Simple Whole Wheat Bread
This easy one-rise bread is ready in 90 minutes! It’s soft and perfect for French toast and sandwiches. I also use it to make rolls. Make sure the egg and oil are at room temperature and be sure to aerate your flour before measuring. No mixer? Just mix it in a bowl by hand but knead longer, about 150 turns. (This recipe also works with all white flour) - Jenny Jones
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Makes: One loaf
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (260 gms) whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup (65 gms) bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (1 packet / 7 grams) instant yeast (or active dry yeast)
- 2 Tablespoons sugar (or honey but add honey after the milk)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240 mL) 1% milk, heated to 120-130° F for instant yeast (or 110-120°F for active dry)
- 2 Tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil (or any vegetable oil)
- 1 egg
- about 1/4 cup additional bread flour
Instructions:
- Place flours, yeast, sugar & salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Stir in milk, followed by oil and egg.
- Beat on high for 2 minutes.
- On low speed add about 1/4 cup bread flour until dough forms a mass.
- Place dough on floured surface and knead 50 turns.
- Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
- Shape dough into a loaf and place in a greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4-inch loaf pan.
- Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm spot until it’s one inch taller than the pan, about 35 minutes.
- Meantime, preheat oven to 375° F.
- Bake for 30 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, I cover the top of the loaf with a foil tent to prevent over-browning.
- Remove immediately from pan onto a cooling rack. Let it cool at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Problems with this recipe? Click here.
Want to Eliminate the Egg? Try my easy honey wheat bread.
Prefer Rolls? Click here for the recipe.
Want Sandwich Buns? Click here.
Baked bread for the first time ever using this recipe. It turned out just like in your picture. So easy to make and delicious. Thank you very much Jenny. Passing the recipe around.
Your bread recipe recipe changed my life. I am 67 years old and have been trying to bake a decent loaf of bread for over 40 years, I have used bread machines, my moms bread recipe ( taking a whole day and still not edible) and then I found your video. I have been making this bread for my husband for a month now and he absolutely LOVES it. I love your videos Jenny. You making cooking fun and most of all EASY
Jenny! Thank you, for this easy to follow recipe! I made it and now my husband demands that I make it often! Well, I have to admit, I do love the bread too and our 7 year old son!
It took me an hour to rise the dough an inch over the pan but it was definitely worth the wait! I am going to make this again this weekend, 1 whole wheat and 1 regular flour. I will also be making some buns!
Thank you again for this quick and easy to follow recipe! I am an avid fan!
This is definitely my go to recipe for wheat bread. 🙂
My husband just came home and saw me kneading….he said, “ oh good you’re making those buns, I really like them”….and so I am!
Making hamburger and hotdogs buns using this delicious recipe!
Thank you once again!!👍🏼👏🏻
Hamburger buns! Yum! Can I ask how many you make from this recipe? How big do you shape them?
Hi Jenny, Just want to say I can’t wait to try your Whole Wheat Bread recipe! Thank you so much for taking time to do a video to share it with us. I love all your videos and how you explain everything so well,your bright pretty colors, your beautiful aprons, and your wonderful sense of humor. You are very much appreciated! 🙂
Hi Jenny,
I have been baking this bread for about 6 months now and it comes out perfectly just like yours in the thumbnail picture. I have only one question. I do not know why I waited so long to ask you. When I slice the bread, it leaves a lot of crumbs and sometimes it feels too dense unlike the store bought bread. Could you please suggest if this is how it should be or if I might be doing something wrong!
I have the same problem sometimes in baking whole wheat bread.
First, follow the recipe exactly.
Use a whole wheat flour such as King Arthur or Hodgson’s Mill.
I think Jenny uses King Arthur, as I do.
Aerate the flour, Jenny’s blog or FAQ gives instructions.
For more consistent results, weigh your flour.
I get better results using bread flour with whole wheat flour
I think your problem is that your flour-liquid ratio is a little off. The brand of flour, the weather, altitude, all can affect that ratio. The King Arthur flour site has some good information on this.
If you are using a stand mixer, after your ingredients are blended, take the dough ball out and hand knead per instructions. You should be able to tell if it is too wet or dry. Either way, adjust with just drops of water and small amounts of flour, while kneading.
I am so glad I found your recipe, just finished my loaf and it came out absolutely beautiful.
Should I keep yeast in the fridge. Love your video making bread. cute. Going to make it tomorrow.
Once opened, yeast should be kept in the freezer, not the fridge.
Recipe easy peasy & SOOOO good!!
Thank you, Jenny!! 🎉🍞🎉
(Looking forward to trying some of your other recipes)
Hi Jenny! This is the simplest most awesome whole wheat bread. Thanks a lot for the recipe. I want to ask if I can change the ingredients to 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup barley flour and 1/2 cup maize flour, with the remaining same procedure, will that be okay?
I’ve been baking this recipe now for a couple of years. I’ve been tweeking it with each baking and now constantly use the same tweeks. I’ve found that a full 3 cups of flour turns out the best, most consistant, loaf. I use 1 cup of white flour, 1 cup of whole wheat and one cup of multi-grain. I add a capful of Realemon (almost as if I were using buttermilk) and I always use a large egg. The rest of the recipe is unchanged, and turns out the best loaf….for me.
I don’t know why I need more flour. I aerate it by adding it to my measuring cup with a spoon. I live in the lower mainland of BC Canada 🇨🇦 at approx 15 feet above sea level.
I’m curious if anyone else has found 3 cups of flour is needed.
This by far is the best whole wheat bread recipe I’ve tried. It’s super easy and very good. My loaf turned out beautifully. I love that you were specific about how many times to knead the dough, which took only 2 or 3 minutes (recipes that call for the stand mixer and dough hook require 7-8 minutes of kneading). I’ve made several bread recipes before but this will be the one I make over and over again.
I’m a novice at bread making and I’ve been trying different recipes each weekend. This is the first one I tried (and it turned out great!) I’m so happy you’ve shared this recipe. It beats all the ones I’ve tried. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
I love your recipes and I am so happy that I found them —— I want to make the wheat bread this weekend I only have glass or ceramic loaf pans which would you suggest
I have never used either one but you can probably do a search for baking bread bread in a ceramic (or glass) loaf pan – you might need to make adjustments.
Hi
Thought I would let you know that I used a pampered chef loaf pan end it came out looking just like yours so excited looking forward to eating it 😀
This is the recipe I go to for wheat bread. Very tasty
Great recipe worked perfectly only I used too big a pan so it didn’t rise up very high but filled the pan so the loaf ended up a bit small. Still very edible and good to eat. Thank you Jenny.
Very disappointed in the recipe. Three times and no luck-doesn’t rise. The last time I bought new flour, new yeast and a thermometer to check temp of milk
and still no luck. Used room temp egg. Checked your suggestions but of no value.
I’m so sorry. It’s worked for me and for so many people. Is it possible you used the wrong flour, like whole wheat pastry flour?
I Had the same Problem. Bread didn’t rise , tried twice gave up
You can probably find a solution in my FAQs.
Hi Jenny! This bread is so easy to make! My honey and I love the recipe with the honey. I’ve made twice, now, and the ONLY issue that I have is that the bread sticks to bottom of pan. I didn’t grease the pan the first time, but I did the second, and still it sticks horribly bad. Should I raise my oven rack? It is set exactly middle of oven. Thank you! God bless you- donna
Do not raise your oven rack. I have 2 suggestions: 1) Use butter to grease the pan. 2) If that doesn’t work, line the pan with parchment paper.
Hi Jenny use to watch your show back in the day loved it, so glad I discovered “Jenny Can Cook.I would like to know can I use this receipe in a bread machine?
I use a B & D bread machine on the dough setting. Let the cycle complete (90 ninutes) turn the dough out, knead it about 3 minutes, shape it into a loaf, place it in the pan to rise (approx 30 minutes), and then bake in the oven.
I made this today. It didn’t rise as expected. Not sure what happened. I put it in the oven anyway, because Jenny said it would rise more. I don’t have a mixer so mixed it by hand, I used an extra 1/4 cup of flour..that might have been the problem. But it tastes great. Not overly heavy for not rising as much.
Will try this again but not add the extra flour. And really knead it next time.
Hi Esther, I would guess two things. Ensure you added enough sugar (yeast require sugar), and ensure the milk was warm enough (I think some people underestimate how warm the milk should be).
From my experience, sugar is not required with yeast. I add the sugar for a little sweetness in the bread.
Hi Jenny,
I loveee your videos. You remind me of my Mom and that made me happy.
Can you add honey instead of sugar?
You are amazing!!
Thank you.
Pam
It’s addressed in the recipe.
Hi Jenny,
I’m sorry, I didn’t read the recipe yet. I only watched the video.
Thanks very much!!
Just made the whole wheat bread this afternoon. I am a novice with bread making, but this recipe was so easy! Thank you for all the details! I made some honey butter to slather on the warm bread. Such a treat!
Just had my first slice of the honey whole wheat bread….great, exactly as “advertised,”. Even the timing, including bake time. Interior temp 190 degrees. Only difference , I used an egg wash, spray it on, to hold sesame seeds on top.absolutely perfect. Easy, quick. The weather here is very cold, and dry. Preheated oven for at least a hour, proofed bread in microwave with door very slightly open so light stayed on for warmth, with a glass of hot water in microwave. Warm and moist. Also, simmered a large pot of water in kitchen to off set cold, dry air. Will be using this recipe often..thanks.
Delicious turned out perfectly. I had no idea you were the Jenny Jones. Loved your show and your warmth and personality shines through in your cooking. I want to try your bunny buns next. Done this loaf twice no problem. I’m from near your hometown. From Woodstock
Hi Jenny, I absolutely love watching and cooking along with your videos! You are so much fun! Everything I have made has turned out perfectly. I made your recipe for wheat bread OMYMY it came out absolutely perfect and I will never make any other recipe for whole wheat bread again, o love it. Delicious and perfect for sandwiches. Exactly what I’ve been looking for for years. Thank you so much.. 💃
I decided to try your whole wheat bread recipe today. Though it didn’t rise as high as yours, even though I left 40 minutes instead of 35. In the end the finished product was more dense than yours, but very flavorful. It was my first time with this recipe, so feel the results will improve when I make my next loaf. However, do you have any suggestions that might help me for the next time?
Next time, leave it to rise until it’s one inch taller than the pan, no matter how long it takes. Good luck!
Before cooking the Wheat Bread I wanted to make sure there was not a typo. The ingredients call for 2 teaspoons of instant yeast, most all your other breads call for 1/4 teaspoon, are 2 teaspoons correct?
The recipe is correct as written.
Is there a nutrition list for this bread recipe?
Tweaked it twice – first time replaced granulated sugar with brown, second time replaced granulated sugar with molasses. Also used the next size larger loaf pan. Great results. The original recipe is wonderfully basic which makes it quite adaptable to a few nips and tucks. I’ve been baking bread since my children were little – some 60 years ago. Finding a new, truly excellent recipe such as this is a joy. Thank you!
I loved the bread, came out exactly and seems quite foriving. Thankyou so much for teaching us how to bake without fuss!!
awesome,
S.
My husband gave it a 👍🏽, so this will be my go to recipe for whole wheat bread.
Jenny – I found your video online yesterday and tried this today (which was also the maiden voyage of my new KitchenAid stand mixer). As fate would have it, I was called away just as I started the 35 minute rise, so I put it (covered) in the refrigerator for 4 hours. It rose perfectly and baked up beautifully! So many thanks for this very forgiving bread. I’ll never go back to store-bought!
This recipe is fantastic – have tried it several times this month and has turned out great every time! The only time it didn’t, realised I’d forgotten to add the oil but it was still edible, just a little holy.
Thanks for sharing your bread recipes, Jenny, so good and v reliable indeed.
Can I double this?
Nevermind lol…I already asked this in November hahaha.
Why the egg? Thats not healthy. One yolk has the day’s supply of cholesterol. I left it out and it turned out fine. It also turned out well by substituting water for the milk.
Egg yolks contain cholesterol but do not raise serum cholesterol, which is why I don’t hesitate to use them.
And eggs have the healthy cholesterol!
Delicious bread! Thank you Jenny!
I think you are wonderful! I love your sense of humor. I just watched, again, your video of the easy bread and I love the part where you talked about the bread being so forgiving, unlike some people you know. LOL.
I think is rude of people making comments about this or that, that this is unhealthy and stuff. Continue to do your marvelous videos and I will be here supporting your wonderful work by watching you on YouTube.
Blessings of health, love and joy to you and yours.
BTW, I am making your easy bread. It’s rising now. Can’t wait to try it with the Zuppa Toscana I am making it tonight!
You took the words right out of my mouth. Thanks for beating me to it.
In my humble opinion, if people want to tweak a recipe or want to believe that eggs, butter, salt or what-have-yous are bad… then don’t flippin eat them. If they don’t like the recipe… wonder your happy fingers on to another page and be quiet. There’s no need to say anything. Are they expecting an award? A thumbs up? Recognition? I see it time & time again and it’s super annoying. …. “let’s make bread without flour… it makes people fat.” 🤪.
You do you, Jenny. The rest of us that actually love cooking & know why a certain ingredient is added/needed, will continue to watch.
The bread was dense and it stuck to the nonstick pan, it looked beautiful though
What can you use if you don’t have a thermometer (for milk)? Is there some trick or tip?
Did you look at the FAQs? https://www.jennycancook.com/problems-with-yeast-baking/
Ok, so after batch #8….wait, let me back up. So #3 was delicious!!!! And all the others after that. I just couldn’t figure out WHY it wasn’t rising like yours! So while washing out my bread pan (only have the one mind you) I happened to notice the measurements. This is a larger pan! Uggghhh so, it is true they are not as puffy as yours, they all taste super d duper!!! And when I get a smaller pan I’m sure they will puff up like yours!!! This recipe is amazing!! It is so good toasted with pb&j. I’m so proud of myself! Lol (thank you!!! Btw 😉😊)
I need help!
I have made this 3 times and every single time my dough will not rise. I even bought a thermometer to be sure the milk was exactly right. I just don’t know. The yeast is in singles packets and the exp date is 8/18/2020. Does anyone have any suggestions?
I used to use regular yeast, not rapid rise–sometimes had the same problem!!–Since I went to rapid rise–it has never happened again!!!–That being said–make sure your temperatures are pretty close to what they are supposed to be–I have found by trial and error–to err on the high side–120°
Regular active yeast can be killed by the higher milk temperatures. If you’re using that instead of rapid rise, heat milk no higher than 100-110F.
Jenny, I just discovered your recipes, and I have been leaving comments everywhere. My mom taught me to cook as a girl. She was a home ec teacher. Now I love mining your wealth of recipes and baking knowledge! Thank you for all of your work!!! The videos are so helpful and fun!!! We just made the whole wheat and white bread by hand perfectly. We threw in a little grated applewood smoked cheddar, rosemary and garlic powder. I will need this bread every week. Thank you again!!
Jenny, I just discovered your recipes, and I have been leaving comments everywhere. My mom taught me to cook as a girl. She was a home ec teacher. Now I love mining your wealth of recipes and baking knowledge! Thank you for all of your work!!! The videos are so helpful and fun!!! We just made the whole wheat and white bread by hand perfectly. We threw in a little grated applewood smoked cheddar, rosemary and garlic powder. I will need this bread every week. Thank you again!
easy and awesome ………………Thank You
Hi Jenny. I feel like I know you from watching your videos. For years, I used the dough setting on a bread machine, then did the rest by hand. While making rolls for Thanksgiving, the machine broke. Thank goodness for you! I don’t need a bread machine, I just need Jenny! I made your wheat bread and it was delicious. Thanks for all you share and for being so friendly.
Can I double this recipe?
You can double any recipe. You would be making two loaves instead of one.
Hi Jenny,
well you did it again! This is the best bread recipe and easiest I have made yet.I changed just a couple of things, I used one cup white whole wheat flour and one cup AP instead of two wheat and used honey, did not use bread flour just AP flour. Thank you again for your fun videos and great recipes. You look so good for your age…I’m the same age so I can say that lol (you look better then me)
Jenny
Love your videos – you are hilarious
The recipes I’ve tried including this one are great
Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing polish recipes especially!
Is this recipe easily doubled? If so, what ingredients would you double? Thank you!!
The best bread ever. So happy I found this recipe. Thanks Jenny.
This bread is just delicious. I was less than accurate in some respects but thought I’d go ahead and see if the recipe would forgive me anyway. And it most certainly did. Can’t wait to try the rolls version….at Thanksgiving? With turkey gravy? OMG! Thanks again, Chef Jen!
Hi, Jenny,
In your video for Simple Whole Wheat Bread, you’re working on a green board of some kind. Can you tell us more about the board; it’s size and composition, and where you purchased it? LOVE your recipes and videos, thank you so much for posting!
Hi Jenny….I love your videos and your recipes! I’ve tried some of them and they’re always winners with my family. Thank you for sharing with us! 🙂
I made this last night and it was the first time I made a loaf of bread that turned out! I followed the recipe except I didn’t use honey as I didn’t have, but I am so excited that I made my first loaf! It tasted amazing and I will be making more! Thank you!!!
BADA BOOM! I am now a bread making machine!! I love this bread, letting another loaf sit right now. But, what I love more, is that this lead me to find out I LOVE BAKING STUFF! I had no idea, so thanks for “waking” it up 😀
I made this bread recipe in the afternoon and it is so good thank you to share good recipes et tutorial too very interesting
Ive made bread since i was a youngster im now an oldster. Why an egg? Can I just leave that out? Ive never put an egg in any yeast bread before only quick breads like banana bread etc. ????
I left the egg out and it turned out perfect!
This is what my man wanted. A light wheat bread for sandwiches that wasn’t heavy. We’re not buying store bread anymore since theres other ingredients and preserves added to it. This is by far the best and easiest wheat bread I have made that got my mans thumbs up approval. Thank you for sharing.
LOVE LOVE LOVE! This bread turned out beautifully. Thank you! 🙂
Omg!! Just took the bread out of the oven…couldn’t wait for it to cool off, this is the easiest, most delicious homemade bread I’ve ever to made, instead of using sugar, I used molasses. Thank you Jenny!
ooo molasses that would be good too.
I’ve tried it with white sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses and with maple syrup and all turned out great. The only addition I make to the basic recipe is that I alway add a capful of “realemon” to any and all yeast bread recipes, and have never had a failure.
I read that baking bread with a pan of water on the shelf beneath it keeps the bottom from burning. Seeing as you’re such an obvious pro with bread, what are your thoughts on this technique? Thanks!
I put my bread dough in my oven with the oven light on to raise and sometimes if its dry in the house ill put a cake pan of boiling water in with it for the steam. It works well. Also, when i bake my french bread in order to get that nice crispy crust ill throw in a few ice cubes onto the bottom of my oven for the steam. works for me anyway. if your bread is burning on the bottom you might have it too close to the bottom of the oven. middle is best
Hello Jenny, I finally gave your bread recipe a try yesterday and my oh my, was I pleased with the results!!!!! My family and I are in love with this bread so much so that today I’m planning on making 2 more loaves!! I did substitute milk with almond milk and added some more water to make a softer dough… I didn’t areate the dough so maybe that’s why it was a little tighter but it all came out awesome in the end! Just wondering if we could bake it without a loaf tin as I only have 1 bread tin. Also can we do without the egg (I’m trying to not consume eggs). Thanks again for such an awesome and hilarious video! 😊
Dear Jenny,
I absolutely love your recipe! I have a big family and have always wanted to make homemade bread but never thought I had the time. Your recipe is so easy and quick, I was skeptical it would actually turn out. I was literally in tears, the bread turned out so beautifully! My kids laughed but I was so happy to find a healthy recipe that is so fast. Since I made my first loaf of bread, two weeks ago, I have not bought any chemical filled bread from the store! I have been making one loaf every other day for my family of 6! I have even added 1/4 cup ground flax seed and it turned out perfect. My parents also loved the loaf of bread I baked for them! Thanks for the great recipes and funny videos!
I have been making this bread for so long now and every time I do, I think that I must leave a comment! It is SO easy and really delicious. I add in 1/3 cup of pumpkin seeds, 1/3 cup of sunflower seeds plus 1/4 cup of millet after the 2 minute mix but before adding in the extra flour. It is the tastiest recipe for bread that I know of and cannot believe how easy it is.
Thank you for taking time to share this variation – it sounds really good.
Just finished baking another loaf of this great bread, and once again it turned out perfect. The only thing that remotely could be considered as an alteration to Jenny’s recipe is that I also add one capful of RealLemon together with all of the other ingredients.
JENNY YOU ARE AMAZING!!! THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU’RE DOING!
My question was so dull I had to reply, lol. Made your no knead bread and now the whole family is in on it!
Thank you again,
I would like to make rolls instead with this recipe. I know it will work because it’s amazing bread. Please tell me how many rolls per batch you would recommend as I like them to be uniform so I weigh each out. A medium sized roll slightly bigger than or nearly the size of a slider bun would be great.
Thank you,
Just saw the roll recipe, sorry, rotflol.
Thank you,
I bake one loaf a week. They only change I made was using 100% Whole Wheat flour. It rises nicely and tastes great. I found with or without 100% WW it is great bread.
Thank you for this recipe. Perfect result. Exactly what I wanted for sandwich bread.
Help!
I followed your recipe exactly, somehow though, the dough was very thick and tough…right after I added the milk pretty much. 🙁
You might find an explanation in the FAQs. If not, let me know and I will try to help further.
I’ve done this bread twice and each time it’s very sticky after it forms into a mass. I added flour while kneading it but I just had to continue adding flour until it finally allowed me to form a ball. PLEASE HELP!!
Please look at the FAQs. https://www.jennycancook.com/problems-with-yeast-baking/
EASY AND PERFECT! My wife and I have a system. She bakes, I cook. She does the biscuits, I do the gravy. The only other time I baked, was no bake cookies. Obviously, this was my first time making bread. It was super easy and came out perfect! Thanks for making me feel like real baker.
This recipe is perfect. I’ve baked many loaves of whole wheat bread and this was by far the easiest, prettiest and best texture. My new go-to recipe, for sure. Also, it stayed soft for DAYS – crazy – and then made great toast when it was starting to get dry. Love it.
Well, I’ve just finished baking another loaf of this delicious recipe, and I must say that your recipes are totally foolproof. I’m 75 years old, and started using your recipes approx 3 years ago. Prior to that, I used my bread machine, which was fine, but not nearly as good. I must say that I still use the bread machine with your recipes, using it only for making the dough. I then take the raw dough from the machine and continue according to your directions, and I have NEVER had a disappointment with any of your breads or other recipes. Thank you Jenny.
3rd time making this bread, awesome every time,. Jenny rocks
I made the whole wheat bread and whole wheat hot rolls and entered them in our local county fair and got a 1st on the bread and a 2nd on the hot rolls, great recipe.