This is the ONLY Whole Wheat Bread Recipe you will ever need. It is Eggless, contains No Vital Gluten and is made with only 100% whole wheat flour. Foolproof Recipe with plenty of tips. Trust me, once you bake bread at home, you will never go back to the store bought ones.
I love baking and it is the single most activity that deeply calms me. I am sure every baker agrees with me when I say that there is something about the whole baking process that is meditative and deeply relaxing beyond words.
The aroma of freshly baked bread fills up the whole house. My husband is utmost co-operative and waits for me to photograph, slice and then quickly vanishes with a couple of slices. Warm bread is a joy unmatched! I don't blame him.
At home, we love eating grilled vegetable sandwiches or toast as weekend breakfast treat once in a while. I often bake on Saturdays so we can enjoy a leisurely Sunday breakfast with a cup of tea.
Like most recipes shared on the blog, this bread is made from scratch, without the use of preservatives, additives or flavor enhancers. I am glad I learnt to bake early on and resort to store bought breads only in case of emergencies.
This recipe has been long requested by regular readers of the blog and I am happy to finally share it.
Jump to:
Are Breads Healthy?
I am no certified nutritionist to answer this but basically bread has carbs, quite similar to Roti and Rice. I always insist that home made bakes are much healthier and preservative free. We are using stone milled wheat flour instead of white flour.
Often store Bought breads that claim to be whole wheat do have some amount of All Purpose Flour. They also contain color and preservatives that improve or increase shelf life and texture of the bread.
Home made breads are rustic, denser than the store bought ones and quite filling.
Once you start baking bread at home, you will find a major difference in terms of texture and taste with that of the store bought breads.
In my opinion - Never compare store bought breads or any bakes for that matter with homemade ones.
Everything should be eaten in moderation, breads included.
Ingredients
Whole Wheat Flour
Instant Yeast - If using Active Dry Yeast, bloom it separately with some lukewarm water and honey before adding to the flour. Instant Yeast can be directly added to the flour along with rest of the ingredients
Honey - Can be substituted with granulated sugar, coconut sugar or powdered jaggery. It is required to activate yeast.
Milk Powder - This makes the whole wheat bread light and soft.
If you are residing in India, Nestle or Amul brand sells this product and it is easily available in supermarkets. It is also referred to as Dairy Whitener.
In US, UK, Asia and Middle East, Nido Brand from Nestle is easily available in leading grocery stores or supermarket chains.
If you cannot source Milk Powder, knead the bread using 50:50 Water and Milk.
Olive Oil - Can be substituted with soft salted butter.
Salt
Step-wise Instructions - Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
In a bowl, sift whole wheat flour, add milk powder, instant yeast, salt and honey. Make a well in the centre and pour lukewarm water. (STEP 1)
Slowly mix the flour and add more water to form a sticky dough. (STEP 2)
Knead the dough until soft to touch. Approximately 10 minutes of kneading recommended. (STEP 3)
Place the kneaded dough in a bowl greased with olive oil. (STEP 4)
Cover and let it proof until double in volume. (STEP 5)
Once the dough has proved, punch the dough to knock off air. Transfer the dough to a floured surface. (STEP 6)
Place the loaf pan or bread tin in front and shape the dough using a rolling pin resembling a thick flatbread. (STEP 7 & 8)
Note - The loaf pan helps in approximate measurement.
Roll it into a log, pinch the sides and place it inside the greased baking tin. (STEP 9 & 10)
Cover and proof this until double in volume. (STEP 11)
Pre-heat the oven for atleast 15 minutes at 200 Degree Celsius (400 Degree F).
Bake the bread at 200 Degree Celsius (400 Degree F)for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Once the bread is out of the oven, brush butter on top and after couple of minutes demold the bread on a wire rack. Allow the bread to cool completely. Should take couple of hours, slice and store.
Tips
Flour- For softer crumb, knead the dough for atleast 10 minutes (either using hand or stand mixer)
Water- Quantity of water depends on weather conditions. Feel the dough, as you knead. In case, you are kneading the dough using milk, use lukewarm.
Fat / Oil - Use a spoon to incorporate the oil slowly during 10 minutes of kneading time.
Proofing– Time taken to proof the dough depends a lot on weather conditions. In winters, you can place the bowl inside an oven with the light on to fasten the process. Instant Pot Yogurt mode setting also helps in proofing the dough in 1 hour.
Storage and Leftovers – Once the bread is cool, slice it and store in a bread box or airtight container. At room temperature, the bread stays fresh for couple of days. You can refrigerate the slices or freeze them. Under refrigeration, it stays fresh for 5 to 6 days.
Variations
Turn it into a seeded bread by adding Flax Seeds, Chia Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Pumpkin and Melon Seeds.
Add flavors - Garlic Powder, Italian Herbs, Indian Spices like Garam Masala or Turmeric and Cumin.
Add Color to the bread - Use spinach puree (adjust the quantity of water) or spinach / beetroot powder (opt for sun-dried or naturally dehydrated powder, without additives)
50:50 Bread - For beginners, I would recommend using half the quantity of all purpose flour to understand the texture.
Serving Suggestions
This bread is perfect for sandwiches, toast, grilled cheese, savory French toast (vegetarian version with chickpea flour).
Make delicious Chutney Sandwiches using whole wheat bread slices and Cilantro Mint Chutney. My husband pairs the chutney sandwich with Tomato Omelet.
Can be turned into Upma using basic Indian Spices.
We love pairing sliced bread with Indian curries like Chana Masala, Rajma or a simple potato sabzi. These are absolutely life saving on days when you don't want to cook Roti or rice.
Bread can be toasted (air fryer or oven) and turned into garlic croutons and served with Soup or added to salads.
Other Whole Wheat Bread Recipes to Try
Please take a moment to LEAVE A COMMENT and a STAR * rating on the blog. It would encourage others to try the recipe or you could TAG US on any of our social media handles –INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, FACEBOOK PAGE AND PINTEREST.
Easy Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
Equipment
- 2 Bowls, Spatula, Measuring Cups
- 9" Loaf Pan with 3.5" height
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups Whole Wheat Flour
- 2 ½ tsp Instant Yeast
- ¼ cup Milk Powder
- 1 ½ cup Lukewarm Water Read Notes below
- 2 tbsp Honey
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Butter
- 1 ½ tsp Salt
1 cup is 250ml, 1 tbsp 15ml, 1 tsp 5ml
Instructions
- In a bowl, sift whole wheat flour, add milk powder, instant yeast, salt and honey. Make a well in the center and pour lukewarm water.
- Slowly mix the flour and add more water to form a sticky dough.
- Knead the dough until soft to touch. Approximately 10 minutes of kneading recommended.
- Place the kneaded dough in a bowl greased with olive oil. Cover and let it proof until double in volume.
- Once the dough has proved, punch the dough to knock off air. Transfer the dough to a floured surface.
- Place the bread tin or loaf pan in front and shape the dough using a rolling pin into a thick flatbread. Note - Placing the loaf pan helps in measuring the length and width of the bread.
- Roll it into a log, pinch the sides, lift it gently and place it inside the greased loaf pan.
- Cover and proof this until double in volume.
- Pre-heat the oven for atleast 15 minutes at 200 Degree Celsius (400 Degree F).
- Bake the bread at 200 Degree Celsius (400 Degree F)for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
- Once the bread is out of the oven, brush butter on top and after couple of minutes demould the bread on a wire rack. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing and storing.
Notes
- Flour- For softer crumb, knead the dough for atleast 10 minutes (either using hand or stand mixer)
- Water- Quantity of water depends on weather conditions. Feel the dough, as you knead. In case, you are kneading the dough using milk, use lukewarm.
- Fat / Oil - Use a spoon to incorporate the oil slowly during 10 minutes of kneading time.
- Proofing– Time taken to proof the dough depends a lot on weather conditions. In winters, you can place the bowl inside an oven with the light on to fasten the process. Instant Pot Yogurt mode setting also helps in proofing the dough in 1 hour.
- Storage and Leftovers – Once the bread is cool, slice it and store in a bread box or airtight container. At room temperature, the bread stays fresh for couple of days. You can refrigerate the slices or freeze them. Under refrigeration, it stays fresh for 5 to 6 days.
- The Recipe yields 1 loaf, approximately 14 slices of whole wheat bread.
- For a golden top, brush some milk before placing the loaf pan for baking. I have not followed this step for the recipe. I usually switch on the top heating coil or rod of the oven during the last 3 minutes of baking to achieve the brown top.
- If you notice the top browning a lot, remove the loaf pan using mittens, cover it with a foil and place it back in the oven.
- Once the bread is out of the oven, immediately spread butter so that the bread absorbs it quickly and you get that lovely glaze. Also, quickly demold the bread on a wire rack to avoid condensation.
- Always allow the bread to cool completely (approximately 2 hours) before slicing. Breads continue to cook from the inside, even when they are out of the oven.
- Always use serrated knife or bread knife to slice the bread.
Please subscribe to our website to receive all the delicious recipes in your mail box.
We will be back again with yet another exciting recipe .. Until then, stay healthy and happy!
Vidya Narayan