Easy No-Knead French Baguette

• If you don't have a baguette pan, there are few things you need to prepare. You need a large linen cloth that is thick enough to help hold the shape of a baguette. If you have a couche, that would replace the baguette pan. I dust the cloth generously with flour
  
• You also need a piece of sturdy cardboard wrapped with aluminum foil, sprayed with some non-stick spray to transfer the dough from the cloth to the baking pan later

Prepare the dough:

• If you use a sourdough starter, mix the starter with water to loosen up the starter and mix into a creamy mixture. Then add the rest of the ingredients and stir to mix until all flour is hydrated
  
• If you use instant yeast, combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to mix until all flour is hydrated
  
• Cover the dough and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature.

4 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes:

• After the rest, lightly wet your fingers, scoop and grab the edge of the dough from the bottom and gently wiggle it up to stretch it as far as it allows you to (don't force it and tear the dough)
  
• Then fold over to the center. Repeat this with the next edge. You can probably do about 4-5 stretches and folds for this first round.
  
• Round it up into a dough ball with the smooth side up. Cover it back again and rest for another 30 minutes
  
• Perform the second and third set of stretch and fold like you did before. Notice the dough gets stronger now and not as slack. It won't allow you to stretch as far as the first round. You can probably do about 4 stretches and folds each round.

Cold retard in the fridge:

• After the 4th set of stretch and fold, transfer to a lightly oiled container with a tight-fitting lid, to prevent sticking. Put this in the fridge to let it cold ferment for 12-16 hours and then proceed to the shaping step after that
  

The next day:

• If the dough hasn't risen much, get it out from the fridge and let it continue to ferment at room temperature until at least 1.5 x or double in volume and proceed to the shaping stage
  

Shaping:

• If you don't have a baguette pan, prepare a baker's couche or a large stiff linen that can help to support the baguette dough during proofing so the dough won't lose its shape
• Generously flour the couche to prevent sticking.
• Flour your work surface with some flour. Tip the container of the dough upside down to let the dough naturally release from the container
  
• Lightly flour the surface of the dough where you are going to cut.
  
• Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into three equal portions. Use a bench scraper to help you separate the dough.
  
• Flatten each dough with your fingers to push out all the air and to roughly shape it into a rectangle shape. Keep them covered and let them rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten for shaping
• Take the first dough and roll it down and use the heel of your palm to seal the seam
  
• Roll again and seal again until you form a log. Pinch the seams together to seal.
  
• Place both hands on the center of the log and roll it outwards to the side, in a back and forth motion to lengthen the dough (make sure the length is not longer than your baking stone/baking steel). You can roll both ends to taper them, so they look "pointier"(but this is optional). Please excuse my not-so-perfect baguette shaping
  
• Place the shaped dough on a well-floured couche or baguette pan. Repeat with the rest of the dough. If you use a couche, fold the couche up in between each dough to form a "wall" to support the dough
  

Final proofing:

• Let the dough proof until puffy at room temperature, this may take about 45 minutes to 1 hour if you use yeast. For sourdough, this may take about 2-3 hours, depending on your room temperature
  

Preheat the oven:

• If you don't use baguette pan, 30 minutes before the end of proofing time, start preheating the oven to 500 F (260 C) for conventional oven and 480 F (250 C) for convection oven. Place a baking stone or baking steel on a middle rack.
• If you use a baguette pan, you don't need to preheat the oven for that long. Just preheat the oven 10 minutes before you plan to bake. I still recommend using a steam to bake the bread
• Place a cast-iron pan filled with about 2 cups of water next to it. If your cast-iron pan is too big to fit side-by-side with the baking stone on the same rack, place it one rack under, but not directly under the stone. At the side where the steam can easily go up and reach the dough
• Line a baking peel with parchment paper if you don't use baguette pan

Baking:

• If you are using a couche, use a cardboard you make earlier to gently transfer the dough, one at a time, onto a baking peel lined with parchment paper
• Use a bread lame or a very sharp razor to make three slashes at a diagonal on the surface of the dough. Mist the dough with water
  
• Slide the parchment paper (with the shaped dough on top) onto the baking stone. If you use baguette pan, place the pan directly on the rack. Close the door immediately
• Reduce the temperature to 475 F (250 C) for conventional oven and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the cast iron pan filled with water from the oven. Lower the temperature to 450 F (230 C) and bake for another 5 minutes. This part is just to brown the baguette. The internal temperature of the center of the bread should be at least 190 F (88 C). If you use convection oven, lower the temperature by 20 F (15 C)

Cooling:

• Remove from the oven and let them cool on a cooling rack completely
  

How to store:

• Let the baguettes cool down completely. Store them in a paper bag for a day or two. For longer storage, you can keep them in the freezer. Simply thaw and reheat before serving

How to reheat: (in the oven or air fryer)

• I like to mist the baguette with some water. You can also run the baguette under cold water quickly. Wrap the entire baguette in aluminum foil. I reheat it in the oven at 350 F (180 C) for about 10 minutes and then remove the foil and bake for another 2-3 minutes to crisp up the crust. Serve immediately
• You can also reheat baguette in the air fryer (well, if it fits). I usually bake demi-baguette, so that size usually fits. Run the baguette under cold water quickly, wrap in a foil then reheat in the air fryer at 320 F (160 C) for 5-8 minutes and then remove the foil and bake for another 1-2 minutes to crisp the crust. Serve immediately