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A loaf of whole wheat bread with a slice of bread next to it
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4.64 from 19 votes

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 Time30 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Rising Time2 hours
Total Time3 hours 5 minutes
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Servings: 1 loaf

Ingredients

  • 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

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

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