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
I love all your recipes
Hi Linda, we haven’t tried it, but some other readers have reported success with using sprouted flour. Let us know if you try it!
Loved this but my husband found it too sweet – can I halve the honey or will that unbalance things? Thanks!
Hi Laurie, you could try reducing to 1 Tbsp if needed.
Hi Sally. Can I bake this bread as a baguette or Italian style bread instead of baking in a loaf pan?
Hi Sara! This bread is best baked in a loaf pan. You may enjoy this seeded oat bread instead!
I made this today, and it came out perfect. It was my first attempt in making yeast breads. Your recipe was so easy to follow and your videos very helpful. Thank you so much. Now I’m hooked on baking my own bread.
Oops I accidentally used half bread flour, half whole wheat flour for the sponge and dough. We’ll see how it turns out.
I like making bread and playing with different flours. We prefer whole wheat when possible so when I came across this recipe and gave it a try, I was very pleased. Very straight forward directions and great tips. It’s an absolutely great loaf of bread. I’m definitely saving this one.
Oops….I realized I’ve rated this recipe before but it’s so good I couldn’t help myself. I won’t buy bread anymore…..
I just made this for the first time. It is lovely and it tastes terrific. The texture is good. The crust is good. I used King Arthur’s organic whole wheat. The flavor is wonderful. This is definitely going to be a part of our new bread repertoire.
Hi! The load smells amazing and looks pretty good – I haven’t eaten it yet – but it’s not as tall as I’d like. It’s mostly flattened. Did I maybe put too many oats?
Hi Rebekah! Did the loaf rise, then fall during baking? This indicates that the dough over-proofed. If the dough didn’t rise much during the rise times, it could have just needed more time to rise, or a warmer environment. You can read more tips in our baking with yeast guide.
Absolutely the best whole wheat bread I’ve ever made. We sliced it for toast and sandwiches and the bread held-up well and didn’t crumble when sliced. What a great recipe. Thank you.
Can I use a long rectangular pan that is 4″ wide x 4″ tall x 16″ long?
What does that do to the cook time? We have some old heavy-duty school pans from 30+ years ago, and I would like to try making the bread in those. Thanks for the feedback
Hi Nick, we haven’t tested it in a pan that size, but it would likely produce a very short loaf. Let us know if you give it a try!
Looked exactly like the picture: softest, tallest whole wheat bread ever. Used the dough hook so it was easy. Made it with 100% white-wheat flour. Excellent recipe
This bread is soft and delicious! I’m new at baking bread but wanted a recipe that was clean and healthy. This delivers and it lends itself to adding other healthy ingredients such as nuts, seeds or oats….this will be a staple for me !
Do you have a recommendation for a brand of Whole Wheat flour? Thanks!
Hi Kaitlynn! We often use King Arthur brand.
I’ve made this bread several times and it never fails to disappoint! It’s super tasty and hearty. I usually do half 100% whole wheat flour and half T65 flour (13% protein). I’ve tried it using only whole wheat and it never rises as much as I’d like. I live in the mountains where there is a lot of moisture in the air: I usually have to add a lot more flour during the kneading process, but I’ve recently started adding 2 tablespoons of flax seed powder instead. I find that adds a lot of flavour and sucks up a lot of the extra moisture from the dough. I usually also add 4 tablespoons of flax seeds, too. It doesn’t seem to hinder the rising process! That being said, I do max out the rising times of both the sponge and dough. I also bake at 375 cause I prefer a crustier loaf.
Sorry just read notes on freezing
I made this yesterday it is amazing mmmmmm
Can the dough be frozen and at want stage
Everything about this recipe is perfect. I usually mess up anything that has to do with yeast but this was so fool proof and amazing. My weekly recipe now!
I’ve made this recipe many times and it’s delicious but comes out too spongy and soft for sliced sandwich bread. It falls apart while slicing. The crumb is too open. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Hannah, 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 and fall apart. You could also substitute 1 cup (130g) of bread flour for a slightly taller, fluffier loaf. See recipe notes for more details. Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
Thanks for sharing just tried WWF bread it was so don’t and tasty but tin was 10X10X30 cm
Therefore was a bit lower. Next time will increase all ingredients accordingly, perhaps oven temp too. 2 questions please:
1. Is turbo needed? Fan powered?
2. Is steam needed?
My kind regards,
Tezer (sorry previous mistype!)
Hi Tezer, we write all our baking recipes for the oven’s conventional bake setting, not a fan setting. Steam is not needed for this bread, no. Hope this helps!
Just made this bread and it turned out delicious! Do you have the nutritional facts for this recipe?
Hi Kristin, 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
Please help! I have tried this recipe twice and both times it fell while baking. Also comes out dense and crumbly
Hi Teresa, 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!
I’ve baked with yeast for decades, but never a sandwich loaf. I used King Arthur Golden Wheat flour, substituting one cup of it for KA bread flour. I seldom have whole milk so I did a 1:1 ratio of 2% to the 1/2 and 1/2 that’s always in the fridge. Oh. My. Goodness! Light, soft, great texture. This has worked for me twice now, with the second loaf better than the first! A friend saw my post and picture of it on FaceBook, and wants a loaf for his birthday!
Thank you so much for this recipe.
Do you activate the yeast first before adding the flour for the sponge?
No need to for the sponge.
Guys this bread is fabulous. I rarely rate and review so take please believe me when I say this bread is really good. I made a loaf and in one day it was 3/4 gone and I’m going to have to make another one.
This was an excellent recipe! I had a major fail using a previous recipe but this was so soft. I used 1/2 wheat and 1/2 white flour. It was a hit! Thanks again!
This was an excellent recipe! I had a major fail using a previous recipe but this was so soft. I used 1/2 wheat and 1/2 white flour. It was a hit! Thanks again!
Can I make this bread in a bread machine? Do I have to modify anything?
Hi Oana, 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!
This bread was VERY good! My wife says this is the best 100% whole wheat she has tasted. She has requested that I double the recipe next time.
Can I use olive oil instead of butter?
Hi Minal, we recommend butter for the best taste and texture, but you can substitute the same amount of oil if needed.
I used clarified butter ( desi ghee) (indian style). same amount as butter.turned out to be so delicious
I just made the bread minutes ago.. it was so tasty and doesn’t has that yeasty smell. Thank God i found your page..
Please make more wholewheat and eggless recipies.