Easy, Soft 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread Tutorial
Step-by-step tutorial to make soft 100% whole wheat sandwich bread with a 15 minute sponge and only 1 rise. With 1000’s of comments and 5-star ratings, this fan-favorite may be the recipe that finally frees you from store-bought bread!
✩ What readers are saying…
“I have stumbled upon your recipe years ago, and it has been my go-to bread recipe ever since. Hands down, the best recipe I’ve ever used. Both for taste and for ease in making!” -Tiffany
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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 and 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 .75 cents each (and I’m probably over-estimating).
- It just makes you feel good.
- It tastes WONDERFUL.
Convinced? Me, too!
I want to encourage you that you, too, can make bread… I promise. 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.
Recipe Ingredient Notes
- Flour: You can use any type of whole wheat flour for this recipe, regular, bread, or white whole wheat. Many have asked what brand of flour I use and it’s typically Bob’s Red Mill.
- Yeast: Since this recipe starts with a sponge, both active dry and instant yeast work.
- Honey: I love the flavor of honey and how it compliments the whole wheat, but if you can’t do honey you can use cane sugar. Some have told me they’ve used maple syrup as well. You can lessen the sweetener if you want, but I’d always keep at least a tablespoon to help feed the yeast.
- Oil: I use an expeller pressed sunflower oil and occasionally avocado oil – both oils are more neutral tasting than olive oil. Some have told me they’ve used melted butter with good results.
- Update on Using Vital Gluten: As of November of 2010, I no longer add the extra gluten listed in my original recipe. 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.
How to Make Soft 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
1. Make the sponge.
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 it sit 15 minutes to create a sponge.
2. Add oil and then add the honey.
Adding the oil first and then the honey causes the sticky honey to just slide right out – no scraping needed. A lovely little trick.
*Note: 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!
PRO TIP: 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, since it does the work of mixing and kneading (as well as being used for other baking recipes).
3. Add salt and 4 cups of the flour.
You can also add the vital gluten here, if using. You’ll mix until the dough starts to look like the photo above. Remove the paddle attachment and change to the dough hook to knead (or for those doing it by hand, turn out on floured surface).
4. Knead 6-7 minutes (or 10 minutes by hand).
After kneading, the dough should be cleaning the sides of the bowl, though sticking to the bottom. If it is sticking to the sides during the kneading process, you can add a little flour, a tablespoon at a time.
BIGGEST TIP: Be careful not to add too much flour – the dough should feel tacky to your finger when you touch it, but not slick to it. It’s okay if the dough still sticks to the bottom of the bowl- in fact with whole wheat it usually will (the dough should not roll out of the bowl on its own).
6. Prepare the pans.
Grease two 9 x 5 inch pans* while the dough is kneading. You can use oil, butter, or even line with parchment. I spray with oil and use a small silicone brush (no stray pieces left like from a regular brush) to get into the corners.
7. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and cut in half.
Smoosh the dough down into an even-looking oval shape that you can cut in half with a dough scraper or regular long knife. TIP: On counters that can’t be used for dough, 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.
*Update TIP: If your loaves aren’t rising as much, try making the bread in smaller pans. I now use these 8.5×4.5 USA loaf pans which I love because they don’t stick at all!
8. Shape the loaves
- a) Pat each half into a fairly even oval the length of the pan. (I used to stress 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 and create tension.)
- b) Roll up gently.
- c) Pinch the seam together and then pinch the ends and bring them in toward the seam.
- So that it looks like d) when shaped.
9. Place shaped loaves into pans.
Fit the shaped loaf into your prepared pan and repeat with the other loaf. TIP: 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. Otherwise, cover with a plastic shower cap or other type of cover.
10. Let the dough rise.
Set the pans 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. Timing: Set a timer for 50 minutes, then turn the oven to 350 degrees to preheat for the last 10 minutes of rising time.
TIP: Depending on the warmth of your kitchen, time of year, and freshness of your yeast, you may need more OR less time rising. Go with the 1/2-inch or so above the pan as your guide and not necessarily the exact time I use in my kitchen.
11. Bake
When the loaves have risen 1/2 inch to 1 inch above the pans (1 hour for the loaves pictured above, but check yours sooner), 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 risen loaf is bigger than the other in the photo above right? 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!
12. Take the loaves out of the oven.
To make sure they are done you can turn out a loaf and knock on the bottom for a hollow sound, but if your oven is truly at 350 degrees I’ve found they will always be done at 30 minutes. TIP: When you first make the loaves in your oven, I suggest you check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer – it should be between 200-220 degrees Fahrenheit in the center of the loaf. Then you’ll know how long your oven will take. Let the loaves cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then run a spatula around the edges right away to loosen any sticking parts.
13. Let cool on a rack.
Turn the loaves out onto racks and let cool at least 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!) Cool the loaves completely before slicing, storing or freezing.
PRO TIP: 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.
Reader Raves
“THE BEST BREAD I HAVE EVER MADE!!!! Omg I absolutely love this recipe!” -Janet D.
“My ride or die sandwich bread! This is the most simple recipe and is so hard to mess up!” -Codie
“This is our go to bread—made it at least a dozen times. Easy. Soft. Delicious. We grind our own whole wheat flours out of wheat berries. Retains nutrients and has more fiber!” -Nani
“I’ve been making this for my family for almost a year, we no longer buy bread at the store!” -Becca
“I recommend your recipe to everyone I know who is looking for a no-fail 100% whole wheat. I’ve been baking and tweaking this recipe for a couple years. Last year, my dad said “this bread is so good, you should enter it in the State Fair.” Not only did I win the Grand Champion in the Washington State Fair in 2024, I won the Washington Wheat Growers Association Award.” -Betsy
I hope you love this whole wheat sandwich bread as much as I do and that it helps you to not have to buy loaves anymore!
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Soft 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Equipment
- Two 9×5 inch OR 8.5×4.5 inch loaf pans (highly recommend the smaller loaf pans to get a consistent rise)
Ingredients
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 9×5 pans (or 8.5×4.5 inch pans for a better rise). Allow to rise in a warm place for 50-60 minutes, until 1/2 to 1-inch above pans. TIP: You may need 15-30 minutes longer if your kitchen is cold – or less time if it's warm – but don't let it overproof (rise too much) 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
Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread FAQs
The standard answer is to store bread wrapped in a bag (linen or plastic) at room temperature for 2-3 days and to never refrigerate it because that makes it go stale faster.
However, it will often mold before we eat it, so I do regularly refrigerate our bread! It’s perfectly fine for toast and will soften up with a warming in a toaster oven.
Also, a tip is to separate the loaves into halves if your household doesn’t eat that much bread and freeze the parts you aren’t using for later.
Double wrap each loaf in plastic bags (reused from produce bags work) and freeze until you need them, up to 4 months. You can freeze whole or cut before freezing (I always cut before so the slices are easy to remove). They freeze beautifully and you’ll never have to run to the store for bread again!
This is one of the most-asked questions I’ve gotten over the years. Since I don’t have a machine and the machines all have different capacities, I’m pointing you to this article from King Arthur Flour: How to convert your favorite recipes to a bread machine.
Or try Jerri H’s tips from the comments: “I dove in and experimented with making one loaf of this delicious bread in my bread machine, using the “dough cycle” and baking it in the oven after letting it rise in the bread pan for 75 minutes. I cut all the ingredients in half, and added 1/4 cup of bran flakes to give it a little extra fiber boost. I also used a tablespoon of vital wheat gluten. The bread turned out just as good as ever, however it didn’t seem to rise as high as when I made the full recipe by hand.”
More Easy Bread Recipes
This recipe has been updated – it was originally published in the first year of the website, 2009.
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Hi, inexperienced baker here, am happy to report that first attempt today turned out better than feared =). Thanks for the recipe! By the way, do you know if it’s possible to refrigerate the risen dough overnight after proofing it for an hour on the countertop? I’m thinking of making a few dough batches that can be pulled out of the fridge and tossed into the oven when required.
Yeah! I haven’t tried refrigerating, Jun, but I’m sure you can. Just make sure to let it come to room temp before baking.
Ok thanks, will give it a try!
Is it possible for me to substitute whole wheat flour with rye flour? If I want to add charcoal powder , flaxseed or chaiseed in to the recipe. How much should I add these?
I’m not sure how any of these would work, Kelly. Rye doesn’t contain as much gluten, so would result in a denser loaf. Seeds you could add about 1/4 cup to the recipe and I have no idea about charcoal powder. Guess you’ll have to experiment! 🙂
Hii!! I tried your recipe today but I think I did something wrong.
I put the warmer water and the yeast but when I put the whole wheat flour it gets really dry so I added more warmer water, but it didnt form the “sponge”. Also it did not grow, like not even a little bit.
how many grams of flour you put into it and how many millimeters of water?
Wow, right, it should definitely be a wet sponge. Obviously, I use cup measurements, but I went to this conversion site: http://www.cuisinivity.com/guide/measurement.php to give you a gram/mil equivalent: 2-1/2 c. water = 587.5 mil. and 2 c. flour = 240 g.
And it shouldn’t ‘grow’ but just start bubbling. If it’s at the proper hydration and not showing any bubbles after 15 min., wait longer until you see them (weather, age of yeast, etc. might affect the sponge) – sometimes I’ve left it up to 30 min.
Hope that helps some!
I think my cup is different than yours because I didn’t use the same measurements! And I’ll let the yeast act longer, till form the sponge.
Thank you!!
I made this today and it turned out great! I made a few changes… some on purpose and some because I can’t follow directions haha. I subbed 1/3 of the wheat flour with all-purpose and soaked the whole wheat portion overnight with lemon juice and some water WAPF style. I also did a second rise by accident. It was delicious and will definitely be our new go to sandwich bread recipe. Thank you!
Great to hear, Jacquelyn!
Very easy to follow! I’m going to try it today and let you know how it was going!
So… I tried it today and it was my first try to bake bread. I used maple syrup instead of honey, and I added 3 tsp of gluten. Maybe gluten made the dough little dry; I had to add 3-4 more tbsp of water when I kneaded the dough. It turned out pretty good for the first try but it didn’t rise so much as your pictures.
What do you think? 🙂 Thank you so much for the great recipe!
Sometimes it doesn’t rise for me either, Ji! Yeast breads are just a bit touchy to weather temps, flour types, yeast activity, etc. Also, the more you make bread, the better you’ll get at knowing what it should feel like, look like, etc. We just take it any way it comes out, since it always is better to us than store bought. 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe! I just started making my own bread, and this is the recipe I tried first. I’ve used it twice now and it’s come out really well both times. It was so encouraging when my first ever loaf of homemade bread was actually good!
That’s music to my ears, Marie – I love hearing about successes with my recipes, thank you for letting me know!
Thanks for the recipe! This will be my first attempt at using my Kitchen Aid dough hook attachment. Can you tell me what speed you set yours on?
The directions say to never use the dough hook above the “2” setting, so that’s what I use, Harper. Have fun!!
I have read through your recipe several times and I just wanted to make sure I understood. Are you saying that this only needs to go through one rising. The rising that is in the pans? That there is no need for it rise then punch down, divide and form in to loaves and let rise again?
Thanks
That’s right, Kristy – the 15 minute sponge takes the place of the traditional first rise. There should be lots of bubbles at the end of the sponge, if there aren’t (sometimes because of cooler temps) let it sponge for up to 30 minutes or until you see good activity. One of the reasons it’s a great recipe. 🙂
Jami, I just wanted you to know that this is now my FAVORITE bread recipe. Of course I have modified some (oatmeal, flax seed, sunflower seed, and poppy seed) but, I love doing the sponge and then have the bread rise in the pans. I’m so glad that I came across your page. I have been making sandwich bread for my family for the last 2-3yrs because I was spending close to $20 every 2 weeks on bread at the store. $20 is a big chuck out of the grocery budget. Thanks for posting.
I am SO happy to read this, Kristy! My hope was that readers would see how easy it is to make real food for our families – it CAN be hard, but it doesn’t HAVE to be. 🙂
I found your blog and this recipe via Pinterest. What a find 🙂 I have made this bread many times now and can’t tell you how thrilled I have been to ditch store bought bread. Thank you so very much for sharing!!
Thank you, Lisa – I LOVE hearing this, since that was my goal in sharing after experimenting for years to find a bread that would allow us to stop buying bread, too. 🙂
Have you tried freezing the dough? If so, did you rise first, how long to thaw, how to bake? Thank you, we love this recipe!
No, I’ve never tried that, Julie. If you do, let us know how it works – others might be interested in that, too. 🙂
I tried freezing an unbaked loaf for one week, wrapped in plastic coated with oil then placed in a ziplock. I took the loaf out and put in a greased pan and let it thaw/rise for 10 hours. My house is typically too cold to rise bread so I kept it in my oven with a pan of warm water. It started to thaw and rise nicely but it fell when I took it out to preheat my oven. It may work in warmer weather, I may try it again this summer.
I know this is an old post, but I had to tell you this bread is perfect! Just perfect! My family loves it, it’s easy to make, and healthy. Thank you so much!
Every, single recipe I’ve made from your site is loved by my family!
I get each and every comment, Lisa, no matter how old the post, so thank you for taking the time to let me know how you’re enjoying the bread and the other recipes you’ve used! This made me so happy to read – I’m so glad you’re liking them. 🙂
I made this bread last week and it was wonderful!! For this round I’m curious if I can use butter instead of oil? Would the other measurements style the same? Thanks!
Glad you liked it, Karin! Yes, just melt the butter and measure like the oil and keep everything else the same.
I’ve got a loaf of this ready and I’m really excited for my husband to try it. I’ve been on a quest for a soft whole wheat recipe he (a white bread lover) won’t mind. I grind my own wheat extra fine, but that hasn’t mattered yet. So we shall see!
Also – Vitamix has those same scrapers for getting stuff out of their blenders. I’d never seen them anywhere else. Next time I order from King Arthur, though, I’ll toss a couple scrapers in, too! I use them for everything! (They are perfect for cutting brownies!)
Hope he likes it, Tressa!
Hi Jami, love your whole wheat roll recipe. Have ventured out with the loaf bread. It turned out very dense and hard. It also had a very strong chemical taste. Have prepared it 3 times now. Ready to give up. My husband had a pretty extensive heart surgery so I typed in heart healthy whole wheat breads and an Oregon cottage popped up. My lucky day. Please help me with my bread . I’m not making a very good job of this wonderful recipe.
Seems to me you are a very devoted wife and Mother.
May God bless your every venture.
Kathy
Hmmm, I’d love to help, Kathy, but I’ve just not had (or heard of) your problem before – chemical taste? You’d have to give me more details about your ingredients and process. Was your flour and yeast fresh? From good sources? The ingredients are basic, so if there’s a chemical taste, I’d look at your ingredients first, since a process is not going to cause that.
As for denseness, it’s usually caused by too much flour or not enough rise time (or bad yeast). If you’re not seeing bubbles after the 15 min of sponging, let it sponge longer – another 15 minutes. Don’t add so much flour that the dough just falls out of the pan, it should still be sticking to the bottom so that you need a scraper to get it to release.
Hope this helps some – it really is a great recipe!
Have you ever tried making this in a bread maker? Would probably have to cut it in half I would think?
I haven’t, Jacki, but I think some commenters have if you can wade through them. 🙂
Have you experimented with Sprouted Wheat Flour for any of your bread recipes? There seems to be a lot of talk about the health benefits but I hear it also not as easy to work with.
I haven’t, Cheryl. Cooking from scratch takes long enough for me, and I just can’t wrap my head around sprouting, drying and using flour (or trying to adapt recipes to use wet, sprouted flour). And buying sprouted flour is too expensive. I feel you just do what you can – and eating homemade bread vs. store bought has huge health benefits right there. 🙂
I have those plastic spreaders. Actually, they might be nylon. I bought mine at Kitchen Collection originally, but they closed, and I’ve worried about where to find them again. When I do, I think I’ll stock up. I love them. Amazon might have them: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_14?url=search-alias%3Dgarden&field-keywords=nylon+spreader&sprefix=nylon+spreader%2Caps%2C208" Nylon Spatulas at Amazon
Actually, I think they’re called spreaders instead of spatulas.
Hello! I came across your recipe for 100% wholemeal bread, and tried it out today!
However, when I first took out my bread, i realised the sides have split! and i thought all was well and good, except that the loaf was exceptionally heavy for a small loaf.
Then when i cut into it, it was extremely dense, not having those nice airpockets, that bakery bread had.
I followed the recipe to the letter, except halving the recipe, using coconut oil.
I really want to perfect the 100% wholewheat bread.
Maybe I’ll try again next time ):
Well, I’ve found that bread recipes don’t work as well when halved, Amanda, so that would be my guess. I’m not sure why exactly, but bread is a bit temperamental (better rise when it’s warm, etc), so I baby it. If you do try again, make the two loaves and just freeze one for later – it’s what I do!
Hi,
What is I want to only make one loaf? Thanks.
It’s not really a recipe you can cut in half very easily, Ping. I would make the two loaves and put one in the freezer for later. They keep well for at least 3 months.:)
what make an model of stand mixer did you use? looking for one that can handle 100% whole wheat.
I use a Kitchenaid 550 pro series, but I don’t think they make it anymore, so I’d go with the 600 series if I were buying now. It can handle the wheat – this has been making loaves weekly for about 3 years now, when I bought it to replace our little regular Kitchenaid mixer.