The baguette is the technical benchmark of hearth baking — thin elongated loaf with crackling crust, irregular open crumb (cells of varying size), and distinctive scoring pattern. 68% is the traditional French hydration (more conservative than a 75% country loaf because the shape requires more structure). Hamelman's baguette uses 100% bread flour, 68% hydration, 15% poolish or sourdough preferment. Advanced bakers dial hydration up to 72%. The scoring (3-5 diagonal slashes, slightly overlapping) is what creates the signature ear.
- Hydration
- 68%
- Salt
- 2.00%
- Levain
- 15–20%
- Bulk @ 76°F
- 3.00h
- Proof @ 76°F
- 1.00h
- Bake temp
- 475°F
- Bake time
- 22m
- Vessel
- baking stone steam
Flour mix
- bread flour — 100%
Technique
Short autolyse (20 min). 3 sets of stretch-and-folds. 3h bulk, divide into 250g pieces, preshape cylinders, rest 20 min. Final shape: elongate to 18 inches with tapered ends, place in floured couche. Proof 60 min. Transfer to parchment, score 3-5 diagonal overlapping slashes with lame. Bake on preheated stone at 475°F with steam for first 10 min; 18-22 min total until deep mahogany crust.
Calculator pre-set to Baguette's target (68%)
Adjust the slider for personal preference within the workable 65–72% range.
- Flour to add
- 450 g
- Water to add
- 290 g
- Salt
- 10 g
- Levain @ 100%
- 100 g
- Total dough
- 850 g
- Effective hydration
- 68%
How the math works
Total water = flour × hydration %. Your levain contributes 50 g flour + 50 g water — both count toward the totals. You add only the remainder as fresh flour and water.
Salt % is computed on total flour weight, not final-dough flour.
Related references on this site
- 70% hydration reference page — nearest canonical hydration page to this recipe's 68%
- Flour spec: bread flour — protein, ash, absorption — 100% of this recipe's mix
- Hydration deep-dive for this recipe — workable range 65–72%
- Timing by kitchen temperature — bulk + proof times at 60-90°F using Modernist Bread multipliers
- Guide: baker's percentage explained — the math underlying every formula on this page
- All 25 recipes — grouped by category (lean, enriched, hearth, pan)
The gear that makes the math work
A short, honest baking kit. The scale matters most — every weight on this page is in grams. The Dutch oven is what turns a good crumb into a great crust.
- Digital kitchen scale (0.1 g)View on Amazon →
- Dutch oven / combo cookerView on Amazon →
- Banneton proofing basketView on Amazon →
- Bread lame + bench scraperView on Amazon →
- High-protein bread flourView on Amazon →
- Danish dough whiskView on Amazon →
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