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
Is it ok to use a 2% milk in this recipe?
Hi Leah, yes, that’s fine. Enjoy!
Great recipe! Easy to follow. First time making bread. Turned out GREAT!
Thank you.
Hi Sally, thanks for the recipe! I tried making it but used emmer (khapli) wheat that has about 50% gluten content of whole wheat. The dough did not rise much during second rise in loaf, it was about 60% of loaf size, and the bread ended up being too hard and dense. Appreciate any suggestions on how to use this recipe for emmer wheat? Thanks!
Hi Gami, I wish we could help, but we have no experience baking with that type of flour. If the gluten content is 50% less, it’s not surprising that the loaf didn’t turn out well. You’d probably have better luck with finding a recipe that is specifically written for and tested with that type of flour.
I made this a few months ago and the finished loaf had a acetone after taste. I am trying to make it again and am making the sponge but the dough smells like acetone again! What could be wrong?
Hi Jess, I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble with this recipe, and am happy to help get to the bottom of it. Are you making any substitutions to the ingredients at all?
The best bread I have tried…turned out soft,moist and absolutely delicious…love from India
Hi! I was wondering if I could add flax seeds to this bread? Mainly as a texture booster, as I do enjoy my whole wheat breads with seeds in them.
Hi Gianna! To use flax seeds in the dough, we’d recommend this multigrain recipe instead. Let us know if you try it!
I usually use 4 tablespoons flax seeds in this recipe and it works well for me! (I also use 2 tablespoons flax seed powder but I wouldn’t do that unless you live in a humid climate—otherwise the dough might dry out).
Can you please mention in the recipe the temperature at which to bake? Thanks.
Hi Animesh, Step 8: 350°F (177°C)
This is a WONDERFUL recipe! My husband came home and immediately commented how good the house smelled. I definitely needed to add the foil around 20 minutes. I’m amazed that this is even softer than the white sandwich bread! It’s going to be a staple around here!
This bread is delicious! It elevated a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich to a whole new level of yumminess! I am a fairly experienced bread baker, but I hadn’t used the preferment technique prior to this recipe. It is the secret of the flavor! Despite the warning, I did double the recipe, and I was able to use my stand mixer for the kneading. The loaves turned out perfectly, and I am ready to make a whole new double batch for next week’s sandwiches.
If I need to leave, can I let the sponge sit out for 4-5hrs?
Hi Keisha, we do not recommend letting the sponge sit for that long. See recipe Notes for alternative make ahead options.
I promise everyone that this is the best bread recipe you’ll ever find; simple, soft, healthier, and absolutely delicious! I make this weekly and enjoy it with my homemade butter. I swear by every one of Sally’s recipes!
WOW! Soft, easy to slice, excellent sandwich bread! Instructions were spot on and easy to follow. I don’t usually have unsalted butter and didn’t change the salt amount my first time. I will be going to 3/4 to 1 teaspoon when using salted butter. This is going in my family cookbook that will be passed down to my grandchildren. Thank you for such a wonderful whole wheat bread recipe!
Oh. My. Gosh. My first time making bread and when I took it out of the oven, I felt like a pro. Plus the flavr is delish. I saw that one of the other comments was that they added pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds and I added Hemp hearts. Just need to figure out how to do 2 loads.
Do you know if this recipe is suitable for a bread machine to make?
Hi Cynthia, 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!
Hi Sally, I’ve yet to try your brown bread recipe but it looks delicious–my comment is that I really don’t care for a bread that’s too sweet and 3 tablespoons of honey seems a lot. When I’ve made batches of bread rolls I’ve only ever used about a teaspoon of sugar. Do you think I could get away with a little less honey/sugar? Either way, I’m going to try it! 🙂
Hi George, You could try reducing to 1 Tbsp if needed.
What a beautiful recipe ! I have made this bread at least 25 times in the last 6 months and every single time it turned out PERFECT.
This bread is amazing! I’ve made multiple times, it turns out perfectly every time, and everyone loves it! Has such a good flavor and texture is incredible. I subbed one of the tablespoons of honey for molasses and so yummy!
What is the nutritional value? Calories and protein?
Hi Jolisa, 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
How long is this bread shelf stable? How do you best store it?
Hi Allison, you can cover leftover bread tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week. We use a plastic bag, wrap it, or you can use an air-tight container.
I made this bread yesterday, and the family loves it! Has great flavor, and I was really proud that I was able to make it! I did have a slight issue, my loaf had a hole in the middle when I cut into it. Any idea what I might have done wrong to cause this and what I can do differently next time to avoid it?
Hi Sarah, we’re so glad it was a hit! It sounds like the dough wasn’t rolled tightly enough, causing the hole to form in the middle. An easy fix for next time!
I’ve tried this recipe before and it makes delicious bread, definitely worth trying! I’m just wondering if there’s an alternative to honey so that I can share this with my baby ❤️
Hi Chayenne, we’re so glad it’s a favorite! You can use the same amount of granulated sugar instead, or some readers have reported success using agave or molasses, too.
Can I use agave instead of honey for this recipe?
Definitely.
Dear Sally,
I finally made this. I added 1/2 cup of seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, flax) and it was delicious!!! You are totally correct in saying it’s a hundred times better than store-bought bread. It will be a regular recipe for us!
Thank you for all your fabulous recipes!
I used this recipe to make my first real loaf of sandwich bread. I purchased a bread maker a couple years ago and just could not get that classic sandwich bread texture and fluffiness. I refuse to use vital wheat gluten which is what most recipes called for so when I found this I had to try it. I can’t have dairy so I substituted whole milk for almond milk and avocado oil for butter. Also, I substituted about 2/3 cup whole wheat for white bread flour. My husband refused to eat all of my other variations of bread as they came out more like hearth bread crusty and chewy. However, I’ve been wanting him to get off store bought bread (so bad for your health). This loaf was his first approved bread to switch. HUSBAND APPROVED!!
Hi Sally. I made this twice already and I was always pleased with the results each time. I made some changes like swapping butter with olive oil and used skim milk. Thank you so much!
I’m a newbie baker and have made this bread twice. It comes out slightly denser than I would like and the top of the loaf deflates while in the oven. Any tips?
Hi Kailyn, I’m sorry to hear that! Was the dough over-kneaded by chance? That’s usually the culprit for overly dense breads. And over-proofing could be the cause of the dough deflating while baking. An easy fix for next time!
My dough also rose very nicely during the first and second rise but COLLAPSED while baking. The first rise was for 90 minutes and the second rise was 45 minutes; should I shorten the first rise to avoid another collapse in the oven?
Hi Barry! Sounds like your dough over-proofed, so yes, a shorter rise time will prevent this next time.
Has anyone cut the amount of honey in half or less?
Hi Candice! You could try reducing to 1 Tbsp if needed.
This is the best tasting bead that I have ever made , the recipe is so easy to follow. Everyone I know lives it
how much white sugar would I need to substitute the 63g of honey?
Hi Shanti, you can use the same amount of sugar instead.
Hello, can I use Agave instead of honey?
Hi Rene, we haven’t tested it, but a few readers have reported success doing so. Let us know if you try it!
I made this recipe for the first time with freshly milled wheat berries and it came out absolutely perfect. I was originally using the white bread recipe and though it tasted good, it wasnt the right consistency. Love it !
I have made this for years, but I don’t use milk or lemon juice at all. I use oil instead of butter. However, I would like Iike to know calories etc. per loaf. Many times I make 4 loaves at a time and freeze them for future use.
Hi MM, 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