This whole wheat baguette has a chewy crust and soft interior with real, hearty flavor. It’s a simple dough that bakes into four beautiful loaves you’ll want to make again and again!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
This is a brief summary of the recipe. Jump to the recipe to get the full details.
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Proof Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time
2 hours 30 minutes
Servings
4 small loaves
Difficulty
Easy to intermediate bread recipe
Calories *
395 kcal per serving
Technique
Mix, knead, rise, shape into logs, proof again, then bake until golden.
Flavor Profile
Nutty, slightly sweet whole wheat flavor with a chewy crust and soft interior.
* Based on nutrition panel
I made these during a snow day and the tip about adding flour gradually while kneading really helped me get the texture right. They turned out perfectly chewy with a soft center! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lauren
Why You Will Love This
- Classic baguette texture. Crisp outside, soft inside—just like my french bread, but these whole grain baguettes have more depth than a traditional white-flour baguette.
- Balanced dough hydration. Whole wheat absorbs more liquid, and this recipe accounts for it so your loaves hold their shape.
- Great for everyday use. Slice for sandwiches or serve alongside soups like you would with my crusty no-knead bread with toasted grains.
- Simple, repeatable process. Once you’ve made it once, it becomes second nature—similar to my whole wheat bread.
Table of Contents
Baking bread like this has a rhythm to it. Once you start measuring and mixing, everything else follows naturally—knead, rest, shape, bake. It’s the same steady process I follow when making my whole wheat dinner rolls, just shaped differently.
And shaping the dough into baguettes? Bakers, you know it somehow makes it taste even better! If you like working with dough, my sourdough pretzel recipe (coming soon!) is another fun way to practice shaping!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Whole wheat flour: Adds flavor and absorbs more liquid than white flour, which is why the dough needs careful balance.
- All-purpose flour: Keeps the crumb lighter so the baguettes aren’t too dense.
- Instant yeast: Gives a reliable rise.
- Brown sugar: Adds a subtle sweetness and helps the yeast activate.
- Warm water: Around 120°F helps everything come together smoothly. If you love a softer loaf, my buttermilk bread has a similar richness with a more tender crumb!
- Salt: Essential for flavor and structure.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations for Whole Wheat Baguette
- Add seeds or grains. Mix in sunflower seeds or oats for a heartier loaf similar to my crusty no-knead bread with toasted grains.
- Shape into rolls. Divide smaller and bake like my whole wheat dinner rolls. For a more relaxed method, you might also like my no knead whole wheat bread (coming soon!) with a similar hearty flavor.
- Add a touch of sweetness. A bit of honey brings it closer to my whole wheat honey oatmeal bread.
Professional Tips
- Watch the dough, not the clock. Whole wheat flour takes a minute to fully hydrate, so what feels dry at first often evens out as you knead. Give it a little time before reaching for more flour or water.
- Add flour slowly. I almost always add a little extra all-purpose flour while kneading, but just a sprinkle at a time. It’s much easier to add than to fix a dough that’s gone too far.
- Don’t overwork the shape. When rolling the baguettes, aim for even pressure and a smooth surface. If the dough starts resisting you, let it rest for a few minutes and come back to it. Unlike recipes that rely on a preferment, this dough develops flavor during fermentation as it rises!
- Score quickly and confidently. A fast, clean cut helps the loaves expand in the oven. If you hesitate, the blade drags and you lose that lift.
- Bake until truly golden. Whole wheat loaves need a little more color than you might expect. That deeper golden crust is where the flavor is.
How to Make Whole Wheat Baguette
Use these instructions to make the perfect whole wheat baguette every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Mix dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine whole wheat flour, brown sugar, and yeast.
You can also use a bread machine on the dough cycle to mix and knead the dough.
Step 2: Add water. Pour in warm water and stir until combined into a shaggy dough.
Step 3: Add flour and salt. Mix in all-purpose flour and salt until a rough dough forms.
Step 4: Knead dough. Knead 8–10 minutes until smooth and slightly sticky, adding flour as needed.
Step 5: First rise. Place in a greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled at room temperature, about 1 hour.
You can refrigerate the dough in the fridge after the first dough rise and bake the next day.
Step 6: Divide dough. Punch down and divide into 4 equal pieces.
Step 7: Shape baguettes. Roll each into a 12-inch log.
Use the heel of your hand to gently roll and seal, then pinch the seam closed. You want enough tension to hold the dough shape without tearing the surface.
Step 8: Second rise. During the final proof, keep the shaped loaves covered with a tea towel. Let rise for 30 minutes until puffy.
Step 9: Score loaves. Use a sharp knife to make diagonal slashes across the tops of your loaves.
Step 10: Bake loaves. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes until golden brown. You can bake these on a baguette pan or loosely tent with foil if they brown too quickly!
For a crisp crust, bake on a baking stone and add a cup of water to the oven to create steam when you close the oven door.
Step 11: Cool completely. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before slicing.
Recipe FAQs
A whole wheat baguette is generally considered healthier than a white baguette because it contains more fiber, vitamins, and minerals from the whole grain. The fiber helps support digestion and can make the bread more filling.
That said, it’s still bread, so portion size matters. Enjoying a whole wheat baguette as part of a balanced meal with protein and healthy fats helps keep it satisfying and more nutritionally balanced.
Too much flour or not enough kneading can lead to dense loaves.
Use slices like sandwich bread or toast them for bruschetta. It’s perfect soups or alongside spreads—similar to how you’d serve whole wheat pita bread. You can even go sweet and pair it with flavors like those in my whole wheat chocolate chunk fig bread or whole wheat chocolate chip zucchini bread.
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If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below! I love hearing from you and your comments make my day!
Whole Wheat Baguette
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 ½ cups warm water, about 120°F
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine whole wheat flour, brown sugar, and yeast in a large bowl.
- Add warm water and stir to combine.
- Mix in all-purpose flour and salt until a dough forms.
- Knead 8–10 minutes until smooth and slightly sticky.
- Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise 1 hour until doubled.
- Punch down and divide into 4 pieces.
- Roll each piece into a 12-inch log.
- Place on a baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Score tops with a sharp knife.
- Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes until golden brown.
- Cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Yield – 4 small baguettes
- Flavor Tips – Add seeds or a touch of honey for variation.
- Technique – Keep dough slightly sticky; avoid over-flouring.
- Storage – Store 2 days at room temp or freeze sliced.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this simple, hearty bread recipe. Check out our other delicious yeasted bread recipes for more baking inspiration!
Hurray! A fast and easy baguette recipe involving whole wheat grain! We made it with only minor modification (used a full packet of Fleishman’s instant yeast because that’s what we had — might try Fleishman’s Active yeast in jar next time since we have a jar, and it’s not to hard to ‘proof’ the yeast for 5 minutes in the 120 degree water). And next time we would use Bread flour instead of the cup of regular flour. We didn’t need any extra. Stand mixer worked great as directed. Nice chewy baguette great for dipping in home made soup. Perhaps less yeast would produce a lighter inside? But we liked this chewy bread. THANK YOU!
So wonderful to hear, Joel! Thank you for stopping back by and taking the time to comment and rate us 5 stars! I’m the new owner, so I have not yet made this recipe but I do have a degree in commercial bread making. Bread flour will, of course, work as a substitute for the AP, but it will make the bread chewier due to its higher protein content. If that isn’t your goal, I’d stick with AP. Using dry active yeast would help develop flavor and allow for more big pockets of air to be trapped inside. This would indeed produce a lighter texture. Instant yeast is great in a pinch but it does rise very quickly and isn’t as predictable. ~Lindsey
Very good recipe! I used white whole wheat flour (King Arthur brand). Thanks for sharing!
What a simple recipe. The bread came out perfect! I added a tiny bit of egg wash before putting them in the oven so they’d brown a little. Definitely going to make more bread with your recipe. Thanks so much!
Thank you. Mde the baguettes today. Followed the recipe exactly except that I used a different brand of yeast. At the end of the process, out popped four baguettes from the oven. I’d be happy to upload a picture, but I’m not quite sure how.
Paul, That’s amazing!! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Hey I was wondering if I could use fresh yeast instead of active dry? Would be great in that case
I have made this twice and it’s so easy! It’s my favorite pinned baguette recipe.
Stephanie Vietnamese add rice flour to their baguettes. I flour jasmine white rice in my blender. Their proportions are 1/3 rice flour for every 2/3 all purpose flour. These are for Banh Mi sandwiches. I made some Hoagie buns from a recipe in an Amish baking Book and I added jasmine rice flour. Towards the end of them I was slicing them and toasting them but I could not understand why they tasted so good and then I remembered my last minute experiment. The dough is cracky and light and the rice flour absorbs water just like all purpose. Now I’m going to make some whole wheat with my Canadian whole wheat.and rice flour. By the way by using rice flour it eliminates the Gluten. Im just a retired cop with Swedish heritage that loves to cook and bake.
These were delicious and are my goto. I bake the for holidays and freeze to have on hand because we are stationed where the only stores around all use aluminum and high fructose to bake. I cut the salt down a pinch. -Aud
I recently became in employed. I like be to bake breads and rolls etc and want to turn this into some kind of buisness. Any suggestions or ideas on best ways to go about this ???? I am in the u.k
Sorry, that should read UN employed !!
Great recipe I substituted honey for brown sugar and used a container of water in oven and threw in some ice cubes for steam that gave a really nice crunchy crust.. Best whole wheat banquette I ever had including some fine restaurants.