A Healthier Baguette? ...Mais oui!

I am almost ashamed to admit it, but since posting about my first homemade baguette only 5 days ago, I have since made the quintessential French bread 3 more times. Mais oui, trois fois! ...and I have my insurance physical coming up in mere days. Youch! Any hope that I'll still qualify for reduced good-health premiums after this carbohydrate extravaganza?

Never fear, though. If you know our kitchen, you know we don't tend to stick to original recipes too long, but work to adapt anything we love to its healthiest version tolerable. So in the time since I last posted, I have determined the following to be the perfect balance between healthy and authentic-tasting. I give you:

The Healthy Baguette

2  C bread flour
1  C oats
½  C whole wheat flour
1-¼  tsp salt
1-¼  tsp yeast
1-¼  C warm water

Place ingredients in bread machine according to manufacturer's directions.
Start machine on dough setting.
When dough cycle is complete, remove dough to floured surface and cut in half.
Shape each half into a loaf about 12 inches long, in the shape of a baguette.
(Optional: cut into 10 pieces and shape into French rolls.)
Use kitchen scissors to make several slits across the top of the loaves.
Place on greased/silicone-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel.
Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes.
After letting rise, brush with egg wash, if desired, for crustier baguette.
Bake at 400ºF for 14-18 minutes, rotating the pan after 8 minutes. (I reduced the temp in my oven since the first posting, but ovens vary.)

This recipe yields a baguette that is only slightly darker and minimally more dense than the original, with a very similar taste. What a perfect chance to sneak some Super Food (oats) into the day! You know we're all about the super foods around here, so:

Vive les avoines!

Glossary:

Mais oui, trois fois! (French) = But yes, 3 times!

Vive les avoines! (French) = Long live the oats!