another 10–13 minutes until deep golden-brown. They should sound hollow and read about 96 °C inside. Cool on a rack for 20 minutes; listen for the crust crackling.

About this dish

Origin
France · Well documentedThe long baguette became the everyday Parisian loaf in the 20th century; its exact origins are debated.Also popular in Belgium, Vietnam, CanadaMore food from France
Dish
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Breads & flatbreads
Cooking method
Oven-baked, Fermented
Taste
nutty, mild, savoury
Diet
Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday
Cook more with
All-purpose flour · Instant yeast
Techniques
Roasting · Baking · Boiling · Kneading · Fermentation

Allergens

  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

304 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 120 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 12%
  • Carbohydrate 86%
  • Fat 2%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy304 kcal254 kcal
Protein8.7 g7.3 g
Carbohydrate63.7 g53.1 g
Net carbohydrate61.4 g51.2 g
Sugars0.2 g0.2 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre2.3 g1.9 g
Fat0.8 g0.7 g
Saturated fat0.1 g0.1 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium649 mg541 mg
Salt equivalent1.6 g1.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
92 mg
Calcium
19 mg
Iron
3.9 mg
Magnesium
20 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
0 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
249 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Score quickly and decisively; dragging the blade tears the skin.
  • If your oven is short, make 30 cm demi-baguettes or bake them on the diagonal.

Common mistakes

  • Degassing during shaping — handle the dough gently to keep the open crumb.
  • Not enough steam, which gives a dull, thick crust and poor ears.

Serve with

  • Split for jambon-beurre sandwiches, with cheese, or alongside soup.

Storage

  • Best within 8 hours. Freeze, well wrapped, on the day of baking.

Reheating

  • Spritz with water and crisp in a 200 °C oven for 6–8 minutes.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

Structure

Dough

Used in steps 1, 2

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 40 min

    Weigh everything. Knead until smooth and elastic: a small piece stretches thin enough to see light through (the windowpane test).

  2. First rise (bulk) · about 15 h 45 min

    About doubled, domed, jiggly, with bubbles on the sides. A floured finger poked in leaves a dent that fills slowly.

  3. Final proof · about 1 h 10 min

    Poke test: the dent springs back slowly and only partly. Springs back fast = needs longer; doesn't spring back = over-proofed, bake now.

  4. Bake · about 25 min at 250 °C

    Deep golden; bread sounds hollow when tapped underneath, or reads 93–96 °C inside (enriched breads 88–90 °C).

  5. Cool · about 20 min

    Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.

  6. Start to finish: about 18 h 20 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

The dough

The dough in baker's percentages. Flour = 100%.
IngredientRoleWeightBaker’s %
All-purpose flourFlour500 g100%
WaterWater350 g70%
SaltSalt10 g2%
Instant yeastYeast2 g0.4%
Total flour
500 g
Hydration
70%
With milk, eggs…
70%
Wholegrain
0%

Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”.

  • Soft, slightly sticky dough (65–75%) — open crumb; most rustic loaves.
  • Salt 2% — normal for bread.

If something goes wrong

  • Dense, heavy loaf

    Likely causes

    • Under-kneaded (weak gluten)
    • Under-proofed
    • Old or dead yeast/starter
    • Too much wholegrain flour without extra water

    What to do

    • Knead to the windowpane stage
    • Proof by the poke test, not the clock
    • Test yeast in warm water with sugar; feed the starter and use it at its peak
    • Add 5–10% more water for wholegrain flours and give them a rest
  • Gummy or wet crumb

    Likely causes

    • Under-baked
    • Sliced while hot
    • Hydration too high for the flour

    What to do

    • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
    • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
    • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
  • Spreads flat / no oven spring

    Likely causes

    • Over-proofed
    • Weak shaping (no surface tension)
    • Oven not hot enough
    • Too much water for the flour

    What to do

    • Shorten the proof; bake when the poke springs back slowly
    • Shape tightly so the skin is taut
    • Preheat fully (30+ minutes; with a stone or Dutch oven, 45)
    • Lower hydration or use bread flour
  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Crust too hard or thick

    Likely causes

    • Baked too long at too low a temperature
    • No steam at the start

    What to do

    • Bake hotter for a shorter time
    • Add steam for the first 15 minutes (tray of boiling water, or a covered Dutch oven)
    • Cool under a tea towel for a softer crust
  • Dough didn't rise

    Likely causes

    • Dead yeast (expired or killed by hot liquid)
    • Kitchen too cold
    • Salt in direct contact with fresh yeast
    • Starter not active

    What to do

    • Liquid should be lukewarm (no hotter than 40 °C)
    • Proof somewhere warm (an oven with just the light on)
    • Mix the salt into the flour, not onto the yeast
    • Feed the starter until it doubles in 4–8 hours
  • Over-proofed (sour smell, collapses when scored)

    Likely causes

    • Too warm
    • Too much yeast
    • Left too long

    What to do

    • Knock back, reshape and proof again briefly (yeast doughs)
    • Use less yeast or a cooler proof
    • Set a timer and check early with the poke test

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

You might also like