Easy Baguette: The Easiest Fancy Bread You’ll Ever Make

The Lazy Cook and the Healthy Chef Edition

There’s something magical about waking up to dough that’s spent the night rising quietly on your counter—almost like it did the hard work for you. And this time, I didn’t make it alone. I actually teamed up with my favorite cooking partner duo: Tracey Bregman! Together we are The Lazy Cook and The Healthy Chef.

Now, if you know anything about us, you already know what happened next…
We talked too much.
We laughed way too hard.
We had a few “Wait, who was supposed to set the timer?” moments.
And somehow—somehow—we still ended up with the most beautiful, golden, bakery-style baguettes.

This Overnight Easy Baguette recipe is proof that even when we’re having too much fun in the kitchen, good things still happen.

Why We Love This Recipe

This easy baguette looks fancy, but it is shockingly simple. No intense kneading, no professional bread-baker skills, no stress. Just a handful of pantry staples, a long overnight rise, and enough time to sip coffee and giggle while the dough does its thing.

Tracey—the self-proclaimed Lazy Cook—loved how low-effort this was.
And me, Christine—the Healthy Chef—loved the slow-fermentation magic and the better digestion that comes with it.
We both loved that both of us got to break bread together… literally.

We pulled three warm, crackly baguettes from the oven and agreed they looked like they came straight from a Paris bakery. That crisp crust, airy interior, and golden color? Perfection.

Overnight Easy Baguette

Rate This Recipe:

No ratings yet

This Overnight Easy Baguette recipe is proof that even when we’re having too much fun in the kitchen, good things still happen.

Pin Recipe Print Recipe Email Recipe

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine French

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Rising and Cooling Time 13 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 14 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• Large Mixing Bowl
• wooden spoon or spatula
• Parchment Paper
• bread lame or sharp knife for scoring
• cooling rack
• metal pan for steam never glass!
• Baking Sheet

Ingredients

  

• 3½ cups bread flour
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• pinch sugar
• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• 1¾ cups warm water about 100°F

Get ingredients with

Get Recipe Ingredients

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

 

• Mix the Dry Ingredients

  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bread flour and kosher salt.
  3½ cups bread flour, 2 tsp kosher salt
• Bloom the yeast

  In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir the yeast and a pinch of sugar into the warm water. Let sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy and bubbly.
  pinch sugar, 1 tsp active dry yeast, 1¾ cups warm water
• Make the dough

  Pour the yeast mixture into the flour and salt. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, stir until a shaggy, sticky dough forms and no dry flour remains.
• Optional folds for a higher rise

  For extra lift, cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Uncover, gently fold and rotate the dough into a ball, then cover again. Repeat this resting and folding up to 3 times if desired.
• Overnight rise

  Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a lid. Let the dough rest at room temperature for about 12 hours (overnight is ideal).
• Divide the dough

  After the long rise, turn the dough onto a well-floured surface. Lightly flour your hands and divide into 3 equal pieces.
• Shape the baguettes

  - Take one piece of dough and press it gently into a rectangle.

  - Fold the top third down toward the center, then fold the bottom third up, like folding a letter.

  - Turn the dough seam-side down and gently roll into a 10–12 inch log, tapering the ends slightly.

  - Place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

  - Repeat with the remaining pieces.
• Proof while oven preheats

  Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C). Place a metal pan (cast iron, sheet pan, or broiler pan—never glass) on the bottom rack to hold water for steam. Let the shaped baguettes rest for 20–30 minutes while the oven heats.
• Score the loaves

  Lightly dust the tops of the baguettes with flour. Using a bread lame or sharp knife, score each loaf with 2–3 diagonal slashes.
• Bake with steam for a crispy crust

  -Slide the tray into the hot oven. Immediately pour 1–2 cups of boiling water into the hot metal pan and close the oven door quickly to trap the steam.

  -Bake for 15 minutes with steam (don’t open the door).

  -After 15 minutes, carefully remove the steam pan, then continue baking the loaves another 10–12 minutes, until deep golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped.
• Dry the crust

  Turn off the oven, crack the door, and leave the baguettes inside for 5–10 minutes. This helps dry the crust and makes it extra crispy.
• Cool completely

  Transfer baguettes to a wire rack and cool fully before slicing. This lets steam escape and keeps the crust crunchy.

Video

More About This Recipe

Kitchen Tools You’ll Want

• Large mixing bowl
• Wooden spoon or spatula
• Parchment paper
• Bread lame or sharp knife for scoring
• Cooling rack
• A metal pan for steam (never glass!)
• A baking sheet

Minimal tools, maximum bakery vibes—Tracey-approved.

Cooking Tips From Christine (And a Few From Tracey)

• Warm water matters—it helps the yeast come alive.
• Let the dough rest overnight for the best flavor.
• Steam = crisp crust, so don’t skip this step.
• Let them cool completely, even if we three could barely wait.
• Don’t overthink it. Tracey says this is the perfect recipe for people who want “effortless fancy.”

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

A Little Healthy Chef Science (In Normal-People Terms)

Because I will always sneak in some nutrition goodness:

• Bread flour gives that chewy, bakery-quality texture thanks to higher protein.
• Overnight fermentation helps with flavor and digestion—slow rises break down starches and gluten more gently.
• No additives or preservatives, just simple ingredients and real food.
• And Tracey would like you to know that she was fully on board with all of this as long as she didn’t have to knead anything.

The Fun Part: Serving Ideas

Once the baguettes were done, we immediately started throwing out ideas (between laughing fits):

• Warm with butter
• With Christine’s soups and salads
• Sliced thin for holiday crostini
• Bruschetta with tomatoes and basil
• Fancy toast with jam or ricotta
• Torn apart dramatically and dipped in olive oil
• Served with Christine’s homemade Jam

Honestly, these baguettes are as easygoing and versatile as our cooking days together.

Our Lazy Cook + Healthy Chef Takeaway on the Easy Baguette

Making this recipe together reminded us why we love cooking as a team: we may not follow traditional kitchen rules, we may burst into laughter every five minutes, but somehow we always end up with delicious food and even better memories.

These baguettes feel special without requiring perfection—just like our time in the kitchen.

Don’t forget to follow The Lazy Cook and the Healthy Chef on Instagram here and YouTube Here for more fun and delicious recipes.