This rustic white wheat bread is made with a little honey or brown sugar to enhance its classic whole-grain flavor. Baked in a loaf pan, the crust stays soft while the inside bakes up airy & mildly sweet.
The Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread My Family Loves
If you want the hearty flavor of wheat bread but crave the lightness of white bread, my rustic white wheat sandwich loaf is right up your Straße. White wheat flour is still whole grain, but much lighter & milder. And by baking it in a loaf pan, the crust stays thin & soft, perfect for slicing into sandwiches!
Because this is a 100% whole wheat loaf, I add an autolyze step to give the bran plenty time to hydrate before the addition of yeast & salt. The dough gets a head start on gluten development so it feels a lot less sticky, since wheat flour takes longer to hydrate than white flour. When I've skipped this step, my dough took longer to rise & didn't bake up nearly as airy. And similar to my honey wheat bread, I mix in a couple teaspoons of honey (or brown sugar) to enhance the subtle sweet flavor of the whole wheat. I hope you love it!
This beginner-friendly loaf is made with just four ingredients + water! I forgot to add the sweetener in this photo, but don't forget to grab that from your pantry!
Let's Bake Bread Together!
For the full step-by-step directions, scroll down to the recipe card.
Carissa's Bread Tip
Just a little sweetener enhances the whole grain flavor, and gives the yeast extra food for fermentation, so the dough rises faster. I love the flavor of honey or brown sugar, but granulated sugar also works.
Tips to Make a Bakery-Style Loaf
- Shaping: To get my loaf looking like I pulled it off a bakery shelf, I focus on creating tension as I shape it. After shaping it into an oval, I pull the bread from the bottom of a long edge along the counter towards me, which creates a taut skin that will help it rise properly.
- Scoring: I skip scoring (since this loaf doesn't need it) and instead go for that store-bought sandwich bread look.
- Baking: I recommend turning your loaf 180 degrees halfway through baking, to prevent a bulge on one side, since most home ovens are hotter at the back than at the front.
- Cooling: Be sure to cool your bread for at least one hour before slicing it, otherwise you'll end up with gummy slices.
Soft White Whole Wheat Bread (with Yeast)
developed & tested by:
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups white whole wheat flour (see note below)
- 1½ cups warm water (between 100°F to 110°F, or 38°C to 43°C)
- 2 Tablespoons honey or brown sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast (one packet)
- 1½ teaspoon salt (use either table salt or fine sea salt)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mix just the white wheat flour and warm water until you don't see any pockets of dry flour. Set aside for 30-60 minutes.
- Add the honey or brown sugar, instant yeast, and salt and mix for a minute. The dough will be kind of stiff at this point, but everything will come together as we knead the dough.
- On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough by hand for 8-10 minutes (or 5-8 minutes in a stand mixer) until the dough feels stretchy and isn't wet or sticky anymore. It might still feel a little tacky, which is normal.Sprinkle just a teaspoon or less of flour onto your counter (not directly onto the dough) as you knead it periodically to prevent it from sticking.
- Form the dough into a ball and place it back in the mixing bowl. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel or dinner plate and let rise in a warm place until it about doubles in size, after about 2 hours. (I like letting my bread rise in the oven, turned off, with the oven light on.)
- Grease a 9-inch by 5-inch (23 cm x 13 cm) loaf pan. Set aside.
- On a clean work surface, shape the dough into an oval. Gently spread the top edges of the dough down the sides and underneath, to create tension on the top. All the seams or edges of the dough should be tucked underneath, directly in the middle.
- Place the dough seam-side-down in the greased loaf pan. Cover the dough again with a towel and allow it to proof for 30 minutes to 1 hour in a warm draft-free spot. The dough is done proofing once an indent made by your finger into the dough springs back after 2-3 seconds.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bake the loaf for 35 to 40 minutes (turning the loaf pan 180 degrees after 15 minutes), or until it's brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped. Allow the loaf to cool for 10 minutes, then remove it from the loaf pan. Allow it to finish cooling on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour before slicing. Enjoy!!
Notes
- White Wheat Flour: I like King Aruther's Golden Whole Wheat Flour since it's high-quality and relatively easy to find in grocery stores, or you can buy it online.
- Storing: Store fully cooled bread in a paper bag or kitchen towel at room temperature for several days.
- Freezing: I like to bake two loaves at once then store one in the freezer for later, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap then in aluminum foil.
Nutrition
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