Recipe · Baguette · Same-Day
82% Hydration Same-Day Baguette
A real baguette comes from a brief mix, gentle folds, and a steamy bake hot enough to blister the crust. The shape is honest, the score lines open as the dough springs, and the inside stays light.
Total time
5 hours
Active
60 minutes
Hydration
82%
Difficulty
⌬⌬⌬
A high-hydration dough wants to flatten on the counter. You manage it with folds instead of kneading, with a banneton instead of free-standing proof, and with a hot Dutch oven or stone that can hold the shape until the spring sets.
Same-day means start to finish in roughly four to six hours. The recipe leans on commercial yeast at a higher percentage and a warm bulk fermentation. You won't get cold-ferment depth, but the loaf is on the table the day you decide to bake.
Ingredients
900g total dough. Yields 3 baguettes, ~270g each baked.
| Ingredient | Grams | Baker's % |
|---|---|---|
| Bread flour | 487 g | 100% |
| Water | 399 g | 82% |
| Salt | 9.7 g | 2% |
| Instant yeast | 3.9 g | 0.8% |
Schedule
- Hour 0Mix flour, water, yeast. Autolyse 20 minutes.
- Hour 0:20Add salt, mix until smooth.
- Hour 0:30First fold.
- Hour 1:00Second fold.
- Hour 1:30Third fold.
- Hour 2:00Bulk ferment until visibly puffy.
- Hour 3:30Divide into 3 portions, pre-shape, rest 20 minutes, final shape, proof 45-60 minutes.
- Hour 5:00Score each baguette with three to five diagonal cuts. Slide onto the preheated stone. Bake at 475°F with steam (a tray of boiling water on the lower rack) for 24 minutes until deep golden.
Method tips for this style
Pre-shape gently after the bulk ferment, rest for 20 minutes, then final-shape with light tension. Score the loaf with a curved lame held at a shallow angle so the cuts open in long, asymmetric ears.
What to expect
A dramatically open crumb with large holes throughout. The crust crisps and blisters at high temperature; the interior reads as professional artisan bread.
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