I have been working really hard to find the best 100% whole wheat bread recipe for our family.
These are the criteria I wanted to accomplish:
- Soft crust for sandwiches
- Easy to make
- Makes 2 loaves at a time
- No crazy ingredients
- No refined sugar
- Tastes good
Clearly, I wasn’t asking for much.
I have been trying different recipes and taking bits and pieces from each. I think I have finally hit on a bread that really works for us. It is kid and husband approved, so I hope you like it too!
**A few notes: when I say “warm water” I mean water that feels just slightly above body temperature. Too hot and you kill the yeast, so it’s better to be too cold than too hot. You can substitute butter for coconut oil or honey for maple syrup. Use what you have! Also, I have written these instructions for a KitchenAid mixer *affiliate link* because that is what I have. It should be easy enough to do this by hand if you don’t have a mixer. The kneading step is very minimal.
***Most of my bread making supplies are purchased through Amazon as “subscribe and save” items. I have included a link at the bottom of the post in case they aren’t something you generally keep on hand.
100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 cups warm water
- 2 tbsp . yeast
- 1/2 cup coconut oil or substitute butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or substitute honey
- 1 tbsp . salt
- 6-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Instructions
- Pour water into mixing bowl and add yeast. Let sit 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile melt together coconut oil and maple syrup. Remember not to get this too hot or you will kill your yeast. Coconut oil is liquid at 76°.
- Pour oil/syrup mixture and salt to the mixing bowl. With paddle attachment on low speed (speed 1) add flour a little at a time while mixing.
- When it has all been added, swap to a dough hook and turn speed up to knead dough just long enough to make sure the dough isn't sticking too much to the side of the bowl. If it is too sticky, add more flour a tablespoon at a time.
- The dough is perfect when it forms a nice ball. Remove dough hook, cover bowl with a clean towel and set in a warm place. Let rise 1 hour or until the dough reaches the top of the bowl.
- Punch dough and let rise for another hour.
- Next grease 2 loaf pans and divide the dough into 2 balls. Pick up one ball and stretch it until it is a rectangle about as long as your bread pan.
- Now roll the dough into a log the best you can and place in the pan. Do the same with the second ball, cover both pans with your cloth and let rise one more hour.
- Bake in a 350° oven for approximately 35 minutes. I normally have to tent mine loosely at 25 minutes with tin foil to keep from burning the top. It should be nicely brown on the top and sound hollow when you tap on it. Turn bread out onto a cooling rack.
Notes
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| Yeast and water mixture starting to foam |
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| After a brief kneading, the dough comes together to form a rough ball. |
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| After 1 hour rising. This is ready to be punched down and allowed to rise again. |
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| Dough shaped and in the pans for the last rising. |
For more great recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Homestead Kitchen! *affiliate link*
***This post contains affiliate links. That means that a small percentage of the purchase price of items bought through my links goes toward keeping this blog up and running and food in Beulah’s bowl, so thanks!***
Based on 19 Review(s)
This sounds and looks great! I must pin. 🙂
Found your recipe via Farm Girl Friday Blog Fest.
ahumblebumble.blogspot.com
Hello!! Great recipe! Is there a way to modify this for a bread machine? Thanks!
When I first began baking bread, I did it all in my bread machine and I generally found that just dumping it all in and turning it on worked fine! After awhile, I got tired of the big hole left in the bread by the big mixer thingy, so I began just using it on the dough cycle. Then I would transfer to a bread pan and let rise for 45 more minutes before baking. That is my preference for a more sliceable loaf. Happy baking!
Does this recipe really call for 2 tbsp yeast? That’s nearly 3 packets for two loaves of bread. It sounds like a lot compared to other recipes I’ve read, but I have never baked bread from scratch so I just wanted to make sure.
Yes, I use 2 tbsp of yeast. I buy my yeast in bulk, so it is easier to measure that way. A packet is technically 2.25 tsp per packet, but often it seems that recipes calling for bulk yeast just substitute a tablespoon, which is 3 teaspoons, for ease of measuring. If I were using packets, I would probably just use two and increase the rising times slightly.
Also, I find that whole wheat bread rises a tad better with a little more yeast. Flat, dense whole wheat bread isn’t really tasty. I hope this helps! Happy baking!
Thank you for this amazing recipe! I’ve never let my dough rise 3 times, but it works and the dough is like satin to work with. LOVE IT, THANK YOU : )
Can I use brown sugar instead of maple syrup or honey? If I can how much do I need?
Thanks in advance!
I’m sure you could substitute brown or white sugar, but you might need just a tad more. Sorry, I haven’t used those to be able to make a good recommendation.
I love making this recipe! I use about 3 -4 tablespoons of brown sugar and it works really well.
Hi! I’m making this right now! I was wondering how big your loaf pans are? And do you think I could freeze one loaf or half the recipe to only make one at a time?
Thanks!
I’m so sorry, I’m behind on comments. My loaf pans are 5″x9″ I think freezing would work well. You could try halving. Sometimes it works better with bread than others. Sorry, I haven’t tried it personally.
Can I use dry yeast in this recipe??
Do you mean like the dry stuff that comes in a packet or jar? Sure!
thanks! My hubby has been wanting wheat bread. I’ve recently began a home based baking business (thanks to the new cottage food laws in my state!) and plan to make some for the farmers market this week end!
How do you store the freshly baked bread? Wrap it in foil or plastic wrap or put it in a ziplock bag? Refrigerate or leave out?
I usually store my bread in a ziploc bag or wrapped in foil or plastic wrap. Whatever is handier at the time!
Can I use just regular eggs instead of the yeast??
I don’t think this would work at all without yeast. Sorry.
Hi Heather –
Thanks for the recipe! Just mixed up the dough & letting it rise now. I was reading your bio and saw you’re in Remlap.. My soon to be step-children live in Remlap too! Small world. 🙂
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What size loaf pans are you using? Mine look huge compared to the pictures.
Sorry for the delay. They are standard 5″x9″ pans.
This was my first bread making recipe I gave a whirl since I got my new stand mixer and it turned out perfectly! Wonderful recipe.
Love the recipe! I’ve been using whey from my honemade yogurt for the liquid and adding 1/2 cup soaked & drained cracked wheat at the end of mixing which makes it a bit stickier but manageable. Tons of flavor! I also use good ol’ Betty Crocker’s method of dough shaping to get beautiful loaves. It makes store bought whole wheat seem tasteless. Thank you!
This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Do you ever add gluten to your whole wheat flour for this recipe?
I apologize for the long delay. No, I have never tried it, but I know it is a common ingredient in other whole wheat bread recipes. I personally have never had it on hand, so I was looking to create a recipe that used only things I usually keep in my pantry. Happy baking!
I’ve made this to your recipe and it turned out fantastic, my husband absolutely loves it! I’m making my second batch now. Also, we froze the second loaf and thawed it when he was ready and it did really well. My question is, can I swap the whole wheat flour for plain white flour and have the recipe still turn out beautifully? He’s looking for something for PB&J and doesn’t like anything that’s not “wonderbread” style.
Thank you!
Sorry for the delay, I have let myself get terribly behind. Please forgive me. I have never tried it with white flour, but I am guessing it would work fine. You may have to tweak the amount of flour thought to get the correct consistency.
Have you made rolls using this recipe? Thanks!
Yes! It works very well!
I divide this into 3 loaves and the baking time is perfect for 3. I have been making this bread for several months and hubby won’t eat store bought any more. My grown son just texted me for the recipe since I took him some bread. He’s going to try his hand at it.
Hi! Is it possible to work the dough by hand? I only have a simple little mixer, no bread machine or any other bigger tool 🙁
Sorry for the delay, yes, working by hand is just fine and great for the muscles!
Love the taste and texture of this recipe. Guests are more inclined to eat the soft bread, although sadly it seems most still prefer anything white bread. My question is regarding the third rise. Each time my loaves are flat across the top. Any suggestions?