Homemade Honey Whole Wheat Bread: After one bite of this tender whole wheat bread recipe, you will never go back to store-bought bread again! This is an EASY recipe for 100% whole wheat bread your family will fall in love with. Directions for making whole wheat bread in bread machine and in oven. 

I am a carb girl.

I have a mini love affair going with bread and pastas, from Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread to Easy One Pot Creamy Cajun Pasta to Easy Overnight French Toast Casserole, I love carbs!

To me there is nothing quite better than a fresh piece of bread warm from the oven or bread maker. If I slather the sucker with peanut butter, I am truly a happy person.

And on my luckiest days, I may pull fresh bread out of the oven while I have homemade spaghetti sauce simmering and get to dunk homemade warm bread right into the rich marinara sauce–YUM!

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Bread gets a bad rap. Carbs get a bad rap.

And I get it because the majority of bread we eat is overly processed, genetically modified, and full of added sugars and preservatives.

But when you make bread at home, you get to control your ingredients. And if you follow my tips, you will have the healthiest most delicious, soft whole wheat bread you have ever had.

I promise you my recipe for whole wheat bread produces the softest, most tender bread that is full of delicious flavor–no cardboard taste in this honey wheat bread!

Questions you may have about making whole wheat bread at home:

Can I make homemade whole wheat bread without a bread machine?

Yes, you absolutely can make this whole wheat bread without a bread machine and I have included instructions for oven preparation. I love my bread maker because I literally dump all the ingredients in and walk away. Making bread my hand is a bit more work, but totally worth it. Although after you fall in love with this bread, you will be BEGGING for a bread maker because you will want to make homemade bread every week!

How do I know when my bread is baked fully?

If you are making bread in the oven, you can tell when bread is cooked fully, when the crust is golden brown and when you tap on the bottom of the bread loaf it sound hollow. A sure fire way to tell if you loaf of bread is cooked through is to insert an instant read thermometer in the center of the loaf. Bread is finished cooking when it reaches a temperature of 190 degrees.

Do I have to use whole wheat flour?

In my humble opinion, yes you do need to use all whole wheat flour. First of all it is healthier, and secondly the measurements of water, honey, oil, and gluten are given based on working with 100% whole wheat flour, not all purpose or white wheat flour.

I want to grind my own flour, how do I do this?

If you are lucky enough to own a food mill, take advantage and grind fresh wheat berries for this homemade bread recipe. Freshly grinded wheat berries are higher in some nutrients than flour that has sat on a shelf for awhile and in my book–the taste is optimum.

To grind your own wheat berries, use 3 cups fresh wheat berries to yield 4 1/2 cups measured flour. Follow your manufacturer’s instructions on whether or not you need to turn on the grinder BEFORE adding fresh wheat berries.

Is this whole wheat bread healthy?

Oh my YES, my recipe for whole wheat bread is incredibly healthy. This whole wheat bread is dairy-free, 100% whole grain, and is made with natural sweeteners and healthy oils. There is no preservatives, no high fructose corn syrup, no stabilizers, no corn products and no soy. This is just pure whole grains at their finest.

How do I store homemade whole wheat bread?

Because there are no preservatives in this whole wheat bread, it will not last as long as store bought breads. You can store in a cool pantry for 4-5 days, in a sealed container. If it is humid or warmer outside, I recommend storing your bread in the refrigerator.

This whole wheat bread freezes well too. To freeze homemade bread, allow to cool and then wrap the bread loaf in plastic wrap and then foil well. Keep in freezer for 2 months and then defrost overnight in the refrigerator.

The recipe calls for vital wheat gluten, why and do I have to use vital wheat gluten?

Vital wheat gluten aid in improving the elasticity and rise of bread doughs. Vital wheat gluten is especially helpful to add to whole wheat breads to keep them lighter and fluffy by aiding in the rising process of the dough. You can certainly omit vital wheat gluten from this recipe, but I find the whole wheat bread to be much softer when vital wheat gluten is added to the recipe.

Can I make this Homemade Whole Wheat Bread vegan?

There is no eggs or dairy in my recipe for whole wheat bread. But honey is not considered vegan. You can substitute the honey for maple syrup (use 1/4 cup instead of 1/3 cup) and this whole wheat bread will be considered vegan.

Can I make this Whole Wheat Bread Recipe gluten free?

While I love to use 1:1 gluten-free flour blends to make Peanut Butter Banana Bars, Cinnamon Streusel Muffins, and even for coating my chicken for Chicken Marsala, I would not use a gluten-free flour blend for this recipe. Instead I would use this gluten-free bread recipe.

Let’s make Soft Honey Whole Wheat Bread:

5 from 2 votes

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Honey Whole Wheat Bread

This is an EASY recipe for 100% whole wheat bread your family will fall in love with. Directions for making whole wheat bread in bread machine and in oven. 

Servings 24 (2 pound loaf)

Calories 119 kcal

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups 100% whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp gluten optional
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbs yeast

Instructions

Bread Machine Version

1. Start with water in the machine. Measure the oil first and then the honey (this makes the honey slip out of the measuring cup) and add to water. Add salt and gluten, then flour.

2. Make a small well in flour and put yeast into that well. 

3. Set to manufacturer's instructions for wheat bread and let it go.

Oven Version

1. Mix together water and yeast and let sit for 5 minutes, or until mixture gets creamy and a bit bubly. 

2. In a seperate large bowl, mix together salt, gluten and flour. 

3. Add in oil and honey to water mixture.

4. Make a well in flour mixture and pour in the water mixture. Knead until smooth (about 5 minutes). 

5. Let rise until doubled. 
   

6. Shape as desired (into 2 1lb loaves) and let rise until doubled again. 
   

7. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Recipe Notes

• 3 cups whole wheat berries grinds up to 4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• This recipe uses dry active yeast, not quick yeast

Nutrition Facts

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Amount Per Serving

Calories 119 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 3g 5%

Sodium 194mg 8%

Potassium 88mg 3%

Total Carbohydrates 20g 7%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 3g

Protein 3g 6%

Calcium 0.8%

Iron 4.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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