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This recipe for Honey Whole Wheat Bread is simply the VERY best whole wheat bread you will ever eat! Made with 100% whole wheat flour and kissed with honey, this wheat bread is soft, tender, and easy to make!
If you think whole wheat bread is dense or tastes like cardboard, you have NOT tried my recipe for Honey Whole Wheat Bread. It is soft, tender, and full of flavor!
I am serious, even people who say they only eat white bread (my husband) love this honey wheat bread!
Whether used to make a delicious avocado chickpea sandwich or roasted turkey sandwich or as a base for homemade stuffing or a French toast casserole, this is the whole wheat bread dreams are made of!
Reasons this is the Best Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
- 100% Whole Wheat Flour. When you purchase whole wheat bread from the store it is often made with whole wheat flour AND enriched flour. This recipe is made with nothing but whole wheat flour!
- Soft and Flavorful. Kissed with honey, this wheat bread is slightly sweet and super soft. It is everything you crave in good bread, while still being 100% whole grain. I have served it to so many people that are stunned to find out whole wheat bread is not only edible but absolutely crave-worthy.
- Quality Control. No datem, no high fructose corn syrup, no refined sugar, and no preservatives! This wheat bread recipe only requires 7 simple ingredients--and that includes water and salt!
- Affordable. While you can find quality whole wheat bread at many stores, they often cost nearly $10 a loaf. Making bread at home will save you so much money!
Notes on Ingredients
- Whole Wheat Flour: The star of this bread is 100% whole wheat flour. You can use either whole wheat flour or whole white wheat flour, both are 100% whole grains.
- Wheat Gluten: Vital wheat gluten aids in improving the elasticity and rise of bread dough. Vital wheat gluten helps typically dense wheat bread to rise to its full potential, keeping this bread light and fluffy. You can certainly omit vital wheat gluten, but I find the whole wheat bread to be much softer when vital wheat gluten is added.
- Honey: Honey is the signature flavor in this whole wheat bread. It adds so much richness and flavor and pairs beautifully with whole grains. Use any variety of honey you desire. I typically opt for a wildflower local honey.
- Olive Oil: You can use canola oil if desired, but extra virgin olive oil gives this bread so much more flavor.
- Yeast: Use active dry yeast, not quick-rise yeast, and be sure your yeast is not expired.
- Water: The most important thing to remember when it comes to the water used when making bread is that you want to be sure it is at the right temperature. You want the water to be between 100-110 degrees F. If your water is over 115 degrees F, it can easily kill the yeast.
- Salt: I use kosher salt in this recipe. If you are using table salt, reduce the amount to 1.5 teaspoons. If you are using a bread machine, be sure you don't put your salt directly where your yeast is, as that can kill the yeast as well.
How to Make Honey Whole Wheat Bread
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step One: Bloom Yeast. The first step of making bread is to bloom the yeast. This simply means activating the yeast by dissolving it in warm water with a bit of sugar (in this case honey), until bubbly. You want to remember two VERY important things when blooming yeast.
- Be sure your water is lukewarm; not cold and not hot. If your water is over 115 degrees F, it can easily kill the yeast and if it is under 100 degrees F, it may not activate the yeast. Aim for 100-110 degrees F, which is warm to the touch.
- Be sure the yeast is NOT expired. Using expired yeast will result in dense bread.
Step Two: Combine Ingredients. Once the yeast mixture is foamy, it is time to make bread! Simply combine the vital wheat flour and salt with 3 cups of the flour. Add the oil and yeast mixture to the flour and combine until the flour is fully moistened. Stir in an additional ¾ cup of flour into the dough mixture. If the dough is still sticky add up to another ¾ cup of flour, adding only ¼ cup at a time, until the dough is not sticky and easily pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Step Three: Knead the Dough. You can prepare the bread dough by hand or with a stand mixer. A stand mixer makes quicker work of the process, but there is something so satisfying about kneading the dough by hand as well. Regardless of the method used, you want to knead the dough until it is elastic and no longer sticky to the touch.
Step Four: Rise The Dough Twice. The dough will need to rise twice. Once before shaping into loaves and once after. This will ensure the bread is super light and fluffy. Each rise will take about an hour each, depending on the temperature and humidity of your kitchen.
Step Five. Bake. Bake until the bread is golden and reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees F. This will ensure the bread is perfectly cooked.
Bread Machine Directions
It is exceptionally easy to make this honey wheat bread if you have a bread machine that can accommodate loaves up to 2 pounds, which is standard,
- Place the loaf pan, fitted with the dough hooks, into the bread machine.
- Pour the warm water into the loaf pan.
- Add in the oil and honey.
- Add 3 cups of flour.
- Add the salt and vital wheat gluten. I add the salt now so that it will not touch the yeast, which can interfere with how the bread rises.
- Add an additional 1 ½ cups of flour over the salt and vital wheat gluten.
- Make a well in the center of the flour and add the yeast.
- Close the bread maker and set it according to the manufacturer's instructions for wheat bread. I do recommend setting the crust to "light" when making wheat bread--it makes it easier to slice.
Storage Instructions
Because there are no preservatives in this whole wheat bread, it will not last as long as store-bought bread. If you do not plan to consume the bread within 5 days, it is best to prepare two 1-pound loaves and freeze one loaf for future use.
- Storage: Allow the bread to cool fully before storing it in an airtight sealed container. Be sure the bread is fully cooled, or moisture will form in the container, causing the bread to mold quickly. Store the bread in a cool pantry for 4-5 days, in a sealed container. If it is humid or warmer outside, I recommend storing wheat bread in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: To freeze homemade bread, allow the bread to cool fully and then wrap the loaf of bread in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by foil. Place the wrapped bread into a freezer-safe bag and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and use it within 5 days.
FAQs about Making Wheat Bread
The amount of flour needed to make whole wheat bread will vary based on how you measure the flour and the humidity in your house. Plan on using between 3 ¾ to 4 ½ cups of flour when making wheat bread. Start by using 3 ¾ cups of flour, but if your dough is still sticky, add in additional flour, ¼ cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the bowl and is not sticky to the touch.
If you have a kitchen scale, now is the time to use it. This recipe typically needs between 510 to 576 grams of whole wheat flour. If you don't have a kitchen scale, the best way to measure out the flour is to spoon it into the measuring cup versus scooping directly from the bag or container.
Yes! I freshly grind red or white wheat berries using a flour mill every time I make homemade wheat bread. You will need to grind 3 cups of wheat berries or 576 grams, to equal 4 ½ cups of flour.
Yes! This recipe for wheat bread is already dairy-free and egg-free, but in order to be considered vegan-friendly, you would need to replace the honey with pure maple syrup. It will not have a honey flavor, but Maple Wheat Bread is pretty spectacular.
If you are making bread in the oven, you can tell when the bread is cooked fully when the crust is golden brown and when you tap on the bottom of the bread loaf it sounds hollow. A surefire way to tell if your loaf of bread is cooked 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.
It is REALLY important that you allow the bread to completely cool before trying to slice, or it will fall apart easily. Once cooled, use a serrated knife to cut into ½-inch slices.
More Homemade Bread Recipes
- Cranberry Walnut Bread
- No-Knead Whole Wheat Dutch Oven Bread
- Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread
- Homemade Italian Bread
- Homemade Whole Wheat Rolls
- Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Give this wheat bread recipe a try and be prepared to fall in love--there is not a better tasting recipe out there! Be sure to leave a comment and review below as well. I love to hear from you!
Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Video
Ingredients
- 1½ cups warm water, 100-110℉/ 38-42℃
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup honey
- 4½ cups whole wheat flour, 576 grams
- ¼ cup vital wheat gluten, optional
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, see note
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
Instructions
Bread Machine Version
- Start by adding 1½ cups warm water into the loaf pan fitted in the bread machine. Measure ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil first and then ⅓ cup honey (this makes the honey slip out of the measuring cup) and add to water. Add 3 cups of flour, then 2 teaspoons kosher salt and ¼ cup vital wheat gluten Add the remaining 1½ cups flour (for a total of 4½ cups whole wheat flour) over the salt and vital wheat gluten.
- Make a small well in the flour and place 1 tablespoon active dry yeast into that well.
- Set the bread machine to the manufacturer's instructions for wheat bread with a light crust.
Oven Version
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon active dry yeast over 1½ cups warm water and mix in the ⅓ cup honey. Let that sit for 5 minutes, or until the mixture gets creamy and a bit bubbly.
- In a large mixing bowl or bowl fitted for a stand mixer, mix together 2 teaspoons kosher salt, ¼ cup vital wheat gluten, and 3 cups of flour.
- Add ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil to the water mixture. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the water mixture.
- Mix by hand with a wooden spoon or on low speed using the stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, until the flour is completely moistened.
- Stir in an additional ¾ cup of flour into the dough mixture. If the dough is still sticky add up to another ¾ cup of flour, adding only ¼ cup at a time, until the dough is not sticky and easily pulls away from the sides of the bowl. You likely will need a full 4½ cups whole wheat flour.
- Turn the stand mixer to medium-low and knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and shiny. Alternatively, to knead the dough by hand, turn the dough out onto floured work surface. Fold the dough over itself and repeat, kneading for 10-15 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Place the kneaded dough into a large mixing bowl that has been lightly greased with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size. This should take about 1 hour, depending on the temperature and humidity of your kitchen.
- Once the dough has doubled, punch dough down and shape in one 2-pound loaf or into two 1-pound loaves. Place the loaf or loaves into a greased loaf pan. Use a 9x5" pan for a 2-pound loaf, and two 8x4" loaf pans for two 1-pound loaves. Cover the pans with a towel or plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled again.
- Once doubled, bake the bread at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes for a 2-pound loaf and 25-30 minutes for a 1-pound loaf, or until your bread reaches an internal temperature of 190℉/87℃.
- Allow the bread to cool in pan(s) for 10-15 minutes and then remove the bread from the pan and allow it to cool fully on a cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally published in 2016 but has been updated in 2021 and 2024 with new pictures and a video.
This is our go to bread recipe - everyone is shocked that it is whole wheat and still so yummy! Thanks so much for the recipe!
I am so happy you enjoy so much Colleen. It is our favorite as well.
I have made this bread three times and it doesn't seem to work out for me. I bought fresh ingredients and a thermometer to check the temperature. The bread doesn't rise in the oven and stays dense. I don't know what I am doing wrong.
Hi Avra! I am so sorry you are having issues. A few tips: be sure to spoon your flour loosely into your measuring cups so that the flour is correctly measured. Also, make sure your water is not heated above 100 degrees--as that can kill your yeast. And finally, if you can find it, use vital wheat gluten as that helps the bread to rise. Hope those tips help.
Great recipe! I used this as a base, but changed a couple of things because I didn't have all the ingredients listed. I used 2 1/2 c king Arthur whole wheat flour plus 2 tbls extra, 2 cups of while lily self rising flour, and then 1/ 1/2 cups warm water, 1/3rd cup maple syrup, 1/3rd cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon red star premier blanc white wine yeast (all I could find) it turned out yummy. It was basically an experiment, but turned out beautiful. I am gonna try coconut oil next time. The loaf rose up past the top of my bread machine pan. I was so happy. Settings used:
1000g size,
color medium, and
wheat bread setting 5 for the cycle.
Thanks so much for the inspiration!
Hi Tana! Thanks for letting use know how the whole wheat + self rising flour combo worked out. I love using maple in this bread as well 🙂 Let us know how it goes with the coconut oil.
FANTASTIC bread. How would you alter the quantities though to make a smaller loaf .. say a 1-1.5lb versus 2lb. This one came out huge.
Hi Karen! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Instead of a 2 pound loaf, you can make 2 one pound loafs and freeze one loaf for later. OR you can cut the ingredients in half and make 1 one pound loaf. Keep in mind that if you are using your bread maker, you will want to follow your manufacturer's instructions for a 1 pound loaf (some machines ONLY make 2 pounds). If your bread machine only bakes a 2 pound loaf, place in the ingredients for just one pound and then set to dough setting. Once setting is complete, place into a 7x4 pan (1 pound loaf pan)Allow to double in size and then bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Of course you can cut the recipe in half and just follow the instructions to make without a bread machine as well!
Thank you for this simple and lovely recipe! I have made bread for years and am very impressed with the simplicity of the ingredients and the results! To better accommodate family needs, I reduced honey to 1/4 cup and eliminated vital wheat gluten, otherwise, followed the recipe as written using freshly milled wheat (the ONLY way to go). The result was pure Perfection! Thank you for sharing this with us!
I am so happy you enjoyed! Andy yes--FRESH milled wheat makes a WORLD of difference. Thank you as well for sharing your modifications!
Can you make buns out of this recipe? If so, what would the steps be for bread machine
Hi Kelly! Yes you can (and I do very often) I am working on a detailed recipe for whole wheat rolls to help troubleshoot some issues, but from the bread machine, you won't have much to worry about it. Once the cycle is complete remove the dough and and place on lightly floured surface, divide the dough into fourths and then divide each fourth into 6 balls, for a total of 24 rolls. Place on 2 greased baking sheets and cover with towel or plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Brush with melted butter or olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for 9 to 10 minutes or at 350 for 15-18 minutes.
You can also make roll dough balls and freeze them, then thaw, rise, and bake at a later time.
Yes--and I will have directions for specific rolls soon! (Just to help people troubleshoot)
Looking forward to trying this recipe, it looks just what I was looking for. A good whole wheat bread recipe without processed sugar and no dairy! Also the use of gluten as it will add to the quality of the bread.
Have you ever tried to freeze the dough to bake at a later date? I'm thinking after it rises, shape into loaves and then freezing for later use. Do you think this would work or will it start to rize in the freezer and then kill the yeast? I know you can get frozen bread dough in the freezer section but I wonder if they flash freeze it? I do not like frozen baked bread as I think it dries it out too much.
Hi Linda! That is a great question! This recipe does work to be frozen as dough--as long as you make it by hand. Prepare the recipe as directed through the first rise. After that rise, punch dough down and shape into loaves. Wrap with plastic wrap (greased seems to work best), and then in foil and freeze for up to 3 months (I find 1 month is best). To bake, place frozen loaves in greased loaf pan or on baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm place to thaw and rise until doubled in size, about 4-6 hours. Watch the dough, as the time for this will vary depending on the environment. As soon as the dough has completed its second rise, bake as directed in recipe.
That's great Kristen. That means I can make up a couple of weeks supply and bake as needed. I'm going to get the ingredients today and get some made up over the weekend. I'l try to post back with results.
I hope you enjoy Linda! I just picked up fresh wheat berries to grind--I will be making a few batches myself 🙂