Batard bread is an easy loaf with a crisp crust and open crumb, thanks to a long poolish and chilly overnight rest. It fills your kitchen with a warm, malty aroma that greets you like an old friend.
This recipe solves issues of dense texture, lack of flavor, insufficient crust, and scheduling challenges faced by home bakers when making bread.
And I tried this simple Batard recipe on a busy weeknight when my last loaf turned dense. I almost skipped the steam (oops), but the crust crackled and the crumb tasted tangy. I was thrilled by those big air bubbles.
But it works because I mix a bubbly starter, let it rest for 12 hours, then pop it in the fridge overnight so I’m free to bake. It takes about 30 minutes in the oven, cools in 2 hours, and I dust my hands with flour to shape loaf.
If you want a quick loaf with mix-ins, try Gluten Free Chocolate Chips Zucchini Bread.
Table of contents
Dietary Considerations
- This recipe is not gluten-free due to bread flour.
- This recipe is vegan and vegetarian.
- This recipe is dairy-free.
- This recipe is nut-free.
- This recipe is not keto or low-carb due to high carbohydrate flour content.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Bold sour tang in every slice I love that a 12-hour poolish and overnight chill give the batard bread a lively acidity and aroma that cuts through rich toppings.
- Open, chewy crumb I see that simple Batard shaping plus four stretch-and-folds yields large air holes that hold butter or jam without sogginess.
- Crisp, golden crust I’ve found steaming at bake start and diastatic malt in this Batard recipe yield a crackly shell that stays crisp for two hours after cooling.
- Schedule-friendly process I set up this easy Batard routine with an overnight chill so I can bulk ferment late and bake a fresh *batard loaf* before breakfast.
Homemade Sourdough Batard Bread
- Prep Time: 12 hours
- Cool Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 12 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: bread
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: vegetarian
Description
Batard bread is an easy loaf with a crisp crust and open crumb, filled with a warm, malty aroma.
Ingredients
- 500 g bread flour (unbleached, high-protein flour like King Arthur)
- 350 g water (room temperature)
- 10 g salt (fine sea salt)
- 2.5 g instant yeast
- 5 g diastatic malt powder
- 0.5 g ascorbic acid powder
- 100 g bread flour (for poolish)
- 100 g water (for poolish)
- 0.5 g instant yeast (for poolish)
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix 100 g bread flour, 100 g water, and 0.5 g instant yeast. Stir until the mixture is smooth and cover it. Let this rest at room temperature for 12 hours. The poolish should develop bubbles and a slightly domed surface, indicating it’s ready to use.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 400 g bread flour with 250 g water until no dry flour remains. Cover the bowl and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. This autolyse stage helps align gluten strands, making it easier to handle the dough.
- Sprinkle 10 g salt, 2 g instant yeast, 5 g diastatic malt powder, and 0.5 g ascorbic acid powder over the autolysed dough. Add the entire poolish mixture and mix by folding until everything is incorporated into a uniform dough.
- Every 30 minutes during bulk fermentation (set at 75°F), perform a series of four stretch-and-folds. Reach under one side of the dough, stretch it up, fold it over itself, and rotate the bowl 90°. Repeat this process for all four sides of the dough, allowing it to gain strength and develop air pockets without extensive kneading. Total bulk fermentation should last approximately 2 hours.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled container, cover it, and place it in the refrigerator for 12 to 18 hours. This cold ferment deepens the flavor while providing flexibility in your baking schedule.
- Once cold ferment is complete, turn the dough onto a floured surface. Gently flatten it into a rectangle. Fold the top third down and the bottom third up, then rotate 90° and repeat. Let it rest seam side up for about 15 minutes.
- Dust your work surface with flour and gently flatten the dough into a 10×8-inch rectangle. Fold the sides in toward the center, sealing the seams with your fingertips, before turning it seam side down and rolling it into a 12-inch long batard. Place this loaf onto parchment paper and cover it with a proofing basket liner or towel. Proof at room temperature (between 70°F and 75°F) for 60 to 75 minutes, or until it passes the poke test (a gentle poke springs back slowly).
- Preheat your oven to 475°F with a baking stone or steel on the middle rack and a steam pan on the floor of the oven for at least 45 minutes. Once preheated, transfer the loaf (with parchment) onto the stone, score a long 6-inch slash down the center with a lame, then quickly pour 1 cup of hot water into the steam pan and close the oven door. Bake the bread for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 440°F. After 15 more minutes, remove the steam pan, and bake until the crust is deep golden brown.
- Carefully remove the loaf using the parchment paper and place it on a cooling rack. Allow the bread to cool completely for about 2 hours before slicing.
Notes
- Incorporating a bubbly starter builds complexity and depth of flavor, which many recipes forgo.
- Essential for flavor enhancement and flexible baking schedules, this technique is often omitted in other recipes.
- Both ingredients boost yeast activity and improve browning; they should not be neglected, as this will affect the crust’s quality.
- Many recipes give vague instructions for steam; this precise method guarantees a consistent crust.
- Take care when scoring—angle and depth can significantly impact oven spring and final appearance.
- Cooled loaves should be stored in a paper bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you have leftovers, slice and freeze them in an airtight bag for up to a month.
- You can swap out up to 20% of the bread flour for whole wheat. Just increase the water by about 10 g if necessary.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Ingredient Notes
- Bread flour: use unbleached, high-protein flour like King Arthur for strong gluten and that open crumb; swap up to 20% whole wheat, bump water slightly.
- Water: room-temperature tap water helps poolish activity and dough hydration; cold water slows fermentation; filter if your tap tastes odd.
- Instant yeast: pick active jars like Fleischmann’s for reliable rise; store in fridge; use active-dry yeast if needed—dissolve first in warm water.
- Salt: fine sea salt mixes evenly, tightening gluten and boosting flavor; avoid coarse flakes; use table salt as substitute, but cut back slightly.
- Diastatic malt powder: adds browning and feeds yeast for active poolish; skip or use barley malt syrup, though crust may brown less.
- Ascorbic acid powder: strengthens gluten for good structure; swap a crushed Vitamin C tablet; mix into autolyse water to avoid clumps.
Recipe Baking Tips
- If dough spreads during preshape, chill in fridge for 10 minutes before shaping.
- If steam fades 5 minutes into baking, pour 1/2 cup hot water into steam pan.
- When score depth is under 0.1 inch, cut a 0.25-inch-deep 6-inch slash before sliding onto stone.
- If crust darkens too fast, tent with foil 15 minutes into baking.
- For tight crumb, perform an extra stretch-and-fold 120 minutes into bulk fermentation.
Serving Suggestions
Serve batard bread with Broccoli Cheddar Soup and Lentil Soup alongside sliced Olive Tapenade for dipping and to add flavor. Pair batard loaf with Classic Hummus and Spinach Artichoke Dip to vary textures and protein boost on bread board service.
Use batard loaf slices to make Croque Madame sandwiches layered with ham and Gruyere cheese on a griddle press for sear marks. Add cubed batard bread to French Onion Soup under melted Swiss cheese then broil until bread forms topping in broth.
Top batard loaf slices with Olive Oil and Balsamic Glaze drizzled across crust to impart acid contrast in crumb interiors. Serve batard loaf with Garlic Confit Spread and Truffle Butter on platter beside Pepper Aioli for dipping board display stand.
Recipe variations
- You can use 80 g whole wheat flour and 320 g bread flour in batard bread dough to boost fiber.
- Add 5 g chopped fresh rosemary to the batard bread dough for herbal aroma.
- Either whole wheat or rye flour up to 20% boosts flavor; see Marble Rye Bread for rye tips.
- If using two batard loaves double poolish to 200 g flour, 200 g water, and dough flour to 800 g.
Save This Recipe!
How to Store?
To keep your Rustic Batard Bread with Poolish Preferment fresh and delicious, follow these storage tips:
Room Temperature: Store batard bread in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.
Refrigeration: Place sliced batard bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 7 days.
Freezing: Wrap batard bread slices in plastic wrap then transfer into a freezer bag. Freeze up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- Marble Rye Bread
- Gluten-Free Almond Cherry Bread
- Gluten-Free Lemon Zucchini Bread
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chips Zucchini Bread
If you enjoyed this Homemade Sourdough Batard Bread or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
