Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
User Reviews
5
Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
Description
The bread begins with a sponge made from warm water, honey, yeast, and bread flour, which is left to ferment until bubbly and active. To this sponge, melted butter, additional honey, salt, and whole wheat flour are added to form a pliable dough. The recipe instructs kneading until smooth and elastic to develop gluten, which is critical for bread structure.
The dough is allowed to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, taking approximately one hour. After rising, it is divided into three pieces, each rolled into rectangles, then shaped into logs and placed seam-side down in loaf pans. These logs undergo a second rise before baking, which improves the bread's volume and texture.
This bread offers a balanced combination of whole wheat's nuttiness with a slight sweetness from honey, and a tender crumb supported by butter. It's suitable for sandwiches, toast, or alongside meals. The recipe notes that the finished bread stores well at room temperature for several days and freezes nicely for longer storage. Using a warm oven to speed proofing can reduce wait times.
Ingredients
Sponge
- 3 cups water warm
- ⅓ cup honey
- 4½ teaspoons Rapid Rise Yeast (2 packets)
- 5 cups bread flour
Dough
- ⅓ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons butter melted, plus 2 tablespoons for brushing loaves, unsalted
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3½ cups whole wheat flour
Instructions
- Make the sponge: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, stir warm water, honey and yeast together.
- Mix in bread flour and stir to combine. Let sponge sit for 30 minutes, until bubbly.
- To make the dough: Add honey, butter, salt and 2 cups of whole wheat flour to sponge and mix with a wooden spoon or the dough hook mixer attachment. Add remaining whole wheat flour ½ cup at a time until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead until smooth and pliable. NOTE: If making in your stand mixer, use the bread hook and knead for 6–8 minutes on low speed.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Divide the dough into three equal pieces and roll each piece into a 9-x-13-inch rectangle on a silicone mat. Roll each dough rectangle up into a log starting at the short end. Place each log seam side down in a greased 5-x-9-inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Toward the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped. Brush the loaves with melted butter and let cool completely on a cooling rack.
Notes
- Store cooled loaves in resealable plastic bags at room temperature for 3–4 days or refrigerate up to 1 week.
- The bread freezes well; thaw before reheating or slicing.
- To speed dough rising, proof in a warm oven set to 200°F then turned off with the dough covered in a damp towel.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 3loaves
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1616 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1loaf | |
| Calories | 1616kcal | 81% |
| Carbohydrates | 321g | 107% |
| Protein | 51g | 102% |
| Fat | 20g | 31% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Trans Fat | 0.5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 30mg | 10% |
| Sodium | 2358mg | 98% |
| Potassium | 931mg | 20% |
| Fiber | 25g | 100% |
| Sugar | 63g | 126% |
| Vitamin A | 367IU | 7% |
| Vitamin C | 0.4mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 101mg | 10% |
| Iron | 8mg | 44% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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