Mix flour and 1 cup warm water in a stand mixer on medium-low for 4-5 minutes or until dough forms a shaggy ball. Sprinkle salt on top and cover the dough.

In a separate container mix yeast with 3 tablespoons warm water. Let both dough and yeast sit for 15-20 minutes.

Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking tray and generously oil it.

Lightly flour your work surface and divide dough into two equal pieces. Pop any large gas bubbles using your fingers and pre-shape the dough. Degas it, pull the sides of the dough in and fold them over each other, then roll it from top to bottom so that the seam is on the bottom. Shape into a ball, cover, and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes.

Shape dough balls into baguettes by flattening out dough, then stretching out the sides to make a more rectangular shape. Now grab the top 20% of the dough and fold it in. Roll and tuck the dough from the top to the bottom, popping any air bubbles as you go. Once you get to the bottom, you should have a nice tube with a uniform seam. To further stretch the dough out, use your fingertips and thumbs in a triangle pattern to apply downward pressure and start rolling, while also keeping the seam underneath intact. As you get to the end, apply even more pressure to get a nice taper. You should have a 10 to 12-inch baguette with a straight seam running underneath. Repeat for the second ball of dough.

Spray baguettes with water, cut a slit with a serrated knife every inch, and bake in a preheated oven at 450°F for 30-35 minutes. If using a cover, carefully remove it after 15 minutes of baking. Flip the baguettes around halfway through to get a more even crust.

Remove from oven and let cool, or enjoy hot with a slab of butter.