Light Whole Wheat Baguette
Baguettes have been on my list to make for quite sometime.
After reading about the time-consuming and extremely fussy (at least in my opinion) method for making a baguette, I was a bit put off.
Yet I still wanted freshly baked baguette at home.
So much that I found myself sitting by the fireplace reading about baguettes this past Saturday night.
Such an exciting life I lead…
As I read through the 2 full pages at 10-12 point font of instruction in my copy of The New Best Recipe: All-New Edition (plus the 3 pages of introduction) I kept trying to convince myself that it was doable.
Despite the length of time from start to finish in the recipe, I knew that this one should at least be worth the effort.
Cook’s Illustrated has never let me down with a recipe.
In the back of my mind I kept thinking: 20-24 hours for a loaf of bread?
No Way!
Who has time for that?
And that’s when I remembered the copy of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day I had purchased a little over a year ago, still sitting unused in my cookbook cabinet.
Five minutes a day?
Was it too good to be true?
(Which is why the book sat unused for so long)
Definitely not.
This baguette had hardly any prep time and start to finish took a fraction of the time in a traditional recipe.
Additionally, the recipe provided me with enough starter dough to make 3 more loaves whenever I wanted.
All I have to do is take a one pound hunk of dough out, prep it to bake, let it rest for 20ish minutes and pop it in the oven.
Will I still make my other Yeast Bread recipes?
Sure.
I still love those recipes.
Logan and Madeline enjoy helping me with the kneading process.
But now, freshly baked bread – any kind I want and even on busy days – is a daily reality.
See how this dough does as a Pizza Crust over here:
Light Whole Wheat Baguette
This baguette had hardly any prep time and start to finish took a fraction of the time in a traditional recipe. I highly recommend giving your hand a try at artisan bread like this!
Ingredients
- 3 cups 110 degree F water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups freshly ground hard white wheat flour
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
To prepare the dough:
- Combine the water, yeast, and salt in a large 5-quart bowl or resealable, lidded (but not airtight) plastic food container. The yeast does not need to proof as in traditional recipes.
- Mix the whole what and all-purpose flour together in a medium bowl, then add it to the large bowl containing the water. Stir the flour into the water mixture using a wooden spoon. You don't need to knead the bread, but if stirring becomes too hard you can reach your wet hands into the bowl and press the mixture together.
- Cover the container with a lid (not airtight). Let the dough rise at room temperature for 2-5 hours - until it begins to collapse or flatten on top.
- After this, you can take a portion of the dough to make a loaf at anytime - OR refrigerate the covered container 3 hours or overnight before shaping a loaf.
To shape the loaf:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place a baking stone on the middle rack and an empty broiler tray on a lower shelf.
- Sprinkle the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour, then cut off a 1 lb. piece for use and return the remaining dough to the refrigerator. A kitchen scale is helpful, or you can estimate by removing a piece about the size of a grapefruit.
- Dust the piece with flour and shape it into a ball. Once it is cohesive, you can stretch and elongate the dough to form a cylinder approximately 2 inches in diameter. Dust a pizza peel (or sheet of parchment if you don't have one) with whole wheat flour. Place the loaf on the dusted surface and let rest for 20 minutes.
- After resting, paint water over the surface of the loaf with a pastry brush. Then, using a serrated bread knife make longitudinal, diagonal slashes across the top of the loaf.
- Slide the loaf onto the hot stone. Add 1 cup of hot water to the broiler tray and immediately shut the oven door. Bake for 25 minutes, or until deep brown and firm to the touch. Cool before eating.
- For breakfast, a slice of baguette is delicious topped with ricotta and jam.
Notes
This "master recipe" can be used for many different types of loaves, pizza crusts, and more.
Adapted from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 48 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 49Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 220mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
I am not mentioning Cook’s Illustrated with any intentional slander to their good name.
I was simply illustrating that, in some instances a non-traditional approach is simpler.
I reference my Cook’s Illustrated cookbooks often and love many of their recipes.
Shirah says
I made this baguette a few days ago and have a defrosted loaf ready to go in the oven tonight. Great great recipe!! yum. It turned out absolutely perfect. I am going to try it next time with all white whole wheat flour and see how it goes.
Becky says
I made this recipe and as with other whole wheat recipes, it turned out dense and the yeast seemed to not activate, as there were not very many wholes in the dough. Any thoughts or suggestions?
Katie says
Honestly, with yeast recipes it is hard for me to know what could have gone wrong to help you troubleshoot because there are a lot of variables. Was the yeast old? Was too much flour used (each cup measured will contain a different amount so it is best to use ounces or once you’re comfortable work by feel), not enough flour used? Rise time wasn’t long enough (times given are estimate, best way to tell is if the dough has doubled in bulk). Oven temperature off? High or low elevation? With yeast recipes, just try try again until you get the right feel for things.
Asiya says
I made this today and it turned out great. I had one question….could i freeze the dough and when I want to use defrost in the fridge over night?
Katie says
I have not tried freezing this particular dough recipe yet, but I have frozen other recipes and it has worked well. I usually freeze ziploc bag in individual portions rather than a large batch. Then thaw on the counter until it comes to room temperature. Good luck! 🙂
Asiya says
Just came across your blog. I was searching for a baguette recipe and stumbled upon your blog. Absolutely love it! Am now following you and looking forward to trying this recipe!
Michelle @ Michelle's tiny kitchen says
I am so grateful for this recipe! I hope that you don’t mind, I linked to your site in a blog post after trying this recipe this week. Please let me know if there’s something you’d like me to change. This recipe has changed my perspective on bread. I bought Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, and I love it.
Laura Y. says
Absolutely love this recipe — thanks so much for sharing! I’m making my second loaf from my third batch of dough today. I always use King Arthur brand wheat flour, and it turns out fine. Also, the longest I’ve had the dough last in the fridge is about a week and a half — I had one loaf left out of the first batch and it had gone over at the two week mark. Incidentally, I also go ahead and separate it into four portions and throw them into quart-size ziplocs before refrigerating — seems to work fine. Finally, I’ve been making loaves stuffed with cheese: just flatten the dough into a long rectangle, sprinkle some shredded cheese (I use cheddar, but that’s because it’s my fave — use what you like, obviously), then form the loaf around the cheese. Try not to slice all the way down to the cheese when you make your slits or it *will* leak. Great for a quick snack!
Natalie says
Is granulated yeast the same as active dry? Or instant?
Katie says
It is active dry.
Everyday Art says
I just tried your recipe and it turned out marvelous–thanks for sharing. I actually kept the dough in the refrigerator for 3 days before cooking it; it worked perfectly and had a great, mildly-sourdough flavor. This one is going in the recipe box for sure!
Long time fan,
Jaime
Miriam says
Thank you so much!
Amber says
I love your site, Katie. Way to go!!! I just made this and it’s sitting on my kitchen counter. I love how easy it was to put together. Can you tell me the reason for baking on a hot pan? I’d never heard of that before. Thanks!
Katie says
Hi Amber – the stone helps the bread get that crusty/crisp crust. Does that make sense?
Miriam says
Would this recipe work with a) only whole wheat flour, b) no baking stone?
Katie says
Not sure on the 100% whole wheat flour. For recipes like that, I would check their other book: Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients.
I’ve baked bread without a baking stone before. You can use an inverted cookie sheet. Just make sure you have it in the oven during the preheat so you bake on a hot, rather than cold, pan.
Hope this helps!
Alison says
I used an enameled cast iron skillet and it worked beautifully. (Too small for baguettes but great for a boule.) I’ve also heard you can use unglazed terra cotta tiles from Home Depot – I’m going to try that soon.
Amy says
How long does the rest of the dough (for the other 3 loaves) last? Do you need to use it within the week? A couple of days? How does this affect the rise/crumb?
Thanks much!
Katie says
According to the book the dough lasts between 1-2 weeks. I haven’t gotten that far out yet, but as far as I can tell there is no negative affect. The book says that the flavor develops as the dough ages.
Karla says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I made it yesterday and it was so simple and turned out beautifully! It also gave me a chance to work with white whole wheat flour for the first time. I think that this book is now on my “to-get” list.
Katie says
Katie,
Do you think it will work with store bought wheat? I do not have a wheat grinder. As always, I love your photos!
Katie says
I honestly don’t know. I’ve never tried it that way before. I would head to the website for Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and maybe there will be some answers there.
Keri says
Katie and Katie…..:)
I made this twice with King Arthur light whole white wheat and it was fantastic. I am dubfounded as to how really easy it is. It is now my go to bread. My family is in love with it as well. I do have one question…..can I freeze it? I apologize if I missed it in the article.
La Roquette says
Gorgeous photography, looks incredible 🙂
La Roquette
Some Lucky Dog says
I absolutely love “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day”! We haven’t purchased bread since I made my first loaf. I recently bought “Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day” and am looking forward to trying some of those recipes, too!