So maybe French women don't get fat, but I am not French and I do. Unless I watch what I eat.
Still, I do get the urge to eat some lusciously soft, heartily crusty French bread ever so often. And when I was struck by the recurring urge to bake a French bread this weekend, I decided, for a change, to make it healthy by incorporating as much whole wheat into the recipe as I possibly could.
I had already posted an Easy French Bread on this blog, and this is a healthier, whole wheat version of that recipe. It turned out amazing, although I won't take all the credit for it-- French bread is one of the easiest breads to bake, and almost anyone can make a pretty good loaf with just a little practice.
Despite its healthy nature, this bread is also rather traditional because it uses just flour, water and salt, as classic French bread does. I did add some vital wheat gluten because I wanted the bread to be airy and light, as good French bread should be.
To understand the role and importance of vital wheat gluten in wholegrain bread-making, it might help to know the difference between whole-wheat flour, which you might have often heard described as being low in gluten, and refined flours like all-purpose flour and bread flour, which have a high gluten content.
Refined flours are made by milling the endosperm of the wheat kernel which is a coating around the embryo of the grain and which contains a protein that, when kneaded, develops into gluten, giving bread its chewiness and structure and helping it to rise.
Whole-wheat flour, on the other hand, is made by milling the entire wheat kernel which includes the endosperm, the outer coating called the bran, and the embryo or the germ. Therefore, measure-for-measure, whole-wheat flour contains less endosperm than all-purpose or bread flour and therefore less of the protein that causes gluten to develop. Get it?
At the other end of the scale you have cake flour which is refined further by stripping from it not just the bran and germ but also a good deal of the gluten-creating protein, yielding a high-starch flour that contains very little gluten. This makes it perfect for crumbly, tender cakes.
A quick piece of information for home cooks who tend to substitute maida, a super-refined flour that is widely used in India to make sweets and some breads, with all-purpose flour. Maida is actually much closer to cake flour than it is to all-purpose flour because of its very high starch content.
Coming to the point of this post, when you make a bread with only or mostly whole-wheat flour or other wholegrain flours like rye, you need to give the dough a protein boost so it will yield a well-risen, well-structured loaf of bread instead of a heavy, dense loaf that you could kill someone with (hopefully not by feeding it to them 🙂 ). That protein boost is given by adding vital wheat gluten to the recipe. If you can't find vital wheat gluten, which is sold in grocery stores like Whole Foods in powder form, I'd suggest flip-flopping the ratio of whole-wheat to all-purpose flour in the recipe and leaving out the added gluten.
I used durum whole-wheat flour, the same flour I use to make chapatis and puris, for this bread. You can buy durum whole wheat flour in five-, 10- or 20-pound bags at Indian grocery stores and even at natural food stores like Whole Foods.
Since I've often enough stressed in the past that bread-making is equal parts science and art, I thought it might help for you to see pictures of most of the major steps, so I've included them here. As always, feel free to ask if you have any questions.
Step-by-step Whole Wheat French bread recipe.
Mix the yeast, 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of water in a large bowl. Let stand for a few minutes until the mixture becomes quite bubbly, about 10-15 minutes.
Now add the vital wheat gluten, remaining flour, salt and remaining water. Mix to combine and then knead by hand about 10 minutes or in a stand mixer, on medium speed, about six minutes, until you have a very smooth, elastic and resilient dough.
Form the dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl, turning over once to coat the top with oil. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise at room temperature. (In winter, I'd leave it in a cold oven with the light on).
After two hours, the dough would have more than doubled. Punch it down to remove all the gases in it, then divide it into two. Let the dough stand, covered with a kitchen towel, around 10 minutes before shaping.
Take one ball of dough and punch it down with your fist to release all the gases and air. You will have a six-inch round when you're done.
Now, roll over more than half of the dough and, using your knuckles or the heel of your hand, press it down into the bottom.
Repeat two more times, rolling the dough over each time, until you have a cylinder. Each time, press in the seams with your knuckles or the heel of your hand. If needed, at the end, pinch in the seam with your fingers to seal it. You will now have a cylinder with tapering ends, about six inches in length.
Now using the palms of your hands and fingers and without applying any pressure, roll the dough until you have a roll about 12 inches in length. The roll should be even all over and taper off at the ends-- apply a little pressure when you reach the ends to create the tapering shape.
Repeat this with the other ball of dough.
Place the two loaves on a baking sheet lightly greased with oil and sprinkled with cornmeal, at least four inches apart because they will expand and rise.
Cover with a floured kitchen towel and set aside for an hour.
With a very sharp knife or razor, and very quickly, make three long, diagonal cuts in the top of the bread. (I used a serrated steak knife as you can see in the picture, but if you're not practiced at this, use a very sharp, thin razor blade because you don't want to deflate the dough)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Five minutes before baking, spray about ½ cup water into the oven to create a steamy environment. (The water helps create a crusty loaf and also it creates a moist environment where the bread bakes slowly, creating more flavor).
Place the bread in the oven and close the door. Five minutes later, spray more water into the oven.
Bake about 30 minutes until the loaves are golden-brown. Lift up the loaf to check that it separates easily from the baking sheet.
Let stand at least 15 minutes on a rack before cutting.
More vegan bread recipes
- Low Carb Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
- Vegan French Bread, easy recipe
- Vegan Olive Oil Brioche
- High Protein Sandwich Bread
- Vegan Cornbread
Whole-Wheat French Bread: A Step-By-Step Guide
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole-wheat flour
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups of mildly warm water
- 2 ½ teaspoon yeast
Instructions
- Mix the yeast, 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of water in a large bowl. Let stand for a few minutes until the mixture becomes quite bubbly, about 10-15 minutes.
- Now add the vital wheat gluten, remaining flour, salt and remaining water. Mix to combine and then knead by hand about 10 minutes or in a stand mixer, on medium speed, about six minutes, until you have a very smooth, elastic and resilient dough.
- Form the dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl, turning over once to coat the top with oil. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise at room temperature. (In winter, I'd leave it in a cold oven with the light on).
- After two hours, the dough would have more than doubled. Punch it down to remove all the gases in it, then divide it into two. Let the dough stand, covered with a kitchen towel, around 10 minutes before shaping.
- Take one ball of dough and punch it down with your fist to release all the gases and air. You will have a six-inch round when you're done.
- Now, roll over more than half of the dough and, using your knuckles or the heel of your hand, press it down into the bottom.
- Repeat two more times, rolling the dough over each time, until you have a cylinder. Each time, press in the seams with your knuckles or the heel of your hand. If needed, at the end, pinch in the seam with your fingers to seal it. You will now have a cylinder with tapering ends, about six inches in length.
- Now using the palms of your hands and fingers and without applying any pressure, roll the dough until you have a roll about 12 inches in length. The roll should be even all over and taper off at the ends-- apply a little pressure when you reach the ends to create the tapering shape.
- Repeat this with the other ball of dough.
- Place the two loaves on a baking sheet lightly greased with oil and sprinkled with cornmeal, at least four inches apart because they will expand and rise.
- Cover with a floured kitchen towel and set aside for an hour.
- With a very sharp knife or razor, and very quickly, make three long, diagonal cuts in the top of the bread. (I used a serrated steak knife as you can see in the picture, but if you're not practiced at this, use a very sharp, thin razor blade because you don't want to deflate the dough)
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Five minutes before baking, spray about ½ cup water into the oven to create a steamy environment. (The water helps create a crusty loaf and also it creates a moist environment where the bread bakes slowly, creating more flavor).
- Place the bread in the oven and close the door. Five minutes later, spray more water into the oven.
- Bake about 30 minutes until the loaves are golden-brown. Lift up the loaf to check that it separates easily from the baking sheet.
- Let stand at least 15 minutes on a rack before cutting.
Nutrition
Love this vegan French bread? Check out more this collection of all the bread recipes you'll ever need on Holy Cow Vegan!
SugarLoaf
Texture perfect, but taste was a bit too salty.
Vaishali
You can use as much or as little salt as you like.
Monica
The top recipe shows 1.5 tbsp of salt. I thought it was a lot. But still followed. Should have read the comments first.
Vaishali
You can change the salt per your requirements and taste!
Dawn Adams
I would like to make 100% whole wheat French Bread. Should I just add an additional 3/4-1 Tbsp Vital Wheat Gluten ?
Alfredia
How do you adjust this recipe using instant yeast? Thank you.
Alfredia
How do you adjust this recipe using instant yeast? I’m a novice and have not been able to get results with active years. Thank you.
Jaanaki
Vaishali,
Is it 1 1/2 tsp or 1 1/2 tbsp of salt. Tried this recipe for the first time and the bread came out very well, except it was a bit too salty.
Vaishali
Hi Jaanaki, adjust the salt per your taste. 1 1/2 tsp should be perfect.
Qmac
After rolling and pressing with your knuckles, do I flatten the dough and repeat 2 times or just fold it again 2 times? Thanks in advance.
Vaishali
Just fold it again two times into a cylinder. Press the seam closed each time.
Patricia
Made garlic bread with this last night - it was a big hit! I also used only 2 tsp salt, which was perfect for the garlic bread. And I had a ramekin of water in the back of the oven which only half evaporated by the time the bread was done.
Thanks for the egg-free recipe! It was just what I was looking for.
Vaishali
Hi Patricia, so glad you tried the bread and liked it. Garlic bread sounds super-delicious. Thanks for letting me know!
Patricia
Thanks for posting this wonderful how-to! I've had to cut eggs out of my diet which meant I couldn't use my usual french bread recipe. This one turned out wonderfully! I sliced it up and made garlic bread for my dinner party and it was a hit!
I also used only 2 tsp salt and it was perfect for the garlic bread.
Kristen
I enjoyed making this recipe; although I had to take a break and let it rise in the refrigerator due to time constraints. Anyhow, my only concern is 1 1/2 tbsp. is a lot of salt! I cut it back to 2 tsp and this is still too much. Will try 1 tsp for 2 loaves of bread. Thanks for the base recipe!
Vaishali
You're welcome. Salt measurements are always suggested -- you should adjust to taste.
Anonymous
Found your website and this recipe last night. Made the without wheat gluten version but will try the other next time. Turned out great. Delicious. Thanks!
Rachel Brown
Are you sure there is supposed to be 1 1/2 Tablespoons of salt or teaspoons?? The recipe says tablespoons. I tasted the bread and it came out really salty, and I was wondering why my dough hadn't risen very much. Then I found out that too much salt can inhibit yeast. Are my measuring spoons off or is the recipe off?? Confused! Good recipe other than the fact the salt and the loaf came out small.
Vaishali
Rachel, Salt is one of those ingredients you can adjust to your liking-- even in baking. If you find it to be too much, feel free to use less.
Mia and Deniece, Boulder Creek Cupcakes
what happens if I don't have the wheat gluten? will it turn out really dense? Looks yummy and really want to give it a try, but I'm scared about not having the gluten....
Vaishali
Without gluten, I would recommend using 2 cups of whole-wheat and 3 cups of all-purpose. That should keep it from getting too dense.
Ila Patel.
Hi Vaishali,
I love ur recipes. I tried the french bread recipe & just cOuldnt believe how wonderful it came out, as i am not a baker.
My 2 1/2 yrs old daughter loves croissant. can u please post delicious whole wheat recipe.
Thanks.
Ila.
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Ila, Thanks for your kind words-- glad you liked the recipe. Your daughter sounds so sweet. I've been wanting to make a croissant and will try to come up with a whole-wheat one.
Janhavi
I made this bread today. instead of two loaves, i made second fucaccia,i added some rosemery,sun dried tomatos,both turned out excellent, thanks for sharing such wonderful recipe.
AgnostiChica
I may be the only one who didnt get this right the first time. But I did learn a lesson from it. I halved the recipe and goofed up the amount of salt. The yeast proofed fine but the dough didnt rise satisfactorily. I was puzzled and kept re-reading your fantastically detailed post. Then I tasted the bread and the excess salt. Somewhere from the recesses of my brain, a few microbiology lessons from my past beckoned. Salt kills/inhibits yeast activity! Tried it again today and followed your recipe to the letter and viola! Beautiful French bread 🙂
Sorry for the long comment, maybe someone could learn from my mistake!
nwebster84
I'd never baked any kind of bread before. It worked better than I'd hoped, and I followed instructions to the letter (except I added a little extra water when kneading the dough).
Joshua
I can't believe how easy it was to make this. It came out perfect on my first try. The recipe really has everything in perfect proportions. The pictures were also very helpful for someone like me who doesn't do much baking. Thanks.
Vaishali
Kevin, it's the slow stuff and is labeled "active dry yeast."
Kevin
Just a quick question. What type of yeast do you use for this? The quick stuff or the slow stuff?
Vaishali
Vini, sorry I missed your question earlier and hope it's not too late. I am not sure I understand what you're asking. Can you please email me at vaishalihonawar@gmail.com and I'll try and clarify this for you?
Vaishali
Anonymous, glad you liked the bread, and thanks for the feedback.
About the shortbread, here are a couple of tips: you might have needed some more time in the oven-- individual ovens heat differently, even when you set them to the same temperature, so you might want to give your shortbread a little more time in the oven the next time.
Also, you do have to wait until the shortbread cools thoroughly before you cut into it, or it will crumble easily.
Hope that helps 🙂 Feel free to ask if you have other questions.
Anonymous
I just made this bread tonight (with a few alterations to fit my needs) and my entire family thought it was good! Even my sister, who hates most everything I make because it is vegan, said that it was very good. Thank you for a bread recipe that finally brought my family to my side!
I also tried the lemon shortbread, but it came out super crumbly and wouldn't hold it's shape very well. I was so dissapointed. I don't know, maybe I did something wrong?
Anonymous
Hi Vaishali
Tried this bread yesterday with White Whole Wheat Flour. Enjoying it with spicy curry made of Green Moong and Masoor (Mix Usal)
Thank you
Mihl
What a nice colour that bread has!
Shri
Love the step by step pics Vaishali!I am still an amateur in bread baking...Will try this recipe of yours
Stephanie
Hi, I made another of your recipes for my family and we all loved it! I just made some French bread...I will try this whole wheat version next time, for sure!!
Thanks!
Peace, Stephanie
Anonymous
It is really simple. Will try it soon.
Thank you
Uj
Bread looks beautiful and perfect.I hope to learn to make bread sometime
Parita
Grt step by step instructions vaishali, would love to make this sometime soon 🙂
Madhavi
WOW awesome bread, will try soon!!
The Voracious Vegan
WOW! This was such a great post, I learned so much. Your photography is stunning and I am seriously impressed with the quality of that bread - it looks fluffy and chewy and just perfect.
Usha
Beautiful bread Vaishali and great step by step pictorial ! Now I have no reason to put off trying french bread which has been on my to do list for so long .....:-)
kahliyalogue
What a great initiative Vaishali! and such a lovely wholesome recipe!You are so knowledgable about the different flours,etc..bravo!I am very tempted to try this out!
P.s hehehe the french dont get fat because they have all those stairs,and walks going thru the metro everyday..that way they ''burn'' their baguette away each day! 😀 Thanx for this!Mia
Curry Leaf
Beautiful Vasihali.Love the whole wheat French bread.It looks perfect.Great step by step pics .Very helpful they are
Priya Narasimhan
i am getting tempted to bake a bread this weekend..this one looks so good..
Gypsy Girl Gourmet
I'm not vegan, but I do try and eat healthy. I also go back and forth on the Blood Type Diet. I'm an A so this website is full of recipes I am DYING TO TRY! I already wrote your Roasted Eggplant and Tofu dip recipe down. I think I'll give it a try Thursday!
Thanks!
Sharmila
Another great bake from you Vaishali! Love the step by step .. read snap by snap .. desc ... it so helps when it comes to learning bread baking. 🙂
Sireesha
Fabulous bread vaishali..Great step-by-step pictures and so clearly and well explained.
Dips
Great explanatory post Vaishali !! Kudos for your patience and persistance !
I still need to get my head around the different flours mumbo-jumbo...maybe one day...
Poornima Nair
You have explained it so well and the bread looks beautiful.
vini
Hi Vaishali,
Can I use the whole meal flour along with the whole wheat flour and leave out the gluten..
Thanks,
Gita
The bread looks so perfect...I dont usually get the perfect shape when I bake French Bread...it turns out to be sort of a combination of rolls and foccacia...thanks for sharing the step-by-step photos Vaishali 🙂
Jaya Wagle
Thank you for clarifying the gluten delima. I never really knew much about it. The bread looks delicious.
Preeti Kashyap
So well explained!
Indhu
WWOWWW... is all I can say... love how golden brwon the loaf looks... would love to ahve it with some hot soup 🙂
Jyoti
What a perfect bread Vaishali! Great step-by-step pictures and so clearly explained.
Indrani
Wow, so beautifully done and explained...just perfect like store bought one, thanks for sharing this recipe, vaishali
BangaloreBaker
Beautiful pictures Vaishali. The only thing I do differently is place a shallow pan of water in the lower rack of the oven and brush the loaf with water every 10 minutes of the baking.