Make Beautiful Baguettes With Claire Saffitz | Try This at Home | NYT Cooking

Claire is back in the studio kitchen for a new installment of “Try This at Home,” a series that guides you through different baking projects and techniques.
This time, she’s showing us how to make another classic: baguettes! Watch on to learn her tips and tricks.
Get the recipe: nyti.ms/3Y0wrRo
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[@CSaffitz]

Thanks for having me!

[@sambeauJonez]

Thank you!

[@SteveMillerhuntingforfood]

Love seeing you on YT again. Missed you!

[@stepandanek6138]

You're definetly on my top 5 favorite cooks on the internet. I heard about some unpleasant things and I hope you're doing good!

[@johnny.decimal]

That was lovely. Thanks.

[@juliakbrown]

For those who don’t want to buy extra equipment - I’ve had good luck with the following: (1) a piece of cardboard wrapped in plastic wrap and taped instead of the transfer board, (2) a well-floured cotton tea towel instead of the couche, (3) a baking sheet (sheet tray, jelly roll pan) upside down and preheated in the oven instead of a baking stone, (4) another upside down baking sheet or just a large cutting board to transfer the loaves into the oven. Of those, the only one that makes any difference is the baking stone (a baking sheet just doesn’t hold heat as well), but the results are still really good and it’s what I would do if I wanted to try this once without being sure I was going to be regularly baking bread from now on.

[@sandgaijin]

Ice cubes work better for me than pouring in steaming hot water into a scalding oven.

[@Alexander-dt8sk]

I do the cardboard trick as well but wrap in aluminum foil.

[@TC-hf8hg]

Unglazed floor tile works great in place of the baking stone and is very cheap.

[@EdiChiArt]

You are brilliant Julia. Thank you so much for this clever info.

[@squoctopus]

Thank you!!!

[@karenbrooks3765]

Without doubt THE best baker making tutorials on KZbin. Authentic and a great teacher with no airs and graces. Love love love you Claire.

[@TPark-rf3lt]

Erin McDowell is really great too. they are definitely the best on YT

[@eternalbean9866]

Totally!!

[@user-ee6gp5gv5l]

No graces?

[@reev9759]

No airs and graces? Fix your typo.

[@karenbrooks3765]

@@reev9759 don't know where you went to school. Oxford Languages via Google: "airs and graces phrase of air DEROGATORY•BRITISH an affectation of superiority. "young master Tristan, with his fancy education and his airs and graces""

[@jamesledesma56]

I got infected with the sourdough bug during the pandemic. It was Claire and Brad's BA video that had me had successful results. I loved it so much I pursued baking professionally and now am making up to 120 baguettes a day. Absolutely love that this journey has come full circle with this video. Excited to use these tips tomorrow at 4am!

[@Toohot2handle758]

That is amazing!! How long does it take you to bake that many loafs?!

[@harutran4703]

Please feature her more on this channel! I love all her baking & cooking tips c:

[@TPark-rf3lt]

Claire also has her own channel too, check it out! 😄

[@ernestwinata7908]

Imagine being Claire's neighbor

[@janicedowson7793]

Talk about winning the neighbour lottery!

[@thelauraby]

Warm baguette delivered to my door?! My dreams come true

[@MadMark118]

Living out in rural NY seems less appealing, though

[@lisamcallister6534]

You're assuming she's generous!!

[@jondoe2960]

@@lisamcallister6534 she literally said in the beginning of this video that she knocked on her neighbors doors with bread when she was developing and recipe testing..........

[@sashasays2062]

She’s made an intimidating process understandable-such a great teacher. I’m going to try it!

[@bouchonaise124135]

I’m a heavy consumer of food and baking content on all platforms. I have been since I was very young. Claire’s content is honestly the most insightful, well explained, informative, baking content you can find. Her level of experience and collection of knowledge, her detail oriented recipe writing, and ability to explain complex baking techniques is unmatched by nearly every other creator I can think of. Don’t take these videos for granted bakers, this is some of the best academic baking content ever created.

[@hunterboston9875]

I agree completely! She has been my go-to teacher since I started taking cooking more seriously

[@danbev8542]

Claire is the BEST baking teacher! I love her channel and this channel! She’s right - for me, the two biggest challenges are shaping the loaf & getting the final proofing time correct. One thing she knows, but did not articulate, is -when slashing, each slash starts about halfway down from the slash above. They overlap! Watch her - she does it perfectly! Also, the overnight chill is what gives the dough it’s flavor.

[@fcsolis]

This is the most detailed baguette-making show I've watched. I've watched tens. Thank you. This will be this weekend's project. Thank you.

[@melf842]

Same, and I've watched a lot and tried alot. Can't wait to try Claire's as it looks like the most detailed.

[@thelauraby]

I started baking bread 40 years ago while working in a bakery, learning from the long-time baker who headed the staff. It was wonderful training but I have always wished for a more formal education. I have been reading baking books and watching videos since that time. Claire is the best teacher I have ever been exposed to. I have enjoyed highly technical books on bread baking and I live in a city where I can buy really great, artisanal bread from people who write and teach. But this is what I've always wished for, someone who brings it home with a down-to-earth attitude, who knows the techniques and the secrets and can impart what's important in a way that's not just understandable but really, really enjoyable. And the production values of these videos really help. Claire is a delight and a treasure. I am so grateful that I have access to these amazing tutorials!!!

[@ChanningWearsSunscreen]

Claire's genuine encouragement, paired with her years of sensational expertise- ALWAYS comes through in her videos/ collaborations

[@amypeckham]

Her tutorials are SO excellent! I think they are some of the best I have ever seen. Yay Claire!

[@Pt0wN973b0iI]

She studied in Paris! What more, can you ask for!

[@seemau4247]

Claire is such a natural and fantastic teacher! Please feature her more!

[@josephmarciano4761]

Just a pleasure to watch a Master Baker at work. Outstanding teaching moment! Have baked several of Claire's recipes and the highest praise I can give is that her recipes work. They just stone cold always work. Have been home baking bread for about 8 years, but was always intimidated by the Baguette. I think I'm good to go now.

[@ryannordheimer]

She does it again! Literally what can't Claire perfect.

[@clairewright8153]

Really nice to see a lefty working, just makes sense to my brain and a Claire who knew they’d be another lefty Claire 😊😊😊

[@jessm587]

I love watching Claire so much! I do miss all the old vids on BA and I love her new channel as well. She just explains things so well even for someone like me who isn't too familiar with baking. All of her instructions make sense and there is a reason for everything.

[@petermoore900]

She doesn't give the measurements in the video, I guess because they want you to visit the website and subscribe. For anyone interested - FOR THE POOLISH ⅛teaspoon active dry yeast 60grams/7 tablespoons all-purpose flour, with 10 to 12 percent protein content (such as King Arthur all-purpose flour) FOR THE DOUGH ½teaspoon active dry yeast 500grams/3½ cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour with 10 to 12 percent protein content, plus more for dusting 10grams/1 tablespoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) or fine sea salt I would note that this is a 77% hydration dough which is VERY HIGH for a beginner. I regularly make baguettes with 65% hydration and get fantastic results. Otherwise it looks like a solid baguette recipe.

[@tricia1618]

Right down under the video not too far is the link to click for recipe. It has list of all ingredients and directions. I just printed it out.

[@juliannevanstone788]

Excellent, thankyou. I have mine in the fridge and now I can't get back to the recipe for future use because it wants me to sign up 😢

[@fastjazz]

@@tricia1618only if you have a subscription...

[@barbaraschlake8250]

I clicked on the recipe link and then was able to copy and paste to my Paprika recipe file.

[@TheLastPharm]

Just discovered Claire yesterday- better late than never- and I'm totally in love! 😊 Amazing teacher, especially love the pace and patience with which she explains everything. So much to learn, but so enjoyable at the same time. God bless you!

[@jred5153]

In this baker’s opinion, this hydration formula might be a little high to start with if you have not made them before. I would recommend 68% hydration. Also, use a 50/50 mix of brown rice flour and AP flour to coat you baking cloth, it releases much better. One last thing is do the final proof with the seam down, that way you can flip the loaf with cloth onto the board then use the board just flip it over onto the parchment paper. Edit: sprinkle a tiny amount semolina between the parchment and the loading board…

[@DoloresDamade]

I made these today, and they were amazing! I live in France and eat baguette every day, and honestly it's better than what I get in a lot of bakeries. I used a plastic cutting board as my transfer peel and it worked perfectly, and a regular kitchen towel to proof the bread in. I thought it would be loads of work, but it's a bunch of small actions spread over two days so it's not very labour intensive. Also, I really thought that my dough was too wet,but I stuck with it and it worked out perfectly. Thank you Claire!

[@caseykittel]

12:50 a little trick for having less dough stick to your hands. 1- rub a layer of olive oil into your hands. 2- rub several drops of water into your olive oil hands. this creates a bit of an emulsion. it works better than olive oil or water alone.

[@jamesktucker979]

Claire is a National Treasure. Thank you for this content.

[@tasssssssie]

Bread making warms my heart. Claire like always never disappoints. 🫶

[@J-A-A-K]

I like that this series goes all out with the technique, equipment, and ingredients. A lot of KZbinrs err on the side of approachability and simplicity for a compromised end product, but sometimes you want to challenge yourself! You don’t need to, but sometimes it is fun to aim for the most traditional and impressive style of the dish.

[@graceogieriakhi5760]

Always a pleasure seeing Claire on the channel. Love her so much ❤

[@melf842]

Finally made the baguettes. Over the last 3ish years, I've tried multiple recipes, but just couldn't get that open structure. Till now. Thank you, Claire! I've made several of her recipes, but this one and the one for croissants are my favorites. She makes fiddly recipes very doable. Such an amazing teacher!

[@nomisanchez7195]

🎉omg!! CLAIRE she is awesome!!!! I could learn from her ALL day.

[@user-hc9rl5hd2f]

Claire is such a natural and fantastic teacher! Please feature her more!. Thanks for having me!.

[@StephenGhigliotty]

What a wonderfully detailed but also doable and welcoming lesson. I have baked for 40 year as a pro and at home and I think this is a super video. Congrats Claire!

[@theshimonmor]

I've attempted baguettes about a dozen times over the years only to be underwhelmed by the results. However, Claire's recipe and techniques have brought me closest to baguette nirvana. I will be executing this recipe again and again in the future and now there is hope for achieving baguette perfection. Thank you, Claire!

[@darrinbaker8715]

I went to school. I bake. I know this stuff and yet, I cannot stop watching. You are an excellent teacher Claire

[@alria2133]

Now I see the difference between traditional French baguettes Vs the Vietnamese one using for Bánh mì. The Vietnamese ones are more hydrated and baked at much higher temp in shorter time. The results is a baguettes with much thinner crust but very crispy.

[@DJ-xk1bp]

love Claire! Simply the best baker/teacher!!!

[@NerdyChef99]

I am definitely going to try this! It looks so much easier and I’m happy I don’t need sourdough starter. Thanks again Claire!

[@QuantumWalnut]

I appreciate how your guys captured the crispy crinkles of the bread.

[@daisymendez5829]

@nytcooking I will literally watch anything and everything with chef Claire. Her videos are always super instructional, easy to follow along, and just super chill vibe. More of her please!!!

[@Obiwansblade]

This was my Fourth attempt at baguettes. Thanks to Claire and this video it was a tremendous success. Thank you so much! I'm your biggest fan.

[@TheLittleThingsAroundUs]

AHHHHHH I LOVE YOU CLAIRE! I'm so happy to see what you'll be doing in the studio kitchen. I literally am going to baking and pastry school because of your tutorials! Thank you!

[@charliefischer59]

Thank you for giving Claire a platform to show her expertise. She is so insanely talented and so good at explaining things.

[@maureensweeney6859]

Love the many details you give about shaping and handling the dough, Claire. So excited to see your one hand stretch and fold method. It’s what I use with my sourdough which makes this a baguette recipe I can handle!

[@shanef6957]

FAN FLIPPIN TASTIC. I"m made two different recipes of baguettes, but this tutorial is OUTSTANDING. Welcome back carbs.... I'll have one with butter, one with olive oil and flaked sea salt, and the other with ham n cheese.

[@gail4101]

What a wonderful tutorial from start to the first bite of the jambon beurre!!! I could almost taste it …and the crunch!!! Made me homesick for Paris! Thank you! Wish I were one of your neighbors…

[@sarahmiller5632]

I use my cuisinart to mix the poulish, put it in the oven overnight in the cuisinart bowl, covered. In the morning I add everything to the poolish until it slaps around the bowl and go from there. Easy peasy.

[@nlc6275]

Best. Baguettes. Ever. This recipe works consistently. Thanks to Claire, I’m now a bread goddess in my own home.

[@soflmatt]

Claire, you did it! You have presented me with the PERFECT baguette recipe. I have tried a few in my short 7 months of bread making, but yours has consistently turned out 95% awesome (always room to improve) made 4 time today, 5th tomorrow. They go fast as I love to share. Thank you!

[@galex03]

Claire explains everything so well, I don’t even thing you need the visuals to know how to do the folds (it does help though😂)

[@jeanmccarroll5074]

Made your baguettes yesterday and today. They came out great for my first time. Crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle, delicious. The ends are not quite pointy enough and the slashes should have been deeper but my family thought they were wonderful. Thanks, so much, for your great recipe and wonderful tutorial.

[@myriammoquin2684]

Excellent job Claire! I have been very happy with my baguettes but it took me such a long time to get to this point! Had I seen this video a year ago I would have nailed it sooner!

[@anyasnyder2310]

claire saffitz does it again. youre the best, Claire. thank you for all you do.

[@reuvenspolter7289]

Hi Claire! I've really wanted to get into baking, and I made the baguettes! They came out pretty good - and your explanations were really great. Thanks so much.

[@jackiewalsh6678]

Making this week! I have tried making baguettes before and the final shaping is the hardest part for me! Great step by step instructions!

[@brianferry415]

The most satisfying baking video to watch, led by the most knowledgeable instructor I have seen. Thanks Claire

[@dcloder]

I just got back from Europe which included 5 days in Paris. I've developed a bit of sensitivity to store bought bread which made me a little on edge about having bread almost 3 times a day. I had zero issues with French bread. I built a large brick oven at home, primary for pizza, but I am certainly going to be baking in it soon using residual heat. Cant wait to try this recipe and its always good to see Claire baking in the kitchen.

[@rachelbrand]

Claire is SUCH a great teacher! I have never tried a recipe of hers that didn't work -- and i live in another country, with other ingredients, temperatures etc.

[@rileysdesk]

Claire is truly one of the best for making something so intimidating become digestible. I have never baked before in my life. I decided this would be the first thing I'll make because my family loves baguettes. Even though I felt like I was doing everything wrong during the process due to having no experience, the bread came out incredible and delicious. I make it once a week because we end up eating it all in two days every time.

[@Rob_430]

As a home bread baker, and I’ve done it all……yeast, sourdough, Poolish, etc, this video is excellent. Very thorough and explains it all. What I don’t like about using a Poolish is the extra steps, vs, using a straight no knead overnight bulk fermentation. You’re ready to go on day 2.

[@b.runettepet4904]

Thanks for this easy to follow, entertaining tutorial. I can't wait to start practicing making baguettes!

[@julietetlours]

can't wait to try these! Her croissants video was amazing and I made the best-tasting pastry I've ever had. Thank you Claire!

[@geralynbrock8308]

Oh my goodness, Clair! I just made these and thank you so much! Your tutorial was perfect. So happy with the results. Making more batches until they are perfect, but they turned out so so well! YUMMY!

[@nomisanchez7195]

There should be 600000 Likes she makes your show better!!!🎉

[@flyerbluedog]

Thank you Claire Saffitz! Great tips you give here! I want to bake baguettes! 🥖 😊👍

[@pamelamulhearn8184]

Thank you. I will be making these baguettes. Very clear instructions and so enjoyable to watch you teach us these excellent bread baking skills! I happened to make some yesterday following instructions from another you tuber. The preshaping you show is more complex and I believe if I had done would have resulted in a lighter baguette. The ones I made yesterday were still very good but not as light as I would have liked. Thanks again. Love your presentations.

[@petermoore900]

So I made this as directed and was mostly happy with the results. This is higher hydration than what I'm used to for a baguette and I struggled a bit with sticking during the shaping so definitely not for first timers. I really like the crumb and texture that come with higher hydration. Unfortunately I didn't get the oven spring I usually get, though, which I think is for want of more strength building. The first time I made it I bulked and baked same day without the overnight stage and actually got better oven spring, to my surprise. The version left to chill overnight was flabbier, almost over-fermented, without an appreciable improvement in flavor, so in the future I would stick with doing everything same day. That means bulk fermentation at room temp or slightly warmer for 3-4 hours until it's nice and gassy, then shape, proof and bake.

[@foxfire1112]

Ok im going to do this. Make a poolish now overnight and do everything tomorrow

[@MaryAnMac]

Love Claire’s knowledgeable instructions.

[@mentri0n_326]

OMG Claire thank god you’ve found another way to reach us, we’ve missed you girl ❤

[@pdiddysea8599]

Check out FibraMent cooking stones. They custom cut it to your oven size so it covers the whole shelf minus a bit of the edge. Mine was under 100 and its awesome it just stays in there and I clean it with baking soda occasionally. Its fantastic! Enjoyed your video!

[@dekalbes335]

It's called a lean dough. We call the thin piece of wood...a "Facilitator ". This is a great tutorial,.. you're great Claire , and ! NYTimes you're great too.! .

[@farmsis]

Best baguette shaping instruction I’ve ever seen. Thank you!

[@alyssaxxy]

I have finally found an authentic recipe that actually turns out EXACTLY the way it’s shown. ❤

[@karlloveridge3160]

Cooked two batches of these baguettes last night. They turned out amazing. I've tried 4 other baguette recipes on KZbin and these were the best thus far. I will admit that her dough was the trickiest to form the final product. (I didn't have room in my fridge to proof the dough. So I proofed it in my garage which was about 50 degrees. Not quite cold enough. I should have only proofed it 12-14 hours at that temp.) With the other recipes, I didn't have trouble with dough sticking to the Couche. I did a light dusting and the dough got stuck on a couple of loaves. Lesson learned: more flour on Couche with this wetter dough.

[@mountaingal5555]

This is one of the best videos I've seen. Kudos! I make a batch three times this amount in a big stock pot. Similar timing and technique, but simpler. Then, I bake nine batards (we like this form better than baguette). I also add a little whole wheat and rye flour for a nuttier flavor. I first heard of this mix, called "Peasant" loaf in the 5-minute Artisan bread cookbook. I joke that this is "husband insurance," because my husband won't stray very far if there is homemade bread around.

[@Alexander-dt8sk]

The truism holds; the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

[@danielleshelbourne220]

I adore your videos Claire. So much detail and full of helpful advice. I always feel ready to tackle whatever you’ve made after watching your tutorials. Thank you so very much for all the time and effort you put into creating your videos, I deeply appreciate it. I am making baguettes tomorrow now! 😊 🥖

[@brothersoulshine]

I've done a reasonable amount of home bread-making over the years, read a few books and that but I think I learned the most in the last 30 minutes!

[@debbieporter1513]

You are the best teacher I've seen. Thank you !

[@NickBrunet]

That was incredibly satisfying to watch. As a home cook I want to push myself to make this baguette!

[@eternalbean9866]

Claire you are so bright. Thank you for this! Bread and butter are my desert island food too. Big love to you!

[@Pita_Project]

Great video, very analytical and informative. Thanks Claire ❤

[@hugor3667]

You’re great ! Thank you for thorough explanations for each step.

[@dennisc8578]

Wow. Kudos to the editor with all those quick edits where the sentences are nearly seamless!

[@purplelavender3249]

Wonderful!! You are such a good teacher, in every sense, of the word!

[@chrispestana1738]

Absolutely Brilliant! More Claire Please!!!

[@jostewart3192]

She is such a great teacher

[@johnwickey5802]

As usual, after struggling for a while with a recipe and then seeing Claire’s video-things just go right. AP flour was the key this time for the lightest and crispiest version I’ve ever made-but who knows? Could be seeing the exact point to move to the next step. Who cares? More videos please. ❤

[@ks7343]

I am so psyched to give this a try! You are my fave, Claire!

[@tom_something]

I made a baguette peel out of cardboard wrapped in aluminum foil. It's held up pretty well. Double-thick on the cardboard, corrugated like an Amazon box.

[@jsantaite1]

Aweome presentation! I love the explanations without getting so technical that you struggle with keeping up. So after you make your 5 or 10 loafs, what is the best method for storing them? I know there several types of bags, but what works best? Also, does refrigerating the baguettes help them last longer? Can you reheat them to bring back the crisp? Thanks!

[@kjdude8765]

Best is to wrap tightly and freeze. They won't hold any other way.

[@xslash10x]

You can also par bake these and vacuum seal them and freeze them. Once frozen, you can bake them frozen at 450 for about 15-20 min. That way, whenever you want fresh baguette, you can have one in less than 20 minutes.

[@AmarEnergy]

I absolutely adore Claire Saffitz!

[@ddh2o759]

I was just thinking about baking some nice crusty bread for an oyster po' boy. This looks perfect.

[@dalek6779]

They look amazing!

[@timasendorf2920]

I love Dan Lerner‘s recipe for four hour baguettes (out there somewhere on the internet), which has led to excellent results for me several times. But I‘m definitely trying this too! Thanks!!!

[@iamonmypersonalcomputer]

she is SO good at explaining things

[@user-eo6iv3um6q]

The three doughs resting in uniform shape are so satisfying

[@tashatopalakis2035]

Thank you, Claire....very inviting ~recipe for me!! Only, I need to follow you as I do, at least the 1st time. Cannot wait to bake. ✔️❤️

[@mariafernandaperezpria2712]

Thank you, you made it look so simple and easy!

[@kunaori]

I followed the recipe closely! They turned out amazing! Thank you!

[@SUPERSTUDIO17]

YESSSS WE NEED MORE CLAIRE VIDEOS PLS

[@TheThicklizzie]

Great recipe and instruction! Please, please, please give hints on halving this recipe and how to freeze bread/dough.