Whole Wheat Bread

The best Whole Wheat Bread recipe is light, soft, and fluffy! Made with 100% whole wheat flour and sweetened with honey, this bread vanishes instantly, it’s so good!

How to make Whole Wheat Bread:

Spray bread loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper.

Make Dough: In a mixing bowl or a stand mixer, stir 4.5 cups wheat flour and yeast, then add warm water and mix. Cover bowl and rest for 15 minutes. Stir in vital wheat gluten, salt, melted butter, honey, and greek yogurt and mix well. Add 1 ½ cups of flour and mix well. Add a little more flour at a time as needed, until the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl.

Knead: Use a stand mixer and knead dough for 5 minutes (or by hand for 10 minutes). The dough should be smooth and elastic and not overly sticky.

Shape: Divide dough into two equal pieces and form into oval loaves and place in prepared loaf pans. (I like to press each dough ball flat into a rectangle and roll it into a tight log).

Rise: Cover dough with a lightweight kitchen towel and allow to rise for about an hour, or until it has risen above the tops of the pans. *See recipe card notes for quick rise trick.

Bake: Place both bread pans on the middle rack of your cold oven. Turn oven to 350°F and let the bread bake in there for 30-38 minutes, until the tops are golden.

Serve: Remove bread from oven and run the end of a stick of cold butter over the top of the hot bread. Invert from pan and cool on wire rack. Slice homemade whole wheat bread and enjoy with chia seed jam, or in a sandwich.

Store leftover bread in a bread bag on the countertop for up to 3 days, or in the fridge. The bread also freezes well for up to 3 months, in an air-tight freezer safe bag.

Uses for Stale leftover Bread:

Whole wheat bread may start to dry out after 2-3 days, but don’t toss it! Use it for:

• Breadcrumbs: Let the bread dry out completely then pulse into crumbs using a food processor or blender.
• French Toast or French Toast Casserole
• Bread Pudding
• Thanksgiving Stuffing

Recipe

4.94 from 96 votes

Whole Wheat Bread

Our easy Whole Wheat Bread recipe is light and soft and made with 100% whole wheat flour and sweetened with honey.

Print Pin Review

Author Lauren Allen

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 20

Calories 162

Cost 5

Prep 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Cook 30 minutes mins

Total 1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Save Recipe

Equipment

• Stand Mixer (Optional)
• Loaf Pan

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 6-7 cups white whole wheat flour*
• ▢ 2 3/4 cups + 2 Tablespoons warm water
• ▢ 1 1/4 Tablespoons instant yeast* , or active dry yeast
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon vital wheat gluten*
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon salt
• ▢ 1/4 cup unsalted butter , melted
• ▢ 1/3 cup honey
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt , or sour cream

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• To a Mixing Bowl or Stand Mixer: Add 4.5 cups wheat flour and yeast and stir to combine. Add warm water and mix.
• Cover and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
• Add vital wheat gluten, salt, melted butter, honey, Greek yogurt and mix well. 
• Knead: Add 1 ½ cups of flour and mix. Mix well and watch the dough; it should begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If needed, add more flour, a little at a time, until it does. Knead the dough with your stand mixer for 5 minutes (or by hand for 10 minutes). The dough should be smooth and elastic.
• Prepare Pans: Spray bread pans with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottom of the pans with parchment.
• Shape: Turn dough out onto a lightly greased or floured countertop and divide it into two equal pieces. Press each portion into a rectangle about 9 inches long and then roll tightly into a log. Place in prepared pans.
• Rise: Cover with a lightweight kitchen towel and rise for about an hour, or until the dough is rounded over the tops of the pans. *See notes for quick rise trick.
• Bake: Place both bread pans on the middle rack of a cold oven. Turn the oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 30-38 minutes, until the tops are golden. 
• Remove from oven and smooth a stick of cold butter over the tops of the hot bread. Invert bread onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
• Store leftover bread in a bread bag on the countertop for up to 3 days, or in the fridge. See notes, for freezing instructions.

Notes

Whole Wheat Flour: I recommend White Whole Wheat Flour (same nutrients as hard/red whole wheat, with lighter taste and texture). 

Vital Wheat Gluten found in the baking aisle. Whole wheat flour is low-protein, so this is essential to add softness and structure. 

Yeast must be fresh/new or the bread dough won’t rise as it should. You can use active dry yeast or instant.

Honey: could substitute agave or granulated sugar.

Favorite Loaf Pans: These 8.5×4.5 inch loaf pans are my favorite because the bread bakes taller. A 9×5 inch loaf pan will also work.

Quick Rise Tip: Heat oven to 200 degrees F, then turn it OFF. Place bread pans in the oven (uncovered) and leave oven door open a crack. Allow bread to rise for 20-30 minutes, until domed just above the top of the pans. Leave the bread in the oven while you preheat it to 350 degrees F. Bake bread for about 30 minutes.

Stand Mixer: I’ve always loved my Bosch mixer but have heard great things about Ankarsrum mixers. Knead the bread by hand if you don’t have a stand mixer. 

Bread Machine: Cut recipe in half for one loaf and make in your bread machine.

Storage Instructions: Store bread in a bread bag at room temp up to 3 days, or in the fridge.

Freezing Instructions: Transfer cooled bread to a freezer safe bag and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, set it on the counter until it comes to room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 162kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 5gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 352mgPotassium: 139mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 74IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg

Create a FREE Account to save your favorite recipes and create meal plans

Create free account

*I originally shared this recipe February 2015. Updated February 2019 and January 2022 and January 2025.

Recipe adapted from Bosch.

This post contains affiliate links.