Italian bakers score dough at a 30-degree angle before baking, forcing steam to create that jagged, glassy-crisp crust every time.
Rustic Italian Baguette
Elevate your baking game with this easy Rustic Italian Baguette recipe! With just flour, water, and a sprinkle of yeast, you’ll create a golden crust that cracks beautifully as you slice into its airy, soft center—ideal for sandwiches or slathering with garlic butter. In just two hours, you’ll have a warm, mouthwatering baguette that’ll impress everyone at the table!
Prep
15
min
Cook
25
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- 2 cups warm water (480 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 4.5 cups flour (562 g)
- a pinch of sugar
- 1 packet of rapid rise yeast (a little over two teaspoons) (10 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- a couple teaspoons of good salt (10 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Start with 2 cups of warm water in a bowl.
- 2
Add 1 packet of rapid rise yeast and a pinch of sugar to the water, whisk it up.
- 3
Stir in a couple teaspoons of good salt.
- 4
Gradually add 4.5 cups of flour, starting with half, and mix until combined.
- 5
Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for about 1.5 hours.
- 6
After rising, gently shape the dough and cut it lengthwise to form baguettes.
- 7
Twist the dough pieces and lay them out on a pan.
- 8
Preheat the oven to 460°F and bake for about 20-25 minutes.
- 9
Let the baguettes cool before slicing, but enjoy warm with butter if desired.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Use water at 105-110°F (not hotter) when blooming the yeast, since temperatures above 130°F begin denaturing the yeast's enzymes and will kill activity entirely above 140°F.technique105-110°F
- ✓Wait to add salt directly after mixing water and yeast—salt draws water out of yeast cells via osmosis and can slow fermentation by up to 30% if it contacts undissolved granules directly, so dissolve it into the flour instead.ingredientup to 30% fermentation slowdown
- ✓Let the dough rise until doubled in volume rather than relying solely on the 1.5 hour mark, since ambient kitchen temperature swings of even 10°F can shift actual proofing time by 20-40 minutes.timingdoubled volume, ±20-40 min
- ✓Score the shaped baguettes with a lame at a 30-degree angle, cutting 1/4-inch deep just before baking, so steam has a controlled path to escape and the loaf achieves proper oven spring instead of splitting randomly.technique1/4-inch deep, 30° angle
- ✓Introduce steam during the first 5-10 minutes of baking by placing a pan of hot water on the oven's lower rack, since steam delays crust formation long enough for maximum oven spring and produces a shatter-crisp crust from gelatinized surface starch.equipment5-10 minutes steam
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
25
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Italian bakers score dough at a 30-degree angle before baking, forcing steam to create that jagged, glassy-crisp crust every time.
Rustic Italian Baguette
Elevate your baking game with this easy Rustic Italian Baguette recipe! With just flour, water, and a sprinkle of yeast, you’ll create a golden crust that cracks beautifully as you slice into its airy, soft center—ideal for sandwiches or slathering with garlic butter. In just two hours, you’ll have a warm, mouthwatering baguette that’ll impress everyone at the table!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- 2 cups warm water (480 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 4.5 cups flour (562 g)
- a pinch of sugar
- 1 packet of rapid rise yeast (a little over two teaspoons) (10 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- a couple teaspoons of good salt (10 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Start with 2 cups of warm water in a bowl.
- 2
Add 1 packet of rapid rise yeast and a pinch of sugar to the water, whisk it up.
- 3
Stir in a couple teaspoons of good salt.
- 4
Gradually add 4.5 cups of flour, starting with half, and mix until combined.
- 5
Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for about 1.5 hours.
- 6
After rising, gently shape the dough and cut it lengthwise to form baguettes.
- 7
Twist the dough pieces and lay them out on a pan.
- 8
Preheat the oven to 460°F and bake for about 20-25 minutes.
- 9
Let the baguettes cool before slicing, but enjoy warm with butter if desired.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Use water at 105-110°F (not hotter) when blooming the yeast, since temperatures above 130°F begin denaturing the yeast's enzymes and will kill activity entirely above 140°F.technique105-110°F
- ✓Wait to add salt directly after mixing water and yeast—salt draws water out of yeast cells via osmosis and can slow fermentation by up to 30% if it contacts undissolved granules directly, so dissolve it into the flour instead.ingredientup to 30% fermentation slowdown
- ✓Let the dough rise until doubled in volume rather than relying solely on the 1.5 hour mark, since ambient kitchen temperature swings of even 10°F can shift actual proofing time by 20-40 minutes.timingdoubled volume, ±20-40 min
- ✓Score the shaped baguettes with a lame at a 30-degree angle, cutting 1/4-inch deep just before baking, so steam has a controlled path to escape and the loaf achieves proper oven spring instead of splitting randomly.technique1/4-inch deep, 30° angle
- ✓Introduce steam during the first 5-10 minutes of baking by placing a pan of hot water on the oven's lower rack, since steam delays crust formation long enough for maximum oven spring and produces a shatter-crisp crust from gelatinized surface starch.equipment5-10 minutes steam