This Whole Wheat Sourdough Baguette recipe is made with 100% whole grains. It has a soft, chewy interior and a crackling, crunchy crust. This recipe makes three thin, crusty loaves that can be served at any meal!
Like French bread, the baguette is a staple basic dough to make bread at home. Homemade French baguettes are easier than you think and much better than the bakery using freshly milled flour and sourdough!
Classic Sourdough Baguettes
These whole-grain sourdough French Baguettes are a new family favorite! Traditional baguette recipes are high-maintenance, but rest assured, this bread recipe is easy enough for any home baker desiring to make those classic long baguettes you see in the bakery section wrapped in a paper bag only healthier.
Sourdough adds complexity and tangy flavor that you just can’t get with commercial yeast.
You don’t need fancy equipment or a steam oven to make them. A few home hacks, like using water to create steam, are sufficient to achieve those crusty loaves we all love!
My family could eat these at every meal, any day! They are highly versatile and great to have on hand for sandwiches, canapes, or small appetizers on a Charcuterie board. They can also be ripped apart and dipped into a bowl of soup or seasoned olive oil.
Whole Wheat Sourdough Baguette Recipe
As a home baker who bakes bread weekly with sourdough, I want to ensure that using fresh-milled flour is not difficult.
I’ve learned a lot about using whole grains to create delicious bread, and I’m sharing my best tips so you can make it home.
Many people think making sourdough with 100% fresh-milled flour is dense, bitter, and unappealing; however, that is not true.
The key to making a good sourdough baguette loaf using whole grains is to use a ripe and active starter and lots of it to hydrate and rise the bread well. If you’re a sourdough baker, you will know that more time is needed for fermentation. My flour-to-starter ratio works fantastic!
I’ve also noticed whole grains do so much better with sourdough, which breaks down the phytic acid for easier digestion. The need for kneading is also eliminated, as the gluten development forms during the stretch and folds (fermentation).
These whole-grain baguettes are amazing! They are not bitter (when freshly milled) and have a moist, chewy crumb thanks to the dough’s hydration. You will love this slim Artisan-style bread, just like the bakery!
Baguettes make great gift ideas, too! So, bring a couple of loaves to a friend’s house or that new mom; you can’t go wrong!
Where To Buy Whole Wheat Berries:
I buy my whole wheat berries from Azure Standard and run them through an electric grain mill that sits on my counter (at all times for convenience). This takes seconds and ensures that all the nutrients in the wheat kernel are intact. Read more about the in-depth benefits of eating whole grains here.
Mise en Place
Equipment:
- Baguette Pan or couche
- Cast-iron skillet (to create steam)
- Saucepan (to boil water)
- Bread Lame (for scoring)
- Kitchen Scale (French baker’s use the metric system for consistency)
- Large mixing bowl
Ingredients for Whole Wheat Sourdough Baguettes:
A classic crusty baguette has simple ingredients. Traditionally, a French baguette is made with European T55 flour, which is white flour; however, the combination of hard red wheat and hard white wheat berries makes an exceptional crumb!
- Whole Wheat Flour—I use mostly hard red wheat (for its higher protein content, perfect for gluten development) and part hard white wheat to make an all-purpose flour blend.
- Water- is measured in grams (metric system) for accuracy. If you are using the imperial system, you will need just a little over 1 3/4 cups of warm water.
- Sourdough Starter- must be active and bubbly. If you want to use discard, you will need additional yeast for extra yeast activity.
- Salt- use good quality sea salt. I used Redmond Real Salt.
Sample Baking Schedule:
8 a.m. – Take out the sourdough starter from the fridge and feed it. A mature starter will rise for 4-6 hours.
12 p.m. – Make the basic dough; combine the flour, water, and starter and let it sit for 30 minutes to hydrate the dough (this is called “Autolyse”).
12:30 p.m. – Add the salt and mix the dough with your hands or Danish whisk. Let it rest for 20-30 minutes.
1:00 p.m. – Do four rounds of stretches and folds every 30 minutes.
3:00 p.m. – Bulk ferment the dough until doubled in size (about 4 hours in a warm spot).
7:00 p.m. – To bake the sourdough baguettes the same day, shape them, proof them for about 2 hours, and bake them at around 9:00 p.m.
8 p.m. – After the bulk fermentation, begin the cold fermentation (overnight). Pre-shape the dough into three equal balls. Rest and then make into baguettes. Transfer them to a lightly greased baguette pan, cover, and refrigerate.
9:00 a.m. the next morning: Preheat the oven, score the baguettes, and bake at a high temperature for an oven spring.
How to Make Whole Wheat Sourdough Baguettes:
- Grind the wheat berries into whole wheat flour (also known as freshly milled flour) using a grain mill.
- Mix the flour, water, and starter so that the wheat flour can hydrate and be workable. This is called an Autolyse. Be sure to keep the dough covered during the resting times. I use a clean shower cap, a reusable beeswax wrap, or plastic wrap, depending on what I have on hand.
- After the dough has rested, it will be more stretchy. Add the salt and mix the dough with your hands to fully incorporate the salt.
- Perform four sets of Stretch and Folds within about an hour and 20 minutes. For the first couple of hours, I’ll typically perform a set every 20-30 minutes. To form a stretch and fold, pull one side of the dough over itself, turn the bowl, and repeat on all four sides of the dough.
- Bulk ferment the dough for about 4 hours. This means the dough rests and rises.
- Shape Sourdough baguettes.
- Lightly grease a baguette pan. Place the baguette dough in the pan and cover with plastic wrap. I like to place the preformatted pan over a sheet pan just for cold fermentation overnight.
- In the morning, the baguettes should have been slightly proofed in the fridge. Remove them from the fridge and score the tops with a razor 3-4 times downward or at a 45° angle.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500°F with a large cast-iron skillet on the bottom rack. Boil water in a medium saucepan. Carefully pour the boiling water into the preheated skillet.
- Place the baguettes into the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 450°F. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
How To Shape Sourdough Baguettes
Baguettes are not difficult to shape because they are made of high-hydration dough, so you do not need to create as much tension. The dough is very forgiving and easily shapes into a long baguette as it stretches well.
- Use a large silicone pastry mat to avoid using additional flour.
- Invert the dough onto the mat and divide the dough into three equal parts using a bench scraper.
- Shape Sourdough baguettes. Divide the dough into three equal parts.
- If each piece is formed into a ball, allow it to rest and relax for 20 minutes for easier shaping (this is called a pre-shape). I prefer to shape it immediately after cutting by flattening each piece into a rectangle and rolling it up from the widest part, jelly-roll style. The dough will stretch easily.
- Pinch down the seams and flip them over onto the mat. Roll each to form a baguette 15 inches long and transfer it to a greased Baguette pan. I’ve also used this silicone bread mold with excellent results.
Pro Chef Tip
Pro Tip: If you don’t have a Baker’s Couche or Baguette pan, use a linen kitchen towel dusted with flour and make a barrier between each baguette to hold its shape. Transfer the proofed baguettes onto parchment paper when baking.
Storing Baguettes:
Sourdough Baguettes keep well on the cooling rack for 6-12 hours. The crust gets even crunchier when out in the open. After that, it is best to store baguettes in a Long Bread bag. I typically freeze bread if I know we won’t be able to eat it within the next 24 hours. To reheat, spritz thawed bread with water and bake in a preheated 350°F (176°C) for 8-10 minutes to revive the crust.
What To Serve With Whole Wheat Sourdough Baguettes:
Whole-grain baguettes make a fantastic side to almost any meal!
- They make great appetizers for Hors d’oeuvres or open-faced sandwiches.
- Bread goes well with main dishes such as vegetable stew with rice, meats, or potatoes.
- Dip French Baguettes into a bread dipping oil or a warm bowl of soup. A creamy soup, in particular, is a favorite with crusty bread.
- Sliced French baguettes can be used for a Charcuterie board or sandwich bar. Add salami, goat cheese, preserves, and onions to a cutting board and let guests choose and pick the toppings.
Q&A
Are Baguettes with Sourdough Sour?
Baguettes with sourdough can be very mild in flavor if you use a very mature and ripe starter. You must maintain it weekly for the starter to be fresh and less sour. A sourdough starter that has not been fed for weeks is hungry and is more tart in flavor.
How Do Whole Wheat Baguettes Taste Like?
Whole wheat flour has a nutty, earthy, and rustic flavor because the bran and germ are still intact. Making freshly milled flour at home is fresh and lighter than the robust whole wheat flour from the store. Depending on the wheat berry you use, it can be milder in flavor and paler in color.
How Do You Get a Good Bread Spring on Baguettes?
Your dough must be strong and properly proofed. After cold fermentation in the fridge, score the baguettes and place them in a steam oven set to 500°F (260°C). Steam helps the dough rise more freely and spring up.
Tips for Making Whole Wheat Sourdough Baguettes at Home:
- Use a grain mill to make whole wheat flour for optimum flavor.
- If using a Baker’s Couche, transfer baguettes onto parchment paper and bake on a preheated baking stone for a chewy and crunchy crust.
- Use a bread lame for deep and precise baguette cuts.
- It’s important to create steam in the oven for the bread to spring and get a crunchy exterior.
- This recipe makes three elongated loaves. For demi-baguettes, divide the bread into six equal pieces.
- Leave the baguettes on a cooling rack to dry and get an extra crispy crust.
- Start with a well-fed and active sourdough starter.
- If the dough seems too sticky, wet your hands with water. Spritzing the tops with water before scoring makes for smoother cuts.
- Pre-shaping the dough is when you form balls from the cut pieces of the dough after bulk fermentation. It is to help make tension in the dough however resting is key to have it workable.
Whole Wheat Sourdough Baguette Recipe
Equipment
- 1 large cast-iron skillet (for creating steam)
- 1 Bread Lame (for scoring)
- 1 saucepan (to boil water to create steam in the oven)
- 1 large mixing bowl
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 625 grams freshly milled hard red wheat* (about 4 3/4 cups of whole wheat flour)
- 413 grams water (a smidge over 1 3/4 cups)
- 1 1/2 cups active sourdough starter (314 grams)
- 13 grams salt (about 1 1/4 tsp)
Instructions
Directions:
Grind the 625 grams of wheat berries using a grain mill.- Combine the flour, water, and starter in a large mixing bowl. Let it sit for 30 minutes (this is also called Autolyse).
- Add the salt and mix well with your hands or with a Danish hook. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Do a set of Stretch and Folds every 20-30 minutes (a total of four times within 2 hours).
- Bulk ferment and let the dough rest until it has doubled in size.
- Divide the dough into three equal parts.
- Flatten each piece into a rectangle 10x5 rectangle and tightly roll it up to create tension from the longest side up.
- Pinch down the seams and roll into baguettes.
- Transfer the baguettes to a lightly greased baguette pan and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight for cold fermentation.
- The next morning, remove the dough from the fridge and score the tops with long, 3-4 diagonal cuts using a bread lame.
- Place a large cast-iron skillet onto the bottom rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). In a medium saucepan, bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Carefully pour this into the preheated skillet and put the baguettes in the oven.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 450°F and bake the sourdough baguettes for 30-35 minutes.
Notes
- I used three cups of freshly milled hard red wheat and the rest with fresh milled hard white wheat to make 625 grams of flour.
- I set my baguette pan over an 18x13 sheet pan when refrigerating overnight for easier handling in and out of the fridge. However, I will set the Baguette pan directly on the oven rack so the bottoms get crisp from the preformatted bottoms.
Nutrition per serving
