Baking this baguette is less about speed and more about surrendering to the rhythm of real breadmaking. Dan Leader learned this formula from Richard Ruan in Paris, where time, patience, and precision shape loaves with extraordinary depth of flavor. Long rests, a cool overnight retard, and gentle shaping bring out a baguette that’s thin-crusted, aromatic, and full of character. It’s a recipe that rewards the baker who takes the scenic route — and fills the kitchen with the kind of aroma that stops everyone in their tracks.