How to Make Wheat Bread That is Easy and Delicious
If you are looking to add a new classic recipe to your repertoire make sure you add this wheat bread recipe! I spent years watching my mom make bread and have tweaked and changed our wheat bread recipe to be easy and fool proof! Keep reading to get your mouth drooling!
The best wheat bread recipe….
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I am not lying. This is the best wheat bread recipe ever! It is actually a soft honey wheat bread recipe. It makes lovely soft scrumptious warm bread right out of the oven, but get this…The next day, it is even better! It makes the most yummy, chewy soft and fluffy toast ever! Add some peanut butter to that toast and I am in heaven. Now, imagine french toast….oh baby yes!
You may have noticed I am trying something new today. Today, I am sharing a recipe instead of a DIY or home decor project. I hope you are okay with that! I am just really passionate about this recipe. And I plan to add more of my favorite recipes in the future.
I have always found wheat bread to be divine right out of the oven, but less enthused the next day. It usually takes on a dense tough texture and does not make an enjoyable toast. SO lets talk about what this recipe is not. This is not a 100 percent whole wheat bread recipe. This wheat bread recipe does have white flour in it as well. The white bread gives the bread a more soft texture.
I always struggled making homemade bread in the past. You see, my mom is like a bread genius. She made it all the time as I was growing up, and I spent many hours watching here mix up her dough in her Bosch. I have a lot of fond memories sitting in that kitchen watching the flour be mixed round and round and watching her work with her hands. Great memories.
Now I am that mom, and my kids sit and watch, mesmerized as the dough spins turning into something tasty. I am so glad I get to give them those same memories I had.
This wheat bread recipe is slightly different from a standard wheat bread recipe, it has a few unique ingredients such as olive oil, and ground flax seed.
I promise you will be so happy you added them!
***Have you always wanted to make bread, but found it hard to get them to come out pretty in the pan? Check out this video on how to form the perfect wheat bread dough!*****
Here is a list of other things you will need in order to make my wheat bread recipe:
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 2 large bowls (one for the flour mixture and one for the dough to rise in, or wash one and reuse it)
- plastic wrap or towel to cover the dough. I like using plastic wrap since it keeps the moisture in.
- KitchenAid Mixer or Bosch Mixer with a dough hook…I have both and have used both
- Oil spray for loaf pans
- loaf pans
- oil for the bowl and your hand
And here are a few tips to remember when making any wheat bread recipe:
- You need to allow the wheat flour time to mix and develop the gluten. Gluten is what holds the bread together and gives it that classic texture.
- You want to use a high protein wheat or use vital wheat gluten to your dough. This is what helps give the rise and spring to your bread.
- Raise your dough at about 70 degrees F. I find that my wheat bread raises better when I keep it near a warm stove however, so this is not always a hard and fast rule. You do not want your dough to get hot though.
- Keep your yeast in the freezer to keep it fresh!
- Proof your yeast…this means always test out your yeast before baking with it.
- I use Saf Instant Yeast. This yeast is the exact kind my mom used when I was growing up. I love it.
- Use less flour than you think. Too much flour will result in a dry, cracked bread. If your bread cracks at the top, the dough was too dry. I always lean more toward the sticky side of things
- Dont forget that salt! Salt not only gives flavor to your bread, it also changes the texture! Saltless bread is blah.
- Use a long preheat…..this means that you want your oven to be sufficiently hot. Do not do this in a hurry. You need a hot oven, and its best if it has been at the needed temperature for at least 20 minutes.
- Make sure you grease your bread pans well…there is nothing worse than a loaf of bread stuck in the pan!
- Use a dough enhancer to create a softer more luscious wheat bread dough
Wheat Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
- 1 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour I grind my own. Wheat flour does not stay fresh for long, so I grind it as needed.
- 3 1/2 cups white bread flour plus 1 cup extra if needed
- 1/4 cups ground flaxseed
- 1 tbsp salt
- 3 tbsp vital wheat gluten optional ingredient
- 1/3 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tbsp dough enhancer optional ingredient
butter optional for the tops of the loaves
Instructions
- I use my Bosch Mixer to make my wheat bread recipe. You can also use a stand mixer like a Kitchenaid.
- Start by putting your warm water, yeast, and honey in your mixing bowl. Let this sit for 10 minutes while you gather the rest of your ingredients.
- Get another large bowl. Put your white bread flour, wheat flour, ground flaxseed, salt, vital wheat gluten and dough enhancer into the bowl. Use a fork or whisk to mix it up.
- Once the water/yeast mixture has sat, it should be foamy on top. This means the yeast has been activated and its time to mix!
- Pour your olive oil into the water/yeast mixture. Do not mix yet. Add 2-3 cups of the flour mixture into the water/yeast. Mix on low until everything is well mixed.
- Let this mix for a few minutes to develop the gluten.
- Now, add one cup of flour at a time, letting each cup mix in. Keep the mixer on medium speed, lowering it when adding the flour.
- Once you have added the last bit of the flour mixture, let the dough knead for about 10 minutes to develop some elasticity.
- At this point, your dough should be slightly firm, but also sticky, but not so sticky that its all over your hands. There is a definite texture you should be looking for and the more often you make this the more familiar you will be with how it will feel. You want to be able to form it into loaves, but not be too firm and not so sticky that it doesn’t hold its shape…..makes sense right?
- Now it is time to let it raise. Put a few drops of oil in a large bowl and place your wheat dough in the bowl. You want your bowl to be two to three times the size of your dough ball, since you want it to double in size. Cover it with plastic wrap and keep it in a warm place. Let it raise until it is doubled in size. This could take up to 45 minutes. Mine raised quite quickly though.
- Punch down the dough pour a little bit of oil onto your counter. We are not going to form the loaves. You can watch the video above to see how I form by wheat bread loaves. Its much easier than explaining it.
- This will make 3 loaves so make sure to have 3 loaf pans.
- Turn your over on 350 right now so that it will have time to heat, You want your over to be hot! Now cover your loaves again with plastic wrap and let them begin to raise. If you are lucky the loaves and the over will be ready at the same time.
- Place them on the bottom or center rack in your oven. Bake them for approximately 25 minutes. You should be able to tap of the top of the bread and hear a hollow sound. You also want the top to be browned.
- Take them out an immediately remove them from their pans. Place them on a baking rack to cool. Cut a piece off and eat it hot! Its the best way to eat it! And you get the first piece! If you oiled your pans well, the loaves will fall right out. Make sure to watch my video!!
Nutrition
Now, this wheat bread is so amazing right out of the oven, but guess what? It is soooo good the next day! I find this rare with many wheat bread recipes, even those with white flour included.
Things I like to make with this wheat bread:
- grilled cheese sandwiches
- french toast
- regular toast with peanut butter
- sandwiches
You can also add things to the bread dough before baking.
- Roll out your dough and add butter and cinnamon and sugar and then roll it up and you will have cinnamon swirl bread! You can add raisins to it too!
- Try a similar method with Asiago cheese, and butter. Yum
- Why not try chocolate chips! Can you imagine? Oh that toast would be heavenly.
I love this wheat bread recipe. It is very forgiving, can be used it so many different variations and can just taste so dang good.
Look at that golden crust! Oh it is gorgeous. Just slice it and enjoy!
I like to pair this with soup, or stews. This wheat bread makes fabulous grilled cheese and french toast and is wonderful toasted with some butter or peanut butter. It is so soft, yet has a great bite to it too.
Can you tell I am passionate about this bread? It is that good.
Try it out for yourself! I think I have said enough!
Don’t forget to pin this for later!
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I love trying new bread recipes so with your BIG claims for this I’d like to give it a go. You’ve not put how much yeast though, and what type you use. At least I can’t see where it says…. really hoping I’m not missingthe obvious here! Thanks
Ah! Yes I am so sorry, it somehow got deleted from the recipe. I have updated the recipe. It is 1 1/2 tbsp SAF Instant yeast. Ive linked to the kind that I use.
Sorry if I have missed this in your recipe or directions. Do you use on package of yeast?
So sorry, It must have been deleted I went back and fixed it. Its 1 1/2 tbsp SAF Instant Yeast
Beautiful bread!! Have you’re made a 100 percent whole wheat bread? IS the butter for putting on the bread after it is cooked? I can do without that. Thank goodness! Ha!
You home is beautiful!!
I have not made it 100 percent, because we personally like it with a little white to make it lighter, but you could definitely do that.
Love fresh baked bread! Yum! Shared on G+ #MM
Kim
Thanks Kim!
Hi Sara, Looks and sounds quite delicious! I like that it has flax seed in it! Thanks for sharing – I look forward to trying your recipe! Blessings, Janet
I hope you enjoy!
I’ll definitely put this on my “to try” list, so I saved it to Yummly for future reference. I have such a hard time with bread… it never comes out pretty. Tasty, but not pretty. 🙂
Good luck!
Also, what size pans are you using?
I am just using the standard bread pan size.
I really wanted to love this bread, but my results were disappointing. I am not new to making bread, but I am new to making wheat bread. I did not have the vital wheat gluten or dough enhancer in my pantry, so I left those out. I also used AP flour instead of bread flour (finding flour of any kind during the pandemic has been tough in my area). Maybe those changes affected my results. My first rise looked great, but once I divided the dough and made into loaves, things began to change. They didn’t rise as well as expected and once baked, they never browned. They were edible, but nothing like I had hoped for. I also expected it to be a bit sweeter. Any suggestions?
How long did you let them raise? Wheat bread does have a learning curve and using bread flour will effect it. Also the kind of wheat flour could effect it. Also, they may have needed to be baked longer.