• 4-5 cups sprouted whole wheat flour
• 2 cups warm water — 110°
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Egg wash (we used a small amount of organic olive oil instead)

1. In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine water, yeast, and maple syrup. Allow to stand 5 minutes for yeast to soften. Mix in the salt and half the flour (about 2 1/2 cups) until smooth. Cover with a towel and set aside at room temperature for 3 hours.
2. Mix in the remaining flour, up to a total of 5 cups, until dough is smooth. If using a stand mixer, mix with the dough hook for 5-8 minutes. Otherwise, turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 5-8 minutes. (Dough will be more sticky and less firm than dough made with white flour).
3. Lightly oil a bowl with olive oil. Place dough in bowl, then turn over so oiled surface faces up. Cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel and let rise for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until double in size.
4. Preheat oven to 450°. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and gently knead again. Divide dough into two parts. Roll each half between your hands and the counter to stretch the dough into a long loaf shape, about 15″ in length. Place on a baking sheet or in a baguette pan (see photo). Slice the tops of the loaves diagonally about 1/4″ deep with a razor blade or sharp knife. Let rise for at least 20-30 minutes.
5. Place a shallow pan of hot water (about 1 1/2 cups) on the lowest bottom rack in the preheated oven.
6. Bake baguettes on the middle rack for 12-14 minutes, watch to be sure the loaves do not become too browned–tent with foil if browning too fast. While the loaves are baking, prepare the egg wash by gently mixing 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon of cold water.Tap the bottom of the loaf and if it sounds hollow its ready. Allow to cool fully on a wire rack.
7. Remove the pan of water and brush the loaves with the egg wash. Return loaves to the oven and bake for 3-5 more minutes or until loaves are golden brown.
8. Cool completely before slicing. Serve with butter or olive oil or dipping.

Note: Baking the bread with a pan of water to replicate the steam ovens used in French baking creates a crust that has pull and is pleasantly chewy. However, in areas of high humidity, it is not necessary and can make the bread seem under-baked when finished. Simply bake the bread as directed without that step.