Baguette

The pinnacle of the French boulangerie tradition, the baguette is often an elusive conquest for the home baker. The French word baguette translates literally to “wand” or “baton,” which describes the crusty bread’s iconic elongated shape. Although the origin of the loaf’s characteristic length remains up for debate, many sources will tell you that a single advance in technology made the baguette what it is today: the steam-injected oven. A Viennese invention, the modified oven was brought to France around 1839 by Austrian baker and entrepreneur August Zang. Still applied today, the clever use of steam in bread-baking increases the surface temperature of the dough rapidly, causing quick expansion of the gas and an extra-light loaf. Furthermore, steam hydrates the surface of the dough, preventing the crust from forming too early, which allows oven spring to lift the loaf even further. And that signature glossy crust of a baguette? Again, you can thank steam, which gelatinizes starch molecules at the surface and creates a thin transparent coating.

Above all else, baguette-baking requires steam—but artisanal home bakers should remain undaunted. We’ve taken the simplified route, forging full steam ahead without specialized equipment. With just a few simple household items, you can learn to create the perfect crusty baguette at home in record time. It’s all of the benefits of the baguette—the crave-worthy flavor