Homemade Whole Wheat Bread
Oct 28, 2013, Updated Jan 02, 2018
Healthy and nutritious homemade whole wheat bread.
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Growing up in India we only knew one type of bread, the classic white bread. That was the only kind of bread that was available at stores when I was a kid. But today things are a bit different. You go to stores and you can find breads made from oats, wheat, rye etc. The reason for this is awareness, these products were introduced in the market as people became aware of healthier options. Today we know that whole wheat bread is healthier than white bread and are even willing to pay extra for it.
2 types of breads are very popular these days – multigrain and whole grain breads. Which one is healthier? The whole grain, always stick to it! The multigrain is simply a bread made out of various grains, it does not mean it’s healthy and most of them use the regular all purpose flour which isn’t nutritious at all. Whenever possible buy the 100% whole wheat bread, its healthy and nutritious and if you can’t find it at your stores, make one at home.
And that’s why I am sharing my homemade whole wheat bread here. Ever since I moved to US, I have been eating only whole wheat breads and I have got so used to the taste that now I can’t really relish the flavor of white breads. This is a choice that I made for good health and you should totally do the same.
This recipe for homemade whole wheat bread, is very similar to the classic white bread recipe that I previously shared. I didn’t click pictures for the steps since they are exactly the same as the white bread recipe. So please refer to the white bread recipe for detailed pictures of the steps. The only thing I added is 1 small egg and I would strongly recommend you doing the same. It helps in keeping the bread soft.
Even though the recipe is for whole wheat bread, it still calls for some bread flour. Reason? well just to make the bread a little lighter. Breads made only from whole wheat flour are quite dense and so a little bread flour keeps the bread comparatively lighter. It’s mostly whole wheat though, 75% of it.
Enjoy the fresh whole wheat bread with some jam of your choice. I had mine with nutella. Yumm X 1000!
Use instant yeast for the recipe if possible. If using dry active yeast, let it proof first by mixing it with warm water and sugar and letting it rest for 10 minutes. Once you see bubbles and froth on top, it means the yeast has activated and you can now add it to the flour. I didn’t proof the instant yeast instead added it directly to the flour.
Homemade Whole Wheat Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- ½ cup bread flour
- 1-1.25 cups warm water [temperature around 110 f]
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ tablespoon instant yeast
- 1 egg small
Instructions
- In the stainless steel bowl of your stand mixer, add whole wheat flour, bread flour, salt, sugar, egg and instant yeast.
- Add olive oil and turn on the stand mixture at speed 1 or 2 with flat beater attachment.
- Add warm water into the mixture till the dough starts coming together.
- Replace the flat beater with dough hook once the dough comes together and knead for 7-8 minutes at slow speed [1 or 2]. In case you are kneading with your hands, knead for around 15 minutes till the dough looks smooth. It will be sticky.
- Once the dough appears smooth, apply some oil on top and place it in a bowl. Keep the bowl in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours.
- The dough will double in size after 1.5 hours, take it out and punch it down to flatten it. Knead with hands or in the stand mixer for a minute or two.
- Shape the bread loaf and put in the loaf pan.
- Apply some oil on top and keep it in a warm place for 20 minutes again. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- The dough will rise for a second time after 20 minutes or so.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake at 375 F for 35-40 minutes.
- When done, the bread will appear golden brown and sound hollow when tapped from bottom.
- Let the bread cool completely before cutting it into slices. Apply some butter or oil on top.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Whole Wheat Bread
Can this be made without eggs?
haven’t tested this recipe without eggs
If you are Indian you grow up knowing only white.bread. Seriously? Manali, I enjoyed the recipe but you really need to work on your writing skills. You come off as just another Indian who’s aim in life was to move to the US.
I actually did, maybe I am old and that time we only had white bread in my house 🙂 And Vikram this is a very very old recipe when I had no idea how to even write a recipe, so I apologize if it didn’t meet your expectations. Also you can make your own assumptions, but I never ever wanted to move to US, forget about being a aim in life lol. It just happened and I moved here. Anyway no point explaining 🙂 Thanks for following!
hi Manali, I tried various other recipes from the net for baking brown bread and had more or less given up, as the end results went into the garbage.
tried out your recipe today and it came out marvelous !!
thank you for posting this great recipe.
glad 🙂
Hi Manali! Can the dough be kneaded by hand instead of by a mixer? I only have the mixer used for cakes (the ones with twisted metal attachments)
sure
After switching to whole wheat bread, I’ve been trying several different recipes. This by far is the best one! The bread turned out fluffy and full of flavor.
We make this almpst every week now. So easy n so so good! Way better taste than the wheat breads in the market ?
Hi ma’am
Hi much yogurt can be used instead of egg..
you can try 1/4 cup yogurt but I can’t be sure since I haven’t tested the recipe with yogurt
This is a helathy one
What can I use in place of bread flour?
you can try all purpose flour!
Can we substitute yeast with baking soda and lemon? What will be the procedure for that?
no you cannot in this recipe. This recipe has been tested with yeast and works only for that. Please search for no yeast whole wheat bread, you might find something.
Hi Manali,
I made this brown bread without egg. Bread had risen above the pan used for baking, but as I put it in the oven the bread became flat. Although the taste and texture is really good, I am not sure why it became flat. Please let me know how I can correct this.
Thanks and Regards,
Shree
Hi Shree! Hmm so a lot of things could have gone wrong here. Is your yeast old? That’s the first thing that I can think of. Follow this link to test that http://redstaryeast.com/yeast-baking-lessons/yeast-shelf-life-storage/yeast-freshness-test/. Second you maybe have over or under kneaded the dough. Both can cause the bread to go flat in the oven. Or maybe you let it over-rise. Every step is crucial in bread making. If you have already baked it and the texture is fine, I would say just forget about the flatness.
Hi Manali,
Was surfing on the net and found out your website.. It’s very interesting…
Since we are pure vegetarians, NOT eating eggs.. is there any egg substitute for baking cakes and breads… I loved your recipe of masala bread and whole wheat bread loaf…
Pls reply..
Thanks / regards
Ami shah. ( Philippines )
Hi Ami, thank you for dropping by and for your kind words! 🙂 Ripe mashed bananas, yogurt, flax seeds, oil, sour cream can all be substituted for eggs in baking. This link might help you – http://chefinyou.com/egg-substitutes-cooking/ Let me know if you have any more questions!
Thanks Manali! i was thinking to make bread for a long time. Tried this recipe it was really good …:)
Awesome Shipra 🙂 and you are most welcome!