Hi Jancie, baguettes are traditionally baked with steam for the first 10-15 minutes of baking. Moisture during the initial part of the bake allows for full expansion in a hot oven, while contributing to great color and crispness in the crust. After the loaves have expanded fully, the later part of the bake should occur in a dry oven. Brushing the loaves with egg white or olive oil before baking can help with browning, but for truly authentic baguettes I would encourage you to try adding steam to your bake. We have a couple of helpful blogs when it comes to steaming. This blog post gives you a good overview of why and how to add steam to your baking, and this blog post can up your steam game even further. Because baguettes bake relatively quickly, I would keep the steam time to 10-15 minutes. 

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