A 5 ingredient, Easy Whole Wheat Bread recipe with very minimal hands-on time & no special ingredients needed. It's soft, fluffy, crusty, completely sugar-free, & unbelievably good! Perfect for beginners.
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"It’s the best bread recipe I’ve ever made!!! It’s going to be my go to recipe...The crumb is perfect and it rose way over the rim of my large loaf pan to a golden brown crust. " - Michelle ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
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Imagine this... The smell of Whole Wheat Bread fills the air as it bakes in your oven. Breaking off a piece of that crust while it's still hot, slathering it in the most delicious Easy Vegan Butter. Devouring it.
Well guess what? I have some really good news. This could be you in just a couple of hours.
Now before panic sets in, bread and yeast does not have to be scary. So many people are daunted by it and it's such a shame because baking bread and eating the result, is one of life's true pleasures and it really isn't difficult.
There really is nothing better than tucking into a loaf of warm, freshly baked bread that you, yes YOU, made all by yourself!
So many of you have made my No Knead Focaccia Bread and everyone starts off being sceptical of it. They think it can't possibly work because it is so incredibly easy. But it does. Every. Single. Time.
This Easy Whole Wheat Bread is a little step up from that, in that it takes a little more effort. But it's really not much more especially if you own a stand mixer.
But, if you don't have a stand mixer, don't worry because you can knead the dough by hand and get exactly the same result. You just need to use a bit more elbow grease! Think of the extra calories you will burn. That equals more bread that you can eat!
This is why I am loving this Easy Whole Wheat Bread:
- Hands on time is minimal.
- It's light, fluffy and soft with a lovely crusty crust.
- The flavour is mild and nutty and it doesn't taste too 'whole wheaty'.
- It only has 5 ingredients and is completely sugar free.
- You won't find any additives or dough conditioners like in store-bought bread.
- It keeps well for a few days.
- You can double up the recipe and freeze one loaf for another day.
- It makes the best sandwiches, toast and soup or stew accompaniment!
Success Tip - I bake bread 2 or 3 times every week and have tried many, many loaf pans. My favorite by far are the ones from USA Pan. Even after years of constant use loaves and cakes never stick. I wipe a tiny bit of oil over the surface with kitchen paper and whatever I am baking slides right out so easily.
How To Make Whole Wheat Bread
Here's a quick run through of how to make your own homemade whole wheat bread:
1 - In a bowl combine flour, yeast, salt, olive oil, and water.
2 - Mix together then knead either by hand for about 10 minutes, or use a stand mixer.
3 - Lightly grease a bowl and leave the dough to double in size (it will take around 60-90 mins depending on the temperature of your kitchen).
4 - Shape the loaf and place into the pan.
5 - Leave until risen to about 1 inch above the top of the pan.
6 - Score, then bake! You can do one long cut all the way down the length of the loaf or a few horizontal ones. You can bake it without scoring if you want to but then your bread will decide where its weak spot is and probably bust open as it expands. It will still taste good but might end up a bit misshapen. By scoring it you providing it with a weak spot to expand from and your loaf will look much prettier.
Success Tip -As with all of my baking recipes, where precision is key to excellent results, I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients, rather than using cup measurements. I love this one because it is very reasonably priced and it has a tare function which is really handy. It means you can place any bowl on the scale and reset to zero so it doesn’t include the weight in its the calculation, plus you can reset to zero when adding multiple ingredients to the same bowl which saves on washing up.
Why This Loaf Is Perfect For Beginners
I call this loaf a Light Whole Wheat Bread because it uses a combination of white flour and whole wheat flour. By doing this you get a much softer, lighter loaf, it's way easier to handle, and there isn't such a learning curve.
It's a great beginner's easy whole wheat bread because of this. If you use a greater ratio of whole wheat flour your loaf won't be as light and fluffy, especially if you're a bread-baking novice.
By making lighter whole wheat bread, it becomes more family-friendly too. Children don't tend to like the taste of 100% whole wheat bread but this one is much milder in flavour and I have never had any problems getting my son to eat it.
Increasing The Percentage Of Wholewheat Flour
Perfect your making of this bread recipe as written, then if you want to, feel free to slowly increase the percentage of wholewheat flour as you become more experienced.
You can increase it as much as you need to suit your taste or dietary preferences. Bear in mind that you will need to increase the amount of water slightly as the amount of wholewheat flour increases. It will be by about 1 tablespoon (15ml) of extra water per extra cup (133 grams) of wholewheat flour that you use.
Storing Bread
Store in an airtight container or plastic bag for up to 3 days. After that time it will still be ok for toast. This bread also freezes well sliced or unsliced for up to 3 months. Bread will stay fresher for longer if you wait until it is completely cool before slicing into it.
Recipe FAQs
Despite the common myth, the addition of sugar to bread dough is not necessary. There are enough natural sugars in the flour to feed the yeast and get a good result. That is why I do not include any in this recipe.
You can omit the oil from this recipe but bear in mind that oil or vegan butter makes the crumb softer and also acts as a preservative. If you don't add any your bread will be crustier and it won't keep as long before going stale.
It's so easy to make that there's really no need, but you absolutely can if you want to. As long as it physically fits that is. Bread-maker pan sizes are all different and a lot are pretty small. Much smaller than a standard loaf pan. So you might need to scale the recipe down to fit. This recipe will work fine if reduced by ¼, ⅓, or ½. Just make sure you're accurate with your calculations and use whatever the regular basic loaf setting is on your machine.
Recipe
Easy Whole Wheat Bread
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 300g (2⅓ cups) all-purpose white flour or bread flour , (strong flour in the UK)
- 200g (1½ cups) wholewheat flour , (strong wholemeal flour in the UK)
- 10 grams (1 tablespoon) instant yeast or quick rise yeast
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil , or any other neutral oil
- About 310mls (1⅓ cups) warm water , or cold water if you want it to take longer to rise.
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- To a large bowl or stand mixer add both flours, the yeast, and the salt.
- Add the olive oil and the water. Turn on the stand mixer and knead the dough for 7 minutes. My Kitchen Aid manual recommends speed 2 for bread dough. You might need to stop the machine after a couple of minutes and scrape down the sides if it isn't catching all of the flour as it kneads. If it feels a little dry add a few drops more water. Add it very gradually though so you don't accidentally add too much. It should feel slightly tacky but not wet. If you are working by hand, stir the ingredients together with a spatula until a rough dough is made, then turn out onto a clean surface. Don't flour the surface. Instead rub some olive oil on it and on your hands. It will stop any sticking and means there is no chance of you adding too much extra flour which will affect the texture of your bread, making it dry and heavy. Knead for 10 to 15 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic. When you squeeze the ball of dough between both of your hands, it should bounce back. If you are unsure how to knead I recommend watching this video to help you perfect your technique.
- Once kneaded, grease a large bowl with a little oil, then put the kneaded dough in it and move it around to coat all over in a light coat of oil.
- Cover with a damp, clean dish towel ( I run mine under the tap for a minute then wring it out), and leave on the kitchen counter until doubled in size. The time this takes will vary depending on how warm your kitchen is, but bear in mind that the longer it takes to rise, the more flavor there will be in your finished loaf, so unless you are in a hurry, don’t rush it by cranking up the heat or putting it somewhere very warm. Mine generally takes between 60 - 90 minutes to double in a 20°C kitchen.
- Once the dough has doubled, scrape it gently onto a clean, lightly oiled work surface.Try not to tear it. Use the heels of your hands to flatten it into a rectangle roughly the width of your bread pan.
- Fold the bottom third up and use the heel of your hand to push it down and seal it a bit. Then fold the top third down and push it down to seal it again. Then fold the dough in half again and pinch closed. Watch my video to see these steps. Gently turn under the ends if they look a little untidy then gently place in a lightly oiled bread pan. It will fit well into an 8.5 by 4.5 inch pan or a 9 x 5 inch pan.
- Rub a tiny bit of oil over the surface of the dough to stop sticking, then cover again with the damp dish towel and leave again until the bread dough is nicely domed and about 1 inch above the sides of the pan. It won't take as long this time. In my kitchen about 30 minutes.
- While you are waiting for your loaf to rise preheat your oven to 400° F (200°C).
- Once risen score the top of the loaf with a lame or very sharp knife. A serrated knife works well. If you've got kitchen scissors you can even cut it with those (you can do one long cut all the way down the middle, or several along the width). You can bake it without scoring but accept that the bread will then decide itself where the weak point is and it might split and look a bit unsymetrical and ugly.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes. Slide out of the pan and cool on a cooling rack. You can check it's ready by tapping the loaf on the bottom with your fist as if you are knocking on a door. It should sound hollow.
- As hard as it is to resist eating it when fresh out of the oven it really is best to leave it to cool completely before cutting. Cutting while still warm affects the crumb and it will stale more quickly because the cut lets the steam out. You can solve this problem by doubling the recipe and making two loaves. One for eating while warm and one for later!
NOTES
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Jeffrey MacFarlane says
Fabulous recipe! I love how simple it is, and how amazing the bread tastes. My wife doesn't like the olive oil taste with everything, so we sometimes substitute for plain old vegetable oil. It looses some of that artisan bread taste, but it's nicer if you're making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Melanie McDonald says
I'm so pleased you are both enjoying the recipe Jeffrey. A bit of melted vegan butter makes a nice substitute for the olive oil too. Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. I really appreciate it!
Marie O'Byrne says
This is the easiest and tastiest recipe ever. I am the farthest from a baker you can imagine and this recipe works every time.Thanks so much!
Melanie McDonald says
Thank you Marie. I'm so pleased you are enjoying the recipe!
Kris says
I made this bread today as I do a sugar fast each April. I used half AP, half white while wheat. It baked ok, didn’t proof as high as I would have liked before baking, but the taste is incredibly bland by itself. Will slather some peanut or almond butter on toasted slices in hopes of improvement! Thanks though for the recipe.
Melanie McDonald says
The bland flavour is probably due to it not proofing properly. That's when all the flavour develops. The time bread takes to proof varies every time and depends on the temp/humidity in your kitchen. It needs to be left for as long as it takes. It's impossible to put a time on it. This loaf should rise as big as any other loaf. Either you didn't allow it enough time or your yeast was past it's best.
Beth says
I am making this for the first time today. I have made traditional breads before, but have recently cut refined sugars out of my diet. My kids absolutely love dinner rolls so I am wondering if this recipe can be made into dinner rolls or pull apart dinner rolls? I am currently making just a loaf of this bread. Also, I have a gluten free niece and I am wondering if a 1 to 1 all purpose gluten free flour would work for future loafs.
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes you can easily make dinner rolls or pull-apart dinner rolls. I often do with this recipe. Follow the recipe exactly, then when you get to the shaping part, shape into rolls and place on baking parchment on a baking sheet or a brownie type pan works well for pull-apart. Let them proof again then bake. They will cook in about 25 to 30 minutes at the same temperature.
As for gluten free, I have no experience with baking gluten free bread so I can't help with that one. Sorry!
I hope that helps!
Eva says
Hello. I have yeast packets, and I think each packet is the equivalent of 2 1/4 Tsp of yeast. The recipe calls for 1 TBS yeast. Do I use one packet, 1.5 packets, or two?
Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
You need 1 tablespoon which is the same as 3 teaspoons. Or if you have a kitchen scale measure out 10 grams. Or it would be one packet and 1/3 of another packet. You need to measure it with measuring spoons or a scale to be precise and get the best result.
David Smith says
Is it necessary to add salt to this recipe, I have to reduce my sodium intake, if not is there a substitute that I can use.
Rena says
I have just started a no added sugar challenge so was looking for a bread recipe that had no sugar or sweeteners. This bread turned out wonderfully and I did make it in the breadmaker!
A Virtual Vegan says
It's good to know it works ok in a breadmaker!
Munch says
I've never made anything like bread before and this was so easy and straightforward! And it tastes flippin delicious! And you were so right about how good it feels to make your own bread and eat it! Thank you for guiding me on my first bread making journey hehe ?
A Virtual Vegan says
Aaaww that makes me so happy! There will be no stopping you now!
Katy says
Can you make this bread with all Wheat flour (no All purpose flour)
A Virtual Vegan says
You can but it won't be as light and fluffy and it won't be as forgiving to make as when you use a mixture of both flours. If you are a beginner bread maker I recommend you follow the recipe as is. You can then gradually increase the amount of wholewheat in subsequent loaves. If you are more advanced you will probably be ok.
elena says
It looks great and easy but as I´m on a low sodium diet I was wondering if I could make it minus the salt. Thanks.
A Virtual Vegan says
Salt is important in bread making, not just for flavour. It actually helps tighten the gluten structure. When you omit it, it makes the dough harder to knead, stickier and it will lose some of its structure both as dough and loaf. It will likely end up a lot flatter. Salt also retards the yeast. If there isn't any it might all ferment a bit too quickly. It also helps the colour of the crust. As it slows the rate of the sugar consumption by the yeast, more of it is available at the time of the bake for crust colouration. If there is no salt the baked bread will probably end up really pale once cooked.
I have forgotten to add salt when I've been baking before so have seen this first hand. So if you do want to bake it without, you will need to use less water, knead it longer and realize that your loaf probably won't turn out perfectly.Hope that helps.
Joan Wong-House says
I started baking my own bread about a year and a half ago and I must say that this recipe is the best loaf recipe that I have tried. Even with my errors the bread still came out fantastic. Simple ingredients and easy instructions, made this bread so easy to make. I think this is going to be regular in my house. I no longer have to by bread. It baked so pretty and it taste great. Thanks for the recipe.
Stephanie says
Would you recommend "regular" whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour? I am not an experienced bread baker at all, but I have heard that white whole wheat flour makes softer bread. Do you have any experience with this?
A Virtual Vegan says
I've never actually used white whole wheat flour because it's not available in the stores here. Regular whole wheat is fine in this recipe though and gives perfectly soft results at the quantities listed in the recipe.
Pierre says
Fantastic........I am not a baker of anything and this came out excellent.
Can a double batch be done to make two loafs at one time.
Thank you so much for sharing..
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so pleased it turned out well for you! And yes, feel free to make multiples. I always make 2 at a time and freeze one.
Pierre says
Mel, would I gain anything by substituting the all purpose flour with a bread flour.
Thanks, Pierre
A Virtual Vegan says
I find my loaves are lighter and fluffier with all purpose. When I make sourdough or want a more artisan type bread with a really chewy, hard, crusty crust I use bread flour. So it's a matter of preference really. For every day bread I always use all purpose.
Pierre says
Made a second loaf, came out on the dry side. Any suggestions?
A Virtual Vegan says
The crumb can be dry for many reasons so it's hard for me to pinpoint. It could have simply been baked too long, or not enough water was added to the dough or too much flour was used. Do you weigh the flour or use cups? I always recommend weighing for accurate results with flour. Cups are far too inaccurate. If cups must be used then you need to spoon the flour into the cup then level it with a knife without compacting or shaking the flour down in the cup. That gives you roughly the right amount. Also if you add more flour when kneading, don't. That ends up affecting the texture. If you knead by hand you get far better results kneading on a lightly oiled surface with lightly oiled hands then by using flour. Other culprits could be over-proofing or not kneading it enough. Hop that helps!
Ayu Hassan says
I made this today. And this is my first bread! And it’s delicious! My husband + mum said it’s more delicious than the bought ones. I tot making bread is not for me, it’s for the pros. But I guess I was wrong. So motivated to make my own bread from now on. Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's so good to hear! It only gets better the more you make too. Thanks for stopping by to leave feedback. It's much appreciated!
Gary McKinnon says
I didn't have white flour to hand so i used stoneground, strong wholewheat flour. Easy, quick and delicious :)
It was lovely and dense, but how can i make a less dense loaf that gets a bit bigger, mine didn't rise much in the oven?
A Virtual Vegan says
The density is probably a combination of factors but the main one is that you didn't follow the recipe and used all stone ground wholewheat flour rather than the combination of whole wheat and all purpose. It makes a massive difference. Unless you are an experienced bread baker it is quite hard to make a 100% whole wheat loaf with a light texture. As for rising, first is your yeast fresh, and secondly, is there a chance you let it rise too much the first time or in the rise before you put it in the oven? If so then the yeast would have not had the strength to work anymore when they got to the oven. The kneading and shaping also affect how a loaf rises.
Annie says
I will definitely try this recipe!!! I was wondering, I did some bread recipes before and the towel I put on top of the dough (when it's in the pan) always sticks on the dough :( any advice on that? Thanks! :)
A Virtual Vegan says
I always run my towel under running water to really wet it, then I wring it out and drape it over the dough. It shouldn't stick then. I do that with bread rolls on baking sheets too. Or, you can rub or brush a little olive oil on the dough and cover loosely with some cling wrap instead. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the bread!
Alyssa says
I made mine using my new food processor and it turned out amazing! I won't ever buy bread again I don't think... :)
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome Alyssa. I think once you are used to homemade bread it's really hard to go back to store bought again!
Lilah says
I recently followed a recipe for a vegan bread on youtube and it came out horribly! They were dense ugly loaves that didn't rise any more after I put them in the pans. THIS recipe worked beautifully though! I did add a little coconut sugar and I used whole wheat pastry flour and added a few tablespoons of vital wheat gluten and the dough was moist and easy to form into loaves and it tastes wonderful. It's such a simple recipe, I think one day I may even have it memorized. Thank you!!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's great. I'm so glad you are enjoying the recipe!
Donna says
Love this bread recipe. It’s been our go to for a few years now.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thanks Donna. So glad you are enjoying it!
Annette Rippstein says
I would! like to know if I can put some Rosemary in the dough to make a Rosemary bread would you please email me back thank you
A Virtual Vegan says
Rosemary can increase yeast development so it might rise more quickly. If it rises too quickly it could affect the structure and flavour of the loaf. How much to add before this happens will be a case of trial and error. You could make it as it is, then knead in the rosemary just before shaping to limit the chances of something going wrong. I have this recipe too which you might like https://avirtualvegan.com/miracle-no-knead-focaccia-with-rosemary-sea-salt/