5-Minute No-Knead Bread Machine Baguette Recipe

I love it when my college-age son visits Copywriters’ Kitchen. And I’m tickled when he uses my recipes.

But I hope he skips this post.

As a serious bread baker—is “breadie” a word?—he’d be dismayed by Five-Minute No-Knead Bread Machine Baguette.

When you hate to knead—but love homemade bread

This bread doesn’t require an overnight starter sponge. It doesn’t need a second hand-kneading—or even a first. You don’t have to shape it in a rising basket, bake it on a Fibrament bread stone or poke it with $95 thermometer to measure its “internal crumb temp.” Sheesh!

Okay, I admit my recipe doesn’t yield the fabulous crust and “crumb”—breadies’ word for the soft, inner part of the bread—of my son’s artisanal loaves.

But it does produce a hot, crunchy-crusted—if haphazardly-shaped—loaf. It’s perfect slathered in sweet butter and served with the simple, satisfying soups, stews or pastas we make every day here at Copywriters’ Kitchen.

And best of all, this baguette can be put together and shaped into a loaf in less than five minutes.



I love serving forth hot homemade yeast breads on weeknights—even when I’m on deadline and don’t have more than a few minutes to throw dinner together.

Wish I could take credit.

But it’s all my bread machine’s doing. I dump in the ingredients, the machine huffs, puffs, kneads and proofs the bread.

I shape the dough, bake and bow to family applause. (With two saucy teens at table I take kudos where I can.)

My two-cents on buying a bread machine

Some of you will balk at an additional, unnecessary kitchen appliance. I know, I know.

I feel the same way. If you’re a regular visitor to Copywriters’ Kitchen, you understand I’m fanatical about keeping life, food and meal prep simple. I don’t collect culinary gadgets.

The bread machine is an exception.

It simplifies my life and relieves me of an onerous, time-consuming task: Kneading bread. I don’t actually bake bread in my bread machine–I don’t like bread machine loaves’ shape or crust. I only use the machine for kneading.

So, if you’re in the market, I suggest you buy the most basic, inexpensive bread machine you can find. You can choose from many models at discount stores or online vendors.

But I have a greener—and even cheaper—suggestion: Buy used. You’ll find terrific, like-new bread machines at garage sales, flea markets or on eBay. I bought my Oster at an attic sale for just $20. It’s more than OK.


Still don’t want a bread machine in your kitchen? Here’s a nice no-knead loaf you can make by hand, The New York Times’ recipe for Speedy No-Knead Bread

5-Minute No-Knead Bread Machine Baguette Recipe

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon yeast
2/3 water
1 tablespoon cornmeal
one egg white, beaten

1. Dump all ingredients except cornmeal and egg white into the bread machine pan.
2. Set cycle on “dough”—or the cycle on your bread machine that kneads the dough but doesn’t bake it.
3. Go read a book or hie you back to your desk for a couple of hours.
4. When dough has risen, your bread machine will beep. Remove dough from the bread machine pan and plop it on a lightly floured surface.
5. Punch down dough and lightly knead for about a minute to remove air bubbles. Note: This dough is wet and sticky. As you work with it, add just enough flour to handle it. Here’s where a pastry scraper comes in handy. I don’t have one either, but it’s on my Christmas list.
6. Knead—don’t roll—dough into an oblong shape. If you like puffy bread with lots of crumb—help, I’m beginning to sound like a breadie!— make the loaf about 10”. If you love crust and want less crumb, make the loaf longer. I usually make mine about 14”-16”.
7. Sprinkle the cornmeal on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.
8. Gently lift your baguette and transfer it to the pan, rearranging it to make a (relatively) straight loaf.
9. With a sharp knife—I use a serrated edge—cut diagonal slashes about 1½ inches apart across the loaf.
10. Beat the egg white and brush it over the top of the baguette.
11. Place the baguette in a warm, draft-free area to rise. It takes less time than you think—about 20-30 minutes.
12. Ten minutes before bread is fully risen, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
13. When baguette is risen, give it a second brushing of egg white.
14. Slide baguette into the oven and bake: Baking time ranges from 18-25 minutes depending on how dark and crispy you like your crust.
15. Cool baguette slightly, slice and serve immediately.

Serves 6.