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    Home > Recipes > Bread & Muffins

    Whole Wheat Bread

    ↓ Jump to Recipe · By: Julia Foerster · Posted: 03/17/20 · Updated: 03/17/20 · This post may contain affiliate links

    Whole Wheat Bread Pinterest Collage

    This Whole Wheat Bread is made with 100% whole wheat flour and your favorite natural sweetener. A soft and fluffy sandwich bread that stays fresh for days!

    A loaf of whole wheat bread with a slice of bread next to it

    After many readers asked me for a whole wheat version of my White Bread recipe I did some testing and I’m happy to share with you my recipe for a homemade bread made with 100% whole wheat flour!

    Why this recipe is the best

    • My recipe uses basic ingredients that you have in your pantry and most of the ingredients can be substituted depending on what you have at home
    • It is done within a few hours! I tried to make this recipe as fast and easy as possible even if you are new to baking or have never made bread before
    • Adding my secret ingredients cuts through the bitterness of the whole wheat flour, no need to add all-purpose flour or to soak the whole wheat flour in order to get a great tasting bread
    A loaf of bread in a baking pan

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    • Orange Juice: This is my secret ingredient! Adding orange juice tones down the bitterness of the whole wheat flour.
    • Water: The water should be lukewarm. That means about 100 degrees F, slightly warmer than your body temperature. Depending on the season, humidity, and altitude you’ll need more or less water. In the summer when it’s humid you need less, in the winter when it is dry you need more. It also depends on how you measure flour. I always recommend scooping the flour with a spoon into the measuring cup and leveling it off or measuring flour by weight. But if you’re measuring flour by dipping your cup into the canister, then you will need more water.
    • Milk: Adding milk makes the bread taste richer but you can also use more water instead.
    • Vegetable oil: From my experience, salted butter, unsalted butter, cultured butter, margarine, or even avocado oil, will work in this recipe.
    • Natural Sweetener: You can use honey, molasses, or maple syrup in this recipe. Molasses makes the bread darker and gives it an old-fashioned flavor. You can also use a mixture!
    • Whole Wheat Flour: This recipe uses 100% whole wheat flour. Depending on what brand of flour you use, it might
    • Instant Yeast: This recipe uses instant yeast, which is also known as rapid rise yeast. It is finer than active dry yeast and can be mixed into the other ingredients. If you want to use active dry yeast, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and let it sit for about 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients.

    How to make Whole Wheat Bread

    • Make the dough: The dough should be smooth and elastic, it will be slightly sticky (Image 1). If kneading by hand oil your hands and working surface slightly.
    • First Rise: Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour until it is puffy and nearly doubled in size.
    • Shaping: Transfer dough to a floured work surface. Use your fingers to gently pat it into an 8×12 inch rectangle while pressing it all over to remove any air pockets (Image 2). Starting at the short end, roll up the rectangle into a tight roll and pinch the seams to seal (Image 3). Tuck the ends of the roll slightly under the roll to create some tension on the surface and place loaf into a greased 8×4 inch loaf pan tucked ends and seam side down (Image 4).
    • Second Rise in the pan
    • Baking
    How to make Whole Wheat Bread step by step

    Frequently Asked Questions

    • What if I don’t have a loaf pan? You could make rolls from this recipe. Divide dough into eight portions after the first rise and shape them into balls. Put in a greased 8×8-inch baking pan and let rise. Baking time will be shorter, they will be done after about 20 minutes.
    • I’m not sure my yeast is still good, what should I do? If you’re not sure if your Instant yeast is still active, start with dissolving the yeast in lukewarm water before adding the other ingredients. It should smell yeasty and be foamy after about 10-15 minutes.
    • What to do if the dough is too sticky? The dough will be slightly sticky after kneading but if it is too sticky you can add a little bit more flour.
    • Why did my bread collapse after the second rise? This can happen because of over-proving or because the dough was not kneaded long enough. If the dough was not kneaded long enough there is insufficient gluten and the dough develops larger air bubbles which can burst when the dough is disturbed. As a general rule, kneading for at least 9 minutes with a stand mixer or about 15 minutes by hand is a good idea, but the longer the better.
    • I don’t have a stand mixer, what else can I use? You can use a hand-held mixer if it comes with dough hooks, or knead the dough by hand.
    • Can I freeze the dough before baking it? I haven’t tried freezing this dough but I recommend letting the dough go through its first rise, then shape it and put it in a baking pan that has been lined with greased plastic wrap. Put the pan in the freezer, let it freeze for about 10 hours then transfer to a ziplock bag. To thaw, remove the loaf from the freezer the night before you want to bake it and let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Remove plastic wrap, place thawed dough in a greased baking pan, cover, and let it rise. Then bake according to the recipe.
    • What alterations should be made when taking high altitudes into consideration? I don’t have any experience with high altitude baking but this post from King Arthur Flour is a great resource.
    A close up of a sliced loaf of bread

    How to store it

    Store the bread in a plastic bag or in a bread box at room temperature. It will keep fresh for about 3 days. After that, it will be a bit drier but will taste great toasted.

    Looking for more bread recipes?

    • Brioche Bread
    • Banana Nut Bread
    • Cinnamon Swirl Bread
    • Apple Cinnamon Bread
    A loaf of whole wheat bread with a slice of bread next to it
    Servings: 1 loaf

    Whole Wheat Bread

    This Whole Wheat Bread is made with 100% whole wheat flour and your favorite natural sweetener. A soft and fluffy sandwich bread that stays fresh for days!
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Rising Time: 2 hours
    Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
    Course: Bread
    Cuisine: American
    Calories: 2253kcal
    Author: Julia Foerster
    4.59 from 17 votes
    Print PIN RECIPE Rate

    Ingredients

    Cups – Metric
    • 1/2 cup lukewarm water
    • 1/4 cup orange juice
    • 1/4 cup milk, or more water
    • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
    • 1/4 cup honey, or molasses or maple syrup
    • 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, spooned and leveled
    • 2 1/2 tsp instant yeast, see notes if using active dry yeast
    • 1 tsp salt
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the ingredients, mix until a dough forms (see notes, if using active dry yeast or if you are a yeast newbie). Let sit for 20 minutes, this makes kneading more effective. Then knead the dough for about 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic, it will be slightly sticky. If kneading by hand oil your hands and working surface slightly.
    • Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour until it is puffy and nearly doubled in size.
    • Transfer dough to a floured work surface. Use your fingers to gently pat it into an 8×12 inch rectangle while pressing it all over to remove any air pockets. Starting at the short end, roll up the rectangle into a tight roll and pinch the seams to seal. Tuck the ends of the roll slightly under the roll to create some tension on the surface and place loaf into a greased 8×4 inch loaf pan tucked ends and seam side down. Cover with a greased piece of plastic wrap and let rise for about 45 minutes in a warm and draft-free place till the center has crowned about 1″ above the rim of the pan.
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and adjust oven rack to lower-middle position.
    • Bake bread for 35-40 minutes until golden brown (and the loaf registers 180 degrees F inside).
    • Invert bread onto a cooling rack. Reinvert loaf and rub with butter if desired for a soft, flavorful crust. Let cool completely before slicing.

    Notes

    Important: If you’re not sure if your Instant yeast is still active or if you are using active dry yeast, start with dissolving the yeast in the lukewarm water combined with 1 tsp sugar before adding the other ingredients. It should smell yeasty and be bubbly after about 10-15 minutes.

    Nutrition Information

    Calories: 2253kcal | Carbohydrates: 386g | Protein: 62g | Fat: 68g | Saturated Fat: 47g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 2375mg | Potassium: 1869mg | Fiber: 48g | Sugar: 80g | Vitamin A: 223IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 212mg | Iron: 16mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amanda says

      November 11, 2022 at 12:59 pm

      Needs ingredient weights or it’s too annoying to bother. Why doesn’t anyone include them? It’s so much easier and more accurate.

      Reply
      • Julia Foerster says

        November 11, 2022 at 1:05 pm

        Amanda, you can switch to metric measurements in the recipe card! There is a button below the ingredients header.

        Reply
    2. Nafisa says

      September 20, 2022 at 4:31 pm

      Can water be used for the orange juice?

      Reply
      • Julia Foerster says

        September 21, 2022 at 1:06 pm

        Yes, you can use water.

        Reply
    3. Roberto Rivera says

      September 11, 2022 at 5:52 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe was fantastic, my bf and I made it at same time, I used a loaf pan and she made buns. Both ways came out fantastic. Wish I could add a pic of them .

      Reply
    4. Jennifer Rivera says

      September 11, 2022 at 5:24 pm

      Recipe was amazing!!! They came out nice and fluffy. I made the rolls as I had no loaf pan and everything was perfect!

      Reply
    5. Roxanne says

      August 29, 2022 at 11:21 am

      Does it have to have orange juice?it’s what I don’t have

      Reply
    6. Anna says

      July 21, 2022 at 7:35 am

      3 stars
      Flavor was good, but the loaf turned out very dense.

      Reply
    7. Cindy says

      June 28, 2022 at 1:30 pm

      Can olive oil be used for the veg oil?

      Reply
      • Julia Foerster says

        June 28, 2022 at 1:34 pm

        Yes, you can use olive oil.

        Reply
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    Julia Foerster from Plated Cravings

    Hi, I'm Julia! Born in Germany, I call Canada now my home and love to share my favorite dishes with you! Here you'll find hundreds of recipes, all made from scratch with lots of tips and detailed step-by-step instructions. ➝ Visit my about page and ➝ subscribe to never miss a new recipe!

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