Whole Wheat French Bread
Whole wheat french bread is crispy on the outside and soft and chewy inside. This homemade bread is very quick and easy to make. There’s nothing like freshly baked homemade bread. Some fresh and warm slices of bread with softened butter is a heavenly combination to have. It is very satisfying, tasty, and gets ready in no time!
This wheat french bread is very versatile. It is perfect to have with some hot soup, make delicious sandwiches, and to make garlic bread as well.
Bread making is one of my favorite things to do. The process is so relaxing and satisfying at the same time. You may feel challenged to make your own bread. Believe me it’s not very difficult.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Wheat flour
- All purpose flour
- Active dry yeast/Instant yeast
- Sugar
- Salt
- Olive oil
- Milk
Why Add All Purpose Flour?
Most wheat bread recipes contain all purpose flour. Using a little all purpose flour gives some texture and fluffiness to the bread.
Whole Wheat French Bread Step By Step Recipe
Activating The Yeast
In a large bowl, add warm water(about 105℉), sugar, and active dry yeast. Mix and cover it. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes and allow the yeast to bloom.
Making And Kneading The Dough
Mix together wheat flour, white flour, and salt in another large bowl. Add the flour mixture little at a time into the yeast mixture. Begin to mix the dough with your hands or use a hand mixer/stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.
Add some oil to the dough and combine everything together. If you find the dough is sticky, add some more flour and keep kneading it until the dough forms together into a smooth ball for about 4-5 minutes.
Kneading The Dough With Hands
Turn the dough out onto your clean kitchen countertop and start kneading it. Personally, I use a dough mat. Knead the dough by pushing with the base of your palm and bringing the dough back to you to reform into a ball. Keep kneading the dough for about 8-10 minutes or until it feels soft and pillowy. It should have a stretchy and smooth exterior. You can add a few drops of oil or some flour if required.
Proofing The Dough
Grease some oil into a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl. Spread some oil on the top of the dough. Cover it with a kitchen towel. Allow the dough to proof in a warm place for about 15-20 minutes. In colder temperatures, you can keep the bowl covered in an oven by keeping the light on, which will help the dough rise faster.
Shaping The Bread
Transfer the dough to your clean countertop. Divide the dough into two equal parts using a sharp knife or dough cutter.
Roll out half of the dough into a rectangle. Starting from the long side, tightly roll the dough to a cylindrical shape and pinch the edge to seal. Repeat the same process with the other half.
Line two baking pans with a parchment paper. Place a loaf (seam side down) on a baking pan. I use separate baking pans for each loaf. You can use a french bread pan as well.
Proofing The Bread
Cover each baking pan with a kitchen towel and allow the loaves to proof for about 45 minutes or until they double in size. Make a few diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf with a sharp knife.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400℉/200℃
Brush some milk on the top of the loaves and bake them for 17-20 minutes, or until they turn golden on the top and sound hollow when lightly tapped. Take them out of the oven and let them sit for 2 minutes on the countertop. Milk wash provides a semi-gloss shine and helps to brown the crust.
Transfer the loaves on a cooling rack and brush some melted butter if you like. Cover them with a kitchen towel, and let them cool completely before slicing.
How To Store Whole Wheat French Bread?
Homemade bread doesn’t have preservatives so it cannot be stored at room temperature for more than 2-3 days.
Store the loaves in a plastic wrap once cooled down completely for 3 days at room temperature.
You can store the bread for 8 days in a refrigerator.
They can be stored in a freezer for 2 months. Take them out on the countertop for 30 minutes and warm them a little in the oven just before serving them.
How To Serve Whole Wheat French Bread?
Enjoy the bread with your favorite sandwich fillings.
This french bread tastes very good with any piping hot homemade soup.
You can make a herb bread or garlic bread with these whole wheat french bread.
Simply enjoy them warm with some jam and softened butter.
Did you like this recipe?
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I will love to hear from you!
Whole Wheat French Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cup Wheat flour
- 1 cup All purpose flour 1/4-1/2 cup extra if required
- 1 tbsp Active dry yeast/Instant yeast
- 2.5 tsp Sugar
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 1/4 cup Water warm
- 2 tbsp Milk
Instructions
Activating The Yeast
- In a large bowl, add warm water (about 105℉), sugar, and active dry yeast. Mix and cover it. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes and allow the yeast to bloom.
Making And Kneading The Dough
- Mix together wheat flour, white flour, and salt in another large bowl. Add flour mixture little at a time into a yeast mixture. Begin to mix the dough with your hands or use a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.
- Add some oil to the dough and combine everything together. If you find the dough is sticky, add some more flour and keep kneading it until the dough forms together into a smooth ball for about 4-5 minutes.
Kneading The Dough With Hands
- Turn the dough out onto your clean kitchen countertop and start kneading the dough. Personally, I use a dough mat. Knead the dough by pushing with the base of your palm and bring the dough back to you to reform into a ball. Keep kneading the dough for about 8-10 minutes or until the dough feels soft and pillowy. It should have a stretchy and smooth exterior. You can add a few drops of oil or some flour if required.
Proofing The Dough
- Grease some oil into a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl. Spread some oil on the top of the dough. Cover it with a kitchen towel. Allow the dough to proof in a warm place for about 15-20 minutes.
Shaping The Bread
- Transfer the dough to your clean countertop. Divide the dough into two equal parts using a sharp knife or dough cutter.
- Roll out half of the dough into a rectangle. Starting from the long side, tightly roll the dough to a cylindrical shape and pinch the edge to seal. Repeat the same process with the other half.
- Line two baking pans with a parchment paper. Place a loaf (seam side down) on a baking pan. I use separate baking pans for each loaf. You can use french bread pan as well.
Proofing The Bread
- Cover each baking pan with a kitchen towel and allow the loaves to proof for about 45 minutes or until they double in size. Make a few diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf with a sharp knife.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400℉/200℃
- Brush some milk on the top of the loaves and bake them for 17-20 minutes, or until they turn golden on the top and sound hollow when lightly tapped. Take them out of the oven and let them sit for 2 minutes on the countertop.
- Transfer the loaves on a cooling rack and brush some melted butter if you like. Cover them with a kitchen towel, and let them cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Warm the water to 105℉ along with sugar for activating the yeast. Do not use hot water, it will kill the yeast.
- If the yeast is inactive then it will not form bubbles. Do not proceed to make the bread with inactive yeast.
- Proofing the dough – allow the dough to proof in a warm place for about 15-20 minutes. In colder temperatures, you can keep the bowl covered in an oven by keeping the light on, which will help the dough rise faster.
- Brushing some milk on the top of the loaves provides a semi-gloss shine and helps to brown the crust.Â
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I love to know what you are making!
I tried it! It came out perfect! my oven is super tiny so i baked 3 small loafs instead! sooo yummy!.. i idnt want it having the same amount of sugar and salt so i added 1 tbsp of sugar instead of 2tsp.. mmmmm yummy bread! My whole family loved it especially the kids ! I will be using this recipe more often.
Perfect! I am so glad that you and your family loved the bread. Thank you so much Gabriela.
Why does this recipe have such short rising times? Other recipes I’ve seen have you punch down and let rise 2 or 3 times and it takes over an hour each time. Was just curious if I can increase proofing time or if that will ruin it.
The resting of the dough occurs right after mixing the ingredients together. Resting period allows the gluten to expand and absorb more water. Whole wheat flour absorbs the water very quickly than the regular white flour. This recipe is a quick version of whole wheat french bread. You can definitely increase the dough proofing time to 45 mins.
This recipe is great, thank u so much. We have made the bread twice now with great results. My only concern is that there is a slight sour taste to the bread. What could be the cause? Was thinking of increasing the amount of sugar to counter it but not sure it will work. Kindly advise. Cheers
I am so glad to know that you tried this recipe and it turned out great. Thank you so much Elisheba!
There could be different reasons for a sour tasting bread.
1. Whole grains, especially whole wheat have more microorganisms than white flour which could lead to sour taste in the bread.
2. Stale flour can be another reason for sour tasting bread.
3. Stale yeast could be another reason. That means you will have to allow the dough to proof for an extended period, which can lead to sourness.Try to use some fresh yeast or try to use a different brand.
4. Extra yeast than required can speed up the fermentation process but make the bread taste sour.
5. Over-proofing the dough. If your dough is allowed to ferment for too long, the yeast will continue producing lactic and acetic acids.
6. Under-baking the bread. While baking the bread, some of the yeasty flavors are cooked out. If the bread is under cooked, excess acids can cause sour taste in the bread.