Hello Bakers,
This whole wheat baguette recipe was adapted from Julia Child’s The Way to Cook from 1989. This is one of my favorite books of Julia’s. My copy was gift from my dear friend Barbara. A well connected New Yorker, she managed to get an advance copy for me. I promptly cooked my way through it.
I adapted this recipe from her master French bread recipe. I subbed 1/4 of the bread flour for whole wheat flour. And I adjusted the percentages of salt and water to improve the flavor and the hydration I think Julia would approve.
And the dough is mixed with the food processor - (it can be mixed in a mixer) but the FP is a great tool for mixing bread dough. Here is the link to the tutorial. Whole Wheat Baguettes Tutorail
Whole Wheat Baguette Recipe - yield 2 baguettes
Equipment:
Food processor fitted with the dough blade
scale, baguette pan or baking tray, bowl for bulk fermentation, dough scraper, spatula, serrated knife, spray bottle with water
Ingredients
300g bread flour
100g whole wheat flour
264g water - 80 degrees
6g yeast
8g salt
Combine all the dry ingredients in the food processor
Mix for 20 seconds
With the food processor running, add the water
Mix for 30 seconds and stop the mixer and scrape down
Mix until the dough comes together in a cohesive mass and you can see through the mixer - about a minute.
Stop the mixer and remove the cover for 30 minutes
Then mix long enough for the dough to complete 30 revolutions in the work bowl.
Remove the dough from the work bowl, put a little flour (very small amount on the work surface) and knead for 30 seconds.
Place the dough into a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Scrape the dough out onto the work surface, weigh the dough, divide it in half, and preshape into a short cigar shape (see video). Let rest 10 timed minutes.
Shape into baguette, place in pan or prepared baking tray.
Let rise (proof) about 3/4 larger then when they were shaped.
Preheat oven to 450 dinner
Spray with water, garnish (optional) and slash.
Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes and then reduce the heat to 425 degrees and bake for 5 additional minutes.
Let cool before serving.