A 5 ingredient, Easy Whole Wheat Bread recipe with very minimal hands-on time & no special ingredients needed. It's soft, fluffy, crusty & unbelievably good!
Imagine this... The smell of Whole Wheat Bread filling 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's 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 accompaiment!
How to make Whole Wheat Bread
Here's how to make your own homemade whole wheat bread:
- In a bowl combine the flour, yeast, salt and olive oil
- Add water
- Mix together then knead either by hand or with a stand mixer
- Lightly grease a bowl and leave the dough to double in size (it will take around 60-90 mins)
- Shape the loaf and put into the pan
- Leave until risen to about 1 inch above the top of the pan
- Slash if you want to, then bake!
I bake bread 2 or 3 times every week and have tried many, many loaf pans. My favourite by far is this one from USA Pans (not sponsored or anything, I just love it!):
I have been using it for about 2 years now and it still looks brand new and yeast bread and banana bread etc never, ever stick. I wipe a tiny bit of oil over it with kitchen paper and whatever I am baking slides right out so easily.
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 a great beginner's easy whole wheat bread.
If you use a greater ratio of whole wheat flour your loaf won't be as light and fluffy. 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.
Ok, so you think you aren't a bread baker? Well guess what? You are about to become one!
Ready, steady, bake!
Success Tips - 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!
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.
Oil or vegan butter makes the crumb softer and also acts as a preservative. If you don't add any your bread will have be crustier and it won't keep as long before going stale.
Hungry for more?
For more great bread recipes, check out these very popular reader favourites:
- Sourdough Starter
- No Yeast White Bread
- Vegan Soda Bread
- No Knead Sourdough Bread
- Easy Flatbread Recipe
- Easy No Knead Focaccia
- Homemade Pita Bread
📖 Recipe
Easy Whole Wheat Bread
Author:
Ingredients
- 300g (2⅓ cups) all purpose white flour , strong bread 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 salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil , vegetable oil, sunflower oil or melted and room temperature vegan butter are all good subs
- About 310mls (1⅓ cups) tepid water , see recipe notes
INSTRUCTIONS
- To see my video showing how to make this recipe, just scroll up a little to just above the recipe card. Add both flours, the yeast and the salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. If you are working by hand use a large mixing bowl.
- Add the olive oil and the water. Turn on the stand mixer and knead the dough for 10 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 gradnually 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. I prefer to oil my surface and hands rather than use flour. It stops everything 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 - 15 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic and when squeezed together between both of your hands, it should bounce back slowly. 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 around to coat all over in a light coating of oil. I tend to reuse the bowl I mixed the dough in.
- Cover with a damp, clean dish towel ( I just run mine under the tap for a minute then wring out), cling film or an unused shower cap 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 flavour there will be so unless you are in a hurry, don’t rush it by cranking up the heating or putting it somewhere very warm. Mine generally takes between 60 - 90 minutes to double.
- Once the dough has doubled scrape it gently onto a clean, lightly oiled work surface. Be sure you don't tear it as you do this. 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 a damp dish towel, cling film or a shower cap and leave until the bread dough is nicely domes and about 1 inch above the sides of the pan. It won't take as long this time. In my kitchen about 30 - 40 minutes.
- While you are waiting for your loaf to rise preheat your oven to 400° F.
- Once the dough is ready you can bake right away, or you can slash the top if you have a bread lame, sharp enough knife or razor blade. It needs to be super sharp though or it will drag the dough and ruin your loaf. If you do not have anything suitable then don't worry and leave out this step. You can slash anyway you like, one slash straight down the middle, or two or three width ways. The slashing enables the dough to expand a bit more and you will get slightly better oven spring than you will if you do not slash. It isn't essential though and really doesn't make too much difference.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes.
- After this time it will be baked through. You can check by knocking on the bottom. It should sound hollow. Remove from the pan and cool on a cooling rack .
- 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 might make it slightly damp and doughy. I sometimes make two. One for eating while warm and one for later!
NOTES
Oil-free - You can omit the oil from this recipe. The bread will be crustier, won't be quite as soft and it won't keep as long. Oil acts as a softener and a preservative. Storage - Store in an airtight container or plastic bag for up to 3 days. This bread also freezes well for up to 3 months. Sugar - 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.
NUTRITION
Nutritional information is provided for convenience & as a courtesy. The data is a computer generated estimate so should be used as a guide only.
Tess says
Can i use canola oil instead of olive oil? Would it taste the same?
Melanie McDonald says
ANy liquid oil will be fine.
Nakeita says
Can I use oat flour instead of whole wheat?
I'm on a sugar-free diet and i wanted to try this but i also wanna try something new rather than plain all-purpose.
Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
Definitely not. Oat flour has no gluten so the recipe won't work. GLuten is necessary for the dough to develop and to provide structure. You'd just end up with a wallpaper paste-like mixture with oat flour.
Bob says
When I mixed the ingredients exactly as listed with my Kitchen Aid mixer, it ended up too dry to make a dough ball. Should I just add a little more water?
A Virtual Vegan says
With bread recipes, the water amount is always just a guide. It can vary so much depending on the brand of flour you use and the humidity where you are. Add an extra few drops at a time until you get a slightly tacky but not wet dough.
Margaret Oget says
Have you tried making this with 500 g of whole wheat flour and 2 T of vital wheat gluten? I would think the vital wheat gluten would also help create a soft loaf.
A Virtual Vegan says
I haven't tried it. I like using a wholewheat/white blend in my loaves. VWG would improve the texture and make the crust crustier and chewier. I don't think it would be as soft as a 50/50 blend though.
Alex says
Can this be made in a bread machine?
A Virtual Vegan says
I have never tried it in a bread machine but I don't see why not assuming it fits. Most bread machine pans tend to be pretty small.
Michele says
It’s the best bread recipe I’ve ever made!!! It’s going to be my go to recipe for all time. The crumb is perfect and it rose way over the rim of my large loaf pan to a golden brown crust. During baking I had a pan of water on the bottom of the oven which made the crust perfect and crunchy.
sonja syne says
My bread looks like a brick; it didn’t rise at all. I don’t know what I did wrong...I followed the recipe and the steps.
Melanie McDonald says
This is a really tried and true recipe. Happy to troubleshoot!
Did you weigh the flour? The number one mistake people make is to use cups. You can easily end up with WAY too much.
Did you add lots of flour when kneading?
Was your yeast fresh and active?
Did you knead thoroughly until the dough felt soft and elastic?
Did you proof it long enough?
The usual reasons for heavy bread is using too much flour, not adding enough water, not kneading it thoroughly and under or over proofing.
With bread recipes are just a guide. The time the proofing takes is always different and if you're not experienced in making bread it is usually a bit of a learning curve. Practice makes perfect. Keep at it and your loaves will get better and better as you become familiar with the process and your intuition around the dough grows.
Hope that helps a bit!
Glenys says
Hello from New Zealand Loaf turned out light and crusty So easy to make Now making one for son and family It won’t last long!!!
virginia says
hi, you say when making your bread to use all purpose flour and in UK its called bread flour, sorry but they are different all purpose flour in UK is plain flour used mainly for pastry,and bread flour is, bread flour , you get better bread from bread flour, than you will from all purpose/plain flour,
ginny, Wales UK
A Virtual Vegan says
I live in North America and I am English so am very familiar with flours there and here. What I state in the recipe is correct. In North America what is labelled "all-purpose flour" is suitable for making bread because it has a high protein content. That's why it's called all-purpose, because we can use it for just about anything. In the UK the flours are very different. You don't have one labelled "all purpose". You have plain, self-raising and bread/strong flour. Your plain flour is not good for breadmaking because it doesn't have a high protein content. It's for cakes and pastries etc and is significantly different to our all-purpose flour, hence the reason I suggest using bread flour if you are in the UK when making my bread recipe. I always give the North American and British alternatives in my recipes because I have extensive knowledge of both. Follow my British alternatives and your recipe will turn out perfectly. Hope that helps clear up any confusion!
Karen Wares says
Just finished making it. Was a perfect sized loaf, and I used a standard bread pan. I did it by hand as I have for decades. Tasty, easy, gotta love that!
Elvira says
I would like to split in halves the dough. Should I use the same time and same temperature ?
A Virtual Vegan says
The same temperature is fine. I've never cooked such a small loaf but I'd guess it will take about 25 minutes? You can tell it's done when it's golden and when you take it out of the pan and knock hard on the bottom with your fist (like you're knocking on a door) it sounds hollow.
You won't be able to put that small of an amount of dough in a standard loaf pan. You'll have to shape it into a boule or batard and bake on a baking tray instead. Or you can make bread rolls with the dough. They take about 18 to 20 minutes.
Kay says
Hello, I have been baking bread for a long time and tried the easy whole wheat bread. Just a question, i left it for at least 15 hours overnight, as it wasn't moving, then kneaded and popped it into the tin, took many hours and I thought it wasn't ready but cooked it and it's delicious. I've never come across this before, it was very cold here yesterday, Will keep making it as the result was worth the wait. Thanks
A Virtual Vegan says
The delay must have been temperature related. In my kitchen it rarely takes more than 2 hours even in Winter.
Or is there a chance your yeast is a bit old? It does start to deteriorate after about 3 months of being open.
The longer it takes though the more flavour there is in the bread so it's never a bad thing if it takes a while. So pleased you enjoyed it!
Pat says
This is very easy to make. I was looking for Vegan, sugar free bread as my husband can't have sugar. Turned out great the first try. Today I am making one loaf in the bread machine and one in the oven. Experimenting to see which turns out best. Thank you!
Jai says
How did the bread machine go?
Claudia says
Turned out great, very easy, but... I found 10 grams of yeast to be quite a bit more than a tablespoon. I think next time I’ll bake it in a 9x5 bread pan or make into a boule and bake in a Dutch oven.
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you enjoyed it!
10 grams is a tiny bit more than a tablespoon but not much. If you were being absolutely precise one tablespoon is 9.3 grams. I've rounded it up to a tablespoon to make the recipe clearer and easier to read/make for the people who aren't weighing, otherwise it would have to say 1 tablespoon and 0.22 of a teaspoon which would be impossible to measure. It makes no noticeable difference if you use 9.3 grams or 10 grams of yeast when making this recipe so rounding it down a bit like that doesn't matter.
As with all of my baking recipes though, I do advise weighing with a digital scale because it's always more accurate. Every time you spoon up a tablespoon or cup of something it will weigh a slightly different weight.
Vicki says
Can you bake this loaf in a Dutch oven?
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes for sure. You will just need to shape it into a boule instead of a loaf shape. Leave it to rise on a piece of parchment paper with a bowl over the top or a damp dish towel, then lower it carefully into the Dutch oven to bake. Preheating the Dutch oven so its piping hot will give you the best oven spring. I'd bake for 20 minutes lid on then take the lid off until it's done. Probably another 20 min.
Julia says
I always find your recipes easy to follow with great final products. This is why I made this, even though I was nervous about the process of kneading and shaping the bread. It came out great! I was pleasantly surprised how crusty it was. There was no need to store this bread ?
A Virtual Vegan says
Ha ha! We have that problem with homemade bread too. It never hangs around for long. I'm really pleased you found the recipe approachable and got a great result Julia!