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!
Making Whole Wheat Bread is easier thank you think.
Making Whole Wheat Bread is easier thank you think.This is my mom’s wheat bread recipe we’ve been making for decades and anyone can make it; it’s that easy!
I love that it only requires 1 rise (not 2, like our white bread recipe). Also, whole grain wheat bread is healthier because whole wheat flour has more vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
What really sets our wheat bread recipe apart is it’s extra soft and moist from the vital wheat gluten and Greek yogurt, which can be hard to achieve with wheat bread! I also love that this recipe makes 2 loaves so you can freeze the second, or gift it to a friend. Food gifts are the best gifts, after all :-).
For true greatness, serve each slice with a little butter and strawberry jam or raspberry jam. It also makes great wheat bread for sandwiches!
Check out all of my bread recipes like White Bread, Artisan Bread, Oatmeal Bread, Protein Banana Bread, or these easy English Muffins!
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
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Recipe
Whole Wheat Bread
Equipment
- Stand Mixer (Optional)
Ingredients
- 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
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
Nutrition
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*I originally shared this recipe February 2015. Updated February 2019 and January 2022 and January 2025.
Recipe adapted from Bosch.
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Hi Lauren, this is the fastest bread I have EVER made. I think it was about two hrs. in total for two beautiful loaves. I used equal parts of Canadian Red Fife, Canadian W.W. and Canadian unbleached bread flour. I did not bother with the vital wheat gluten at all. This recipe is almost effortless and fool proof. Anyone new at breadmaking should give this recipe a twirl. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
We are so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for trying it!
Hi, I plan on making the whole wheat bread, but can you use the whole wheat flour instead? Or do you have to use the white whole wheat flour?