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Hi Bold Bakers!
Whole wheat bread is a grocery store aisle staple and a must-have for a lot of families when making a good (and sometimes day-altering) sandwich. Have you ever tried and failed to make whole wheat bread? Maybe it turned out too dense, didn’t rise, was as heavy as a brick, or the end product ended up too doughy? Don’t worry, a lot of home bakers and professional bakers have been there also.
My Homemade Whole Wheat Bread for Sandwiches, adapted from this great recipe I found at AmbitiousKitchen.com, follows a simple rule to a perfectly soft, fluffy wheat bread.
As a bonus — this delicious bread is also secretly healthier than regular bread. It’s made with flaxseed, which has omega 3 fatty acids, pumpkin seeds and oats, high in antioxidants, sunflower seeds that pack in vitamins and minerals, and wholemeal flour wheat, which is high in fiber.
Whole Wheat Flour vs. All-Purpose Flour
Wheat kernels are made up of three parts: bran, germ, and endosperm.
White flour is filtered, so only the endosperm, the starchy bit between the bran and germ, is the only part that is used. However, whole wheat flour is processed to include all three parts — making a bread full of vitamins and fibers and helps us feel full for longer.
What You Need To Make Whole Wheat Bread
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Mixing bowls
- 9×5 inch loaf pan
How To Make Homemade Whole Wheat Bread
One of the major benefits of making your whole wheat bread at home is knowing exactly what ingredients are included. Avoid any unnecessary additives by dodging the bread aisle and making whole wheat bread using the following instructions (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below):
- Combine all of your dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until they are combined.
- In a separate jug, stir together the milk, butter, and honey. Using either a microwave or a stovetop, heat this mixture until the butter has melted and the milk is slightly warmed.
- Add the wet ingredients to the ball of the dry ingredients and mix until your dough has come together and forms a ball. I do this step by hand so I can feel what is going on with the dough.
- Place the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it with your hands for 8-10 minutes. You could also use the dough hook on an electric mixer to knead the dough at this stage.
- Grease a large bowl with oil and place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise for around 90 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.
- Shape the dough into a 9-inch long log and pinch the seams underneath. Place it into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan. Cover the loaf with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and allow it to rise again for 70-90 minutes or until the loaf has risen an inch above the rim. You will want to watch your dough to make sure it doesn’t rise too much, or it may deflate.
- Carefully brush the top of the dough with egg wash and sprinkle a few more oats, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds on top of the dough to garnish.
- Bake in a preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for 35-40 minutes, or until loaf is golden brown on top and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and place on the wire rack to finish cooling for at least 2 hours. You will want to wait until it is properly cooled before cutting into it, though it is tempting. Otherwise, the texture will change.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Whole Wheat Bread
- Store whole wheat flour in the fridge or freezer to keep it fresh for longer. Otherwise, the oils in it can go rancid.
- Double the recipe to make 2 loaves: one for eating now while the other you put in the freezer for later.
- Slice and freeze the loaf so you have bread ready for toast.
- Add in different seeds for your crust!
- Don’t use all whole wheat flour! You will have a very heavy loaf. Do a ratio of roughly 2 white flour to 1 whole wheat flour.
How To Store Homemade Whole Wheat Bread
Bread can be wrapped tightly and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. However, this recipe freezes wonderfully and makes great toast! Before freezing, slice your loaf, so it is ready to pop into the toaster.
Make More Bread!
- Sourdough Starter Guide
- Perfectly Crusty Sourdough Loaf For Beginners
- No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread
- White Sandwich Bread
- Hearty No-Yeast Bread
And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!
Full (and printable) recipe below!
Try These Recipes!
Watch The Recipe Video!
Homemade Whole Wheat Bread Recipe for Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2 cups (10oz/280g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (3¾oz/105g) whole wheat flour
- 1/3 cup (1oz/28g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ teaspoons instant dried yeast
- 1 cup (8floz/240ml) whole milk
- 3 tablespoons (1½oz/43g) butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- egg wash to glaze
- extra oats and seeds for topping
Instructions
- In a large bowl add all of the dry ingredients (everything from white flour — yeast) and mix with a wooden spoon until combined.
- In a separate jug, stir together the milk, butter and honey. Heat this mix until the butter has melted and the milk is warmed slightly. You can do this in the microwave or on the stovetop
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with until your dough comes together and forms a ball. I like to do this step with my hands so you can feel what is going on with the dough.
- Place dough onto a well-floured surface and knead the dough with your hands for roughly 8-10 minutes. Alternatively use the dough hook on your electric mixer to knead the dough.
- Grease a large bowl lightly with some oil and place in the dough. Cover with plastic wrap (or a shower cap) and a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise for about 90 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Next, grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. After the dough has risen, shape into a 9-inch long log and pinch the seams underneath. Place in a prepared pan, seam side down.
- Cover the loaf with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and allow it to rise again for 70-90 minutes or until the loaf has risen an inch above the rim. Watch carefully because you don't want the dough to rise too much or it can deflate.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Carefully brush the top of the dough with egg wash. Sprinkle a few more oats, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds on top of the dough to garnish.
- Bake for roughly 35-40 minutes or until loaf is golden brown on top and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove bread from pan and place on a wire rack to finish cooling for at least 2 hours. Do not cut the bread before it is completely cooled or the texture will change.
- Bread should be wrapped tightly and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. It also freezes very well and makes great toast.
Hai the bread came out amazing definitely better than regular store bought. We ask you so many questions and you are always available to help us out with them. There is not even one question of mine that you didn’t answer. It takes a lot of determination and effort to be this professional and helpful (especially with a baby around). You inspire and make regular people into bold bakers all over the world. Thank you so much.
Gemma,
Thank you for this amazing recipe! It is so soft, delicious and super easy. I love it. I really enjoy the fact that it all can be done by hand and I don’t need to pull out my heavy mixer. I have tried other recipes in the past and the dough was always a wet and very sticky mess and incredibly hard to work with. Not this one. It was perfection!!! Everyone, please try this!
Would this recipe be ok to make in a breadmaker? Wanted to say that I love your site and your recipes, especially the idea of making your own things like cream cheese and condensed milk. Have always had successes with everything i make from your ideas. Many many thanks. You’re the greatest!!
Turned out to be amazing! Added multigrain flour instead of whole wheat to make it even more healthier! Lots of seeds, my go to bread recipients now. Thanks a ton Gemma
The bread came out lovely. We always ask you all the questions and you are always there to help us. There is not even one question of mine which was not answered by you (even the dumbest ones????). I would like to thank you so much for the help. It takes a lot to be this professional and dedicated (especially with a baby around) you are an inspiration. Thank you so much.
Make this bread all the time. A keeper and a favorite. I was wondering if I can freeze the bread? If so do I freeze before baking or after?
I made this today and I have to say that ALL of us (all 3 of us) really like it! My husband gave it the highest compliment when he said “This is a definite do-over!” (meaning that he wants me to make it again. My son said, “I’m having to force myself not to eat the entire loaf!” So yeah, this is a hit. It will be going into my “Tried and True” recipe binder. Gemma, I did the egg wash as the recipe said to do (so that the seeds would stick), but the crust on the top got… Read more »
Hi Gemma!
Absolutely delighted to tell you that this recipe worked out really well. I used the convection oven of my microwave and it took me 25 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. Thanks to you, bread baking doesn’t intimidate me so much anymore! But still need to work on my cake. Yet to get that right. It’s well-cooked and moist, but the edges crumble and the center portion inside is not that well-cooked. Do let me know if you have any tips please.
Thank you again!
Love,
Priya
Surely going to try it soon
Normally I like to try recipes as they’re written before making alterations (every one of your recipes I’ve tried have worked well as is), however, I was looking for whole wheat sourdough sandwich bread and you didn’t have one on your site. I found this one and it looked amazing, so I thought I would try this one out as a sourdough. I omitted the yeast and added about 2/3 cup of my starter (Also had to omit the seeds for health reasons). I left it in a cold room for a slow proof (around 16 hours I think), and… Read more »