Step-by-step tutorial to make soft 100% whole wheat sandwich bread with a sponge and only 1 rise. This may be the recipe that finally frees you from store-bought bread! Want more amazing bread recipes? You can find 28 more on our Best Bread Recipes page.
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Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here – let’s finally make perfect, whole wheat sandwich bread!
A number of years ago, before there were blogs, I taught myself to make bread. Through those few years of trying to get it right, my family ate many leaden loaves of bread without complaints (for which I’m eternally grateful!) in my quest for an easy, 100% whole wheat loaf that made great sandwiches as well as toast.
I’ve experimented with many different flours (Barley-Rye-Spelt bread, anyone?) and in the end adapted a great recipe that’s quick and easy and turns out a consistently good loaf. This is the recipe that allowed me to stop buying our sandwich bread – really.
I don’t want you to have to go through all that, though, so I’m sharing a step-by-step tutorial so that you can start turning out great loaves right away – and free you from store bought sandwich bread forever!
First, though, why bother learning to make your own bread?
- It tastes WONDERFUL.
- You know exactly what’s in it.
- It takes less hands-on time than running to the store (a revelation to me, like most of our other pantry basics!)
- It’s cheap – these two loaves cost about .65 cents each (and I’m probably over-estimating).
- It just makes you feel good.
- It tastes WONDERFUL.
Convinced? Me, too! And I want to encourage you that you, too, can make bread… I swear. Just give it a try and DO NOT be discouraged by any loaves you may turn out that aren’t perfect (they’re still good for toast and breadcrumbs)- it’s all a part of the learning. Trust me on this – I know. Just keep practicing.
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How to Make Soft 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
1. Combine warm water*, yeast, and 2 cups of flour in the bowl of a stand mixer (this can, of course, be mixed in a bowl by hand- I’ve just never done it that way!) and let sit 15 minutes to create a “sponge.” *I use warmest tap water without a problem, but if you’re unsure, you want to use a thermometer and have your water between 105 and 110 degrees – hotter than this will kill the yeast!
Note: this is the Kitchenaid mixer I use, after burning out my Artisan lift-top with all the whole wheat loaves I was making weekly. It is an investment, but the benefits are worth it to me. You can, of course, chose to knead by hand using the option provided in the recipe.
2. Add oil and then add honey. Look at how all the honey just slides right out of the cup when added after using it for the oil – no scraping needed. A lovely little trick.
3. Now add the salt, (add gluten here, if using) and 4 cups of the flour and combine well.
4. When it’s mixed together and looks like this, it’s time to change to the dough hook on your machine (or for those doing it by hand, turn out on floured surface to knead). Knead for 6-7 minutes (or 10 by hand).
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5. After about 6 min., it will be cleaning the sides of the bowl. If it is sticking at all during the kneading process, you can add a little flour, a TB at a time. Be careful not to add too much – the dough should stick slightly to your finger when you touch it, but not cling to it. It’s ok if the dough still sticks to the bottom of the bowl (biggest tip: don’t add too much flour – the dough should not roll out of the bowl on its own).
6. Prepare two 9 x 5″ pans while dough is kneading. Grease them anyway you like. I love my Mr. Misto – I just fill it with whatever oil I want and never have to buy a spray from the store – reusable and frugal! In order to get it in the corners I use a silicone brush– no stray pieces left like from a regular brush. Oh, and I think I’m due for new pans, don’t you? (Update: Yes! I got these pans and love them).
7. Turn the kneaded dough out onto a floured surface and cut in half. I use a tea towel dusted with a bit of flour- the dough doesn’t stick as much, so you use less flour, plus it’s easy clean-up. Smoosh the dough down into an even-looking oval shape that you can cut in half. I used a fancy-pants dough scraper, but a regular long knife works just as well.
8. Shape the loaves:
- a) pat each half into a fairly even oval the length of the pan. I used to sweat over trying to shape a loaf – using a rolling pin and making it big, then I realized its not rocket science it only needs to be big enough to roll up a bit.
- b) roll up gently.
- c) pinch the seam together and then pinch the ends and bring them in toward the seam…
- d) so that it looks like this when shaped.
9. Fit the shaped loaf into your prepared pan and repeat with the other loaf. Another reason I like using a towel to shape them: I simply take the tea towel, shake it off gently over the sink, and use it to cover the pans. You can get out a new towel or use plastic wrap if you shaped them on a cutting board.
10. Set them in a warm place. Don’t worry too much about this – the counter is fine, even the top of the fridge – just no cold drafts. I do have a cupboard right above our heating vent that is always warm and since we keep our house on the cool side in the winter, I will put the loaves in there. But when it’s warm out, I just use the counter.
11. Set a timer for 50 minutes, then turn the oven to 350 degrees to preheat for the last 10 minutes of rising time.
12. When the loaves have risen 1/2-1″ above the pans (1 hr. for these loaves), put them in the preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, then turn them around for even cooking and bake another 15 minutes, for 30 minutes total. Notice one is bigger than the other? It really isn’t about perfection around here – the bigger one seems to have a growth on the side, too – it’s a bubble and I just don’t worry about these things!
13. Take the loaves out of the oven after 30 min. (you can do a test, turning them out and knocking on the bottom for a hollow sound, but if your oven is truly at 350 they will always be done at 30 min. – I never test with this recipe anymore). Run a spatula around the edges right away to loosen any sticking parts.
Oh, and see that completely flat spatula? It’s one of my favorite cooking tools – this spatula is just the BEST. It’s plastic, but sorta sharp for a spatula, so it gets EVERY last bit of dough from a bowl and is better at loosening things out of pans than knives because it’s not sharp enough to actually cut through anything. They are hard to find (I got my first set as a gift and I can’t imagine cooking without them anymore!) though I found them on Amazon and also from King Arthur Flour.
14. Let cool 30 min. to 1 hour before cutting – or you’re going to smush the bread down when you try to cut it! I know it’s hard, but have patience, it will be worth it in the end. Then, if you’re like me, cut off one of the lovely ends, spread it with just a bit of real butter and bite into that soft, crispy wonderfulness…there’s just something about fresh-out-of-the-oven bread!
15. Cool them completely before storing or freezing. To freeze, double wrap in plastic bags (reused from produce bags, of course) and freeze until you need them. They freeze beautifully and you’ll never have to run to the store for bread again! Update: As of November of 2010, I no longer add the extra gluten listed in my original recipe. I’ve read that we Americans get too much gluten in our daily diets and I just feel better not using it. My loaves are still fine for our family, but are probably not quite as high as the loaves pictured here. I’ve listed it as optional now in the recipe.
**Find the link to the full, printable recipe below!**
Soft 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
- 6 to 6½ cups whole wheat flour*
- 2½ cups warm water between 105-110 degrees
- 1½ tablespoons instant active dry yeast not rapid rise - regular active dry yeast can be used as well
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup oil
- 2½ teaspoons salt
- 1½ tablespoons vital wheat gluten OPTIONAL (I don't use this anymore)
Instructions
- Combine water, yeast and 2 cups of the flour in a mixing bowl. Set aside to sponge for 15-20 minutes, until risen and bubbly (warmer weather takes 15 min, cooler temps usually needs 20).
- Add honey, oil, salt, (plus gluten, if using), and 4 cups of flour. Mix until dough starts to clean sides of bowl. Change to dough hook (or turn out to knead by hand), and knead 6 to 7 minutes (10 by hand). Add only a few tablespoons of flour at a time if dough sticks to sides, being careful not to add too much.
- Form into two loaves and place in greased 9x5" pans. Allow to rise in a warm place for about 60 minutes, until 1/2 to 1-inch above pans (you may need 15-30 minutes longer if your kitchen is cold, but don't over rise or the loaf will fall when baked). Preheat oven to 350 degrees ten minutes before rising time is done.
- Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through if needed.
- Immediately remove from pans to cool on a rack. Allow to completely cool before slicing.**
Notes
Nutrition
More bread recipes you might like:
The Original Soft 100% Whole Wheat Rolls
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Ava Barr says
This will be my first 100% wheat bread. Do I have to use leaf pans or can I shape it and bake on a baking sheet with parchment paper underneath?
Jami says
You can shape and bake, but it will be more crusty that way.
Gabrielle says
This bread is delicious! I had never made bread before trying this recipe so was nervous but this recipe is easy to follow. I thought my kitchen was on the cool side so placed each loaf just off of the warming station on my stove with a towel over them and both loaves rose beautifully is 45 minutes. Definitely will bake this again, was a huge hit with my family.
Jami says
Glad to hear this, Gabrielle – you’re now a bread baker!! Love your warming/rising tip, too.
S Ali says
I have made this a few times and it turns out very good. Everyone in my family likes but the only negative feedback I get is that too much crumbs fall from the bread; is there a way to reduce falling bread crumbs?
Jami says
I’m glad to know people are enjoying the bread you make! Here is something I found online about reducing crumbs in homemade bread:
“Too much flour and not enough water can cause crumbly bread – people often do this if the dough is too sticky and they add more flour rather than kneading through it”
Pat Forrest says
I used this recipe with the following changes: 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour, 4 cups organic whole wheat flour
I didn’t know what to look for in the ‘sponge’ and found there was a lot of clumps of flour so I kept flatening them against the bowl. Was I maybe ruining the yeast? I don’t know! Once all mixed together it looked fine but my kneading was more like the sourdough method (I was experimenting!). I didn’t know if it would have created enough gluten or not. But it seemed ok without many minutes of kneading. Splitting and shaped into 2 loaves just fine in glass 4×10 pans.
So to let rise what I did was preheat the oven to 350 for exactly 1 minute then turned off. Put my 2 loaves in to rise and kept the light on. I left them for 1 hour as you said. But then I left the loaves in the oven and just turned it on for 350 and set the timer for 30 minutes. I know this wasn’t following your recipe but I read it on another site and just wanted to try it. The crust wasn’t too dark and when I removed the loaves they didn’t sound hollow like I normally felt for my other bread. I let them cool then put in plastic bags till morning then cut one loaf – fortunately the crumb was astonishingly perfect! The crust was soft like bought bread and it sliced very well. Here’s my question: I found the taste a wee bit yeasty – was this due to any of my unique process? 🙂 I love the way the ingredients all went together – I will definitely make this again but would appreciate any feedback you may have on my taste factor. thanks!
Jami says
First let me say, good for you for experimenting! I’ll have to try your raising/cooking method. 🙂
Second, I don’t know what to tell you about the flavor since I haven’t experienced that. Maybe it was the method? I don’t know. I don’t usually have clumps of flour, but if I did, I wouldn’t bother with them, they will come out when you mix in all the other ingredients. Maybe the kneading? It forms the gluten and maybe more gluten would reduce the yeast flavor for you?
Totally speculating here, ha! What I really can say is to try it again, modifying as you see fit and I bet you’ll find a system that works for you.
Suzanne says
In going to jump in and say look at the amount of your rising time, and maybe reduce the amount of yeast. Did you make your sponge with the AP or WW flour? I noticed the hydration level seemed really high for a sandwich bread and there is only one rise (unless I’m misreading it?). I’m hopefully going to try today, tweaking to make it an 8 cup recipe to fit my 16x4x4 loaf pan.
Jami says
Nope, you’re right, Suzanne, just the one full rise after the sponge period.
Kendra says
This recipe is wonderful! I love it! I was wondering, does it matter what kind of oil I use? I have been using vegetable oil, which has been great. But I was wondering if the recipe would still work out with using an alternative like olive oil or coconut oil?
Jami says
I’m so glad, Kendra! You can use whatever oil you’d like – I’ve often used olive oil and once coconut (but refined, so there wasn’t a coconut flavor).
Ashley says
I’ve made this recipe at least 5 times and it hasn’t come out great any of those times. The rise isn’t great and it’s really sticky. I do 6.5 cups flour and it’s just awful to shape and doesn’t rise well. I could probably add at least a full cup of flour or more before it would look like the dough you have pictured. The loaves still taste good. I was wondering if you could share the weight of the flour you use? I’m not new to making bread, so I’m not sure why this isn’t turning out.
Jami says
Sorry to hear this, Ashley. I will make a note to weigh the ingredients the next time I make it.
C says
I love this bread recipe! Better than the 2 other ones I tried which were fine but quite dense. Thank you again.
Jami says
You’re welcome – so glad you like it!
Salma Farrag says
The water is too much 2 cups and half, it made the dough too soft and extremely sticky.
Jami says
That’s the key to getting a soft loaf. You can add a couple tablespoons when kneading. The type of flour could also impact it. Honestly, I never have a problem with it too sticky – just the opposite in fact, I have to work to keep it moist.
Sarah says
My Dad has started a low sodium diet for his heart, and I’ve been trying different bread recipes for him. How will taking out the salt affect the flavor of this wheat bread?
Jami says
Homemade bread without salt is not very good, Sarah – it’s really bland and you will immediately see why it’s needed! I have left it out accidentally a number of times and no one liked it (I did still use it for bread crumbs, though). You can try to cut it in half and see. But honestly, this isn’t a lot of salt for two loaves of bread – there are lots of other ways to cut out salt. 🙂
K says
Well! It’s all in the taste buds of the consumer apparently, because I just made 2 loaves with this recipe and accidentally left out the salt, yet we are mmmm-ing nonstop over here. Salted butter makes it all right. This is by far the best whole wheat bread or any bread that I’ve ever baked. It rose beautifully (even at 3,500 ft elevation — though maybe that helps?) and is so soft and squishy! Thank you, thank you. I will remember the salt for the next go-round however!
Jami says
Wonderful – so glad to hear it!
Michele says
I made this today and it was a success. My husband and kids all really liked it too. I will definitely be making this routinely. Thanks so much for this recipe! I ommited the vital wheat gluten.
Jami says
Lovely – thanks so much for the comment and rating!
NATASHA CARTWRIGHT says
I’ve tried your recipe 4 or 5 times and I want so badly to have success with it. I make lots of bread and I’m looking for a soft wheat sandwich bread so I really want this to work but I’m not having any success. I’ve increased the baking time by 30+ minutes the past two times and I still end up with raw dough in the middle.
Jami says
Wow, I really don’t know what to say since that hasn’t happened to me and I haven’t heard that from any other comments. Do you think you are adding too much flour? Or do you know your oven is accurate? I’m not sure what else would cause you to have raw dough after so long.
Lisa says
Awesome 100% whole wheat bread. Light and fluffy, perfect sandwich bread! No extra gluten needed.
Krista says
This recipe is great! I have used it over the years with my littles and just recently started making bread for my 6 month old. Since I can’t put in honey, any suggestions on tweaking the recipe? I tried simply omitting it this week and the bread is dense and lacking flavor. Luckily my little guy doesn’t know any difference and is gobbling it up, but I’d like to make some bread for me too 🙂 Thanks!
Jami says
Yay – good for you, Krista! And yes, you’ve discovered that the sugar in bread gives the yeast something to eat which makes a lighter loaf. 🙂 You can substitute with either regular sugar or even maple syrup (though I don’t know the flavor impact of that). If using regular sugar, you can decrease it to 3 tablespoons.
Krista says
I was making this (again) today and forgot to tell you the sugar substitution works lovely! Thanks!
Jami says
Great! Thanks for letting me know, Krista. 🙂
Janey says
Will halving this recipe mess up the bread? Or will the loaf still turn out well?
Jami says
I’ve never done that, Janey, so I don’t know. It freezes well, so I just cool and cut the other loaf and stick it in the freezer.
Rania says
Can you make this recipe in a bread machine?
Jami says
I haven’t but some of the comments have said they did.
Thomas Welch says
I’ve made this recipe several times. It is the most delicious wheat bread I’ve ever had. However, each time I make it the loaves turn out “short”. The baked bread is barely at the top of the pan. FYI my pans are 9.25×5.25. The dough rises in the pans to approx 1/2″ to 1″ above edge as described. However, as soon as I move the pans the dough falls. I am using the vital wheat gluten. I test the water temp to make sure it is near 110 degrees F. Any ideas why this happens ? Thanks !
Jami says
I’m glad you enjoy this bread, Thomas. I know the frustration of the bread collapsing, too. There are a couple things you can think about doing to see if there’s a difference:
-knead the dough for a minute or two longer to develop stronger gluten strands.
-let the dough rise for about 10 minutes less (to see if over rising is the issue).
-think about the kitchen temperature – warmer areas will cause the bread to rise faster than it should.
Hopefully one of these will fix the problem for you!