Baguette Shape, Milk Bread Softness- My Latest Sourdough Bake

A rustic twist on Japanese milk bread, proofed in a baguette banneton with a few surprises from my test bakes.

Author

Cathy Warner
July 14, 2025

What do you do when you're craving the softness of Japanese milk bread... but also want the rustic charm of a sourdough baguette?

Well, if you're me, you start shaping your milk bread dough into a 15-inch baguette basket, cross your fingers, and wait to see what the oven delivers.

This month’s bake started with a little curiosity and a craving for comfort, and turned into one of the most enjoyable experiments I’ve done in a while.

The result? A naturally leavened loaf made with a mild sourdough levain, enriched with milk for a soft, tender crumb, and proofed in a baguette basket for a long, graceful shape.

When my taste tester took a bite, his eyes lit up, and I knew I’d landed on something special.

You can think of this bake as:

Milk bread meets rustic French country loaf with just the right dose of wild fermentation.

🌟Highlights:

  • Behind the Bake: What I Discovered

  • Recipe of the Month: Rustic Sourdough Milk Bread - in Baguette Form

  • Flour Feature: Try These in Your Next Loaf

  • Product Spotlight: A Basket That Elevates Every Bake

  • From the Archive: Bakes That Inspired This Loaf

Behind the Bake: What I Discovered

As always, there were a few twists in the test kitchen…

  • Butter matters. My first attempt used butter that had… lingered a bit too long on the counter. Let’s just say the flavor was memorable, but not in the right way.

  • Whole milk vs Plant-based milk. Oat milk and other plant-based milks work in a pinch, but they don’t provide the same richness unless you sneak in a little extra butter. The extra fat makes all the difference.

  • Ditch the stone. For this enriched loaf, baking on a parchment-lined sheet pan at a lower temp with a touch of steam gave me the perfect crust: soft, tender, and just barely crackly - no crisp baguette armor here.

Recipe of the Month: Rustic Sourdough Milk Bread in Baguette Form

This rustic baguette-style sourdough milk bread combines the soft crumb of shokupan with the structure of a baguette.

It’s naturally leavened, lightly sweet, includes a portion of whole wheat flour, and proofed in 15-inch baguette banneton baskets. It’s perfect for sandwich slicing or serving warm with butter.

You’ll love how easy this one is to incorporate into your baking rotation.

Ready to Bake It Yourself?

I’ve shared the full recipe, including shaping and baking tips, plus all my test notes on the blog.

Flour Feature: Try These in Your Next Loaf

Once you’ve mastered the soft sourdough base, it’s fun to play with flour blends - especially in a long loaf where flavor and structure shine side by side.

Here are a few options to experiment with:

  • Spelt: Adds a mild nuttiness and a beautiful, earthy tone. Great for a more complex flavor in milk-based doughs.

    👉 I used spelt in this bake - both in the yudane and the levain - while keeping all-purpose as the main flour. It added a gentle warmth without compromising softness.

  • Kamut: Naturally golden, slightly sweet, and surprisingly soft- ideal for rustic loaves with a sunny hue.

  • Bread Flour + Rye (90/10): A small amount of rye (around 5-10%) adds flavor and moisture without making the dough too sticky.

  • White Whole Wheat: Lighter than traditional whole wheat, but still brings a wholesome bite.

Product Spotlight: A Basket That Elevates Every Bake

There’s something so satisfying about shaping a loaf that looks as good as it tastes. For this recipe, I used my 15-inch baguette proofing baskets to help the loaves hold their shape, give them a beautiful, rustic finish, and make the whole process feel a little more special.

For a limited time, the baguette proofing basket set is 10% off on Amazon!


Whether you’ve been thinking about upgrading or gifting a set to a fellow baker, this is a perfect moment to grab one.

Why you’ll like this set:

  • Baskets are made from natural rattan for breathable, even proofing

  • Baskets hold longer 15-inch loaves perfectly — from sourdough to enriched breads

  • Features two cotton liners for moisture control and easy cleanup

  • Pairs beautifully with both rustic and refined recipes

It’s a simple tool, but one that makes a big impact, especially for hybrid bakes like this soft, sourdough milk bread.

Ready to upgrade your baguette game? Check it out here!

From the Archive: Bakes That Inspired This Loaf

This month’s recipe didn’t appear out of thin air; it’s rooted in some of my favorite past bakes. If you enjoyed the rustic milk bread baguette, here are a few recipes worth revisiting:

  • Japanese Milk Bread (Yudane Method) - Where the softness began. My go-to for learning how to harness the magic of hot-water scalding for tender crumb.

  • Sourdough Herb Baguettes - The shaping inspiration for this loaf. Stretching a lean, long shape in a 15-inch basket gives it that refined, artisan look.

  • Sourdough Sandwich (Pain de Mie) Loaf - A practical favorite. It helped me dial in the fermentation schedule and crumb expectations when using a mild levain with enriched doughs.

Want to see how these ideas combined?
Check out the rustic milk bread baguette recipe! »

With warm wishes and soft crusts,
- Cathy, Bread Experience

Every loaf has a story. Thanks for being part of ours.