100% Whole Wheat Bread
This simple, hearty and delicious wheat bread is made with 100% whole wheat flour.
This 5-ingredient 100% whole wheat bread is made with only whole wheat flour. It’s nutty, chewy, and slightly sweet— and anything but dense or dry. I love it with butter or jam, but it’s also great for sandwiches too.
If baking bread intimidates you, I can assure you that this loaf is an easy recipe that any level of baker can make!
Table of Contents
- What does "100% whole wheat" mean?
- Ingredients you'll need to make this whole wheat bread
- How to make 100% Whole Wheat Bread
- How to help your dough rise faster
- Bread baking FAQs
- More whole wheat bread recipes
- 100% Whole Wheat Bread recipe
What does “100% whole wheat” mean?
“100% whole wheat” means that no all-purpose or bread flour is included in this recipe. Some whole wheat bread recipes also include these other flours, often to help the bread stay light in both flavor and texture.
And while it’s sometimes true that whole wheat flour can weigh down baked goods, that’s not the case for this loaf! This 100% whole wheat bread is soft, fluffy and rich in flavor. And since it’s made with only whole grains, it might be a bit more healthy too.
If you follow my recipe and instructions, adding only enough flour as needed, and kneading it long enough to develop the gluten in the flour, you’ll have a soft and tender (and tasty!) loaf of bread.
Ingredients you’ll need to make this whole wheat bread
There are only 5 ingredients needed to make this recipe! (Full recipe at the bottom of this article)
- Whole wheat flour
- Butter— Vegetable oil will also work.
- Molasses— I love the dark smoky flavor the molasses gives this whole wheat bread. You can also use honey or maple syrup, though the bread will be milder and lighter in color.
- Active-dry or instant yeast
- Salt
How to make 100% Whole Wheat Bread
You can of course prepare this whole wheat bread by hand, but I recommend using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook if you have one. A stand mixer will prevent you from accidentally adding too much flour, and it will help you knead the dough long and well enough to give the bread a light and fluffy texture.
- Warm water, butter and molasses. Combine them in a saucepan over medium heat until butter is just melted. Cool to 120-130°F, about 5 minutes.
- Combine with whole wheat flour and salt. Add liquids, some whole wheat flour and salt to mixer bowl and combine to make a wet bowl.
- Knead while adding remaining flour. While kneading with dough hook, add more flour 1/4 cup at a time until dough is firm but still tacky to the touch (you may not need all 4 cups of flour).
- Let rise in warm place. Shape dough into ball and cover with plastic wrap or towel and rise (or “proof”) until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Shape. Gently punch down the dough and roll out into a rough rectangle about 10 inches wide and 12 inches long. Roll up dough into a log and into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Let rise again. Cover and rise for about 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bake. Bake until loaf is golden brown, 30-40 minutes. If you want a shiny golden crust, brush lightly with melted butter.
- Cool & enjoy! The loaf should cool before slicing to finish setting up. Don’t slice for at least 15 minutes if you want warm bread, or let it cool completely.
How to help your dough rise faster
If your kitchen tends to be a bit cooler, particularly in the fall and winter, it will slow down the rise. To help your dough rise faster, here’s a few warmer suggestions:
- Oven: Heat your oven to its lowest setting for a few minutes, then turn it off. Place the covered dough on the center rack and close the door.
- Microwave: Heat 1 cup of water in your microwave for 2 minutes. Remove water and place the covered dough in the microwave and close the door.
- Other: I’ve also risen bread on top of a warm oven, running dryer machine, and even on a chair set over a heater vent.
Bread baking FAQs
Any brand of whole wheat flour will work well in this recipe. However, different brands will vary on intensity of flavor and coarseness of the grains. King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat flour are varieties I’ve used and love.
It’s more hands-on than using a stand mixer (obviously), but isn’t difficult! I like this tutorial on how to knead bread by hand.
1) It could be that your yeast has expired. Check the expiration date on that packaging. If you don’t know, you can test the yeast. Add 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) of yeast to a cup with 1/2 cup warm water and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes. If the mixture foams and increases in size, then your yeast is still good. If not, it has expired.
2) It’s possible you killed the yeast by adding the liquids before they cooled down properly. Temperatures over 140°F will kill yeast, and it’s helpful to use a thermometer to make sure your liquids are between 120-130°F.
1) See solutions above in case it is an issue with your yeast.
2) Be sure to add only enough flour to achieve a firm but tacky dough. It should clear most of the sides of the bowl during kneading, and will feel tacky to the touch without actually coming off and sticking to your fingers. Adding too much flour will make a dense and dry loaf?
3) Give your dough enough time to rise before baking. It should almost double in size each time. See my tips above for creating a warm place for proofing dough.
I prefer homemade bread within 1-2 days of baking for the freshest flavor and texture, however it will last 5-7 days if stored correctly (see below).
Bread should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container. Do not store bread in the fridge, as it actually makes it stale more quickly. A plastic bag, plastic wrap and even a bread box are all fine options.
baking tip:How to know when bread is fully baked
Knowing when bread has baked fully can be tricky! The top may be perfectly golden, but how do you know the inside is baked all the way through? You can test your bread two ways:
- Tap on the top of the loaf and listen for a hollow sound.
- Insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, the bread is done.
- For the most accurate result, use an instant-read thermometer and pull the loaf out of the oven when it reaches 190°F.
More whole wheat bread recipes
You might enjoy these other great bread recipes made with whole wheat flour:
100% Whole Wheat Bread recipe
100% Whole Wheat Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) water
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter
- ¼ cup (60 ml) molasses
- About 4 cups (450 grams) whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons (8 grams) salt
- 2 ¼ teaspoon (7 grams) active dry yeast or instant/quick rise yeast
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, heat the water, butter, and molasses over medium heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat and let cool for about few minutes (to 120-130°F).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine 2 cups of the flour, the salt, and yeast. Add the liquids and mix on low until moistened.
- Continue to mix on low and add the remaining flour ¼ cup at a time until dough is firm and almost clears the sides of the bowl, but still feels tacky to the touch. You may not need all 4 cups of flour.
- Continue to knead the dough for 2-4 minutes more until dough is smooth and elastic (doesn't immediately break when you pull a pinch of it off.)
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 hour (if using instant/quick rise yeast rise time will be about 30 minutes). Punch down the dough, and let sit for 10 minutes.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into a rough rectangle about 10 inches wide and 12 inches long. Roll up dough and into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again until doubled again, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, until loaf is golden brown. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely. Brush with a bit of melted butter to make the loaf shine, if desired.
Video
Notes
This is really good. I’ve made (tried) many 100% whole wheat bread recipes over my 50 years of baking. This is my favorite.
I’m trying your recipe for the first time right now in a 9×5 inch loaf pan. Could I also bake this in a boule shape in my Lodge Dutch Oven? If so what temp and time would you recommend? I gave 5-star at this point cause it was so easy to make!
Thank you.
I’m not sure about baking as a boule in a dutch oven. I’m sure it can be done, but I don’t know about time and temperature since I haven’t tested it. If you do, please come back and let me know how it goes!
I was craving a vegetable plate with a hunk of hearty whole wheat bread for lunch today. So I made this recipe this morning.
It is perfect. Dense, wheaty flavor, light enough, delicious. It reminds me of the breads that were served in hippie vegetarian restaurants at coastal Northern California restaurants in the 1970s.
Perfect
I see a lot of these comments are years old. I am right in the middle of the first rise of this bread and it looks sooo good. Anyway, I was wondering if you’ve tried some add ins to this bread such as cinnamon and brown sugar or anything like that?
I haven’t tried adding anything to this bread, though I’m sure it is possible, and delicious!
The whole wheat bread is absolutely delicious! And I do mean absolutely! I used maple syrup and 2 cups whole wheat and two cups AP flour. Will use white whole wheat instead of AP next time.
This was fabulous for a 100% whole wheat bread – and very soft too. Thank you for sharing!
Made this today…delicious! Didn’t have molasses so I used Steens 100% pure cane syrup.
This is almost exactly the same recipe as I have for white bread. I made it and the family loved it.
Nothing is better than a slice of homemade bread. Nice recipe!
Nothing is better than a slice of homemade bread. Love your recipe!
followed recipe exactly, turned out great!
Absolutely amazing.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I made this for my husband and he loves it! Came out beautifully!
This was my first attempt at making bread and this recipe is amazing and simple for bread baking novices like me! Fantastic!