Soft Whole Wheat Bread
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You won't believe how easy it is to make homemade whole-wheat bread! This recipe bakes up soft and is perfect for sandwiches.
Have you ever made homemade bread?
I have to say I find it one of the most rewarding things to do. It can be a labor of love, but it is so satisfying. It's guaranteed to make you feel super proud of yourself!
And honestly, the taste can't be beaten. So much better than store-bought!
I have a handful of great bread recipes on this site, like these homemade crescent rolls, this cinnamon bread, and these soft overnight brioche buns.
But the most versatile, everyday recipe of all would have to be this soft whole wheat bread. In my family, it's our go-to!
We love it because it's so soft, pillow-y, and moist, with just a bit of nuttiness from the whole grains. It's a perfect everyday loaf!
Is whole wheat bread healthy?
Bread is carbs; there's no way around that, even when it's 100% whole wheat!
But wheat bread is a much healthier alternative because whole wheat flour has a lot more fiber and nutrition than the more processed white flour bread.
Whole wheat bread ingredients
There are just 6 simple ingredients in this recipe.
Here's a quick rundown, with explanations and substitution recommendations:
Water: Water brings the yeast to life and hydrates the bread. You'll need warm water to dissolve the yeast.
It should be warm but not hot, like a baby's bath. Aim for around 105 degrees F.
If the water is too hot, it can kill the yeast.
Yeast: I prefer active dry yeast for bread baking. It allows a slow enough rise for the flavor to really develop, and it's easy and convenient to buy and store.
Instant yeast is another option. If you go this route, you'll only need 0.75x the amount, and you can cut the rise times down by 15 to 20 minutes.
Either way, be sure to check the expiration date on the packet and make sure it hasn't past. If it has, the yeast could be dead and your bread won't rise properly.
Honey: Honey is used to feed the yeast as well as to flavor the bread. You can use any type of honey that has a flavor you enjoy.
The final result won't taste sugary like a dessert, but it will have a slight sweetness to it.
Or, you can use a different kind of sweetener, such as white sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, or agave nectar.
Butter: Butter provides a richer flavor to this bread.
I like to use unsalted butter because it lets me control the amount of salt in the dish. Different brands of butter contain different amounts of salt, so this way you get a more consistent result.
Flour: This recipe is made with 100% whole wheat flour.
To make white bread, check out this recipe: Soft White Bread.
If you'd like, you can play around with other types of flour. You may be able to find some good tips on that in the comments below.
Salt: Salt carries all the flavors and intensifies them. It adds a slightly savory taste as well as making everything so much more flavorful!
I like kosher salt best because it doesn't have any additives (table salt usually contains iodine and that can leave a bitter taste) so the flavor is pure, and it's very inexpensive and easy to find.
How to make soft whole wheat bread
Making homemade bread can often seem intimidating, but I promise you, this recipe is easy. It'll have you making homemade bread every week!
Start by dissolving your active dry yeast in a little warm water in a large bowl.
This usually takes about 5 minutes. Make sure the yeast hasn't passed its expiration date!
Once the yeast mixture looks frothy, throw in the honey and melted butter.
Then add just 2 cups of flour, along with the salt.
Beat that for about 3 minutes, then add more flour until you see the dough forming a ball.
Once that ball of dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl cleanly, it's time to knead.
You can knead this bread dough by hand or let your mixer do the work for you.
I kind of like kneading by hand. But sometimes I'm too busy, and I leave it in the mixer so I can do other things. Either way will work!
If you're kneading using the stand-mixer, keep it on low speed.
After about 10 minutes of kneading, you'll see that the dough looks smooth and elastic.
Perform the windowpane test: Pinch off a little piece of dough and using your fingertips, stretch it gently from the center outward. You should be able to pull it tissue-thin without it tearing. It should be so thin you can see light passing through it, just like a windowpane.
Mist your mixing bowl with non-stick spray, pop in the dough, mist the top of that too, cover with plastic wrap, and allow it to proof (aka: rise).
About 30 to 45 minutes later, you'll see that the dough has grown to double what it was before.
Punch it down, form it into a loaf shape, cover it, and let it rise a second time.
Once again, it should be double its original size.
Bake the bread until it's puffy, golden brown, and gives a hollow sound when tapped.
Expert tips
How Much Flour Do You Use
When making bread, the amount of flour to add is only an estimate. It can vary based on several different factors.
You'll probably need anywhere from 3 ¾ cups of flour to 4 ½ cups flour to make this bread. Start with 3 ¾ cups of flour, and add more, if needed up to 4 ½ cups.
You'll know you're done adding flour when the dough starts to pull away from the bowl. It should feel slightly sticky. If it's too sticky, keep adding more flour.
How Long to Knead The Bread Dough
Crumbly bread is a result of not enough kneading.
If you are using your hands to knead the dough, you will need to knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until the dough has an elastic feel. However, if you prefer a stand mixer, you can use the dough hook and knead for about 8 minutes.
Once the dough is smooth and elastic, and it passes the windowpane test, you have kneaded your dough enough. If it doesn't pass the windowpane test, keep kneading until it does.
This will produce that stretchy, elastic texture that's so satisfying.
How Long Does The Dough Need to Rise
This bread dough requires two rises.
The amount of time needed can vary based on the temperature in your kitchen. You'll want to look for the dough to double in bulk. It should get all puffed up with air.
Then you'll punch the dough down, place it in a bread pan, and proof it again until doubled.
If it doesn't get enough time to rise, it will have a tight, gummy texture. If it rises for too long, the gluten structure will weaken and the bread won't puff up as it bakes.
Either way, the bread will bake up smaller than it should, so just keep your eye on it and when it's twice its original size, it's time to move on to the next step.
How to know when the bread is done baking
This bread is ready when it looks golden brown and puffy. It should sound hollow when you give it a light tap.
The bake usually takes around 40-45 minutes in an oven preheated to 350 F, but keep in mind that this can vary and you should really look out for those sensory signs and not rely solely on the times given.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best type of flour to use?
There are lots of different flours available for bread baking.
You can use white whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and bread flour instead of whole wheat flour if you choose.
The best flour to use has a high vital wheat gluten content.
However, this recipe is for whole wheat bread. So the best flour to use for an authentic whole wheat bread recipe is (naturally!) whole wheat flour.
What type of pan is best for baking bread?
I used a 9x5 glass loaf pan to develop this recipe.
A 9x5 inch metal or silicone non-stick loaf panwill also work, but that could affect the baking time. You may want to increase the temperature by 25 degrees F and decrease the bake time by about 10 minutes if you use metal instead of glass.
How to serve 100% whole wheat bread
Besides just eating it warm from the oven, this homemade whole wheat bread can be enjoyed in many ways.
It's perfect for sandwiches because of its soft, pillow-y texture.
And it toasts beautifully! I love to slather it with butter and give it a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar or a swipe of jam or marmalade. That plus a cup of hot, milky tea, I'm in heaven.
You could also use it as a base for your avocado toast!
If you have leftovers and they're starting to get a bit dry, use them for French toast or bread pudding, or whiz them up in the food processor to make bread crumbs.
How to make vegan whole wheat bread
To make a vegan version of this soft wheat bread, substitute the butter for a vegan butter substitute. Look for one that swaps 1:1 for dairy butter.
And the honey can be replaced with an equal amount of brown sugar, agave nectar, or maple syrup.
How long does homemade wheat bread last?
Homemade bread doesn't last quite as long as store-bought, and that's because it doesn't have all those artificial preservatives to keep it shelf-stable.
Once this bread is completely cool, slip it into a plastic bag or airtight container to keep it from drying out. Then keep it in the fridge. It should last for at least a week.
You can also freeze it! I'd recommend slicing it first, so you can grab a slice or two from the freezer whenever you need it.
It thaws very quickly. Probably just a few minutes or so at room temperature. Or pop it into the microwave for around 10 or 15 seconds.
Treat your family to a homemade loaf this week! It's easy, fun, and so delicious!
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (354.88 g) warm water
- ¼ ounce (7.09 g) active dry yeast* , (1 packet)
- ¼ cup (84.75 g) honey
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter,, softened
- 3 ¾ cups (450 g) whole wheat flour, (you may need as much as 4 ½ cups)
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt
Instructions
- Place the warm water in a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to proof.
- Add the honey and butter.
- Blend in 2 cups of the flour and the salt until moistened. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
- Stir in an additional 1 ¼ to 1 ¾ cups flour, until dough pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
- Knead on floured surface, adding ½ to ¾ cup additional flour, until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
- Place dough in large greased bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm place until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Lightly mist a 9x5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray.
- Punch down the dough and shape it into a loaf.
- Place in prepared pan, cover loosely with greased plastic wrap, and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Uncover dough, and bake 40 to 45 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when lightly tapped.
Hi, thanks for the recipe. It's so easy to follow and the bread came out really great!
So glad to hear it CJ! Thanks so much for the 5-star review!
This bread was super fun to make! This was my first time baking bread- thank you for the awesome recipe. Definitely going to try your other recipes!
That's so great to hear Caroline! I'm so happy it worked well for you. Thanks so much for the great feedback!
Is there any reason this couldn't be done in a Zojirushi bread machine?
I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that product so I can't say for sure.
Is it okay if I don’t have a stand mixer/bread hook? I want to try this recipe but I have a regular hand mixer to mix the initial ingredients, and then I will knead by hand.
That should work no problem Beau! Good luck!
Hi,
How many grams for a packet of active dry yeast? I might worry I am from Asia country and the conversion of the ingredient amount may vary. thanks.
Please click the "Metric" button below the list of ingredients.
8 grams of active dry yeast worked perfectly for me.
Due to retrogradation of starches, bread stales faster in the fridge than on the counter or in the freezer. You should not store bread in the fridge.
My bread always last longer in the fridge. Usually about a week longer.
Mine also lasts longer in the fridge. Maybe because it is rainy/humid and cold where I live? If left out on the counter it can go bad/grow mold within 3 days. If I store in the fridge I can eat it for the whole week. 🙂
If my bread goes stale for whatever reason, I either revive with some water droplets plus reheating (this can make it soft again) or I toast it to get even more moisture out then break it up to use as breadcrumbs.
I didn't want to get my hopes up when I started this recipe because usually whole wheat breads never turn out as soft. This recipe however! AMAZING! I used my stand mixer and kneaded until the dough passed the "window pane" test. I also gradually added the water. I ended up only needing about 1 cup. My bread came out tall and so soft! Thank you!
That's so great to hear Jillian! I'm so glad you were happy with the recipe. Thanks for the great feedback!
I love this recipe, and will definitely make it again. It was so easy and fun and it looks delicious!
That's so great to hear Anna! Thank you so much for the positive review!
I've been baking bread for quite some time but if you are a beginner this is the best recipe you will ever come across. The directions are easy and precise and the bread turns out perfect. Remember, baking bread is not a science it's trial-and-error. Don't over knead it, don't add too much flour and always bake it until you hear a hollow sound by thumping it with your fingers. Thank you for this delicious Whole Wheat recipe, it truly is the best.
I baked the bread but it didn't risen much in the pan it was not square.
And why it was not fluffy though soft..
Not sure I understand your question Pooja- did you bake it in the proper type of pan that's called for in the recipe card? Are you saying that it was fluffy and soft or no?
I had the same problem Pooja. I think if you are not in a warm climate, you need to add some sugar during the first step to get the yeast frothy. My yeast was in warm water and did not froth up in the first step- and it was cold where I live.
One needs to check one's yeast. Sometimes the yeast is dead. Read about how to check if the yeast is still good. If for example the yeast was stored in transit in a hot warehouse - it can kill the yeast.
Finally, someone who says their whole wheat bread recipe is soft and it really is. KUDOS to you Allie! This bread is really yummy. When I make it next, which will be REALLY soon, I am going to add an additional 1/2 teaspoon salt and possibly some vital wheat gluten.
Sounds great Deb! I'm so glad you were happy with the recipe!
Hi Allie,
I have made this bread several times since I last wrote you. YUMMY YUMMU YUMMY! Have you ever made this bread replacing half of the water with milk?
Tks,
Deb
I have not- sorry. But very glad you like the recipe so much! Thanks for the great feedback Deb!
I made it today. It so soft n fluffy. Super happy. Thank you for sharing the recipe. An amateur baker 🙂
Yay! So happy the recipe worked well for you Yulie! Congrats and thanks for the positive feedback!
Hi... can I add some seeds? How should I do that? Tks
Hello there, can I substitute honey with maple syrup?
Did you use bread whole wheat flour or regular wheat flour?
Thank you
Yes that substitution should work just fine. I used whole wheat flour. Good luck!
Homemade bread is so good, but often it's so dense and heavy. This recipe is great though! Soft and fluffy homemade bread- perfect!
Great recipe! Easy to follow, and the bread is excellent! One question...would I be able to substitute powdered stevia for the honey to cut down on sugar?
I think that would work, but to be honest I'm not 100% sure. The sugar is there for sweetness, but also to give the yeast something to feed on. I'm not sure if yeast likes stevia or not, lol! If not, it is possible to make bread without sugar, but it needs a lot longer to rise and to develop that yeasty flavor. So you may have to play around a little. Sorry I can't be more helpful!
The yeast eats some of the sugar, and can't process the stevia. You need a little bit of sugar for the yeast. A tablespoon will do. The yeast also consumes the starches in the flour but the sugar helps it get started. If you want sweet bread, add some stevia if you want but bear in mind the yeast can't use it.
You left out the salt in the ingredients list..how much?
Thanks for catching that- it's 1/2 teaspoon. Updating the recipe card now!
Hi Allie, how much salt is used in this recipe? It is not listed in the ingredients but is mentioned in the instructions. Thank you. Lynn
So sorry about that Lynn! It's 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. The card has been updated!
Could I substitute anything else for honey (I’m out of honey), maybe molasses?
Thanks!
Hey Liz! You could substitute any kind of natural sweetener. Sugar would work, or brown sugar, or molasses or agave nectar. As long as you like the taste it should work! Good luck!
Hello. Line 3 of the Instructions indicates salt is added with the flour. Salt is not shown in the list of ingredients. Should salt be added and, if so, how much. Thank you.
Yes, sorry for the error. The amount of kosher salt is 1/2 teaspoon. The recipe card has been updated.
Hi i would love to know if 175 cal is for the whole bread or just for one slice ?
If you slice the bread into 12 equal slices, that would be the calorie count for one slice.
My husband and I both really liked this bread! It is delicious and easy to make! One question, mine kind of crumbles apart, hard to spread butter or mayo on it without it coming apart in pieces, any ideas?? Otherwise, its delicious! And did I mention super easy!!
So happy you guys like it Lola! I'm wondering if maybe you could get away with using a little less flour? I have not had that problem where it's crumbly, when I make it it's usually quite moist, similar to a store-bought bread. Also be sure to keep it wrapped up very tightly because homemade bread doesn't have all those preservatives, so it goes stale a lot more quickly!
Thanks, I'll try less flour next time. I did mix it by hand, could that be my problem? I did put it in a ziplock bag in the fridge as soon as it was cool. Should I also wrap it in plastic wrap too? It has kept very well, except for the crumble. Overall, I think it's a DELICIOUS BREAD! ?
Try adding 2T of vital wheat gluten flour.
I had this problem, as well. The bread was super soft but crumbly. The 2T of vital wheat gluten flour that Adrienne suggested solved this problem for me. Thanks Adrienne!
A pinch of vitamin c powder added as a dough conditioner produces a finer grained, less crumbly bread. Google it for more info if your curious.
Love the recipes, and your directions are so easy.
Thank you! I'm so happy you are enjoying. Really appreciate the positive feedback!
So delicious! Made this for the first time. Easy to make and it won’t be my last. Thanks for sharing your recipe. ❤️
My pleasure Irish! I'm so glad you enjoyed.
I've tried a number of bread recipes. THIS recipe is it! I have one question, how do I get my bread to rise tall like the one in the video after it's baked? It always comes out flat, and I follow the recipe to the letter, for the exception I don't use honey, I use brown sugar.
Hiya, I'm not claiming to be a bread or baking expert (I am definitely not) but I do know a few bread 'facts'. There are two main reasons that could be causing your bread to come out flat:
It's too hot - When letting the dough rise, it's sometimes easy to overestimate what temperature is 'warm'. Letting bread dough rise in an area that is too hot can lead to over-proofing, and therefore flat bread.
Another reason could be over kneading - Once the dough comes together and has a smooth appearance...stop kneading!! This took me a while to learn, as it never seems long enough but it's true!
I hope this helped in some way 🙂
I have been looking for whole wheat bread recipes for sometime now and this seems really good and straightforward.
Just wanted to know if I can make this as rolls instead of a loaf. Also, would there be any difference in baking times or procedure between a metal and a glass pan.
I believe this would work well as rolls. You should be able to get 12 rolls from 1 batch of dough. You may need to adjust the bake time slightly. A metal pan could definitely bake the rolls faster than a glass one would. Good luck!