Simple Whole Wheat Bread
PLEASE SEE MY METRIC CHART ABOUT THE FLOUR. 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 (240-260 g) whole wheat flour (Aerate Flour Before Measuring - See How)
- 1/2 cup (60-65 g) bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (1 packet / 7g) instant yeast (or active dry yeast)
- 2 Tablespoons sugar (or honey but add honey after the milk)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240 mL) milk (reduced fat or whole 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.
A new problem, and I don’t see anything in the FAQ…..I have just recently (my last two loaves) started using farm fresh eggs. I really like them, very fresh. They would be classed as either large or jumbo. My dough is now supper moist and sticky. I’m using a full 2 and 3/4 cups of flour and have to add up to another 1/4 cup. Should I continue using 3 full cups of flour or should I try cutting back on the milk to approx 3/4 cup? Or is either way going to produce the same flavourful light and fluffy bread? HELP!
I always use farm fresh eggs and cut the egg to one because of the larger size
Jenny,
No questions, just praise!
Your recipe for simple whole wheat bread is the best ever! I thought I was hopeless when it came to baking bread. I even got a bread machine to help me, but results were very underwhelming. THEN I found your video recipe and voila! I’ve baked my first perfect loaf of bread.
Thanks so much,
Anna
I love this recipe. This is the best bread recipe out there. I hand mix everything so you don’t need a fancy mixer for this if you don’t have one. The first time I baked this, the bread took a very long time to rise. To speedy the process, while mixing everything I turn my oven on for about 10 min and then turn it off. When I get to the step to let the bread rise, I put my bread in the warm oven. I let it rise an inch above the pan. It takes about 25 minutes and it’s a guarantee rise. Then I take it out of the oven and preheat the oven again ready to bake. I also put a bowl of water in oven safe baking dish to keep it moist in the oven. The bread comes out fantastic! So fluffy!! Thank you Jenny for this easy recipe.
Friends, do yourselves a favor, watch the video! I thought “this dough is waaaay too wet. It will never knead,” but in the video you see Jenny knead it (in the most dainty fashion I’ve ever seen, LOL!) And the bread is delicious! This recipe is a keeper!! Thank you, Jenny!
I just have to say that this is a great recipe!!!!!!!! I have been making my own bread for the last 10 months and this is a keeper!! I will be trying more of your recipes! Thank you !
I have tried12 different recipes and none worked. This is now my favorite. I cannot thank you enough. It is the best bread I never had.
Hi, I made this bread it turned out good. Thank you for delicious recipe. I just have2 questions:
1. If using active yeast do I need to ferment it? I did that once but slightly have yeast smell to bread
2. I want to add flex meal and sunflower seeds to bread. When should I add them in the process.
bread didnt rise as fast as you said but it was worth the wait i love it so easy and so good. thank you my last bread could have been used as adobe bricks.
Can i add some finally ground muslix into flour for a twist
Love it! Just like bakery bread! Instead of milk I used Greek yogurt and coconut-almond milk. Instead of 1/2 c bread flour I used self-rising flour. Texture nice, moist and spongy! I accidentally left it in the glass Pyrex bread pan for an hour after out of the oven, but was able to take it out OK. My new go-to bread recipe. Thanks Jenny!
I was failing at making homemade wheat bread until this recipe. I just made it for the first time and it was so perfect even my super picky twin 2 year olds loved it! Followed the recipe to the letter but I hand mixed everything. I highly recommend it.
I love this recipe! It’s so fast and easy! …but I make it VEGAN with Ener-G Egg Replacer. This has been my go to recipe for bread since this pandemic started. My family loves it because it’s so light and airy and makes for an incredible sandwich! I’ll never go back to store bought again. Thank you Jenny!
This was the best bread I’ve ever made. The texture was perfect. The taste was wonderful. One of the easiest breads to bake. Thank you Jenny, I love so many of your recipes.
1st time making whole wheat bread. Turned out great. I don’t normally care for whole wheat bread but this is pretty good: good plain with butter, good toast and good for making sandwiches. I greased my loaf pan and the bread just slid out onto the cooling rack. Thanks, Jenny
Hi Jenny: do you have a recipe for rye bread made this way? Thanks for all you recipes! I enjoy them all😊
OMG!!! I made this awesome bread this morning using my new Kitchenaid mixer. The bread turned our perfect. It was so easy to make despite me being nervous of not doing something right. But anyway, it turned out so delicious.
I made the peanut butter cookies several days ago and they’re almost gone. I used crunchy PB and they’re delicious. My next project is making the cinnamon rolls. I’ve been staring at that recipe for weeks.
Jenny…you are my go to for all my new recipes.
Loved it! Bread turned out first time. Great recipe! Thank you.
When in the process would I add seeds? (sesame, sunflower, etc.)
This bread is a standard in our home, best tasting whole wheat I’ve come across, do double batches twice a week!
My bread turned out wonderfully despite no mixer and not aerating the flour. It took longer to rise (55 min.) in order to get it one inch above the side of the pan. It is moist, easy to slice and delicious. I will try it again. Also a great way to use up my whole wheat flour.
Great recipe! Any modifications if you double or triple it?
Double everything but the yeast and it turns out perfectly!
I’ve made both the whole wheat and the white bread. Both loaves turned out great even with hand mixing. The white bread dough was stickier when placed in the loaf pan. Thanks!
I made the recipe and Oh my God it was perfect. The first loaf I added too much flour at the end frappes 1/3 cup instead of 1/4 and used fat free half and half because that is all I had and still turned out. Made a second loaf while I had everything out to share with my daughter and it was even better. The only thing is when I had it on high spend it began to form and did not pour out like in the video. It was already into the kneading stage forming like it does when using kneading attachment. I live at 5500 for so maybe altitude affects the process. Maybe more fluid or less flour at the end. But really does not matter it was perfect. Just more curious than anything. Will be making this regular. Oh I also used Monk Fruit rather than sugar.
How can I keep it from drying out after I cut it. Plastic or just put in bamboo bread box. Thank you
Perfect!!
Made this bread, it came out perfect. I made 2 loaves with almond milk and honey. In one loaf I even folded some raisins and chopped walnuts, the taste was outstanding. It is so good when toasted. Thank You Jenny. Love your videos.
Hi, I really like this recipe. The bread is very light and tasty. However, I just have one issue, my bread rises very well while proofing but after 5-6 mins in the oven it starts to flatten on the top. I would love the round loaf as shown in the recipe but my bread always flattens/deflates in the oven. Please advise..
Try not to over proof, 1/2 inch over the side of your loaf pan.
I love your baking tips, and sense of humor!
I baked the whole wheat bread, looked great smelled great when it came out of the oven, but it stuck to the pan and didn’t want to come out. Had to cut the bottom out.
What did I do wrong?
That happened to me the first time I made it too. I grease the pan now. I know she says you don’t have to in her video but I find it works better.
Non greased pan works for nonstick pans that are not scratched. I used a fairly new Wilson nonstick pan that I gently clean. The pan is still in perfect condition and I don’t have to grease it.
When making any bread now, I tare off a piece of parchment paper closest to the length of the pan. I spray the pan with PAM and press the parchment down into the pan with the extra paper extending above the long sides allowing bread to be easily lifted out of pan. Works beautifully every time. Bread never sticks. Love this bread recipe!!
Try oiling your pan before putting the dough. Also let the bread rest in the pan for a few minutes before removing. Lifting it from the side of your pan with a table knife
We have made this bread weekly for the past month and it never fails. I’ve tried it with almond milk and honey and it was just as perfect as the original recipe. Even my 10 year old who has always hated bread gobbles it up! Thank you! And also, thanks for the laugh at the end. Hahahahaha. Cracked me up!
Wow great job my bread 🍞is in the oven now u never have to go to the store to buy bread I’m thinking about making bread every week too.
Fabulous recipe! I used active yeast and proofed. Bread is light and fluffy and delicious! Perfect used for sandwiches and makes beautiful toast. The oven spring was crazy! This recipe a keeper for sure!
I have tried a good number of bread recipes over the past few months that use the KitchenAid exclusively and they never turned out quite right and I almost gave up on baking my own bread as a result. I followed your recipe to a T and my loaf came out PERFECT- was so exciting and gratifying. You really can’t beat hand-kneading, it seems! Thank you so much for posting the video as well, that helped me to visualize things better than the plain written out ones.
Just made this, and it looked perfect going into oven but began falling right away and was totally flat and sunken halfway through baking. Is this what happens when it rises too long? (I got a little distracted before baking it.) Tastes good but probably a little more dense than it should be.
Linda H, it sounds like your bread was over-risen. It has happened to me, too, and I know how disappointing it is! I find it’s best to put the loaf in the oven right before it has completely risen, because it will continue to rise while baking. Over-risen bread does make wonderful croutons, however!! Just cube, then toss with a little salt, Italian herbs, drizzle with olive oil and bake until crispy. If you have a dehydrator, that’s my favorite way to make croutons.
Hi Jenny,
Can this recipe be used with the no knead method?
I am confused on the size of the pan. The written recipe says to use a smaller size loaf pan and grease it. The video says to use 9 x 5 with a 4 inch base and no greasing. Not sure which to use.
Do what the receipe states not the video. In the video she says not to grease the pan and this is incorrect. Your bread will stick if you do not grease your pan.
I would use a smaller pan, as 9 by 5 pan will result in shorter loaf…
Either size pan will work with this recipe. The dough will fill either pan.
Thanks, Jenny. I used the larger pan and it turned out great!!
I try your cinnamon raisin tunnel bread without eggs, I used egg substitue and turned out perfect. I will try your whet bread recipe, your recipe very simple and easy to follow. Thank you very much.
This has got to be one of THE BEST bread recipes I have ever come across. Beautiful liaf of bread, and it tasted soo good!
Love your videos,
Thanks Jenny!
Made it and loved it
You are the cutest chef I’ve ever seen!! 😃 Thank you for making cooking fun and NOT intimidating. I’ll be cooking more of your recipes.
I had never made bread before, so this recipe was my first try. We liked it so much that now I double the recipe, but don’t double the yeast. I let the two loaves rise with two pots of hot water below them in the oven for about 40 minutes. They turn out perfect every time! Thanks Jenny for introducing me to bread baking !
My comment is that we let the whole wheat loaf rise in the pan before baking. It reached the suggested one inch above the rim of the pan. However, when we baked it, the loaf did NOT rise any higher. Should we have let it rise higher than the one inch before baking. I am thinking that would make the baked loaf higher. Would appreciate your suggestions.
Two suggestions: Make sure your yeast is fresh. Once opened, it’s best to keep it in the freezer. You can test is by “proofing” it. Also, it’s possible your oven was not preheated long enough.
Fantastic! I’m elated to finally have success with a recipe. Easy to follow and tasted great. I love that you also have video. Thank you, thank you. A keeper for sure!
Jenny, I followed your recipe to a tee, including carefully spooning aerated flour into a measuring cup and double-
checking gram weight of flour on a digital scale as well as using an instant read thermometer to ensure warm milk was just the right temperature… My bread did not rise to 1 inch above the (correct size) bread pan in 45 minutes, and is not rising in the oven set to 375 degrees.
I would check your yeast and make sure that it’s still good.
I had the same result! Very frustrating. This bread recipe doesn’t give time for your yeast to proof, so I don’t know how anyone’s bread would rise.
Use self rising yeast. I’ve made this many times. Never had a problem with yeast.
I use fleischmann’s.
Hi Dan,
My bread did not rise in the 35 minutes on the recipe, I kept it in the oven with the light on for one hour and it rose beautifully then I was able to cook it, I also did one cup WW flour and the rest AP flour, dry yeast instead of instant so IDK if all that changes the rise time, also the temperature in your house might take longer, just look for the 1 inch above the pan instead of the time. Don’t give up on this recipe, I’ve made it many times and it’s always a different variation on time but the results are great.
I tried 3 times baking this bread and every time failed to get the rise as shown in the video. I changed the yeast, proofing time, measured all my ingredients and even tried one of the recommendations to keep the dough on electric heat (on low) to get decent rise. Each of these times, my dough did not rise 1 inch above the pan rim (didn’t even go above the rim) and comes out as dense. My Pan is 9inch long, 4 inch wide and 3 inch deep.
Taste of this bread is good, so I really wanted this recipe to work. I tried two types of yeast, and both times got very little rise. How can I fix this?
I suggest starting with the FAQs: https://www.jennycancook.com/problems-with-yeast-baking/
I am a bread novice and sometimes wonder about doing something a little different.
1. If I don’t have quick rise yeast, do I need to proof the other yeast before I add it to the recipe
2. Can I use a kitchenaid dough mixer as oppose to hand kneading it?
I have made this recipe 4 times now and it has been perfect each time. I use active dry yeast (not instant) and do proof it by adding yeast to warm milk, dissolving and letting it sit for 10 minutes. This bread makes the best grilled cheese!
Forgot to mention, I mix in my kitchen aid with the dough hook on stir till flour is incorporated, then mix on speed 2 for five minutes. Afterward I kneed on the counter until is forms a smooth ball, flouring counter as needed (1 minute or less).
Great! Good thing you didn’t forget to mention.
Thank you for the option of using the kitchen aid and dough hook. I am usually quite successful with that method. I will try that with my first loaf as I see others seems to have had problems with the rising.
I use my kitchenaid and my bread is amazingly awesome.
why did front side of loaf look smooth and the back side rough/ragged.
Otherwise everything as per recipe. Rise time and everything on point. Thanks Jenny. Loving your tips and recipes.
I made the Simple Whole Wheat Bread for the first time and it turned out very good. How can I adjust the recipe so I can use a 9 X 5 inch pan instead of the 8 x 4 inch pan? I want to make a larger loaf.
Great job with making the bread and have a great rest of your day!
Tried this recipe for the first time last week. Four loaves and a few pounds later…this is the best recipe I’ve found for ww bread loaf. Always perfect! Thank you so much for sharing your videos and recipes!!
This is wonderful bread! Thank you for a well detailed recipe. I don’t have a mixer so I REALLY appreciated the detailed directions (an actual number) for kneading. The crumb was perfect for sandwiches and toast. I don’t think the rest of this loaf will make it till dinner time.
Just a note for others trying to get a good proof… I had a very hard time getting the proper rise on bread in my cool house. Sometimes it would take double the recommended time to get it. My answer: my heating pad. I set my heating pad to the lowest setting, lay it out on the counter, and set the bowl (or pan) on top. I got a perfect consistent rise.
Are the flours used same as Canadian flours, my bun dough never seems to rise as much as yours, same when I use the recipe for the wholewheat loaf,,,,the yeast is newly bought as is the flour,I follow the directions explicitly, no joy
Are you blooming your yeast or using instant?
You may just have a dead batch of yeast.
The FAQs might be helpful.
I usually cook dinner every evening and on week-ends dinner parties for friends.
Being 75 and having a number of preconditions I’ve been locked up so to speak.
I now bake every day and give what I make away, bagels to pizza dough. (I’ve gone through 60 pounds of flour.
But this loaf is a keeper!
Stayed tight on recipe and it was fun and delicious.
Thank You.
Not to mention healthy.
Great recipe! I do have a question however. If I want to make multiple loaves can I just double or triple the recipe? My Bosch mixer can handle up to 14 – 1 lb loaves so I would like to bake a large amount once a month.
Thanks,
Rod
Hi Rod,
I make double batches and find I need a bit more flour after mixing to keep it less wet.
Other than that I do everything exactly but doubled.
Hope this helps.
Hi Rod! I also am a mega-bread maker and use the Bosch Mixer. You can easily multiply this recipe for the Bosch Universal with a “x 4” ratio, i.e., 8 cups whole wheat flour, 2 cups all purpose, 4 cups milk, 4 eggs….etc. Just be careful to not overknead, which is easy to do with the powerful Bosch. 🙂
Thank you, Jenny! I searched a lot of whole wheat bread recipes and decided to make this one. I used my food processor with the dough blade and the bread turned out perfect! Thank you for the recipe and informative video.
Would this recipe do well with an additional rise?
I wondered the same thing.
Can this recipe be made in a bread machine?
😱 This is AWESOME! I made the best loaf! I Am very proud of myself right now. I thank you profusely for your video!!! I followed you to a tee and my bread actually looked like yours! Taaaa daaaaah! Very proud, 🙂
I am excited to try more of your recipes.
Thank you.
Have a wonderful night !
Thank you so much for the recipe. I just took my whole wheat loaf out of the oven but realized I didn’t put any foil on top for the last 15 minutes. It still turned out beautifully, just a little browner on top.
I made the Simple White loaf a few weeks ago and it came out great. I did use kosher salt instead and honey for this whole wheat loaf. Thank you again Jenny!
Great recipe! I followed all the instructions, using honey instead of sugar, but doubled it, and it turned out perfectly! I think this will be our everyday, go-to sandwich and bun recipe from now on. Thanks, Jenny!
I really love your recipe, I’ll be baking this bread for my family for a long time!!!😁👍🏽
First time making this bread and it turned out perfect .
Thank you for the recipe, it turned out great! Hubby is requesting more LOL.
I used 2 cups of Bob’s Red Mill 100% Stone Ground Whole Wheat and 1 cup of King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour and it turned out great.
thank you so much!!! i have zero experience baking but i love bread. This pandemic period was making it hard to get the particular bread brand i loved.
I decided to try baking mine and it came out perfect. i watched your video closely to ensure each time the dough looked like what yours looked like in the Video and it worked.
i am never buying store bread again !
Love love love this bread recipe. It has transformed my phobia of baking bread to a genuine zeal for it. Thank you, Jenny. Your channel rocks!
Well I hate to be a stick in the mud, but mine did not turn out and I was disappointed. All of my ingredients were fresh, I even watched the video while I was doing it Followed it to a tee. I thought that only 2 tsp. of yeast was a typo at first as I though perhaps a tablespoon, but it was only 2 tsp. Mine did not rise..I let it rise a bit longer as it did not look like yours before you put it in the oven. I don’t know what I could have done wrong as I was so looking forward to this. Any thoughts on where I could have gone wrong?
Please start with the FAQs and see if you find the answer there. https://www.jennycancook.com/problems-with-yeast-baking/
Tried this today – followed all the instructions/ingredients to a ‘T’. By far my best whole wheat effort to date. Many thanks !
Note: one deviation – I forgot. Lined the loaf pan with parchment paper and trimmed it before going into the oven. Slick.
Hi Jenny..I have been making your whole wheat bread for about 2 months as my husband was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and cannot have a lot of sodium We love the bread ..I decided to double the recipe but forgot to use the same amount of yeast. I doubled it. I only have the dry ingrediencies’ mixed Can you help me out with this, I hate the though of wasting it.
Love watching your videos and have a lot of friends now watching as well
Thanks Bella Dittburner
If you’re doubling the recipe and you doubled the yeast it will probably still turn out. I suggest you keep going with the rest of the ingredients.
Thanks for your reply…I have another question for you Hear in Ontario we are having a difficult time getting 100% whole wheat floor…someone just told me I can purchase Hard whole wheat flour at the bulk barn…Can I use this in your whole wheat bread recipe…My husband only like your bread so I hope it will work out ..Please let me know
I cant help just laugh every time I see your video of you making this bread and you slap the bread and say WHO’s Your Daddy. Thanks for the chuckles
Thanks Jenny your the best
If hard whole wheat flour is the same as stone ground whole wheat flour, it will not give the same result.
Thanks Jenny
Back on the hunt for whole wheat floor
Hi Jenny,
I do the recipe with doubled yeast and all other ingredients and it comes out great.
Thank you so much for the recipe! Also the video is hilarious.
Hi Jenny, thanks for the recipe and video. This bread is great! Just wondering if I double the recipe do I need to double the amount of yeast I add? Not sure if it would be too mch or not. Thanks.
Thank you for your recipe, the bread is delicious, but I think my crumb was a bit shaggy, sticky.
I’ve searched the FAQs, comments and website, but I can’t find an answer to my question. I think my bread might have been a little underbaked at 195^F internal temperature with an extra 5 minutes of baking.
What internal temperature do you recommend for your Simple Whole Wheat bread?
Alternatively my whole wheat flour might have been a bit coarser than yours as I get it from a small local mill nearby.
Love the easiness of the recipe & bread tasted great! However, I used a corningware loaf pan & didn’t grease the pan. It stuck terribly, so I will grease the pan next time! Also, foil turned outward or inward?
Jenny you are so funny. I love your videos.
What if you don’t like the taste of wheat bread can you use allpurpse or just bread flour or a combination of them both?
Please see my other variations for white bread.
This is the best and easiest bread recipe I have ever made. The bread is very tender and delicious. Thanks Jenny!
Can you use buttermilk instead of regular milk?