You may remember a while back, when I wrote about Paula from Salad in a Jar and how great I thought she was. Well, I actually wrote to Paula telling her exactly that. To my delightful surprise she wrote me back, and then of all things, she subscribed to my email list for this blog. I’ve been completely been neglecting my bread posts, and poor Paula’s inbox is flooded with parenting posts about babies! I’ve decided to get back to my roots and post about whole grain bread again, which I do love so much.
I recently developed a recipe for whole wheat french bread, and it’s been a huge hit!
I make all my doughs in the bread machine and then bake the bread in the oven. If you are new to this technique, you can read about it in my post about whole grain bread.
Ingredients:
- 14 ounces warm water (110 – 115 degrees)
- 3 Tablespoons oil
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 egg
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 5 cups white whole-wheat flour
- 1 Tablespoon yeast
- 1 Tablespoon vital wheat gluten
Instructions (see pictures below):
- Place the ingredients into your bread machine in the order listed.
- Select and run the dough cycle.
- Remove dough from bread machine. Place on lightly floured surface and divide dough in half.
- Shape each individual half of dough into an elongated loaf (see below picture).
- Using a VERY sharp knife, make 3 diagonal 1 inch slits across each individual loaf.
- Place on greased cookie sheet, cover with tea towel, and let rise 45 minutes.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Remove from oven. Place on wire rack to cool. Brush with melted butter, if desired.
- Enjoy!
Notes:
- If you’d like a smaller loaf or more narrow loaf, feel free to experiment with the shape of your dough. Just know that you may need to adjust your baking time.
- Remember to check your dough while it’s kneading in the bread machine. The dough should stick to the sides for 1-2 seconds during kneading. Feel free to add 1 Tablespoon of water or flour to obtain a smooth dough consistency.
- When working with whole grains, ensure the dough rises well to eliminate an over dense loaf.
Whole-Wheat French Bread
Recipe Type: Breads
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
- 14 ounces warm water (110 – 115 degrees)
- 3 Tablespoons oil
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 egg
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 5 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 Tablespoon yeast
- 1 Tablespoon vital wheat gluten
Instructions
- Place the ingredients into your bread machine in the order listed.
- Select and run the dough cycle.
- Remove dough from bread machine. Place on lightly floured surface and divide dough in half.
- Shape each individual half into an elongated loaf.
- Using a very sharp knife, make 3 diagonal 1 inch slits across each individual loaf.
- Place on greased cookie sheet, cover with tea towel, and let rise 45 minutes.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Remove from oven. Place on wire rack to cool. Brush with melted butter, if desired.
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We loved this bread! I have tried three other french bread recipes before, and this one is one of the best! I used my stand mixer rather than a bread mixer, since I don’t have one. After I mixed and kneaded all the ingredients, I let the dough rise for 30 minutes. Then I followed your directions exactly and both loaves turned out wonderfully! My husband was definitely impressed! Normally, when I make bread, I have to add at least 1/2 to 1 cup of flour more than the recipe calls for, but 5 cups was just right! Pinned to my Bread Bonanza board! Thanks!
This is very exciting to hear!! Thanks for letting me know. I honestly never know if my recipes are easy to replicate, so thanks!
HI! I’m new to making bread, and have just purchased a bread machine. This recipe sounds perfect for what we love. Does this recipe require bread machine yeast or regular? I’m really not sure what the difference is… Thank you!
This was amazing, so light and airy, my husband loved it! 💕