The Very BEST Whole Wheat Bread

The Very BEST Whole Wheat Bread is the softest, moistest, fluffiest, freshest-staying, homemade, 100% whole wheat bread you've ever tried!

The Very BEST Whole Wheat Bread collage with text

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!

Homemade Whole Wheat Bread with butter and jam

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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
    Mixing bread doughCover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
  3. Uncover the bowl.
    First rise of a bread spongeBeat in salt, oil, honey, and lemon juice.
  4. 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.
    How to Make Whole Wheat BreadThis typically takes 10 to 15 minutes but may take as little as 5 minutes.
  5. Grease and/or line your pans and set aside.
    Greasing the pans
  6. 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!
  7. Turn the dough out onto a greased surface.
    Whole Wheat Bread doughDivide it equally in half and shape it into two loaves.
    Loaves ready to go into pansTransfer the loaves to the prepared bread pans, pressing the dough into the corners.
    Whole Wheat Bread recipe in pans
  8. 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.
    Bread risen in pans
  9. 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.
    Baked whole wheat bread in pans
  10. 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.
    Whole Wheat Bread on cooling rack

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.

Fresh sliced Whole Wheat Bread

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.

homemade bread with butter and jam

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?

The Very BEST Whole Wheat Bread with text overlay

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 Recipe

The Very BEST Whole Wheat Bread is the softest, moistest, fluffiest, freshest-staying, homemade, 100% whole wheat bread you've ever tried! | FiveHeartHome.com #wholewheatbread #homemadebread #wheatbread

The Very BEST Whole Wheat Bread

The Very BEST Whole Wheat Bread is a homemade, 100% whole wheat bread that stays soft and fresh for days!
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 24 servings (from 2 loaves)
Calories: 153kcal
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Ingredients

Step 1:

  • 3 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
  • cup vital wheat gluten
  • 4 teaspoons instant dry yeast, "quick rise" or "rapid rise"

Step 2:

  • 2 ½ cups very warm water, 120°F to 130°F

Step 3:

  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • cup coconut oil, melted and cooled (OR vegetable oil)
  • cup honey
  • 4 teaspoons lemon juice

Step 4:

  • 2 ½ cups white whole wheat flour

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together 3 ½ 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 ½ 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 ½" x 4 ½" x 2 ½" 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.

Equipment Needed

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 294mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

 

Recipe adapted from Deals to Meals.
Post originally published on July 8, 2013.

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549 Comments

  1. Samantha, I used your recipe using Bronze Chief Montana red wheat flour, awesome, I just love the fact that it doesn't require a second rising. This is by far the best wholewheat bread I've ever had.

    1. I am very happy to hear it, Rodger! It's also great to know that this recipe turned out well using red wheat flour...thanks so much for coming back to share that! Enjoy the recipe and I hope you're having a great week. 🙂

  2. I have been making bread for a few decades but now I am sold on the simplest method of all, which I believe is also the healthiest. Your recipe looks complicated and cumbersome with the parchment paper and a few unhealthy ingredients (I don't recommend honey in bread and definitely not all that vegetable oil)

    The method I now use is this: I made a bubbly sourdough starter by combining wet rye or other whole wheat flour to which I added about three tablespoons of homemade kefir (which contains both bacteria and various yeasts) to fill a large 2-quart glass pitcher. (leave about 1 1/2 inch from top for bubbling,) Using kefir is a short cut instead of the long way of making sourdough starter over a two week period by leaving it outside. With kefir, it only takes a couple of days of leaving it on your counter.

    I let the starter bubble each time after I feed it flour. (you can also add dried,blended and moistened old bread and crumbs from cutting loaves. I use about three cups of the starter and add enough flour in a bowl to make it a moist bread dough ball (about three cups), let it rise for a few hours (no kneading), take a rubber spatula and fold it over if I have time which allows the yeast feed on other parts of the dough.

    When I am ready to bake it, I scrape it into a greased cast iron skillet and bake it for about an hour and 20 minutes starting around 400 and decreasing the temperature to about 350 after about 15 or so minutes. You can cover the bread while it bakes but make sure the crust is browned before removing from the oven because the inside of the loaf tends to be a little doughy. I have had horrible sticking with previous recipes when using loaf pans but this always comes right out of the skillet.

    I cut the loaf into four parts, then cut into slices and freeze and bag three parts of the cut loaf to pull out and use later. The sourdough provides the flavor and cuts down on the damage of the anti-nutrients of wheat bread--especially the phytic acid and gluten. Also, I use spelt flour which I order on the internet by the 25 pound bags, but you can use white or regular whole wheat. The bubbles are more uneven--some big and some little but the sourdough yeasts do a good job and it is very resilient. The recipe is not exact but it always works. The biggest problem is the hard crust and moist crumb, but I am working on that issue.

    I think bread should be kept simple and this is the simplest I've found. There is no need for all those other ingredients--especially sugar. We should not be putting sugar (honey) in bread.

    1. Hi Cynthia. Thanks for your comment. I'm glad that you've found a method of bread making that works for you. However, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with most of your opinions about my recipe.

      This bread is not unhealthy. The ingredients are far more basic and natural than what you would find in store-bought bread, and the method is not actually "cumbersome" once you try it. The few extra steps are worth the soft crust and perfect crumb, which you say you've had a hard time perfecting in your current recipe. Also, if you read my recipe, it calls for coconut oil, which is arguably the healthiest oil available. I include vegetable oil as an alternative for those who don't have or are unfamiliar with using coconut oil. I also have no problem using natural sweeteners such as honey in my baked goods. Honey is far superior to the high fructose corn syrup prevalent in store-bought bread. I also believe that using parchment paper is a healthier alternative to baking in non-stick Teflon pans, which is why I choose parchment. You can buy natural, unbleached, chlorine-free parchment paper if you have concerns about the regular kind.

      If you are concerned about reducing phytic acid in your bread by using soaked or sprouted grains, there are plenty of recipes out there for that. This recipe is intended to help people achieve delicious homemade bread at home using basic ingredients and without all of the additives and preservatives found in most store-bought loaves. And based on the hundreds of comments declaring it the best homemade bread people have ever made/tried, I think most people would agree that it's a simple enough recipe given the excellent results. Again, I'm happy that you've found a recipe that works for you and I appreciate you sharing your method here, but there's no reason to bash mine.

  3. This is by far the **BEST** bread I've ever made! I've tried so many different whole wheat recipes and had no luck. This is the first loaf of bread (or loaves) we've completely eaten. The texture is so soft; it does not crumble. It made sandwiches, yummy toast and really amazing french toast. This is definitely my new bread recipe. Thanks SO much!

    1. Yay, Cheryl! I am so happy to hear that this bread was a hit! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know. I hope you enjoy it just as much every time you make it! 🙂

  4. Hello!

    Is the vital wheat gluten essential to this recipe or can i leave it out?

    Thank you!

    Claire

    1. Hi Claire! Lots of people have commented that they made the bread without the vital wheat gluten and that it still turned out great! So I think it will be fine either way. 🙂 Hope you enjoy this recipe...thanks for the question and happy Friday!

        1. Well darn, Claire! But you know what? Some people have commented that they made this recipe with regular whole wheat flour and it still turned out better than other whole wheat bread recipes that they'd tried. I know there are a ton of comments on this post, but scrolling through them will give you an idea of other people's experiences making some changes to the original recipe. So I think you should give it a try anyway! Your bread may not end up exactly the same as if you'd followed the recipe exactly, but I bet it will still be great. 🙂 Good luck, and let me know if you end up trying it after all! 🙂

          1. Hi Samantha,

            I found your awesome recipe a couple of weeks ago and I’m excited to share my progress! I’ve done quite a bit of baking over the years mostly with sweet breads, muffins, cakes, pies and cupcakes with success but for some reason I never worked with yeast. Well, except for the pizza dough I made with bread flour a few weeks ago that turned out pretty good. For the last several months I’ve been trying to learn how to make whole grain rolls but nothing was working out. The rolls always came out dense, heavy like a brick and end up being bird food for the park! 🙂 I’m also researching and reading about yeast breads. One of my goal is to get a loaf of bread right. I refuse to quit. I’m sure it would be easier if I just make white bread, but I wasn’t giving up on whole wheat…

            The first time I tried your recipe last week, I made mistakes. Perhaps I didn’t knead the bread enough or let it rise long enough. I also used molasses instead of honey, big mistake. The bread wasn’t even edible, it was wrinkled since I shaped it poorly and it was sad to look at! I used organic ingredients so I felt frustrated that I threw the bread away. I was discouraged but then I tried it again today.

            I followed the exact recipe using organic white whole wheat flour with some minor changes. I let it rise twice, first in the greased bowl with plastic over it on the counter. The second time, I shaped the dough on a lightly floured surface and placed the loaves in greased pans, covered with large bowls to let them rise at room temperature. I didn’t put them in the oven on low heat because maybe they got too hot last time and killed the yeast. I can’t believe I finally got this right. Yay! The bread tasted delicious and I’m thankful for your recipe. My husband thought the bread was great. I’m still working on baking a more airy, light texture bread but this is my first time. There’s always room for improvement!

            I’m planning on writing about my bread making experience in the future and I’ll link it to your post. In the meantime, please visit my blog http://homegrowndelight.blogspot.com/
            I’ve been following you on Pinterest since I recently signed up. I’m so glad I found your website! 🙂

          2. Wow, Priscilla...thanks so much for the detailed comment! I'm glad that you tried again when things didn't work out the first time, and it sounds like you're dedicated enough to keep tweaking this recipe until it's perfectly to your liking! 😉 I just hopped over to check out your fun blog, and I look forward to reading your bread making post when you put it together. Happy Friday and happy bread baking! 🙂

  5. Made this today and the taste was excellent. I did not have any lemon juice, so i think that and the oven not being warm enough for the raising may have been an issue. I didn't get the raise out of it that I would have liked. My pans may be a bit larger than yours, since it was a bit difficult to stretch it to the sides. Can I increase the quantities or add more yeast to get a larger fluffier loaf? Texture is great as is, just would like to see it a bit more fluffy and taller. Thanks!

    1. Hi David! There are so many variables to bread baking, but it does sound like the lack of lemon juice and the larger pan size definitely could have contributed to loaves that didn't rise quite so high. I don't know that additional yeast would automatically fix the problem? Proportionately increasing the quantity of ingredients to end up with more dough would probably work better, but it might take some tweaking to end up with just the right amount for your pan size. I do hope you can find a solution that gives you tall, fluffy loaves! Buying a couple of smaller loaf pans (like 8"x4") might be the easiest solution, but you may enjoy the challenge of making this recipe work with your existing pans. 😉 Good luck!

    1. Hi Faith! I haven't tried that particular substitution, but this recipe is pretty forgiving so I'm willing to bet that it would work just fine. Hope it turns out great! 🙂

      1. I didn't try it with maple syrup yet, but I did make this bread with honey and it was out of this world! I followed the recipe exactly except I couldn't find organic white whole wheat flour so I used regular organic whole wheat flour. My family is used to whole wheat bread so I figured it would be fine. It was MUCH BETTER than fine! I had a go-to breadmaker whole wheat bread recipe that was okay fresh but dried out easily, so when my breadmaker stopped working I looked for a new recipe, and this one is perfect. It's so soft and sandwichy and easy to cut - much more like store bought bread but better! It rose so well and so high that it hit the next rack in my oven! I also love that this recipe makes two loaves at a time because my kids go through bread fast; although it was a very large load for my KitchenAid Classic. My bread did have the faintest taste of coconut (not in a bad way) but I'm pretty sure that's because I used coconut oil to grease the pans. I'm making my second batch now (moved the oven rack this time!) and was going to try maple syrup, but I was out of lemon juice and had to sub vinegar, and I don't like to change more than one thing at a time. I do plan to try maple syrup in the future, and also organic whole wheat bread flour from my local farm (in which case I would leave out the vital wheat gluten). Thanks so much for this FANTASTIC recipe!!!

          1. Yay, Faith...that's great to know! Thanks again for sharing. 🙂

      2. I did this recipe again today; it just didn't last long enough it was so lovely, and I ran out of honey. So I did a half honey, half molasses mix and wow, the colour was gorgeous and the aroma was fantastic. Also, the loaves rose even more if you can believe it! Not sure if that was just good luck or the addition of molasses, but it was lovely. I will try doing half rye, half whole wheat, with molasses and caraway next time.
        Thanks again for sharing such a lovely recipe!

        1. You are so very welcome, Radha! I'm glad you're having fun tweaking the recipe and that your different variations are turning out well. Enjoy! 🙂

  6. Thanks so much for posting this bread! I have made several attempts to get my bread to rise the second time with the recipe I was using and it just didn't. Your recipe was a welcomed success, especially from the sandwich eaters around my house 🙂

    1. That is wonderful to hear, Dawn...thanks so much for letting me know that this bread was a success and a hit with your family! Hope y'all enjoy it for many years to come! 🙂

  7. Hi Samantha,
    Tried this Whole Wheat Bread and it came out extremely well.
    I used regular whole wheat flour (not white). Also, did not add the vital wheat gluten.
    Used a hand-held mixer to mix the ingredients and then kneaded by hand.
    This recipe is really simple and adaptable !!!

    P.S.
    Can I use white vinegar in place of lemon juice ? If yes, should I use the same quantity as lemon juice?
    Also, how do you divide the dough equally to get 2 equal-sized loaves ?
    I got 1 big and 1 smaller loaf 🙂

    Thanks a lot for sharing this HEALTHY bread with all of us.

    1. Hi Anusha! I'm so glad to hear that this bread was a success for you! A lot of comments have reported that this recipe is pretty forgiving and still turns out well with a few adjustments.

      Yes, you should be able to substitute an equal amount of white vinegar for the lemon juice. And as far as dividing the dough equally, I pretty much just eyeball it. I try to shape the dough into an even circle and then use a dough scraper or large knife to slice it right down the middle and shape each half from there. Hope that helps a little! Thanks for letting me know that you enjoy this recipe! 🙂

  8. I will be grinding my own wheat for this recipe, could you tell me if I should use the soft white wheat kernels or the hard wheat, like Prairie Gold kernel? I always thought the soft white wheat kernel was for pastry type baking so I don't want to make a mistake. I am very anxious to try up your recipe because of the ingredients being used. Also do you melt your coconut oil before adding? Thanks for any help!

    1. Hi Barbara! I don't grind my own wheat so I'm no expert, but I believe you are correct...hard wheat is for yeast-based bread making, and soft wheat is used in pastry flour for cakes, pancakes, etc.

      And yes, I do melt my coconut oil before baking. It only takes a few seconds to melt and I make sure it's not too hot before adding it to the dough. Thanks for the questions...good luck with your bread!

  9. This recipe rocks!!!! I have been trying on and off to bake whole wheat bread with no success over the past 20 years. This recipe sounded so easy, I gave it a whirl. Amazing!!! Afterwards I was reading comments about how it would do in a bread maker, and since I borrowed one the other day to try my hand at whole wheat bread, I took the recipe, halved it and threw it in the maker. Amazing results!!! The bread is even softer and the consistency is more like regular sandwich bread. My 8 year old is devouring the loaf as I type. The only substitutions that I made aside from a) cutting the recipe in half and b) throwing all the ingredients in at one time per the bread maker's instructions) were that I used whole wheat flour (not whole wheat white), and I used apple cider vinegar for the acid (I didn't have any lemons). Thank you for all of your hard work, I know I have found this recipe late, but wow, I really appreciate you for it!!!

    1. I am so glad you found this recipe and have had such success with it, Stephanie! Thanks for sharing some of the things that worked for you. I am learning through all of the comments that this recipe is actually pretty adaptable! I hope your family enjoys it for many years to come. Have a great weekend and thanks again for taking the time to share your positive experience! 🙂

  10. This recipe made me stop using the bread machine.
    Really, it's going to Goodwill. No more need because there's no comparison, and no machine recipe that will make whole wheat worth a darn. I've even used this recipe with bread flour to make white bread. Awesome. Thank you.

    Question though; sometimes my bread will fall during the baking process. When I cut into it, it seems the air pockets were much bigger in the middle and the bread couldn't support the weight so the top fell. Any experience with that? My main variable is the oven; it warms up slower than it should so I have to bake it 37 min not 30. Not sure when it falls though since I haven't actually watched it happen.

    1. Hi, Tom! I'm so glad you're having such success with this recipe! I'm not positive why your bread sometimes collapses due to overly large air pockets. I did a little internet sleuthing and it sounds like it could definitely be the result of your slow-warming oven. It could also be due to air pockets that were formed while shaping the bread. At any rate, I hope you figure it out so that your bread turns out consistently perfect. Good luck! 🙂

  11. Best Whole Wheat Bread !
    I have been trying to make bread for a few years but have yet to find a recipe that turns out right for me until now. I remember my Aunt Hazel would make whole wheat bread and the flavor was something I have never been able to duplicate. I'm not sure if she used molasses or not to give the bread such a wonderful taste. I am so grateful to find this recipe because it tuned out soooooooooooo well !!!!!!!! The part of making a sponge may be the reason why the bread looked just like your pictures. Thanks for sharing this recipe on the internet. God Bless You, Tom

    1. Your comment made me smile, Tom...thanks for sharing your experience! I'm so glad you finally found a keeper homemade bread recipe...and I'm sure your Aunt Hazel would be proud. 🙂 Thanks again for stopping back by to comment...hope your week is off to a great start!

    1. I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed this bread, Heather, and that it came out great without the gluten! Thanks for coming back to share that! 🙂

  12. I tried it in a bread machine and it turned out great. Need to do some research on getting the bread out of the machine without it sticking to the pan. I also wonder how it would turn out with regular yeast instead of quick rise yeast. But I made it with your suggestions under Connie's post and it turned it moist and not dense. I made the bread a week ago with your recipe and baked in the oven. I had to knead by hand but it turned out good and the bread machine made it just as good. I wanted to use a bread machine so I could put the ingredients together and forget about it and not spend all that time kneading because like I said I had to do it by hand. Thanks for my favorite bread recipe!!!

    1. Thanks so much for coming back to share that this recipe worked in a bread machine, Jami! A lot of people have wondered if it would. Hope you've been enjoying your homemade bread! 🙂

  13. I am going to try making in the bread machine with your suggestions today and I will post back how it turns out!!!

    1. Yay, Jami...I hope it works out for you! It may take a bit of trial and error to adapt this recipe to the bread machine, but I think it will be worth it in the long run if you can figure it out. I really appreciate that you're going to report back your experience...can't wait to hear how it turns out! Happy Friday! 🙂

  14. I've been searching for a perfect whole wheat bread recipe for so long. After eating many loaves that were okay out of the oven but then inedibly dry the day after I was close to giving up. But this recipe has the perfect moist texture and really is just as good the next day. Thanks so much!

    1. You are very welcome, Karen! I'm so happy to hear that you're enjoying the recipe. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by to share that...have a great week!

  15. I don't know if it's just me or if perhaps everybody else experiencing issues with
    your site. It seems like some of the written text within your posts are running off the screen.
    Can somebody else please provide feedback and let me know if this is happening
    to them too? This could be a issue with my web browser because I've had this happen before.
    Thank you

    1. Thanks so much for sharing. Yes, this is actually an issue with my site at the moment in certain browsers on certain computers. You should be able to use the scroll bar at the bottom to see the text that is off the edge of the page. I apologize for the inconvenience. I have been working to get this problem fixed and my text support is very slow! I am on the roster to have everything back to normal on Monday night. Thanks again for making sure that I knew this was going on. Have a great weekend!