whole wheat baguettes (2024)

If you’ve ever wanted whole wheat baguettes in your life, I am here for you! This easy recipe makes four loaves of healthier fresh-baked bread in French baguette form. It has all of the flavor and texture of a classic baguette with the nutritional benefits of whole wheat flour.

Mastering the art of making baguettes at home, in my experience, is really no art form at all — it’s actually very similar to making a sandwich bread or a free-form loaf, but instead you shape the dough into a torpedo. And somehow it tastes just that much better that way.

And making whole wheat baguettes at home, in my experience, is very similar to baking regular baguettes — but with whole wheat flour.

Whole Wheat Baguettes

I baked these last week with a Snowstorm of Doom in the day’s forecast. It was cloudy and snowing (and snowing, and snowing), I was housebound, my dinner date for burgers with friends was cancelled — you know how it goes. Baking bread — specifically, baguettes — was the only thing that could calm me down (I was really bummed about not getting a burger).

After all these years of baking bread, I’ve found myself getting into a rhythm that begins the minute I pull out the bowls, the stand mixer, the yeast, the flour. It’s like my brain shuts off and my muscle memory scoops, measures, kneads, waits, shapes and bakes. It’s like that feeling you get when you do yoga: you let your mind focus on nothing but the stretch in your body as you breathe out the tension. Or when you play an instrument: to get the notes right, sometimes you just have to play — stop thinking about what you’re doing, and just play.

I find so much enjoyment in those moments — especially the ones that result in delicious, fresh-baked baguettes.

How to Make Whole Wheat Baguettes

The trick to making whole wheat baguettes is getting the dough just the right stiffness and softness. I know that sounds ridiculous, to have something be both at the same time, but such is the frustration — and joy — of bread. It’s more of a feeling than anything else. Because whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid, you have to make sure the dough doesn’t dry out too much — at the same time, it can’t be too wet, or the baguettes will never hold their shape. I find with this recipe, I don’t need to add any more water, but I do add up to a half-cup of extra flour to the dough as I knead it.

This photo does a decent job of showing you what the dough should look like when it’s too soft (left, above) and when it’s just right (right, above).

The Best Yeast for Whole Wheat Baguettes

You know what else I love about this recipe? Using Red Star PLATINUM yeast. I truly mean it when I say it’s the best performing instant yeast I’ve used. I always end up with well-risen, domed loaves when I put it in my bread recipes. So I highly suggest when you make these baguettes, use the PLATINUM yeast. Bonus: It rises faster than regular yeast, which means baguette-eating time comes sooner.

Even with another snow day, I can’t be mad at that.

P.S. For more whole wheat goodness, check out these fine recipes:

Whole Wheat Honey Oatmeal Bread
Whole Wheat Pita Bread
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chunk Fig Bread
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Print

Disclosure: I received compensation from Red Star Yeast for recipe development purposes. All opinions are my own.