For a homemade baguette recipe that rivals the best from Parisian boulangeries, we took a trip to France to learn firsthand what it takes. The problem with most baguette recipes, we discovered, is that all the small details that matter are glossed over. That includes the wheaty flavor, which is prevalent in French baguettes but usually missing from American bakeries' versions, and getting that crispy, crackly crust that is the mark of a good baguette. The secret? Knowing how to shape the baguette and using a long, slow rise in the refrigerator, which delivers the complex flavor of fermentation while making the recipe easy and flexible.