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 that 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 recipe was born from that spirit. A tribute to the Parisian baguette but designed for the home baker. It’s super 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 from Central Milling and an organic all-purpose flour, plus a touch of spelt for extra character.
Baguette Magic at Home
And the real secret weapon? Your oven setup.
We love using two Baking Steels when baking bread 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, the second on the bottom 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
Let’s talk oven setup because this makes a huge difference.
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 placed one on the top rack and one on the middle rack. The top Steel radiates heat down, the bottom Steel crisps from below. It’s the closest thing to a professional deck oven you can get at home. But don't worry, we did plenty of tests just using our Plus by itself, and the bread tests were a huge success.
And if you're after those long, slender 14- to 16-inch baguettes, the Baking Steel PLUS (15" x 20") is perfect. It gives your loaves plenty of room to grow without crowding.
Right before launch, we toss a sauté pan or cake tin filled with ice cubes onto the bottom rack to create steam. This steam keeps the crust supple during the initial bake, giving you that beautiful oven spring and blistered, golden finish. And when you're loading baguettes onto the Baking Steel PLUS, our custom-fit Board for the PLUS makes the transfer smooth and precise especially with those longer loaves.
24-Hour Baguette Recipe
Crispy, chewy, Paris-inspired—baked right on your Baking Steel.
24-Hour Baguette Recipe
Makes: 3–4 baguettes
Fermentation: 24 hours total (12 room temp + 12 fridge)
Baking Steel Required: We recommend 2 steels, ideally the Baking Steel PLUS (15x20) for extra room.
Ingredients
- 250g All-Purpose Flour
- 250g Bread Flour
- 50g Spelt Flour (optional – sub 50g AP if omitting)
- 360g Water (room temp)
- 18g Salt
- 1g Active Dry Yeast
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Add water and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Transfer to a surface and knead for 2–3 minutes until dough is well mixed.
- Place in a covered container and bulk ferment for 12 hours at room temp.
- Refrigerate for another 12 hours (still covered).
- The next day, divide dough into 3–4 equal portions.
- Do 3 envelope folds (30 min apart), folding all 4 sides to center each time. Rest covered.
- On the 4th fold, overlap edges tightly and seal with a firm pinch to build surface tension.
- Roll into 14–16" baguettes. Let rest seam-side up on floured cloth for 1–1.5 hours.
- Preheat oven to 500°F with 1 or 2 Baking Steels inside. Place a cast iron pan on the bottom rack.
- Just before baking, add 1–2 cups of ice to the hot pan for steam.
- Flip baguettes seam-side down, score tops with razor or sharp knife.
- Launch onto steel. Bake 15 minutes without opening oven.
- Let steam escape, then bake another 5–7 minutes until deep golden brown.
- Cool on wire rack. Eat while warm or share if you can resist.
Final Thoughts
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.
FAQ
Can I skip the spelt flour?
Yes—just substitute with an extra 50g of all-purpose flour.
Do I need two Baking Steels?
No, but using two helps create better oven spring and an evenly crisp crust.
Can I freeze the dough?
Absolutely. After the cold ferment, portion and freeze. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Best flour for baguettes?
We love a blend of AP, bread, and spelt, but all bread flour works great too.
Do I need steam?
Yes! It helps form a crisp, glossy crust in the first few minutes. Drop some ice cubes in the bottom of the oven right after you launch.