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
Do you have Nutritional values for your recipes based on serving size. I added up all of the ingredients for this wheat bread it comes out to 1903 calories. Depending on the size of slices, I can figure what is in a single slice, but wondered if you have a rubric already set up with this information?
Hi Barbard, 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
Can I use olive oil instead of butter?
Hi Shelly, we recommend butter for the best taste and texture, but you can substitute the same amount of oil if needed.
I just pulled my first loaf made with 100% whole wheat flour out of the oven. I could have used a larger loaf pan, it looks like. I am going to wait until it’s completely cool to slice into it, but it looks phenomenal.
I had never made bread in my life, but picked this recipe at random, and very glad that I did. I substituted 1 cup of all purpose flour in place of all whole wheat flour. The loaf of bread came out perfectly and was delicious. I wish that I knew how to add a photo to this comment. I will continue to use this same recipe in the future.
Hi Sally,
Thank you to your amazing recipe, I followed the recipe and I trusted the process and it came out good
I was wondering if it’s very important to let the sponge rise at room temp? I usually let things rise in a warm oven, but would that work in this case? Thanks!
Hi AB, We recommend letting the dough rise in a relatively warm environment for 1.5–2 hours or until about double in size. If you would like to use your oven, see the answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in our Baking With Yeast Guide.
I made two loaves of this wonderfully delicious bread the other day and I’m making two more today. This bread has a nice crust and soft inside, it and rose well above my loaf pans. I was so happy it tured out so well. I have tried and failed many times at making whole wheat bread because I always like to make multiple loaves at a time. It always turned out heavy and didn’t rise so well. In your instructions you explain why you need to make individual loaves. I like that you explain the science of it all. This is now my go to recipe. Thank you Sally for sharing all of your delicious recipes. ♡
I try your recipe today it’s amazing thank you so much for sharing, I just have a question if I want to bake three loaf and up in the same time do I add more time or more temperature please help me I like to share a lots of loaves to family
Hi Pj, the bake time may be a little longer if baking three loaves at once – it will depend on your oven. Keep an eye on them as they bake. The bread is done when an instant-read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195–200°F (90–93°C).
Not much of a fan for whole wheat bread, but I had some whole wheat flour to use up. Found your website and made the whole wheat bread, even brushed the egg white on top and added the sprinkle of oatmeal. Your instructions are very clear and the bread came out so delicious, that my adult kids ate 3/4 of the loaf & left me with the rest! Seems like this one will be kept in the recipe box! Thank you for sharing your passion.
Hello Sally,
Thank you for your amazing recipes. I would like to ask about one thing. My dough didn’t rise to double in the 1st rise and same with the 2nd rise in the loaf pan. It only rose to about half the pan. Also, my bread dough developed cracks in the loaf pan while rising. Hope you can answer me on this so I can have an improved experience next time.
Hi Pooja, there are a few different reasons why yeasted breads may not rise. We’d recommend taking a look at our Baking with Yeast Guide in the section titled “What if My Dough Isn’t Rising?” to see if any of those reasons may be the culprit. If the dough was tearing too, it sounds like under kneading may be to blame here. Let us know if we can help troubleshoot further!
Hey,
I’m entirely new to baking, will I need to adjust any temperatures or anything if I’m baking in a glass bread pan?
Hi Dhahran, no need to lower the temperature, but bake time may take a few minutes longer. Keep a close eye on your loaf. Hope you enjoy the bread!
I struggled with making a wheat bread that sliced well for sandwiches. This recipe with it’s very detailed steps was just what I needed!
I use instant yeast, and did reduce the rise times about a third. I also solely used water (bottled), and subbed brown sugar for honey.
Fabulous taste and texture.
Looking for advice! Every time I go to bake my bread it turns out lumpy in the oven. Is there anything I can do? I use the second to last rack. Please help!
Hi Dallas, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. How does the dough look before it’s baked? Is it lumpy then, too? Dough that has not been kneaded, or hasn’t been kneaded long enough, appears lumpy, doesn’t stretch very well, and tears easily. If your dough is like this, it needs more kneading. Keep kneading it until it’s smooth, stretchy, and more pliable. This How to Knead Dough and Baking with Yeast Guide may be helpful to review, too. Let us know if we can help troubleshoot further!
In case this helps anyone, I figured out what was causing the lumpiness! I was only rolling out the dough on one side which was causing bubbles to form on the other side due to it being stretched. Rolling out and then flipping, and rolling out again before shaping into the loaf fixed my problem.
Whats the total carbs per loaf?
Hi AP, 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
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I’ve had so many stomach issues with store bought bread, I’ve now made this recipe 3 times and love it. No more digestive issues with this bread. My first two loaves were a little dry, but still great tasting. I figured out my mistake and made a perfect loaf today. I appreciate your easy to follow step by step instructions. I can’t thank you enough, now I can eat bread again.
I have made this recipe several times and during baking my loaf starts becoming lumpy! I use the exact ingredients and proofing process as instructed, and it always goes smoothly until we get to baking. I use the second to last rack in my oven. Please tell me if there’s anything I can do!
Can this recipe be made in a bread machine ? If so, would I still make the sponge first then after 90 minutes add all to the machine ?
Hi Brenda, 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!
Do you have the nutritional info for this recipe? It’s excellent!
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 just made this recipe… I’m so impressed!! Perfect recipe!
I love this recipe! Comes out just as you described. Question: what is the best way of storing the freshly baked bread? Putting it in a plastic bag seems to change the texture.
Many thanks!
We use a plastic bag or an air-tight container. The moisture from the bread will change the texture a little after the first day.
Hi Sally! I’m super excited to back this whole wheat sandwich loaf! I was wondering if I could make the sponge a day ahead and allow it to develop flavor in the fridge overnight and then do the rise at room temp the next day. I’ve used a similar technique with the pâté fermente in a French banquette recipe I have, and was curious if it would work here. Thanks for your advice!
Hi Joyce, Yes you can! See the overnight instructions in the recipe notes (under the recipe) for details.
This is the best whole wheat bread i have ever used! The previous recipe that i used was extremely dense and hard. This is such a great recipe! Will suggest to others!!!
This is such a great recipe. I was blown away with how light and airy the bread was. Absolutely delicious and hands down the best whole wheat loaf I’ve ever made. I did have to add an extra couple tbsp of flour as it was quite sticky, but it eventually was just tacky and kneaded well. I baked in a 9x4x4 Pullman pan (without the lid 🙂 ) and it turned out fantastic. I tented with foil about 25 minutes in, then baked an extra 15 min or so after that until internal temp hit 200. Will definitely be making this again!
Hello! When freezing this bread, would it work to slice it first and then freeze in individual slices?
Hi Allison, while you can, we do find the best defrosted texture when freezing the loaf and then slicing afterwards.
I am just experimenting with making bread, and this recipe other than taking time turned out great. Your instructions were easy to follow. I will use this recipe again.
Hi Sally, have you ever tried doubling the recipe and letting kneaded dough for one loaf sit in the frig for a couple days to rise? So for example, bake one loaf Sunday, let the rest of the dough cold proof in the fridge for a couple days and then bake on Wednesday? Anyone else? Thanks!
Hi Rachel! For best results, we 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.
GREAT RECIPE//AFTER YEARS OF TRYING TO MAKE TASTY WHOLE WHEAT BREAD, THIS IS A GOOD RECIPE!
I make this bread every week! It’s delicious, and much healthier and
Tastier than store bought bread. Plus, baking at home allows diners to avoid more than double the ingredients of store-brought bread, many of which are not nutritional OR necessary. I’m just curious how long a loaf takes to cool. I don’t want to leave it out in open overnight but am afraid to store in
Ziplock bags too soon. ThANKS!
Ellie
Fantastic flavor and easy process. That said, the ultimate texture was so soft it was hard to slice and crumbled in my hands.
I used the dough hook for the entire kneading process and never used my hands because the dough was too sticky. I’m not certain whether my hydration was off or gluten formation too low, but next time I’ll add more flour and switch to hand kneading once the second round of ingredients are combined.
Excited to keep playing with this!
I’ve tried multiple whole wheat sandwich bread recipes this week, and they all came out very dense or didn’t rise. This recipe came out perfectly the very first time and it’ll be my go-to from now on!
I made this today using organic sprouted whole wheat flour( subbing just 1 cup of organic all purpose in the initial step). It turned out amazing! Thank-you for perfecting this delicious recipe. Now I never have to scroll through bread recipes again, as I don’t think there would be another that comes even close to this one!