Baking bread is scary. The first time you attempted to bake yeast bread on your own, you were probably hovering over the oven, opening it too often, letting the heat out and most likely ruining the process with self-doubt. I know I was.
But baking bread at home, even whole wheat bread, is much easier than cookbooks let on. This recipe is a very basic whole wheat bread recipe that my Grandma taught me. While it calls to make the bread into baguette form, this recipe works just as well for a true loaf. It’s my go to!
Easy Whole Wheat Baguette
Recipe developed by Carlene Thomas, RD, LD
Makes 1 baguette
Ingredients
Baguette
1 tablespoon rapid-rise yeast
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon light oil (canola, vegetable)
Topping
baking soda and water wash (1 tablespoon baking soda to 1/2 cup water)
rosemary, chopped
sea salt
Instructions
- Add water and yeast to standing mixer with dough hook attached. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add all remaining ingredients except oil. Mix/knead with hook for 5 minutes until dough pulls together into a ball and becomes smooth. Remove and hand knead into a smooth ball.
- Add the oil to a mixing bowl and coat the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add dough ball, cover with plastic wrap or tea towel and allow to rise in a warm space for 1 hour.
- Remove from bowl after the dough has doubled in size and press down to remove air. With the palm of your hand, press dough into a rectangular shape on the counter. Fold in thirds, like you would fold a letter and roll back and forth a few times to elongate and round the loaf into baguette-shape.
- Place dough on a baguette/french bread pan seam side down (Don’t have one? Use heavy duty tin foil to recreate!). Score three lines across the top of the loaf at a diagonal. Drape a tea towel over the top and allow to rise in a warm place for another hour.
- Once the dough has risen again, brush the top of the loaf with a baking soda and water wash to brown (like you would do with a pretzel). Sprinkle with chopped rosemary and sea salt.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place a pan of water on the lowest rack of the oven. Place bread loaf pan on the middle rack and bake for 15 minutes or until the top is browned and loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
