With step-by-step pictures and plenty of helpful tips, learn how to make soft whole wheat bread with this easy-to-follow recipe. You can make this bread 100% whole wheat, or you can use a combination of whole wheat and bread flour for a slightly taller, fluffier loaf. It’s wonderfully soft and flavorful either way! If you’re new to working with yeast, reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
One reader, Vicki, commented: “This recipe can make anyone love 100% whole wheat bread! I made it exactly as directed with 100% whole wheat and it was the softest and loveliest whole wheat bread I have ever eaten! I will be making this regularly in my house—so much better and healthier than store bought bread. Even people who think they don’t like whole wheat will like this. Thank you for sharing your recipe! ★★★★★“
I know there’s major convenience with store-bought bread, but I encourage you to try making it from scratch at least once. (You might be hooked after that!) This whole wheat bread takes a few hours, but most of the work is hands-off while the dough rises. Fresh-baked bread smells incredible and tastes even better—store-bought sandwich bread just can’t compare! Wait until you smell a slice popping up in the toaster.
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Whole Wheat Bread
- Chewy crust with soft texture inside
- Flavorful & hearty
- Lightly sweetened with honey
- Makes delicious toast and sandwiches, and can be used in recipes like French toast, breakfast casserole, & sausage and herb stuffing
- Easy to make ahead or freeze
- 8 simple ingredients
Behind the Recipe/Recipe Testing
There are usually 2 key problems when it comes to using 100% whole wheat flour in a bread recipe:
- Because of the bran layer of the wheat grain, bread using 100% whole wheat flour can taste bitter or sour. (Still, always make sure your whole wheat flour is fresh; it can become rancid if stored for too long.)
- Whole wheat flour doesn’t contain the same level of gluten as white flours. This missing gluten can produce a dense and/or flat loaf. Many whole wheat bread recipes call for the addition of vital wheat gluten to make up for it, but I don’t usually keep that in my kitchen… and you may not either.
I experienced both issues in my initial attempts at this recipe. I found that adding a little acid to the dough helped offset the bitterness, and introducing a preferment “sponge” helped give the loaves better flavor, as well as more height. Obviously whole wheat bread will never be as soft, tender, and chewy as white sandwich bread, but this one comes pretty close with my careful recipe & solutions.
Best Ingredients to Use in Whole Wheat Bread & Why:
- Water: Warm liquid activates yeast. I use mostly water in this dough because we need a bread that has structure. Using all milk, like I do for my whole wheat dinner rolls, would yield a flimsy bread without much texture, which isn’t ideal for slicing as sandwich bread.
- Whole Milk: To yield a soft bread, you need fat in the dough, so make sure some of the liquid is milk. Low-fat or nondairy milk works too, but whole milk produces phenomenal texture and I highly recommend it.
- Yeast: You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. If using active dry, the rise times will be a bit longer. I tested it with both.
- Honey: Honey feeds the yeast, increases its activity, and lightly sweetens the bread. In our testing, my team & I unanimously agreed honey was the tastier option over regular granulated and brown sugar. I also use a little honey when making whole wheat pizza dough. If you want, grab a little extra so you can make some homemade honey butter to enjoy on the warm slices of bread.
- Butter: Butter promises a flavorful loaf.
- Lemon Juice: This ingredient may seem strange, but it’s essential for preventing the bread from tasting too bitter. If you don’t have lemon juice, apple cider vinegar is a great substitute.
- Salt: You can’t make flavorful bread without salt!
- Flour: You can use all whole wheat flour, or swap 1 cup of whole wheat flour for 1 cup of bread flour. The bread is soft either way, but a little bread flour yields a slightly taller, fluffier, and lighter loaf. We enjoy it both ways.
Start With Making the Sponge (It’s Easy)
For the sponge, you’ll use all of the liquid (both the water and milk) and yeast in the dough, plus some of the flour. Mix this all together with a spatula, cover it lightly, and let it double in size for about 60 to 90 minutes.
While this step does extend the total time of the recipe, the sponge is crucial for producing a more complex flavor, and gives the bread a lighter texture. By skipping this step, your bread will be a little flat. (In taste and appearance!)
Once the sponge doubles in size, add the remaining ingredients and begin mixing, which will deflate the air and make way for the final dough.
This is the sponge before rising:
This is the sponge after rising:
At this point, the process follows my sandwich bread pretty closely. You’ll knead the dough, and if you’re new to bread baking, my how to knead dough post and video can help. After kneading, let the dough rise twice. Lesson you’ll learn today: making a delicious whole wheat bread is not a race. We must have some patience here! (A hard ask when homemade bread is the reward…)
Step Photos to Help You
Make the dough: I recommend using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment (most stand mixers are sold with it). If you don’t have a stand mixer, mix the dough together with a spatula or wooden spoon (and a little arm muscle!).
Knead the dough: You can continue beating the dough with the dough hook, or you can knead the dough by hand.
1st rise (about 2 hours): After you knead the dough, cover it and let it rise in a relatively warm spot. Whole wheat dough requires a slightly longer rise time than white sandwich bread because it’s weighed down with wheat germ and bran.
Once it has doubled in size, punch it down to release the air.
Roll it out into an 8×15-inch rectangle:
Roll it up tightly starting with the 8-inch side, so you have an 8-inch roll to fit into your greased 9×5-inch loaf pan. (Unlike cinnamon rolls, where you roll up the dough starting with the larger side.)
2nd rise (about 1 hour): Let it rise until it’s about an inch above the rim of the pan. Don’t rush this second rise, unless you want a flat loaf.
And bake! This whole wheat sandwich bread takes about 36–40 minutes in the oven.
Before baking, feel free to top the bread with oats. You’ll need to brush beaten egg white on top of the dough before adding the oats, so they stick. The oat topping is optional.
Success Tips to Keep in Mind
- You can make this loaf of bread 100% whole wheat, or replace 1 cup (about 125–130g) of the whole wheat flour with bread flour for a lighter, taller, fluffier loaf. The directions remain the same.
- Knead the dough for a long time, at least 8 minutes. If you have a stand mixer, use it for this recipe. This is a heavy whole grain dough, so it requires a good amount of kneading to help produce a more elastic structure.
- When kneading, avoid adding too much flour; a slightly tacky and soft dough is OK.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the baked bread. This guarantees you won’t under-bake or over-bake the bread. It’s an incredibly helpful baking tool! The bread is done when the center of the loaf is 195–200°F (90–93°C).
- If you’re new to working with yeast, please review my Baking with Yeast Guide where I include practical and easy-to-understand answers to many yeast FAQs.
This whole wheat bread is phenomenal when sliced and served warm. The exterior is crisp and crusty, and the interior is hearty, yet soft.
Become a Bread Baker with My Approachable Recipes:
Whole Wheat Bread
- Prep Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes (includes sponge and rises)
- Cook Time: 38 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours, 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
You need just 8 simple ingredients to make this whole wheat sandwich bread. It’s soft yet hearty and oh-so-flavorful, and store-bought sandwich bread just doesn’t compare! You can use 100% whole wheat flour, or you can swap in some bread flour for a taller, fluffier loaf. See recipe Notes for freezing and overnight instructions. You can also reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
Ingredients
Sponge
- 1 cup (240ml) water, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) active dry or instant yeast (1 standard packet)
- 2 cups (260g) whole wheat flour (spooned & leveled)
Dough
- 3 Tablespoons (63g) honey
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 and 1/3 cups (173g) whole wheat flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt
- optional oat topping: 1 beaten egg white + 1 Tablespoon whole oats
Instructions
- Prepare the sponge: In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk the water, whole milk, and yeast together. Add the 2 cups (260g) flour and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until a thick batter forms. Cover lightly and allow to double in size at room temperature, about 60–90 minutes. Sometimes this can take up to 2 hours. *I do not recommend a hand mixer for this dough because the dough is too thick and heavy.*
- Add the remaining dough ingredients including the honey, butter, lemon juice, remaining flour, and the salt. With a dough hook attachment, or using a spatula or wooden spoon (and some arm muscle!), beat on medium speed/mix until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 3 minutes. If the dough seems too wet to a point where kneading (next step) would be impossible, beat in more flour 1 Tablespoon at a time until you have a workable dough, similar to the photos above. Dough should be soft and a little sticky, but still manageable to knead with lightly floured hands.
- Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 8–10 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 full minutes. (If you’re new to bread-baking, my How to Knead Dough video tutorial can help here.) If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, add 1 more Tablespoon of flour at a time to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need; you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise.
- 1st rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1.5–2 hours or until about double in size. (For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking With Yeast Guide.)
- Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Shape the dough: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Lightly flour a work surface, your hands, and a rolling pin. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 8×15 inches. It does not have to be perfect—in fact, it will probably be rounded on the edges. That’s ok! Roll it up into an 8-inch log and place in the prepared loaf pan.
- 2nd rise: Cover shaped loaf. Allow to rise until it’s about 1 inch above the top of the loaf pan, about 45–60 minutes.
- Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). It’s best to bake the bread towards the bottom of the oven so the top doesn’t burn.
- Optional oat topping: If you want to add the optional oat topping, add it right before baking the bread. With a pastry brush, brush the risen loaf with egg white, then sprinkle the oats on top.
- Bake the bread: Bake for 36–40 minutes, or until golden brown on top. If you notice the top browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil. (I usually add it around the 20-minute mark.) To test for doneness, if you gently tap on the loaf, it should sound hollow. For a more accurate test, the bread is done when an instant-read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195–200°F (90–93°C). Remove from the oven and allow bread to cool for a few minutes in the pan on a cooling rack before removing the bread from the pan and slicing. Feel free to let it cool completely before slicing, too.
- Cover leftover bread tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Prepare recipe through step 6. Place shaped loaf in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan or disposable loaf pan, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. On the day you serve it, let the loaf thaw and rise for about 4–5 hours at room temperature. Bake as directed. You can also freeze the baked bread loaf. Allow the bread to cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then reheat as desired.
- Overnight Instructions: Prepare the recipe through step 6. Cover the shaped loaf tightly and refrigerate for up to about 15 hours. At least 3 hours before you need the bread the next day, remove from the refrigerator, keep covered, and allow to rise on the counter for about 1–2 hours before baking. Alternatively, you can let the dough have its 1st rise in the refrigerator overnight. Prepare the dough through step 3, then cover the dough tightly and place in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and allow the dough to fully rise for 2 more hours. Continue with step 5.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Stand Mixer or Large Glass Mixing Bowl with Wooden Spoon or Silicone Spatula | 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Rolling Pin | Pastry Brush for optional topping | Instant-Read Thermometer | Wire Cooling Rack
- Milk: Low-fat or nondairy milk work here, but whole milk produces phenomenal texture and I highly recommend it.
- Yeast: I usually use instant yeast. You can use active dry yeast instead, with no changes to the preparation. Rise times will be slightly longer. Reference my Baking With Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Flour: Make sure your whole wheat flour is fresh. Check the date on the package, and don’t store it uncovered. Whole wheat flour can become rancid if stored for too long, and your bread will taste bitter. You can use all whole wheat flour in this recipe, or substitute 1 cup (130g) of bread flour for a slightly taller, fluffier loaf. You can use 1 cup of bread flour in the sponge in step 1 OR save it for the remaining dough in step 2. If using 1 cup (130g) of bread flour in step 2, you’ll also need the 1/3 cup (43g) of whole wheat flour.
- Honey: Honey produced the best tasting bread. In a pinch, you can use regular granulated sugar or brown sugar. But you will miss out on that honey flavor. I have not tested other sweeteners.
- Can I shape this into a round boule? No, this dough needs the structure of a loaf pan. Instead, you may like this no-knead seeded oat bread.
- Doubling this recipe: For best results, I recommend making two separate batches of dough. This is a big, heavy dough and the sponge will take a very long time to rise, and so will the kneading step. It’s best to make 2 separate doughs.
- Whole Wheat Rolls: I recommend my soft whole wheat dinner rolls recipe, or you can try my multigrain bread/rolls recipe instead.
- Adapted from Sandwich Bread and Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Reader Comments and Reviews
Can this be made in a bread machine? Any tips?
Hi Megan, we haven’t tested this recipe in a bread machine, but many readers have reported success doing so. Let us know if you give it a try!
This is the best recipe ever for wheat bread, and I’ve tried plenty of them. I live in a high altitude so I used 1/3 cup less flour; otherwise I followed the recipe to a T. Perfect!
I only have a 81/2 x 41/2 bread pan. Can this be used for this recipe or do I need to buy a 9×5?
Hi Carol! The bread can be quite tall if baked in a slightly smaller pan. We really do recommend a 9×5 if possible.
i love ur recipes but i was wondering do u have a recipe for cheese bread and maybe whole whear cinnamon raisin loaf cause my hubby wont eat any other than them
Hi Linda! Here’s our cheese bread recipe and here’s our whole wheat and multigrain bread recipes. I enjoy adding the cinnamon raisin swirl from this cinnamon bread to the multigrain loaf, and I’m sure you could do the same with the whole wheat loaf as well. Happy baking!
SALLY you killed it yet again. I have yet to make a recipe of yours and it not be 10/10!
Hi, Sally,
I LOVE this recipe and have made it several times!
I have a couple of friends who have to watch their sodium intake. They love this bread, but wanted me to ask about sodium amount per slice ( your idea of slices per loaf).
Thank you, in advance!
Hi Margaret, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Hi Sally, I want to make this bread and add some seeds(sun flower, pumpkins, oat, poppy, quinoa etc). I cant use your multigrain one because I dont have the cereal and I want to make wheat bread. Can I just add the seeds when kneading the dough? If so do I need to soak the seeds first? Also when adding seeds and oats on top do I need to soak it too to prevent burning? And should I use roasted seeds or unroasted?
Thanks
Hi Anh, you should be able to knead in some nuts/seeds or other mix ins when bringing the dough together.
I LOVE this recipe – first 100% WW bread that didn’t turn into a hockey puck for me. Question though – this bread is so soft that it tears even with room temp butter. I did knead it to windowpane, so it’s not that. Canadian flour is higher in protein than American, I don’t usually need a specific bread flour. Any thoughts to make it just a little more sturdy?
Hi Cindy, We’re so glad you’re enjoying this recipe! This is definitely a soft bread, but if it’s too soft after baking and cooling completely, it could be that your dough was over proofed or simply that your loaf needs an extra minute in the oven. Be sure to use a sharp serrated knife, too, in order to cut nice slices. Hope this helps!
Super excited to try this recipe! Is there any way the preparation would work on the “dough” setting in a bread machine and then remove and bake in the oven?
Hi Jp, we don’t have a bread machine so we haven’t tested this. Let us know if you do!
I tried the bread machine and it worked beautifully! I put all of my wet ingredients in first and then dry with the flour on top and then made a little hole to put the yeast in. Followed all of the amounts in the recipe (so 3.5 cups of flour) and set my machine on the dough setting which defaults to 90 minutes. I then put it in a bread pan that I greased with butter and baked it at 350 for 35 minutes. It was perfect! I’m a full time nurse, mom, and graduate student so anything I can “set and go” is my kind of thing. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Thanks JP for sharing your experience with using a bread machine. I wanted to use this in my bread machine but wasn’t sure if it would work. Thanks again.
Have you tried this in a bread maker from start to finish? Trying to see if there’s any special instructions and changes to the recipe
I made this today exactly as written. I did use the optional 1 cup bread flour. This will be my go to bread from now on. It’s so soft and flavorful! Really easy too. I’ve never made a sponge, but it was very easy. My family devoured this bread.
Wow wow wow the best Bread recipe ever. I followed your recipe to the . & , and perfect results whish i could attach a picture of my results.
Made this twice already and it always come out a little bit wet on the sides. Followed all the instructions and ingredients plus I have an oven thermometer to make sure the temp is right. Any ideas how to fix this?
Hi Reychel, this is normal and happens to my loaves often as well. Once you remove it from the pan, it begins to dry out.
This recipe is so tasty! Love the flavor of this bread. I have made it twice, and my loaf keeps splitting on the side and seems to be rising too much in the oven. Can you help troublshoot?
Hi Brianna Jean! I’m glad to help. Sorry this keeps happening and you’re right, it’s because the dough is rising too much either before baking or during baking. The best fix is to reduce the rise time of the shaped loaf. Are you letting it rise past 1-inch over the rim of the pan? See if 1/2-inch works better. And be sure to use a 9×5-inch pan and nothing smaller!
Very tasty bread. I followed the recipe except I did double it. I let the sponge sit a full 2 hours and then added the rest of the ingredients. My kitchen aid handled it well. I ground my own white wheat berries which I think is why loaves came out a little crumbly – I erred on the side of too wet and I obviously needed more since it was white wheat. Tastes good with some butter, I’ll try again with more flour and see if that helps with the texture.
The ad kept cutting off my recipe which was frustrating but I understand why you use them. The bread was delicious though first time I made it I had too much air and it collapsed like a soufflé! LOL
Can i use white distilled vinegar instead of lemon?
White vinegar should work in a pinch.
I made as directed and it was delicious but didn’t rise very well. Then I doubled the recipe and added 3 tablespoons Vital Wheat Gluten at the initial sponge stage. Beautiful, tall, tasty loaves for sandwiches! They freeze beautifully as well. Thanks for the recipe! ❤️
absolutely one of my top favorite breads!! I can’t believe how good it is, I’ve never liked whole wheat bread. I’ll be making this a lot – thanks for sharing!
I have wanted to bake bread for YEARS! Finally I could do it with your recipe and help. Thank You!!
This site has really good recipes. I’ve not had a fail yet!
I really enjoyed making this bread. The recipe is so clearly written which makes it very easy to follow. I like using the one cup of bread flour to keep it light. I have also liked many of your other recipes too!! Thank you for sharing them.
This is insanely delicious. After scouring the internet and wading through loaves of doughy, dense and dry consistencies, I am asking myself why I didn’t just start with Sally. As with everything else on this site, Sally has absolutely the best ingredients, best instructions and overall just best baked goods one can make from home. My only recommendation: DOUBLE THIS! QUADRUPLE THIS! My two kids ate nearly the entire loaf in a day!
I love this recipe. Made it and it wasn’t that difficult. I cannot wait to make some amazing sandwiches and avocado toast with it! Thank you Sally!
i wanted to make a whole wheat loaf for my 1 year old and this is the BEST bread i’ve ever made! i’ve made so many loaves before this, not just whole wheat, and this one turned out so soft and fluffy with the perfect crust. i’m blown away, already made it 4 times. this is also my favorite place to get recipes and a lot of my saved recipes are from sally’s website. i love it, and i finally subscribed to the email list because i need to see what new recipes you come out with!!
Thank you so much for making and trusting our recipes, Cherish!
Looking forward to trying this. Do you have nutrition information by chance? I’m a type 1 diabetic and have to count carbs.
Hi Elizabeth, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
I also am type 1 and this recipe is currently on my counter for the 2nd rose! I think I will go off of store bought wheat bread (the kind I get is 12 carbs) and then go from there to see if that was enough. Really excited to try this!
I also am T1 and this recipe is currently on my counter for the 2nd rise! I think I will go off of store bought wheat bread (the kind I get is 12 carbs) and then go from there to see if that was enough. Really excited to try this!
I recently purchased an Ankarsrum mixer and have been trying different bread recipes. So far, this is the winner! Healthy whole wheat that isn’t dense and chewy! Thanks so much for this recipe. I was able to double the recipe without any issues but this is a heavy duty mixer and I have a proofing mat which helps it rise in this cool house!
I just started making bread a couple months ago to have more control over the ingredients. I started with Sally’s white sandwich bread which was good, but it often had these large air pockets in it and it would ruin the slices. I decided to give the whole wheat recipe a try and it’s come out perfectly every single time! I used rapid rise yeast and my rise times are nearly cut in half from what the recipe calls for. This is a staple in our kitchen now!
Really good bread! I added a little more honey fro more flavor.
Finally found a delicious whole wheat bread recipe!! No sugar and very little honey! Holds up well in a sandwich and my grandchildren approve. I’ll be making 2 a week!!
Literally perfect
This is my go to bread recipe. So much that I have it memorized and can make it quickly every few days. So happy I stubbled upon it. I’ve noticed that once my loaf is cooked and sliced, the slices tend to crumble apart easily. Do you have any tips for the bread holding together better? Thanks!
Hi Amanda, This is a soft bread, so a little crumbliness is normal. If the bread seemes overly crumbly, is it overbaked by chance? Even just an extra minute or two can dry out the bread, so for next time, we’d try reducing the bake time by a minute or so to see if that helps. And how did you measure your flour? Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure the flour isn’t over-measured, which can cause the bread to dry out. You could also substitute 1 cup (130g) of bread flour for a slightly taller, fluffier loaf. See recipe notes for more details. We’re glad you still enjoy this bread!
Hi! I am so happy with the 2 yummy loaves I’ve made with brown bread flour and eaten so far. I tried the same steps with whole wheat flour but then the loaf came out bitter and gummy. Please help.
Hi Angela, I’m glad this recipe works with brown bread flour (which I have never tested with this dough!). The bitterness is often offset using an acid in the dough. Did you use the lemon juice? Feel free to add a little more to help. For the gummy texture, let the bread cool a bit longer before slicing. The bread will continue to set up as it cools, which helps stabilize the structure. You can bake it a couple minutes longer to help, too.