Short baguettes start with a simple sequence: fold into a log, close the seam, then roll from the middle towards the ends. Watch the real hand movements in this 47-second KNEVA baking video, with the crust crackle and crumb reveal at the end.
Watch the fold and roll
Shape one piece at a time
- Prepare the dough. Complete the first rise, divide the dough and give the pieces their covered rest. Lightly flour the shaping surface.
- Fold into a log. Gently pat a piece into a small rectangle. Fold the top over, then fold and roll over again, using light pressure to bring the dough together.
- Close the seam. Pinch the long join closed and turn it underneath.
- Start at the centre. Roll the middle with one hand first. Then use both hands, moving from the middle towards the sides to lengthen the dough evenly. For the short baguettes in our guide, aim for 20–25 cm.
If the dough feels too tight
Stop when it resists or keeps shrinking back. Cover and rest for 5–10 minutes, then try again with gentle pressure. Forcing the dough longer is not the next step; give it the rest first.
Proof, score and cool
Place the shaped baguettes seam-side down on oven-rated baking paper, cover and let them become puffier. When the oven is ready, use a sharp blade or very sharp knife to make one confident long cut along the top. The finished bread in this film was baked on KNEVA Baking Steel. Let the baguettes cool on a rack before slicing with a serrated bread knife.
You will need a lightly floured work surface, a cover, oven-rated baking paper, a sharp scoring blade, oven gloves, a cooling rack and a serrated bread knife.
For the complete mixing quantities, same-day and overnight options, rise checks and baking instructions, use the KNEVA Classic baguette recipe. This short film focuses on the shaping technique and finished bread.
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