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
Super delicious bread. I’ve baked using this recipe multiple times. Is there calories information available though?
Hi Jessica, 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’ve baked this three time. It’s been amazing and delicious.
Can I bake this bread using the no-knead method?
Hi Purity, kneading is required for this recipe to turn out correctly. You could use this artisan bread recipe and swap half the flour for whole wheat flour, but the loaf will be a bit dense. Let us know if you try it!
Thank you Sally for sharing your recipe. I’ve been making bread for years, but, my 100% whole wheat bread was never light and fluffy. I’ve made bread using your recipe and the bread is wonderful.
My kids love it. I shared a loaf with my in-laws, and they barely finished it before asking for more.
As you said, this recipe takes a little more time to make, but it is worth it!
Oh this turned out so lovely! My first successful attempt at making bread!! Sally, you are loved for this, God bless you!
I’m new at baking breads and prefer whole wheat. My first attempt was perhaps 2yrs ago from another Youtuber channel. Turned out no so good, and I did not know how to kneed the dough properly. This time I have a mixer to help me kneed plus your very simple receipe and instructions. I was so excited at how soft and store-like my bread turned out. YEESSSSS!!!!! You rock Sally!!
This bread came out amazing. My son texted from his lunch break at school: “Mom, this bread is so good!”. That’s a win in my book!
Hey Sally, thank you for this magical recipe I tried and it worked really well.
I followed this recipe quite a couple of times with slight variations each time to adapt to my climate, oven temperature, quality of yeast etc – each time I got a good result but today it came out really well than ever before – soft and tasty with a great structure. As you mentioned, I used 100gms of all-purpose flour (along with 160 gms of whole wheat flour) for the sponge. I also reduced the active dry yeast to 1 1/2 teaspoons (instead of 2 1/4 teaspoon) and after shaping the dough in the baking pan, I proofed (final proofing) it overnight in the refrigerator and baked it in the morning. The bread was so flavorful, tall with a great structure and soft too! I am so excited to share my feedback here. Thanks again and keep up the good job!!
Hello Sally it’s a delight to use your recipes. this time I use the wheat bread recipe. It was easy to follow and I enjoy making it. I do have a question. I followed the recipe exactly but mine came out but when I went to cut it it fell apart it was soft flavorful but it didn’t hold together .when I made sandwiches it fall
apart because the r slices were very soft. I don’t know what I did wrong. I didn’t pay a lot of attention to the rolling of the dough before I put it in the loaf pan could that be the problem.
Hi Debra, This is a soft bread, so a little crumbliness is normal. If the bread seems 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!
My kids love this bread, I used whole wheat bread flour for the sponge and then white bread flour for the second part. I have to add all the flour plus about 2 tbsp more but it always turns out soft and fluffy.
Can’t wait to try this. Can I add ground flax seed? If so, do I need to make any adjustments to the ingredients?
Hi Gail, to use flax seeds in the batter, we’d recommend this multigrain recipe instead. Let us know if you try it!
My family loves this bread & they don’t seem to notice that it’s 100% whole wheat, unlike with other recipes.
Question: To make more than one loaf at a time, can I just double the amounts of all the ingredients or are there other adjustments that should be made?
Hi Susanne, so glad your family loves this recipe! For best results we recommend making two batches instead of doubling this recipe.
I only have wholegrain and breadflour at home at the moment so i use them instead. Made the sponge with 2 cups wholegrain and the dough with breadflour and bread still turn out very good. Thank you❤️
I can’t wait tp try this recipe! Can I use regular 2% milk? That’s what I usually have on hand. Should I add a bit more butter to make up the difference?
Hi Liana, you can use 2% milk here without any changes. Happy baking!
What about almond or soy milk?
Hi Wred, nondairy milk work here, but whole milk produces phenomenal texture and we highly recommend it.
Your Whole Wheat bread recipe was delicious! I used just one cup of bread flour, and 100% whole wheat for the rest. I also rolled out the dough on a thin dusting of whole wheat flour while forming the loaf, and it added a lovely crunch after baking. I plan to try your Multigrain Bread next.
So glad you enjoyed this bread recipe, Judy! The multigrain bread is a favorite as well. Happy baking!
Hi – in the middle of making this bread and I usually use a cloche to bake the bread in. Is this ok with this recipe and would the timing be reduced as cloche would be extremely hot when I add the bread mix
Hi Vicky, how did this turn out for you? We haven’t tested this bread in a cloche, but you’ll want to make sure it has taller sides to support the bread. Bake time may be a bit different as you mention. Let us know what you tried!
I have searched for a bread I can bake weekly for my family ……. and I’ve finally found it! Thank you, Sally for this delicious and foolproof bread. I have made it many times now, and each loaf is perfect, and importantly, lasts for days without becoming stale. I often add an additional TBS of honey, or use all maple syrup, to make it just a bit sweeter, but this is just a personal preference. One suggestion I would offer is to start checking the bread for doneness at 28 minutes. My oven usually bakes accurately, but with this bread, my loaf reached 200 degrees on my instant thermometer at 30 minutes.
I am dairy and egg free due to an allergy. Is there something I could use besides egg to put the oats on top?
Hi Lindsey, you could use a non-dairy milk wash instead.
I don’t usually bother to comment but this recipe was great, although I did make a couple small changes. My wife just found out she has gestational diabetes so we are looking to use whole grains and less sugar than the milk bread that is common here. I cut the honey down to 40g instead of 63g and omitted the lemon juice as I have no problem with the taste of whole wheat. As per the instructions I did add a few spoons of flour to reach the desired dough stiffness (as expected as all flours are not the same).
It’s almost as soft as the normal tangzhong milk bread I make, tastes great and is much healthier and better for keeping down my wife’s blood sugar!
Sally, I LOVE your recipes! ❤️ And you are a great teacher!
At our local flour mill, I bought whole wheat bread flour. Do I use the same amounts for the sponge and dough?
Hi Marsha, yes, same amounts if using whole wheat bread flour!
This is the best whole wheat bread recipe I have ever made! So easy to make and it’s so soft and delicious.
Yesterday, I baked the Whole Wheat Bread (Soft and Hearty). It was FANTASTIC! It tasted and looked professional (I added the optional oatmeal flakes). I used the easy-to-follow instructions and watched the video on kneading (I wish I would have viewed that years ago…it was so helpful). While there are several steps, the various rise times allowed me to tidy the kitchen, read ahead to the next directions, and accomplish a few other tasks. The end result is SO WELL WORTH it. Plus, I learned new techniques (i.e., the kneading, creating a sponge, etc.) that will help grow my entry-level baking skills. Thank you for this great recipe and the detailed videos/instruction.
So glad you loved this recipe!
I like the recipe and the ingredients. The oven temperature and time in the oven don’t work out for me. Next time I’ll try 375 for 45 minutes. Often times, the temperature is meaningless for doneness. The temperature will sit below 212 for quite some time, and if you pull it from the oven too soon, it might be under baked. Of course, all oven have their own personalities.
I stopped buying bread, and love to use this recipe for my family. I double the recipe for 2 loaves and freeze one. It’s soft, delicious, and easy. I have a question though, sometimes it breaks/splits on the side once baked. Is there a way to avoid this? I’m very watchful not to over proof it. Maybe it’s my roll?
Hi Clarissa, a split could be from under-proofing. We would try to give it a slightly longer rise next time.
Hi Sally was just wondering if I could add some bulgur wheat? And if so, how much would you suggest plz? Thankyou.
Hi Vanessa, we haven’t tested adding bulgur wheat here. Let us know if you do!
Hi Sally. One more question: is the honey absolutely necessary, or can I skip it? We don’t like it when the bread tastes sweet, even if it’s just a hint of sweetness. Thank you.
Hi Homa, the honey feeds the yeast, increases its activity, and lightly sweetens the bread. We don’t recommend skipping it! You could try reducing to 1 Tbsp if needed.
I must have made this recipe a dozen times or so by now. Excellent results and a great everyday sandwich bread recipe! One question: is there any special reason why it needs to be rolled up before it goes in the pan, as opposed to just punched down and shaped like a loaf? The individual slices tend to unravel into a spiral shape sometimes, especially if I’ve used extra flour when rolling it out.
Hi Mary Beth, we’re so glad you enjoy this bread! You can certainly shape and put it right in the pan, but doing it this way gives the bread more structure since it was rolled up tightly instead of loosely placed in. Let us know if you try it!
Do you know the macros and calorie count for this?
Hi Kay, 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 I intend to make this bread. However, I need to know how many calories are in one slice.
Thank you
Hi Pam, 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 recently made this bread and my husband and I both loved it. I was wondering if this recipe could be used in a bread maker?
Hi Deb, we haven’t personally tested it, but many readers have reported success using a bread machine with this recipe. Let us know if you try it!
I tried this recipe in my bread machine this past weekend and I can say it didn’t disappoint. Same great flavor.
Wondering if realy maple syrup can be used in place of honey
Hi Judy, definitely. Enjoy!
This was so fluffy and light, I used soy milk instead of whole milk and margarine instead of butter, traditional instead of instant yeast. I actually didn’t even need the entire rise times as it doubled in size quite quickly. I will definitely be making this again, I think it’s softer and fluffier than my white bread!