The Very BEST Whole Wheat Bread is the softest, moistest, fluffiest, freshest-staying, homemade, 100% whole wheat bread you’ve ever tried!
This bread, y’all. This bread. I titled this Whole Wheat Bread recipe “the BEST” and I’m not even exaggerating here. I’ve baked many a whole wheat bread recipe over the years, and this one is head-and-shoulders above the rest.
Hundreds of raving comments (since I first published this recipe six years ago) can’t be wrong…right?! So I decided to update this old post with tons of additional information and tips to help ensure your bread making success!
THE BEST Whole Wheat Bread
Here’s the deal…what makes this bread so amazing is that it stays soft and fresh for days after it’s been baked.
Just about all homemade bread tastes fabulous fresh out of the oven. But then whatever isn’t initially eaten tends to dry out a bit as the days stretch on, particularly in the case of wheat bread.
But this bread is just as good on the third day (if it lasts that long!) as it was on the first. Seriously! I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t experienced it first hand myself. It’s like store-bought, stay-soft bread without the preservatives. Forgive me for going all Scarlett O’Hara on you, but as God is my witness, I’ll never make another whole wheat bread recipe again!
The Best Whole Wheat Flour for Bread Baking
One of my bread making tricks is that I like to use white whole wheat flour when I make bread. Even though it has the word “white” in its title, this flour is 100% whole wheat.
Traditional whole wheat flour is milled from red wheat; white whole wheat flour is milled from (hard) white wheat. Its lighter grain results in a milder flavor and lighter texture than the whole wheat flour to which most of us are accustomed.
Don’t be fooled by the taste, though…white whole wheat flour is unrefined and 100% whole wheat! It’s nutritionally the same as its red wheat cousin. I buy King Arthur brand unbleached white whole wheat flour, but I’m sure there are other brands out there that would work just as well.
How to Make the Best Whole Wheat Bread
Not only does this whole wheat bread turn out better than most, but the recipe is actually simpler to make than most! Some of the steps may seem a bit unconventional to an experienced bread maker. But if you give this recipe a chance, I think you’ll be pleased with the results.
- Fit your stand mixer with a dough hook. Measure out flour, vital wheat gluten, and instant dry yeast into the bowl and mix until combined.
- Pour in very warm water (between 120°F and 130°F) and mix for one minute. The water needs to be hot enough to activate the yeast but not so hot that it kills it.
Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes. - Uncover the bowl.
Beat in salt, oil, honey, and lemon juice. - Add more flour, mixing it in one cup at a time until well incorporated. Allow the dough hook to knead the dough until it becomes smooth instead of sticky and pulls away from the side of the bowl.
This typically takes 10 to 15 minutes but may take as little as 5 minutes. - Grease and/or line your pans and set aside.
- Turn on the oven to 350°F. After exactly one minute, turn it back off. This will preheat the oven to lukewarm…just enough to give your loaves the perfect warm spot to rise!
- Turn the dough out onto a greased surface.
Divide it equally in half and shape it into two loaves.
Transfer the loaves to the prepared bread pans, pressing the dough into the corners.
- Place the pans in the warm oven and allow them to rise for 20 to 40 minutes, or until they are nicely domed and as high as you wish your final whole wheat bread loaves to be.
- Once the loaves have risen to your liking, turn on the oven to 350°F WITHOUT TAKING THE BREAD OUT OF THE OVEN. Set the timer for 30 minutes. I know, I know…sounds weird. But trust me.
- Your bread is done when it’s golden brown on top with an internal temperature from 190°F to 200°F on an instant-read thermometer. Turn the hot loaves out onto a rack to cool completely.
Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Beat in salt, oil, honey, and lemon juice.
This typically takes 10 to 15 minutes but may take as little as 5 minutes.
Divide it equally in half and shape it into two loaves.
Transfer the loaves to the prepared bread pans, pressing the dough into the corners.
And that’s it. One step at a time…you can do this!
What’s a Bread Sponge?
Let’s talk about step #2 for a moment, shall we? I believe that the biggest factor that makes this bread stay so soft and fresh is the step in the recipe calling for you to make a sponge. Now I’m not talking about the kind of sponge you keep by your kitchen sink. In bread making, a sponge is a very moist dough that just begins to rise as it gives the yeast a head start. After it’s had some time to do its magic, you add more flour and ingredients and proceed with the recipe. The sponge in this recipe only needs to sit for about 10 minutes. But apparently that’s all it takes to achieve this bread’s wonderful texture.
Ingredient Substitutions
For optimal results, make this whole wheat bread as directed. However, the recipe will still work (and even turn out great) incorporating a variety of substitutes. Just keep in mind that changing the ingredients may result in a different taste and/or texture in your final loaves. Switching ingredients could also require you to tweak an amount or a step, such as needing to add extra flour and/or kneading a bit longer to achieve the proper dough consistency. But if you’re willing to experiment a bit, people have had success with the following substitutions…
(NOTE: Many of the below recipe tweaks have been taken from the comment section. I have not tried all of these substitutes myself.)
- Flour. You can make this recipe with regular (as opposed to “white”) whole wheat flour. Or you may substitute all-purpose white flour for around half of the whole wheat flour. You may also use freshly ground whole wheat flour (milled from red wheat or white wheat). Just keep in mind that fresh milled flour is much “airier,” so you may need to allow it some time to pack down before measuring it out…or just plan on using extra flour, as necesary. Also, with any flour substitution, you may need to slightly adjust the amount of flour added at the end of the recipe. For example, if the dough seems extra sticky and doesn’t start pulling away from the bowl in a timely manner, you can work in additional flour (one spoonful at a time) until the texture seems right.
- Vital Wheat Gluten. This ingredient helps whole wheat bread recipes rise, and it encourages soft and chewy loaves with that stay-fresh quality. That being said, if you don’t have any on hand or prefer not to use it, many people report having made this bread successfully while leaving out the vital wheat gluten.
- Yeast. I recommend using instant dry yeast (sometimes called “quick rise” or “rapid rise”), as directed in the recipe. You might have success if trying regular active dry yeast…but then again, maybe not. 😉 If you do decide to gamble on active dry yeast, my research indicates that to substitute it for instant dry yeast, you should multiply the amount by 1.25.
- Lemon Juice. If you don’t have any lemon juice on hand, you may substitute another type of acid in its place. Orange juice, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar would all work.
- Honey. You may reduce the honey, if you wish. Also, maple syrup or agave may be substituted for the honey.
Other Recipe Notes
- The stand mixer pictured in this post is a classic, 5-quart, tilt-head KitchenAid.
- You may halve this recipe to make only one loaf of bread.
- You can also make this bread by hand…just prepare your muscles for all of that kneading.
- People have also reported success in halving the ingredients and making this recipe in a bread maker. But I don’t own a bread maker and I’m not sure of the specifics…so you may have to experiment on that one. 😉
Avoiding Sticking
The only difficulty that I ran into the first time I made this bread is that it stuck to my loaf pans, despite the fact that I had generously greased them. Nonstick pans are recommended for this recipe, so if you’ve got ’em, use ’em! But since I prefer baking in my stoneware pans, I figured out a way around not using nonstick.
I grease my pans with coconut oil and then line them with parchment paper, using the coconut oil to adhere the paper to the pan. I find that if I cut a piece of parchment paper the length of each pan and allow it to somewhat stick out the sides, then I only need to cut two small pieces of paper per pan for the ends that remain uncovered. The key is pressing the parchment paper down and smoothing it as much as possible so you don’t end up with a bunch of creases in your bread.
How to Store Your Whole Wheat Bread
This recipe makes two loaves, so I like to keep one wrapped (I use Glad Press ‘n Seal) and stored in the pantry for eating. The second loaf I keep wrapped up in the refrigerator until we’re ready to enjoy it.
I have a bread box, but I still prefer keeping my loaf wrapped inside of the bread box. And when I cut off the first slice, I store that end piece pressed against the cut end of the loaf as a kind of “cap” to help prevent it from drying out. When we’re ready for the second loaf, I take it out of the fridge and store it at room temperature in the bread box.
Since this is fresh homemade bread with no preservatives, it will start to mold after several days. So keeping that second loaf in the fridge until we’re ready for it buys us some extra time. You could also successfully freeze the second loaf if you prefer. However, we usually eat it soon/fast enough that refrigerating suffices.
If it takes your family awhile to work through two loaves of bread, another winning alternative would be to give the second loaf away! I mean, who wouldn’t love the thoughtful gesture of freshly-baked homemade bread?
If you have never baked homemade bread before, I encourage you to try it. It may seem intimidating at first and the various steps do take a bit of time, but overall, it truly is easy. And if you are already an expert baker, then I hope you’ll add this recipe to your repertoire!
Now go forth and make bread!
And psssst…if you happen to love this bread recipe, I actually adapted it to make The Very BEST Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls! Your holiday table won’t be the same without ’em. 😉
Whole Wheat Bread Video
Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
The Very BEST Whole Wheat Bread
Ingredients
Step 1:
- 3 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1/3 cup vital wheat gluten
- 4 teaspoons instant dry yeast ("quick rise" or "rapid rise")
Step 2:
- 2 1/2 cups very warm water, 120°F to 130°F
Step 3:
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled (OR vegetable oil)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
Step 4:
- 2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together 3 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour, vital wheat gluten, and quick-rise yeast until well combined.
- Add the water and mix for one minute, scraping down bowl halfway through. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Uncover the bowl and add the salt, oil, honey, and lemon juice. Beat for 1 minute.
- Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of flour, one cup at a time, mixing well between each cup. Knead the dough in the mixer (still using the dough hook) until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and feels smooth rather than sticky. This usually takes 10 to 15 minutes, but if your dough pulls away and loses its stickiness sooner, it could take as little as 5 minutes.
- Grease two nonstick bread pans measuring 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 1/2" to 9" x 5" x 3" each (or grease two regular bread pans and then line them with parchment paper). Preheat the oven to lukewarm by setting it to 350°F and then turning it back off after exactly 1 minute.
- Turn the dough onto a greased surface. Evenly divide it into two loaves. Form and place the dough into the prepared bread pans, gently pressing it into the corners.
- Place the pans in the warm oven and allow them to rise for 20 to 40 minutes, until the dough is nicely domed above the tops of the pans. Without removing the pans from the oven, turn on the oven to 350°F and set the timer for 30 minutes. The bread is done when the tops are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190°F to 200°F on an instant-read thermometer. Once the loaves are baked, immediately remove the hot bread from the pans to cool on a rack.
Notes
- I use coconut oil in this recipe. It works wonderfully and doesn't make the bread taste like coconut at all. However, you may use sunflower, safflower, or another light-flavored vegetable oil, if you prefer.
- Kneading and rising times are approximate and depend on many different variables. The dough must be kneaded until it pulls away from the bowl and is no longer sticky, even if that takes shorter or longer than 10 to 15 minutes. Also, the dough should be allowed to rise in the pans until it is as high as you want your final bread to be.
- White whole wheat flour is 100% whole wheat flour that yields a lighter taste and texture than regular whole wheat flour.
- Other types of flour (regular whole wheat flour, all-purpose white flour, freshly milled wheat flour, etc.) may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour in this recipe. Just keep in mind that the final flavor and texture of the bread may turn out different. Also, if you use an alternate flour (particularly freshly milled flour, which can be less dense), you may need to slightly adjust the amount of flour added at the end of the recipe. For example, if the dough seems extra sticky and doesn't start pulling away from the bowl, you can work in additional flour, one teaspoon at a time, until the texture seems right.
- If you don't have any lemon juice on hand, you may substitute another type of acid in its place (such as white vinegar or apple cider vinegar).
- Vital wheat gluten helps whole wheat bread recipes rise and yield soft and chewy loaves. That being said, if you don't have any on hand or prefer not to use it, many people report having made this bread successfully leaving out the vital wheat gluten.
Recipe adapted from Deals to Meals.
Post originally published on July 8, 2013.
More Whole Wheat Goodies
- Homemade Whole Wheat Pancake Mix
- Whole Wheat Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- One-Bowl Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Homemade Whole Wheat Waffle Mix
ANGELA HERNANDEZ says
Hi Samantha,
Thank you for sharing the recipe on your tasty wheat bread. It’s not only giving me an option how to maintain it’s freshness but you’ve perfectly share on how to do it.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
You’re welcome, Angela…enjoy!
Mary says
I’m trying this bread for the first time. Is there really only one rise? Most bread recipes I’ve made in the past have two rises. I’m going to go ahead and do two rises and see what happens.
Letitia says
This looks delicious! I’m sorry if this has already been asked, but where do you find wheat gluten? I love baking bread but have only ever used just yeast. Thank you in advance!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Letitia! I find vital wheat gluten at my regular grocery store, but it is a rather large store. It’s typically in the baking aisle, near the other less common flours and starches. But if your regular store doesn’t carry it, you should definitely be able to find it at a health food or whole foods-type store. The brand I find around here is Bob’s Red Mill. Other common brands are Arrowhead Mills and King Arthur Flour. If you can’t find it on a store, you can always order it online. A small bag will last a long time! Good luck!
Jackie Yap says
Hi Samantha,
This great recipe of yours is definitely a keeper! Read all the comments here and have gathered a wealth of information for a first timer like me…thanks so much for sharing this recipe. My bread turned out soft and moist, so pleased 😉
God bless..
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
I’m so happy you liked it, Jackie! There are a ton of comments on this recipe but I agree that it’s worth reading them for lots of extra details. 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to comment…hope your 2015 is off to a great start!
SONIA says
Oh my Lord! I just made your recipe for The Very Best Homemade Whole Wheat Bread
and it’s to die for! Honestly you are not kidding when you say it’s the best! This is absolutely delicious and for certain will be the only recipe I do from now on.
The only thing I did different was use coconul oil (melted) instead of vegetable oil.
I too, am a fan of coconut oil.
Will be trying those granola bars soon.
Thanks for the recipe! Way better than store bought!
Sonia Lander
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
I’m so glad you love this bread, Sonia! It really is the best whole wheat recipe, and I’m relieved that all of the many commenters have agreed with me on that point so far — ha. 😉 I have lots of other coconut oil recipes on the site, so I hope you enjoy trying a few more of them. 🙂 Have a wonderful rest of the week, and thanks for taking the time to comment!
Jen says
Hi! In step 2 you mention to beat for one minute and also in between adding each cup of flour. Is this just meant to be done with dough hook or a different attachment? Sorry….I’m a novice
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Jen! No apologies necessary…that’s a great question! Yes, you use the dough hook throughout this entire recipe…no need to switch out attachments. I hope this bread turns out well for you…good luck! 🙂
And I apologize for my delayed reply…I try to keep up with my comments but this past week I fell behind. 🙁
Jen says
No worries 😉 Thanks for the reply – can’t wait to try it!!
SONIA says
I made your recipe for The Very Best Whole Wheat Bread. I was blown away! So easy, fast and truly delicious. I can honestly say I can delete all my other recipes because this one is a keeper. Thanks for sharing it.
I have a question… Can I use this dough to make pizza?
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Sonia! I know I answered your question via Facebook, but I wanted to answer it here as well in case others are wondering the same thing. 🙂 No, I have not tried using this dough as a pizza crust, but I hope you’ll let me know how it turns out if you try it! Have a great weekend!
Hayley says
I just wanted to chime in in case anyone else encountered a similar problem – so I made this recipe using white whole wheat flour that I ground myself. I followed the recipe exactly, including the measurements of flour, and it came out perfect the first two times I made it. I made it last week and for some reason it turned out terrible- it didn’t rise very well and came out flat and dense. I was determined to do better this week, so this morning I made it again and had the same problem. I was super worried my dough was too sticky, and my Kitchen-Aid was flapping the dough around up close to the top and I didn’t want it to get in the hardware so I obsessively kneaded it by hand and added more flour. The bread had trouble rising and turned out dense and flat again. I was really sad. 🙁
So tonight I tried again, this time looking through the comments a little and then just doing what I sensed was best. I used 6 teaspoons of yeast to ensure I had a good rise, and I only kneaded it for about 5 minutes in my stand mixer. I remembered that the first couple times I made this, the dough started pulling away from the bowl pretty early on, around the 4 or 5 minute mark, and those batches seemed perfect. Same thing happened tonight – the dough seemed ready after 5 minutes so I went with it. The dough rose really fast and turned out perfect. So anyway, I just wanted to comment and suggest that some people may not need to knead it for so long – I think I over-kneaded it the last two times because I was paranoid it was sticky – but kneading by hand I think makes it seem more sticky – which made me add more flour unnecessarily and I guess over-kneading maybe leads to more dense bread.
Anyway, thanks so much for this perfect recipe. The first couple times I made it I was so impressed. I love having a healthy bread recipe. Baking is an art and soon I will have this so down that I’ll hopefully never mess it up again. 🙂
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Hayley! Bread baking can definitely be temperamental, but I’m glad you seem to have found what works for you and I’m sure that your tips will end up helping someone else. 🙂
Kristin says
I’ve been having this same problem so I’m excited to try out your tips! Thanks!
Rosi says
This recipe looks amazing! I am going to make it to take to my Ragnar relay for my fellow runners and I to enjoy! 🙂
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
I’m happy to hear it, Rosi! Good luck with your relay and I hope your running friends enjoy this as a snack. 🙂
Tina says
Hi Samantha! I just want to say I stumbled upon your blog looking for a recipe such as this, and I can’t stop looking at all of your posts! I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes.
I have made this recipe twice now and it tastes amazing! I do have a question though; what brand of flour do you use? I apologize if you have already answered this, I did try to read through all of the comments to see if you had mentioned it.
I ask because my bread has yet to turn out as fluffy and beautiful as yours and it has a rough top not smooth and glossy like yours. So, I have made a few tweaks to my technique, but I’m wondering if it isn’t the brand of flour I’m using.
Thanks so much for such a great blog!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Tina! Thanks so much for the sweet comment…I’m thrilled to hear that you are enjoying the blog, and I hope any other recipes that you might try are a hit! I can see below that you found the answer to your question before I had a chance to get back to you, so that’s great. King Arthur is indeed the brand that I use, mainly because it’s the only whole wheat white flour that I can find around here! But it works well for me. 🙂 Good luck with tweaking this recipe to perfection…I’m sure you’ll get there in no time, and I’m glad you’ve been enjoying it in the meantime! 🙂
Tom says
Absolutely the best and easiest wholewheat loaf to make. And everyone who eats it loves it. Seasoned bakers say it’s the best whole wheat they have tasted.
I vary it slightly by using white unbleached bread flour for the 2 1/2 cups at the end.
Thanks
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
I love to hear that, Tom…so happy that this bread has been a success for you! Hope you enjoy it for many years to come… 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to comment and hope you’re having a great week!
Anna says
Hi Samantha!
Can you pls help me with measurements. Approximately how many grams is the cup you use?
Thank you!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Anna! I am not really familiar with converting cups into grams. However, I found several conversion calculators online, and they’re telling me that 1 cup of whole wheat flour is equivalent to anywhere from 120 to 128 grams, depending on the brand of flour. Does this sound right? Sorry I can’t be of more help…finding a reliable converter tool online is probably your best bet. 🙂
barkha says
hi i dont have/get the gluten what is the substitute?
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Barkha! Lots of people have reported making this bread without the vital wheat gluten and they said it still turns out great! So if you don’t have it or prefer not to use it, it should be fine to simply leave it out. Enjoy! 🙂
Charissa says
This bread was delicious! I am back to make it again since both my husband and I really liked it. The bread rose perfectly and tasted great!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Wonderful, Charissa…I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit! Hope y’all get to enjoy it many more times in the future. 😉 Have a great week!
Angela says
What size bread pans should I use? I’d love to make this today.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Angela! I’ve made this recipe in a couple different types of “standard sized” (about 9″ x 5″ x 2 1/2″) bread pans that I have, and it worked fine in both. If you look just under the recipe, there is a link to the specific Corningware bread pan pictured in this post, which is 1 3/4-quart loaf dish. This pan does have sides that slightly slope inwards, but the opening is about the standard dimensions I mentioned above. I think this recipe would work fine in slightly smaller (8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ x 2 1/2″) pan as well. Any pan in that size range should work. Hope that helps, and happy bread making!
Swap? says
Thanks Samantha! In case anyone else needs to know, I made it in 2, 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ x 2 1/2 size pans and it worked great. This is such good bread! Has anyone tried it w/ 1/2 AP flour? I’d like to make it for a friend who prefers white but I think with the white whole wheat .she’d like 1/2 & 1/2.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
This recipe should work just fine using all-purpose flour in place of half of the white whole wheat flour. 🙂
Swap? says
Here’s an update for others who may want to do this: I tried it tonight with 3 1/2 cups white whole wheat & 2 1/2 cups AP flour & everything else as written in your recipe. After adding more flour (about a 1/2 cup) and kneading for 20 minutes, my dough pulled away from the sides of the bowl but it was still sticky. I was afraid to add too much flour so I went ahead and put it in the pan to rise anyway. It rose great – well over the top of the pan. When I baked it however, it sank on the top. It is moist and delicious just not so pretty. I see in the comments others have had this problem so I don’t know if it was flour substitution or something else. Do you think I should have added more flour?
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Adding a bit more flour until the dough was no longer sticky may have helped…the all-purpose flour could have required using a bit more to achieve the right consistency. Bread can fall after baking for a variety of other reasons — for example, it wasn’t baked quite long enough, or it was allowed to rise a bit too much — but since you made this recipe successfully the first time using all whole wheat flour, I’m betting the partial substitution of white flour had something to do with the sinking this time. Glad it still tasted good, and I hope it works better for you if you decide to try again! 🙂
Cassie says
I’ve never made bread before and so your recipe was my first. It came out PERFECTLY. I am genuinely, never buying store-bought bread again. It’s just the two of us, so one loaf lasts my family a whole week. I’m just getting ready to bake it for my second time! I followed it exactly, with the only modification being that I didn’t use Quick-Rise yeast. I followed other instructions on other websites for the appropriate conversion and rise/cook times and it was a totally approriate substitution. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
I’m thrilled that this bread was such a hit for you, Cassie! Thanks for taking the time to comment and I hope you enjoy this recipe for many years to come! 🙂
Eli says
What size loaf pans do u use? My bread rose and then kind of overflowed the pans instead of dome and I was thinking I may be using wrong size pans. Thank u!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Eli! I’ve made this recipe in a couple different types of “standard sized” (about 9″ x 5″ x 2 1/2″) bread pans that I have, and it worked fine in both. If you look just under the recipe, there is a link to the specific Corningware bread pan pictured in this post, which is 1 3/4-quart loaf dish. This pan does have sides that slightly slope inwards, but the opening is about the standard dimensions I mentioned above. This recipe also reportedly works fine in slightly smaller (8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ x 2 1/2″) pans as well. Any pan in that size range should work. I’m not sure if your pan size was the problem, but it is possible for bread to overrise. At any rate, I hope it “domes” better for you if you decide to try the recipe again. 🙂
Kay says
I don’t have a stand mixer to do all the kneading. Sounds like doing it by hand would be very time consuming. Any suggestions?
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Kay! This recipe can definitely be made by hand, but as with any homemade bread recipe, it’s going to take more time and muscle than making it with a stand mixer. 😉 Other than those two options, though, I’m not sure what to suggest? You could always try cutting the recipe in half and making it by hand. You’d only end up with one loaf of bread instead of two, but it would be less dough to mix and knead. Good luck if you decide to try it! 🙂
Denise says
Samantha, I have made this very best whole wheat bread 3 times in the past two weeks. I love it and all of your claims are true, true, true! The first time I made it, it came out PERFECT! But the past two times it will not rise in the oven. What could I possibly be doing wrong? I keep your recipe in front of me and follow everything step by step. Could my oven not be warming to the correct temp when I turn it off one minute after I turn it to 350 degrees? (Even though it is not rising, it still tastes awesome.)
Denise
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Denise! I’m so glad you love this bread, but I’m sorry it hasn’t risen properly the past couple of times you made it. The fact that it initially worked for you but now it doesn’t could mean so many things. If it’s not rising at all, is it possible that your yeast could be bad/expired? You can always test your yeast (using a method like this one). You also may have accidentally killed your yeast if the water you used in the recipe was too hot. Does the oven feel warm but not overly hot after 1 minute of preheating? It doesn’t seem like anything should have changed with your oven if rising worked in it before and now it doesn’t. Your problem could also have to do with the weather. Humidity and temperature can both affect bread baking. In some conditions, it’s possible that the bread is just going to take a lot longer to rise, so it may need more time. But if it’s not rising at all no matter how long you wait, I’m guessing it has something to do with your yeast…? Hope this gives you some ideas of what could have gone wrong, and good luck on your next try! 🙂
Bella says
I am really excited to try out this recipe!! I have been trying to find high quality all natural bread in the stores and they are either pricey, not completely natural or just have a weird texture. Not sure why it took me this long to just try and make my own when I try so many other diy projects.
I do not have any vital wheat gluten but I do have xanthan gum (powder form) that I use for other things. Do you know how much xanthan gum I would need to replace the wheat gluten called for in this recipe?
Thanks again 🙂
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Bella! I’ve never tried using xantham gum as a substitute for vital wheat gluten, so unfortunately, I don’t have any advice in regards to that. However, I can tell you that people have successfully made this bread without using the vital wheat gluten, so you can try leaving it out altogether if you wish. 🙂 Hope that helps and hope you enjoy your bread!
Tammy says
Hi! I buy lard from my local farmer. I’m assuming I could treat that the same as coconut oil. Any ideas on how that might change the taste, texture, etc?
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Tammy! I bet lard would work just fine as a substitute for the coconut oil in this recipe…but since I haven’t tried it myself, I’m afraid I can’t advise you as to how it might change the taste and texture of the bread. If you decide to give it a try, I hope you’ll come back and let us know how it turned out! 🙂
Angela says
Samantha, I am in utter disbelief that I have successfully made homemade bread! I have been on a mission this summer to lead my little family to eat, clean, and live healthier. We are eating organic, whole, minimally processed foods…about 85% of the time. I’ve worked hard to minimize dangerous chemicals from our cleaning products and toiletries. All summer long, I have been thinking about making bread and have just been a bit intimidated. Well, I sent my oldest off to school this week and dove into your AMAZING recipe with my two year old. My expectations were not high because this was my first try and I would be kneading by hand. Samantha, I did it and it was so fun and delicious! The first loaf was gobbled up in a day and a half by my family. Today, I delivered the other loaf and some organic honey, organic fruit spread, and a few other goodies to my sweet mom for her birthday. A huge hit for sure. I have plans of delivering loaves to neighbors and church friends. I can’t thank you enough for sharing this awesome recipe. I was kinda thinking my first try at making bread may have been beginner’s luck or divine intervention (Ha!). I made the recipe this afternoon with both of my boys and two more lovely loaves. We’ll have warm bread with supper tonight! I look forward to checking out the rest of your site. God bless you girl!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Thank you for the sweet comment, Angela! It makes me very happy to hear that you’ve had such success with this recipe. What a thoughtful person you are to share this bread with your family members and friends (and how lucky they are!). Hope you enjoy any other recipes you decide to try from the site, and I hope you have a fantastic weekend! 🙂
Faith says
Do you think there’s any way this could be done in a breadmaker? Maybe halve the recipe, do the first step through sponge in the stand mixer then transfer to breadmaker and add additional ingredients? Do you think that would work?
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Faith! I, personally, have not made this recipe in a bread machine. But that question has come up before and I’ve made suggestions for what might work, and other commenters have shared what’s worked for them. I know there are a ton of comments, but if you scroll down to the comment by Colleen on November 1, 2013, I shared with her what I thought might work as far as converting this recipe to a bread machine…then later, a few others commented that they tried my suggestions and the bread turned out great. Hope that helps! 🙂
Donna says
I’ve tried to find Colleen’s comments from 2013, but it won’t let me go back that far. Is there anyway you can repeat the instructions for making it in a bread machine? I would really appreciate it!!
Donna says
What size bread pans are you using for this?
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Donna! The specific bread pans I use are linked right under the recipe. 🙂 People have reportedly gotten good results using either 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ or 9″ x 5″ x 2 1/2″ bread pans…anything close to or between those sizes should work fine. Good luck!
Maiya says
Hi Samantha!
I would recommend using melted real butter! I get mine from my local farmers market. I always feel more environmentally friendly when I’m buying local and supporting my local economy.
Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Great recommendation, Maiya…I bet your local butter is divine! 🙂
rahilya says
loved it. tried it as a loaf and was fabulous and tried it as rolls and sandwich bread and was great!! and i dont even have this vital wheat gluten business though I did add a tablespoon of “bread improver”. thank you for sharing such a great recipe. it is the best bread recipe i have ever tried, let alone a whole wheat one. I’m sharing with all my loved ones!!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Yay! So happy to hear that, Rahilya. 🙂 I bet that your “bread improver” did the same thing that the vital wheat gluten would have done. Thanks for coming back to share your success with the rest of us!
Rachel says
Samantha, I was wondering if you could make a video on how to do this bread. I’m a visual person and I learn a lot better if I see someone doing it, especially on how you mix the dough until it starts to pull away from the bowl. I would just like to see exactly how you do it. I’ve done this bread many times and it never comes out like yours so I know I’m doing something wrong. Please help me because I know that this bread is AWESOME and we all love it. Thanks for your help.
Mari says
This bread has very good flavor! I used 100% whole wheat (white wheat) flour from Wheat Montana. Wheat Montana grows non-GMO wheat, which is a real bonus for me. The loaves turned out perfectly high and domed. They looked BEAUTIFUL!!!! I was so proud of myself, and excited to cut into it! I think that the only downside for me was that the texture was identical to commercially made sandwich bread, so it affected the mouth feel and, as such, did not taste like homemade. This recipe would be perfect for families with kids who (typically) like soft, store bought bread. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Liz says
Love this recipe! I used to love white bread, but I can’t taste store bought bread without thinking it tastes kinda weird now lol I’ve done it as is, and with half white and half wheat flour and it turns out perfect.
BUT the family was hoping I could adapt this bread to be a tad sweeter!
I know baking doesn’t always work when you ‘throw a dash of this in’. I tried adding a T of sugar, but it rose odd; I thought maybe less yeast would work but I have yet to try that. So before I make another batch (and possibly ruin it), I thought I’d ask the expert if you knew a way to add a little sweet to this recipe!
Crystal says
This was my first time baking with vital wheat gluten and I’m so glad I followed your recipe! It came out so wonderfully soft and not dense that whole wheat bread is known to be.
Also THANK YOU for the idea of using the bread cap to stop it from drying out, would never have crossed my mind – genius! 🙂
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Yay, Crystal! Thanks for taking the time to let me know how much you enjoyed this recipe. I’m happy to hear it was such a hit!
Tawnia says
I made this bread for the first time a few days ago…and am making it for the second time today. Its amazing! I forgot to let it rest for the 10min after mixing the initial ingredients but it still turned out great! My rising time was much longer but I think it was because the room was cooler for the first part of it – I put it on “Proof” in my oven and it rose up just fine after that. I used regular whole wheat flour because I am in Canada and could not find “white whole wheat” and left out the vital wheat gluten and it was still amazing and soft. I used vegetable oil because I couldn’t be bothered to make the extra step and melt the coconut oil lol. My kids and husband loved it – and are asking me to make a double batch today and never buy bread again (lol) we live an hour and a half from the nearest town/store so a recipe like this is invaluable! It stayed soft until the very end (3rd day) which is amazing for bread with no preservatives. I am making it again today, a double batch, and making one “loaf” worth into hamburger buns for dinner tonight. Thanks so much for the amazing recipe! I have pinned and shared it! 🙂
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
I’m thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out great for you and went over so well with your family, Tawnia! The way that it stays so soft and fresh for several days is probably my favorite thing about it. 🙂 Hope you enjoy it for years to come!
Ellen C. says
Love this recipe and have now made it many, many times. I use regular dry yeast and reduce the honey to just a little over a teaspoon (we try hard to eliminate any added sugar – natural or refined). This bread could probably be made without the honey but I’ve read that whole wheat flour can be bitter without a little sweetener. I let it rise in a bowl on the counter after the initial mixing and then let it rise once more after placing it in the loaf pans (another person in the comment section suggested this with regular yeast). I like to use a sun oven and bake this bread in that oven and also my regular oven. It always turns out wonderfully and it is incredible how soft it stays. I’ve never had any luck with other whole wheat bread recipes – I always produce a brick. Not with this recipe – incredible! Thanks so much!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Thank you for sharing your tips and experience, Ellen! I’m very happy to hear that you enjoy this bread so much. 🙂
Gloria Huerta says
Dear Five Heart Home – I baked this bread yesterday, made two loaves. It is the first time I have ever, ever, ever in my entire baking life that my bread has come out to perfection. IT was just as pictured. I had to let it rise a little longer. I set it in my Breville Smart Oven at “keep warm” 160F for one hour. After that, I turned it up to 350 for 30 minutes. I wish I could post a picture here. We waited for it to cool down and enjoyed it with some Maine Blueberry Jam. The only substitution I made was olive oil for the coconut oil. I will make again using coconut oil. I am now empowered! YIPPY!! I will attempt to make a rye or pumpernickel next. Any good ideas? Thanks so much. I am so glad I found your recipe by “Googling”!
Judy says
Hi Samantha I am just trying this recipe – I am in the UK and only found normal wholemeal bread flour. I ommited the honey as we don’t do sweet bread over here ? but I had a feeling that it would be too much liquid anyway. Now I am mixing the dough and its basically a gooey mess and very liquidy. Is your flour somehow different and requires more water or are our cup sizes different here in the UK? The ratio should have been fine though because I used the same size cups overall. Any idea?
Cassandra says
Hi! Could I able to substitute the whole wheat flour for 12 grain flour? Looking forward to trying this recipe!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Cassandra! Great question. I’m guessing it would work, but since I haven’t tried it myself, I’m not sure if you may need to make adjustments. Using a different flour, it’s possible that you might have to add slightly more or less flour than called for in the recipe to get the right bread dough consistency. Good luck and hope you enjoy!
JACKIE says
I was just wondering if this could be used in a bread machine ? I have no time due to a 24/7 hr job for a i an a care giver to my neighbor that is disabled and 83 years old and have three kids all under the age of 8 to 15 months old and i love to make home made bread for them i just never have time so for Christmas i was gifted a bread machine I jave made a honey whole wheat bread in it last wheat but it fell apart after three days and was dryed out thanks !
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Jackie! I’m sorry, but I don’t have a bread machine adaptation for this recipe. I do hope you’re able to find a bread machine recipe that you like!
Asl says
Hi I was wondering if I could substitute the honey for regular granulated sugar and omit the vital wheat gluten? Thanks!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi there! I haven’t tried those particular changes, so I can’t say for sure how they might affect the recipe. But please let us know how the bread turns out if you decide to give it a try! 🙂
Keith and Kathy L says
Hi. Samantha. Just wanted to say thanks. My wife and I just made this and it turned out great!! It was our first attempt at homemade bread and I agonized ( I tend to do that when doing recipes for the first time lol) over which of the many online to follow. Yours matched the Flour we bought and the fact that you used a stand mixer which we just bought. Followed it to the letter btw. We used metal bread pans and no issues with sticking.Curious if you have tried this or other bread using non quick rising yeast and letting it rise in a bowl like many other recipes have you do? Also your thoughts on making this a bit lighter by using some other flour as a portion of the total amount? We loved it but our adult daughter mentioned it had amazing flavor but wished it was a bit lighter. I saw some recipes use a combo of flour types. Regardless we are thrilled that we had such a great result on our first time. lol! Thanks again
Gwendolyn Bird says
I’ve made this bread twice and I agree, it’s the best bread I’ve ever made. I don’t have a mixer, so I hand-kneaded it for about 10 minutes and that worked fine. The second time I made it I subbed a cup of oat flour and replaced the honey with molasses and it was incredible. Thanks for this amazing recipe!
Shayam says
I tried the bread today following all the steps but my bread did not rise much during the second rise time. Hence it resulted in a very dense bread.Could you please suggest what have gone wrong.
Erin Fournier says
This really is a great recipe. I’ve made it every week for the last 5 or 6 weeks. We all enjoy it so much. Thank you for sharing. It’s also the easiest whole wheat bread recipe I’ve tried.
Shannon says
First, you don’t need the wheat gluten, second. You say it’s whole wheat bread recipe… no, it’s partly whole wheat. When you use the part whole wheat, you do not need the vital gluten…. man I hate that…
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Shannon. This bread is made with 100% whole wheat flour. I’m not sure where you got the idea that it’s only “partly whole wheat.” If you read the post, I explain that white whole wheat flour is called such because it is ground from white wheat kernels as opposed to red wheat kernels, but the resulting flour is still 100% whole wheat. As far as using the vital wheat gluten in this recipe, you may certainly opt to leave it out. But seeing as how this recipe is made with 100% whole wheat flour, it helps the bread rise better and stay soft for longer than it otherwise would. Hope that helps clarify things.
Kim Rubin says
Hi, Samantha. I’ve been baking bread for years and years and years. I used to use red wheat berries (back in the 70s…lol), but always had to add white flour to cut it as the red winter wheat by itself is too strong for my taste. Over the last years, I’ve been buying white wheat berries directly from Wheat Montana, then from them through Amazon, in bulk. But I’ve not found a 100% whole wheat bread I liked that could be used for sandwiches, toast, just plain, etc so have always just added bread flour to my breads. But 100% whole wheat is so much better for us that I really wanted a good recipe. I tried KAF’s bread machine 100% whole wheat, but didn’t like it’s rise nor the overall loaf. So, today I made yours.I followed your recipe exactly, using oil this time. It made two perfect loaves that are light enough for sandwiches, yet will work on everything else also. I plan to give the second loaf to my neighbor who loves my bread as we can’t eat two loaves before they get old. The only thing I’m going to change in the future is to use melted butter instead of the oil as I prefer butter. I may also cut it in half and make one loaf sometimes instead of two. I’ll still make my other bread varieties as my husband wouldn’t like giving up my black bread, etc, but will continue to make this one also. For the person who wanted to know where to get vital wheat gluten, I used to buy it in bulk from Amazon, but didn’t really like having to buy 8 boxes of it at a time. So this time around I bought a single can on WalMart’s website for around $3.00 and, as always, store it in my freezer once opened. Thank-you for a great recipe!
Kellie Anderson says
Do you think you could double this recipe and make four loafs. I have a bash which can make up to five loafs and my family can eat two loafs in three days and I like to make only bread once a week. I was just wondering if it would turn out the same. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Kellie Anderson says
I mean Bosh mixer
Lucy says
Hi I’m from Singapore and I chanced upon yr recipe. Just wanted to say it turned out wonderful! Soft, tasty and with abit of chew. Easy instructions to follow and no need for extra gluten!
Lisa Flanagan says
I’ve just put this bread in the oven; first time I’ve made your recipe, and I mixed and kneaded entirely by hand since my Kitchenaid is not behaving well. The texture was smooth and light as I put into the bread pans. Now waiting for the loaves to finish baking………..
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Sounds like quite the workout, Lisa! 😉 Hope your bread turned out great!