My family's been making 4-ingredient baguettes for years. I think everyone should know our easy recipe.

• I've got a recipe for baguettes that are easy to make and pair well with so many meals.
• Not counting the optional egg wash, my family's go-to bread recipe only calls for four ingredients.
• This recipe requires a little patience and careful timing, so keep an eye on the clock.

If you can think of anything that's both as simple and as satisfying as French bread, I'm all ears.

Between the airy insides and crispy crust, this type of bread is one of the best out there. Luckily, it's easy to make at home.

My family has been making foolproof baguettes for years, using only four main ingredients. Here's our beloved bread recipe.

Start by gathering the basic ingredients.

The recipe my family follows uses ingredients I always have in my pantry (and fridge). To make two baguettes, you'll need:

· 5 (generous) cups of all-purpose flour

· 5 teaspoons of active yeast

· 1 teaspoon of salt

· 2 cups of warm water

· (optional) 1 egg + ¼ cup water for egg wash

In terms of equipment, I like to use a stand mixer with a bread-hook attachment, a large bowl, a cookie sheet, and a cooling rack.

First, start mixing the dry ingredients.

Combine two cups of the flour with the yeast and salt in a stand mixer, briefly turning it on to stir the dry ingredients together.

Form a base dough and gradually add the rest of the flour.

Pour two cups of warm water — around 110 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal — into the stand mixer and run it on low for one minute to form a sticky base dough.

Add the remaining three cups of flour to the mixer and run it on a low speed for about five minutes. A thicker, semi-sticky dough ball should form.

Then, remove the dough from the mixer, form it into a ball, and place it into a greased bowl. I suggest using olive oil.

Let your dough rest for about an hour in a warm spot.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, then place it somewhere warm for an hour.

I usually set my dough near a floor heating vent, but places like a closet with a water heater or even a warm bathroom can also work well.

If you do let your dough rise in a bathroom, you'll really want to make sure the bowl has an air-tight seal.

At this point, the dough should rise quite a bit.

When the dough has doubled in size, press out the excess air with clean hands and roll it into two evenly sized balls.

Set these aside as you prep a cookie sheet with parchment paper and a dusting of flour. You'll also want to prep a dry, smooth workspace on your counter with a generous dusting of flour.

Flatten the dough balls, then roll them into long baton shapes.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough balls out into flat, oval-like shapes — about 16-by-12 inches big and no more than ¼ inch thick.

Starting at one of the longer edges, roll the flattened dough into a long tube and pinch the ends shut.

Transfer both baguettes to a cookie sheet for another rest period.

Place each dough tube on the prepared cookie sheet.

If you like crustier bread, I recommend using the egg wash. Without it, you'll get a softer baguette.

If you're using the optional egg wash, combine the egg with ¼ cup of water in a small bowl. Lightly brush the mixture across both baguettes.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest again for 20 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Slash the risen dough for texture and appearance.

Once the 20 minutes are up and the tubes have risen slightly, remove the plastic and diagonally slash the dough about 10 times with a serrated knife.

This is partially just for looks, but it also encourages the bread to expand while baking.

While baking, you'll want to rotate your pan.

Bake the bread for 20 minutes, do another egg wash, and return the dough to the oven with the pan rotated. If you're not using an egg wash, simply rotate the pan so all sides of the dough bake evenly.

Bake for another 15 minutes, until the bread looks golden.

Move the bread onto cooling racks as soon as it's out of the oven.

After you remove the baguettes from the oven, quickly transfer them from your baking sheet to a cooling rack.

They're best enjoyed the day they're made. The baguettes usually stay fresh for two days, and I think the texture is still OK on the third.

You can also freeze baguettes to keep them fresh longer. To thaw, heat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, turn the heat off, and pop the frozen bread into the warmed oven for about 10 minutes.

This story was originally published on March 1, 2024, and most recently updated on August 11, 2026.

Read the original article on Business Insider