Easy Overnight Baguette Recipe: Bakery-Quality French Bread at Home

Published: August 3, 2025 | Tags: Bread, Dough, Recipe

A Little Bit of Paris, at Home

I've never been to Paris myself, but one of my favorite Baking Steel stories starts there.

Years ago, Craig—one of our earliest team members, came back from a trip to Paris he'll never forget. He walked the city every day with his wife, soaking in the sights, but there was one constant: the smell of fresh baguettes from the local boulangerie.

Breakfast, lunch, before dinner, after dinner, they were obsessed. The crust, the chew, the aroma… Craig said the bread was so good it actually made him emotional.

When he got home, he went straight into the test kitchen and started tinkering…

This easy overnight baguette recipe was born from that spirit. A tribute to the Parisian baguette, designed for the home baker. It's simple: no starter, no poolish, just great flour, time, and a little technique.

We tested dozens of variations: all bread flour, different hydration levels, spelt vs. no spelt. What worked best? A 50/50 blend of organic bread flour from Central Milling and organic all-purpose flour, plus a touch of spelt for extra character.

The Secret to Bakery-Quality Baguettes at Home

And the real secret weapon? Your oven setup.

We love using two Baking Steels, especially our Baking Steel PLUS, which gives longer baguettes the room they deserve (it's 20 inches wide!). One Steel goes on the top rack for baking; a second on the lower rack to radiate heat from below.

Then, we load a pan with ice cubes to create steam. That steam gives your baguette that signature crackly crust, the kind you hear before you even bite into it.

So the next time you're heading to a friend's house, bring them a little bit of Paris to enjoy (if you can resist eating it on the way there).

Oven Setup: Your Secret Weapon for Perfect French Baguettes

Let's talk oven setup, because this makes a huge difference when making homemade baguettes.

When we were testing this 24-hour baguette recipe back home, we didn't just focus on ingredients. We obsessed over how to recreate that perfect Parisian crust in a home oven.

The breakthrough? Baking Steels.

We place one on the top rack and one on the middle/lower rack. The top Steel radiates heat down; the lower Steel stabilizes and crisps from below. It's the closest thing to a professional deck oven you can get at home. Don't worry, one PLUS works great too.

Right before launch, toss a sauté pan or cake tin filled with ice cubes onto the bottom rack to create steam. Steam keeps the crust supple in the first minutes, giving you beautiful oven spring and a blistered, golden finish. For the long loaves, our Board for the PLUS makes transfers smooth and precise.

Process Photos

After we portion our dough, flour up your countertop and flaten each dough into a triangle shape.  it doesn't need to be perfect..

After 12 hours at room temperature, the dough should be bubbly and doubled in size. This slow fermentation develops incredible flavor.

Next we are going to do an envelope fold.  Fold one edge into the center

then take the other edge and do the same

next we are going to pinch this closed, as seen in this photo.

let the dough rest for 15 minutes, then we are going to roll each piece like a cigar.

roll each dough and gently pinch and roll ends so they point like this photo.

rest the dough again and then we are going to score each one.  these baguettes are ready to bake on the Baking Steel...

Final Thoughts on Making Homemade Baguettes

There's something magical about making baguettes at home. Maybe it's the transformation—a shaggy mix of flour and water becoming golden, airy loaves. Maybe it's the smell that fills your kitchen, or the first crackle you hear when you break one open.

Whatever it is, baking these at home connects you to the process in a way no store-bought bread ever could. And when you do it on a Baking Steel, you're giving your dough the best possible foundation: intense heat, consistent results, and that crisp, caramelized crust every baguette dreams of.

So whether you're making these to impress, to share, or just for the simple joy of tearing one apart while it's still warm... you're part of something beautiful. And we're honored to help you make it happen.

Now go make your kitchen smell like Paris.

Nutrition Facts (per baguette)

• Calories: ~240
• Carbohydrates: 48g
• Protein: 8g
• Fat: 1g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sodium: ~450mg

*Nutritional values are approximate, based on typical baguette yield from this recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions About Making Baguettes

Can I skip the spelt flour in this baguette recipe?

Yes—substitute with an extra 50g of all-purpose flour. The spelt adds extra character, but all-purpose flour works great too.

Do I need two Baking Steels to make baguettes?

No, but using two Baking Steels helps with oven spring and even crisping. One Steel on the top rack and one on the lower rack creates the closest thing to a professional deck oven at home.

Can I freeze baguette dough?

Absolutely. After the cold ferment, portion and freeze the dough. Thaw in the fridge overnight before shaping and baking.

What's the best flour for making baguettes at home?

We love a 50/50 blend of all-purpose flour and bread flour, plus a touch of spelt for extra character. But all bread flour works great too if that's what you have.

Do I need steam when baking baguettes?

Yes! Steam helps form a crisp, glossy crust in the first few minutes of baking. Drop some ice cubes in a hot pan right after you launch your baguettes into the oven.

How long does it take to make homemade baguettes?

This overnight baguette recipe takes about 24 hours total: 12 hours room temperature fermentation, 12 hours cold fermentation in the fridge, plus shaping and baking time. Most of that is hands-off time.

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