Crusty Overnight Sourdough Baguette

Our Crusty Sourdough Baguettes have a soft and airy interior and that classic chewy sourdough crust! This is an overnight recipe, but the actual hands-on time isn’t long! Delicious served warm, smothered in butter with a hearty stew or a soup. What is more, slice into rounds for bruschetta, or simply fill with your favourite sandwich fillings for an ultimate baguette sandwich!

If your favourite part of a classic sourdough loaf is its crust, I’m glad you’re reading this recipe! Sourdough Baguettes have LOTS of crusty goodness! And paired with their airy and slightly chewy interior, they are absolutely delicious!

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What Are French Baguettes?

Baguette is a long thin French bread, distinguishable by its shape and crusty exterior. Popular in France since the 18th century, baguettes are enjoyed all over the world these days. Rightly so, these loaves have it all: they are soft and light on the inside and have a deliciously crunchy crust when freshly out of the oven. And let’s be honest, they are fun! The word baguette simply means, a wand or a stick in French and works perfectly to summarise the slim looks of the loaf!

What Will You Need to Make the Perfect French Baguette?

Sourdough Baguettes aren’t hard to make. And if you’ve been baking with sourdough for a while, you will find baguettes are quite uncomplicated both in ingredients and method. The only thing that’s different is baking them in a baguette pan. It’s a wonderful piece of equipment for making bread rolls: the dough doesn’t stick, it has a perforated surface that lets the hot air circulate more evenly and the rolls hold their shape well.

You will also need a few simple everyday ingredients: strong bread flour, salt, water and of course, an active sourdough starter!

If you don’t yet have a sourdough starter, here’s an article on how to get started. Have a look at our Sourdough Maintenance Tips as well.

Timeline:

Before I start with the step-by-step recipe, here’s my timeline for making Overnight Sourdough Baguettes for the next day’s lunch:

Day 1:

• 7:00 am: I feed my starter in the ratio 1part starter :1 part flour :1 part water and leave it at room temperature to at least double.
• 12:00 pm: My starter is almost doubled, so I start the autolyse.
• 1:00 pm: Mix in the rest of the flour, salt, sourdough starter and knead in the stand mixer for 10 minutes. Tip the dough in a greased bowl and cover.
• 1:30 pm: First set of coil folds
• 2:00 pm: Second set of coil folds.
• 2:30 pm: Third set of coil folds.
• 3:00 pm: Fourth set of coil folds.
• 3:30 pm: Fifth set of coil folds
• 4:00 pm: Sixth set of coil folds. Then cover and leave for 1 hour undisturbed.
• 5:00 pm: Pop the dough in the fridge, well covered and leave it there overnight to finish the proof.

Day 2:

• 7:00 am: Shape the baguettes. Leave them in the baguette pan to prove for 2-3 hours or until doubled in size.
• 10:00 am: Score and bake the baguettes.

Step-by-Step Sourdough Baguette Recipe:

Day 1:

When your starter has almost doubled in size, in a stand mixer bowl, mix water and half of the flour into a rough dough, cover and leave to autolyse for 30-60min.

Add the active sourdough starter, salt, the rest of the flour and, with a dough hook attachment, knead on medium speed for about 10 minutes in a stand mixer. The dough should clear the sides but will be quite sticky.

Tip the dough into a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave it in a warm spot to prove. For the next 4 hours, every 30 minutes, uncover the bowl and perform a set of coil folds. After the last fold, cover the bowl and leave to prove for an hour.

Place the dough in the fridge and leave overnight.

Day 2:

Dust your baguette pan with flour (we used semolina flour). Take the dough out of the fridge and tip onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into two and shape two tight balls.

Place the ball of the dough seam side up. Gently stretch it out into a horizontal rectangle. Take the top third of the dough and fold it down to meet the middle. Use your palm to push it down. Take the bottom third and fold it up. Push down again. With the palms of your hands, start rolling the dough to lengthen it to approx 35cm (14in) long. Here’s a good video on how to shape baguettes.

Swiftly lift the baguettes onto the pan, sprinkle with flour (we use semolina flour, as it seems to prevent the dough from sticking better) and lightly cover with a tea towel or clingfilm. Leave in a warm spot to prove again for approx 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 240°C Fan (the highest setting on most ovens). Just before cooking the baguettes, place an oven-proof dish with boiling water on the bottom shelf.

Sprinkle some more flour on your baguettes. Using a very sharp knife or a bread scorer, make three diagonal lines fairly deep into the dough on each baguette.

Place the baguettes in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How To Store Baguettes?

Just like with most other bread, Sourdough French Baguettes are at their best on the day that they are baked. However, if you want to keep them for an extra day, it is best to wrap them in brown paper. Alternatively, you can tightly wrap the baguettes in a clean dry kitchen towel.

For longer storage, we recommend freezing your bread. Wrap the baguettes tightly in either foil or cling film and then place them in an airtight box or freezer bag for extra protection from drying out.

Other Sourdough Recipes To Try

We love making sourdough. For other recipes, have a look at:

• Sourdough Yorkshire Puddings
• Soft Sourdough Pretzels
• Overnight Sourdough Focaccia with Herbs and Olives

Crusty Overnight Sourdough Baguettes

Our Crusty Sourdough Baguettes have a soft and airy interior and that classic sourdough crust! This is an overnight recipe, but the actual hands-on time isn't long! Delicious served warm, smothered in butter with a hearty stew or a soup. What is more, slice into rounds for bruschetta, or simply fill your favourite sandwich fillings for an ultimate baguette sandwich!

4.63 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hr

Cook Time 20 mins

Fermenting & Proving: 12 hrs

Total Time 13 hrs 20 mins

Course Baking, Bread

Cuisine French, Sourdough

Servings 6 portions (2 baguettes)

Calories 160 kcal

Equipment

• Baguette Pan

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• 220 g active sourdough starter
• 120 ml water
• 210 g strong bread flour
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

Day 1:

• When your starter has almost doubled in size, in a stand mixer bowl, mix water and half of the flour into a rough dough, cover and leave to autolyse for 30-60min.
• Add the active sourdough starter, salt, the rest of the flour and, with a dough hook attachment, knead on medium speed for about 10 minutes. The dough should clear the sides, but will be quite sticky.
• Tip the dough into a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave it in a warm spot to prove. For the next 4 hours, every 30 minutes, uncover the bowl, and perform a set of coil folds (see video in the text above). After the last fold, cover the bowl and leave to prove for an hour.
• Place the dough in the fridge and leave overnight.

Day 2:

• Dust your baguette pan with flour (we used semolina flour). Take the dough out of the fridge and tip onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into two and shape two tight balls.
• Place the ball of the dough seam side up. Gently stretch it out into a horizontal rectangle. Take the top third of the dough and fold it down to meet the middle. Use your palm to push it down. Take the bottom third and fold it up. Push down again. With the palms of your hands, start rolling the dough to lengthen it to approx 35cm (14in) long.
• Swiftly lift the baguettes onto the pan, sprinkle with flour and lightly cover with a tea towel or clingfilm. Leave in a warm spot to prove again for approx 2 hours or until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 240°C Fan (the highest setting on most ovens). Just before cooking the baguettes, place an oven-proof dish with boiling water on the bottom shelf.
• Sprinkle some more flour on your baguettes. Then make three diagonal lines fairly deep into the dough.
• Place the baguettes in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Notes

Sourdough Baguettes are best served on the day they are baked.

Nutrition

Calories: 160kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 5gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 196mgPotassium: 35mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1IUCalcium: 6mgIron: 1mg

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