Best Wheat French Bread Recipes

WHOLE WHEAT FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Combine the flours. In a large bowl, combine 3 cups flour mixture and the yeast. Set aside. Heat water, sugar, salt and butter to 115°-120°. Add to flour and yeast. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds; increase speed to medium and beat 3 minutes longer. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. , Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down; divide in half and let rest 10 minutes. Roll each half into a 15x12-in. rectangle. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with the long side. Pinch seal and turn ends under to form a smooth loaf. Sprinkle 2 baking sheets with cornmeal and place each loaf, seam side down, on a greased baking sheet. Make slashes every 2-1/2 in. in the top of each loaf. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. , Beat egg white and water; brush some over loaves. Refrigerate remaining mixture. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Brush again with egg white mixture and bake 15-20 minutes longer or until golden brown. Remove pans to wire racks to cool.

FRENCH WHEAT BREAD (BREAD MACHINE)

Steps:

• Combine according to your manufacturer's directions.
• Success Hints: To develop the crisp crust that French Bread is known for, use your French cycle.
• If your machine doesn't have a French cycle, simply start your machine and let it go through the first knead, then stop and restart it from the beginning again.
• This gives the bread extra kneading time and results in a crisp crust.
• Because of the distinctive chewy French crust, it is recommended that this bread is served within 24 hours to avoid toughness.
• This recipe can be made using the regular, rapid and delayed time bake cycles.

WHOLE WHEAT FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in water, I add a pinch of sugar, and let rest about 5 minutes or until it begins to foam.
• Stir in salt, oil and half of flour.
• Gradually add remaining flour, mixing well.
• Knead 8-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
• Place in greased bowl and let rise until double (1/2-1 hour) Punch down and let rise again until double.
• Punch down and divide into 1-4 pieces, depending on the size loaves desired.
• Roll into an oblong shape and then roll up, starting on long side; pinch to seal, forming long thin loaves.
• Place on greased cookie sheet.
• Slash top of dough with knife 3-5 times diagonally down each loaf.
• Brush with water and let raise till double again (about 1 hour).
• Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes.
• Use within one day or double wrap and freeze.

WHOLE WHEAT FRENCH BREAD (BREAD MACHINE)

Steps:

• Place ingredients in the bread pan in the order the manufacturer recommends.
• I run mine on the 2 lb white bread cycle, and it always comes out perfect!

WHOLE WHEAT FRENCH BREAD (SALLYE)

Steps:

• 1. NOTE: THIS RECIPE IS FOR A 2-1/2 POUND BREAD MACHINE. SEE BELOW FOR MEASUREMENTS FOR 2# MACHINE.
• 2. MEASUREMENTS FOR 2 POUND LOAF 1-1/4 cup water 1-3/4 cups wheat flour 1-1/4 cup all purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 package yeast
• 3. Place ingredients in the bread machine in the exact order listed.
• 4. Place your water in the microwave for 10-20 seconds. If you don't have a thermometer, test your water on your inside wrist. It should be lukewarm to the touch. Pour water into bread pan.
• 5. Add flour and salt to bread pan, taking care to completely cover liquid.
• 6. Make a depression in top of flour and add the yeast in that well.
• 7. Cook on basic-medium crust for best results.

WHOLE WHEAT FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Sift the two flours together into a large bowl. Mix in salt and sugar with hand. Move the ingredients to the sides of the bowl, creating a large "well" (an empty space) in the middle. 2. Pour the yeast into the "well" and pour 2 cups of lukewarm water over the yeast. Sprinkle about 1 tbsp. of flour over top. Wait (about 10 minutes) for bubbles to appear in the yeast. 3. Once the bubbles have appeared, you can start to mix together the ingredients (hands work best) to form the dough. The best way to do this, is to gradually incorporate the flour that is "waiting" on the sides of the bowl. Doing it all at once will be too difficult. So, go bit by bit, if it's too liquid, just add a bit more flour at the end. You should finish this "pre-kneading" stage with a round, firm ball of dough. Again, if it's too sticky, add a little more flour. 4. Kneading: remove the bread from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead it by pushing your palms into and then turning it one quarter. Keep kneading and doing quarter turns for about 5-10 minutes, or until the bread is supple and non-sticky. 5. Place the bread in a lightly floured bowl and cover with a damp dish cloth. Let it rise for about 2 hours (depends on the room temperature, you want it to be fairly warm). It should double in size. 6. Preheat oven to 400°F. Re-sprinkle a counter top (or other surface) with flour. Prepare a baking pan by lightly oiling and flouring it (or bake on top of parchment paper). With your hands, remove bread and place on floured surface. Punch it down once, hard, with your palms. Now, re-shape it into a ball. Put the ball on the baking pan. Using a sharp knife, cut diagonal lines across the top of the bread. Whisk the egg, and using a brush (or a teaspoon) coat the top of the bread. Put in oven and bake for 30 minutes (more or less, depending on how much you like it browned). Voilà!

WHEAT FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• 1. In a mixing bowl, with a wire whisk, stir together 1 cups of the white flour and 1 cup of the wheat flour, the yeast, and salt.
• 2. Add warm water to the mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl constantly. Increase speed to high and continue to beat for 3 minutes. Using a large spoon, stir remaining flour and cold water.
• 3. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a stiff dough until smooth and elastic, around 10 minutes. (Work through the pain!)
• 4. Shape the dough into a small ball and place in a lightly greased bowl, turning to coat the whole ball. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm location about an hour or until doubled in size.
• 5. Punch dough down and turn onto a lightly floured surfface and divide in half. Cover with damp cloth again and let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes
• 6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• 7. In the meantime, spray a 10x15 pan with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with a bit of cornmeal.
• 8. Roll each half of the dough into a 10x15 inch rectangle. Roll up jelly roll fashion, starting from long side. Seal ends and pull slightly to taper.
• 9. Place the roll seam side down on the 10x15 inch prepared pan.
• 10. In a small bowl, beat together the egg white and tablespoon of water with a wire whisk until blended well. Brush the loaves with the egg white mixture.
• 11. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Brush again with more of the egg white mixture, continue to bake 15-20 minutes more. Remove bread from pan and cool on wire racks.
• 12. For Baguettes instead: prepare as above, except divide dough into 4 portions. Shape into balls. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly grease 2 baking sheets or 4 baguette pans; sprinkle with cornmeal. Roll each portion of the dough into a 14x5-inch to 16x5-inch rectangle. Roll up, starting from a long side; seal well. Pinch ends and pull slightly to taper. Place seam side down on prepared baking sheets or baguette pans. Continue as directed, except reduce the second baking time to 8 to 10 minutes. Makes 4 baguettes (56 slices).