It seems like we’re always getting requests for an awesome whole wheat bread recipe. We (okay, I) have put this off for a long, long time and I haven’t been entirely sure why. After some careful self-analysis, here is my list of potential reasons why I haven’t jumped straight onto the homemade whole wheat bread bandwagon:
1) I am lazy.
2) Committing to making my own bread and not buying it at the store gives me hives.
3) Even though homemade whole wheat bread tastes better than what you’d find at your average grocery store, I’ve had a hard time finding a recipe where the taste made it worth eschewing my laziness or risking commitment-induced hives.
4) When I lived in Utah, it was easy to find ingredients to make homemade whole wheat bread. Now I have to order wheat (and dough enhancer if I want to use it, but I’ve weaseled my way around that one) and vital wheat gluten can be expensive and it’s only available at one grocery store where I live.
5) Even though I truly think grinding my own wheat makes the bread taste better, grinding wheat can be messy (and, when I am involved, usually is). I don’t like cleaning up wheat dust. Therefore, the thought of dragging out my wheat grinder also has the potential to give me hives. I think I may need therapy.
However, we recently were invited to try Bosch’s Universal Plus mixer and I decided that I needed to get over my issues. It’s been a long time coming. I’m making progress (although I’m still not prepared to commit to making my own bread 100% of the time).
I really, really wanted to give you guys an awesome whole wheat bread recipe. Here were my requirements:
1) The recipe makes a lot of loaves. Given my propensity toward hive-iness, I figure the less I have to make bread the better.
2) It has to be big enough for a sandwich or toast. None of this namby pamby 3″ tall bread.
3) Whole wheat bread can be dense and heavy. I didn’t want mine to be dense and heavy.
4) Homemade whole wheat bread can be bland. I wanted mine to taste awesome.
5) I didn’t want this recipe to take all fricking day. Because, let’s face it–pretty much all of us have better things to do.
I ended up adapting a whole wheat recipe from Bosch for a few reasons. First, I had made different variations of it before and I liked it (it’s kind of the go-to recipe for people who make their own whole wheat bread exclusively). Second, it only has one rise; it goes straight from the mixer into the bread pans, where it rises, and then goes into the oven. That shaves off a good hour right there.
However. Because I’m neurotic and a meddler and can’t leave things alone, I made quite a few tweaks. And I think they’re awesome tweaks, so I’m going to share them with y’all.
One thing about whole wheat flour–you don’t need to grind your own wheat. I have a WonderMill and, like my gym membership, I feel a lot of guilt when it goes unused for long periods of time. Plus, I really do think you wind up with better-tasting (and supposedly more healthful) wheat. Like I said, there’s nowhere for me to buy wheat berries locally, so I order hard white wheat (in spite of the pretty packaging, I’ve found it to be the best price online for hard white wheat). Why hard white wheat? I think it’s milder and softer than red wheat. I don’t like red wheat. I think bread made with red wheat is heavy and it makes me feel deprived and like I need Wonder Bread to balance it all out.
Speaking of products, I’m talking about a lot of specific brands in this recipe and I just want to disclaim (can I say that?) that we did receive Bosch mixers and attachments to try out (and this is a girl who owns 2, count ’em, t-w-o KitchenAid mixers), but everything else I mention is stuff I’ve bought my very own self. Just so you know I’m coming from an honest place. We might have a little giveaway going on tomorrow, and I’ll talk a little more about my feelings on Bosch mixers, but I will say here and now that if your husband wants to buy you either one for Mother’s Day/birthday/Christmas/for being awesome, he can’t go wrong. They’re both awesome and both have different strengths and weaknesses (although you’ll find rabid fans of both).
Anyway. I bet you just wish I’d shut up and share with you my recipe. And so I will.
Place 9 cups of whole wheat flour (freshly ground, if possible) into the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Enter the KitchenAid/Bosch debate. This is a LOT of flour, and you’ll be adding more, so if you’re using a KitchenAid, double check the maximum amount of stuff your machine can handle.
Add 2 1/2 tablespoons of bread machine yeast.
In case you didn’t know, I love bread machine yeast.
If you don’t want to use bread machine yeast, just make sure you’re using instant or fast-acting yeast.
Mix the flour and yeast together. Add 5 3/4 cups warm (about 105-115 degrees F) water…
Mix together until smooth. Cover and let it rise for 15-20 minutes or until light and spongey.
Add 2 tablespoons table salt, 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted unsalted butter, 2/3 cup honey, and 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt.
You’ll also need 2 heaping tablespoons of vital wheat gluten.
Before you start sending me emails, yes, you need it. No, this recipe is not gluten-free. Yes, I did just tell you to add gluten to your bread. Can we all be friends? Vital wheat gluten is really necessary in whole wheat breads because the whole wheat tends to be so heavy that the dough needs a boost to rise and not be like those brick-like whole wheat monstrosities we were often forced to eat as children when our mothers were figuring out this whole whole wheat bread thing. So yeah, add that, too.
Mix the added ingredients into the yeast/flour mixture until smooth. Add an additional 3-6 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time (until you start thinking you might be getting close, then reduce it by 1/2 cup). It’s hard, nay, impossible to give you an exact flour measurement because it can vary day by day, even in the same location. However, watch for the dough to start pulling together, away from the sides of the bowl. When it barely sticks to your finger (turn off the mixer first, silly!), you’re good to go. Let the mixer knead the dough for 5 minutes.
Spray 4 heavy-duty 9×5″ bread pans with non-stick cooking spray. I use and love, love, love these pans:
I bought them on Amazon and yes, they are a little spendier than your average bread pans. But if you’re serious about making you’re own bread, they are fabulous at retaining heat, giving you a nice, smooth, evenly-browned loaf of bread .
Transfer the dough from the mixer to a surface lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Spray your hands, too (it’ll make your life easier, I promise). Press into an even circle and then divide the dough into equal fourths. The dough should be very easy to work with, especially with the non-stick cooking spray. Press each dough segment into a rectangle about 8 1/2-9″ long and then roll it up. Place each “log” into the prepared pans.
Cover with a clean towel and allow to rise until it is over the top of the pan (about 45-60 minutes).
Carefully place all the pans on the middle rack of an unheated oven. Turn the oven on to 350 and bake for 32-40 minutes or until golden brown on top and sound hollow-ish when you knock on them. If you have an instant-read thermometer, it should read about 200 degrees F.
Remove the loaves from the oven and run a stick of cold butter over the tops of the bread.
Allow to cool and then remove from the pans.
These loaves freeze beautifully. You can use gallon-sized Ziploc bags (you may have to cut the ends off), or you can buy bread bags. Again, if you live somewhere where lots of people make their own bread, you might be able to buy them locally. Otherwise, these bags from King Arthur Flour are fabulous.
Just be sure and save one loaf of bread for sandwiches. And snacks. And bread and butter and jam.
Makes 4 9×5″ loaves.
Okay, peeps, I knew there would be lots of questions on this post, so I’ll do my best to answer the most prevalent ones I’ve seen so far. Feel free to bring any more to my attention (nicely…please… 🙂 )
Q: Do you REALLY need vital wheat gluten?
A: Some people are successful at making whole wheat bread without it. However…part of our job is making our recipes something that beginners to experts can make, and can make well on a consistent basis. Because of variations in bread-making experience, wheat quality, different types of wheat, whether you grind it yourself or buy the flour at the store, elevation, and about a million other factors, there’s lots and lots of potential for this recipe to fail. Vital wheat gluten helps with that. It’s not going to hurt you or your bread (unless, like a commenter mentioned, you’re allergic or have Celiac Disease), but it can help level out some of those problematic factors, so I guess my thing is why not add it, you know?
Q: What’s with the Greek yogurt?
A: It adds flavor, moisture, and, like adding buttermilk or sour cream to baked goods, it improves the texture of the finished product. I’m using it in place of dough enhancer here.
Q: I have a KitchenAid. Can I use it to make bread?
A: Yes, especially if you have a pro-series mixer. That said, you’ll want to keep an eye on your machine, especially near the end of the kneading cycle. If it smells “machiney” or appears to be straining or overheating, turn it off and finish kneading it by hand.
Q: I don’t have a heavy-duty mixer. Can I make it by hand?
A: Yes, absolutely! During the final kneading, just double the kneading time. Also, there’s a tendency when making bread without a mixer to add too much flour because you can really feel the moisture of the dough. Just realize that as time goes on and the longer the bread is kneaded, it will become less and less sticky, so try and be patient before adding too much flour.
Q: You’re paying way too much for your wheat! Why don’t you get it at an LDS Cannery?
A: Our closest cannery is over 4 hours away, so it would cost me over $150 in gas, plus food and the cost of a hotel (I’ve done the there-and-back-in-a-day trip twice and both of those were very, very bad days), so $45 for a bucket of wheat is WAY more affordable for me.
Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Ingredients
- 12-15 cups whole wheat flour preferably hard white wheat
- 5 3/4 cups warm 105-115 F water
- 2 1/2 tablespoons bread machine or instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons table salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 2/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 heaping tablespoons vital wheat gluten
Instructions
- Mix 9 cups wheat flour and yeast in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Add 5 3/4 cup warm water and mix well. Cover and allow to rise for 15 minutes.
- Add salt, honey, melted butter, yogurt, and vital wheat gluten. Mix well. Add remaining 3-6 cups of flour, mixing the dough at low speed, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and the dough barely sticks to your finger. Allow the mixer to knead the dough for an additional 5 minutes.
- While the dough is kneading, spray 4 9x5" bread pans with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. Spray a work surface and your hands with non-stick cooking spray.
- Turn the dough onto the prepared work surface. It should be very easy to work with. Press the dough into an even circle or square and divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Press the dough into a rectangle that is about 8 1/2-9" on the long side. Roll it into a smooth log and place into a prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough pieces. Cover and let rise for 45-60 minutes or until the dough is rounding over the tops of the pans.
- Carefully place the pans onto the middle rack of a cold oven. Turn oven onto 350 degrees and bake for 32-40 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and, if you're feeling awesome, an instant-read thermometer reads 200 degrees. Remove from oven and run a stick of cold butter over the tops of the bread. When cool, remove from pans. Use immediately or freeze loaves for future use.
Questions & Reviews
Oh this bread sounds yummy & that mixer looks like it can handle load.
Made this recipe yesterday and LOVE it! Thanks!
great post, bread looks awesome. Question…I have a pain de mie pan with the lid for making sandwich bread 14 inches long could I use it for part of the dough?? I’m wondering if maybe it might be too dense?? Have all the ingredients…looking forward to trying..BTW my Kitchen air id GOLD and still going strong! I too think it is of the old “Holbart” variety with metal gears.
Thanks for the neat recipe today
i’ve done the quick rise method, esp. if my house is cold and i don’t have a warm place…( tho on a sunny day, the inside of a car works good..but don’t forget it)…but i like to put a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack of the oven, and i think the extra moisture, helps and aides in the rising process of the bread…thanks…i love great cooking tips.
I love my Kitchen Aid, but have been waiting for it to die so that I can justify the purchase of a Bosch. I have been making bread for the past 2 years and always have to half the recipe so that it will fit in my Kitchen Aid.
i do not have a bosch, but i have a panasonic bread machine(actually it’s my 2nd one, as i wore out the first, when the kids were home)..i love it, as i can use the timer, and have hot bread coming out early in the a.m. or when i get home from work or church….i have experimented with the white and red wheat…and i love the hard white wheat…i usually will grind up a bunch and stick it in a gallon bag in the freezer…lately i’ve been “mixing” up all my ingredients (except the yeast and water) in a gallon bag, and freezing it….so when i’m in a hurry, i can just dump everything in the bread machine, add the yeast/water, and turn it on and go……So the other part of my comment,is i’ve been experimenting and reading and tweaking my recipe…so in my recipe i use 2 cups of white bread flour and 2 cups of wheat…and i do add the wheat gluten, DOUGH ENHANCER, wheat bran, wheat germ,ground flax seed… it is the best tasting bread…i’ve found all the above ingredients at our local health food store that sells things in bulk…i do think the dough enhancer keeps my bread fresher longer…
thanks…cooking is my love language…thanks 4 your fun site…
The bread looks amazing..when I’m ambitious, I’ll try it. But, I’m really looking for a brownie recipe that I swear was on your sight not long ago. from what I remember, it has ingredients like devils food cake, marshmallow cream, bag of reeses chips, maybe some evaporated milk. Does this ring a bell. It’s driving me crazy cause I bought the ingredients and I can’t seem to find the recipe now! HELP!!
I had 2 Bread Machines and neither 1 of them ever turned out consistent breads and overheated too!! I would love to make Julekake, a Norweigen family recipe…. My Grandmother used to make it and send it for Christams and it was such a treat!!! I am a newly disgnosed type 2 diabetic and would like to make my own dark breads sans all the sugars!!!!
I would try my hand at some bread too I think! I love fresh home made bread.
I was given a KitchenAid mixer several years ago and have been so grateful for it since, but it drives me nuts sometimes with the no scraping the bottom of the bowl thing! I do make my homemade wheat bread in it, but have to stop at the kneading stage and dump it out on the counter to finish off the process. It is so messy! I grew up with a Bosch and would love to have one of my own, but the expense has always prevented me for purchasing it. Winning one would be grand!
Your bread looks wonderful! Have you tried rice instead of wheat gluten? I use about 2 Tbsp of ground white rice for every cup of wheat. It creates a better rise and helps soften the texture. Just curious. LOVE your blog!!
I use my own dough enhancer and don’t use gluten. My 100% whole wheat bread turns out light and fluffy. –I have a Bosch Mixer and I grind my own white wheat. I use 1 T. per loaf called for in a recipe- or 3 Tab. in my recipe. Here’s my dough enhancer recipe:
Dough Enhancer
1 c. whey powder
1 cup lecithin granules
1 cup cornstarch
2 Tab. Vitamin C granules/crystals
Mix all together and store in container in refrigerator. Use in yeast breads, 2 Tablespoons for 5 loaves of bread size recipe. Good to double and share with a friend.
I have been looking for a great whole wheat bread recipe. My son has food allergies so it is hard to find GREAT bread at the grocery that he can have. I like your recipe, but have a few questions. He is allergic to cow dairy. He can have goat products. So my question is…can I replace the Greek yogurt for goat yogurt? Also he doesn’t use butter, we use a non dairy margarine or Earth Balance depending on what I can find. So can I use that or a veggie oil in place of the butter?
1) Goat yogurt would totally work–you’re just going for the acid and flavor here.
2) Margarine or oil would work fine; in fact, the original recipe calls for oil, I just used butter because in my opinion, using oil makes it taste a little “flat.”
Thanks…I’ll give it a try!
Our local Great Harvest has sold wheat to me in the past. I think last time I bought some it was $18 for a 50 lb. bag – which is not great – considering we have some other sources here locally that are cheaper but only available seasonally. You may want to consider that option.
Oh, Amy, if only we had a Great Harvest. I’m not lying when I say we live in the middle of freaking nowhere. 🙂
I have a Kitchenaid mixer and I use it to make bread, but it is always a mess and always a challenge to get the ingredients mixed at the bottom of the bowl. I would love a Bosch so I can make larger batches of bread.
I usually put the liquids into the Kitchenaid first that helps me get it mixed much easier. IN fact I usually don’t haveto scrape it down when I do this.
I have had my Bosch for 5 years now and make bread every other week. I TOTALLY love it.
I would just LOVE to use a Bosch bread making machine to make really good homemade dinner rolls. I have tried in the past…even the Lion House recipe, and mine come out like uneven lumps… ugh!
Can anyone recommend a good instant-read thermometer and where I can get one?Thanks.
I love, love, LOVE my Thermapen (plus they come in lots of cute colors). They’re on the pricey side, but seriously, I’ve spent way more total on cheaper thermometers that aren’t accurate.
I have neither a Bosch nor a Kitchenaid, and I would LOVE to win this so I can try your bread recipe.
You can buy white and red wheat from the distribution center on line. It is free shipping and it ships really fast. I live in CA and mine came in just 2 days.
I love my kitchen aid, but the last time I tried to make back to back bread for a friend, I totally burned it up! I think the older models of kitchen aid mixers had steel gears and the newer ones use a heavy duty plastic. It was an expensive and frustrating fix and I had to turn in my lovely yellow mixer for an ugly grey thing. I was so sad! I’m worried that trying this recipe will kill that beast for good though. Maybe if I hint enough, my hubby will catch on and in 15 years be able to buy me a Bosch 😉
This sounds like a great recipe. I would’ve never thought to put yogurt in my bread. Also, for great rising bread, SAF yeast is wonderful. It’s the best that I’ve tried, and I’ve been making bread for 22 years (12 to 24 loaves every Saturday for 12 years of those 22). I hope this helps!!!
The price you pay for your wheat seems outrageous to me. I’m wondering if you live so far a way from an LDS cannery that you can’t buy it there? They have been selling hard white wheat for several years and it is very inexpensive. Currently $11.45 for 25 lbs.
It would cost me $150 to drive to the nearest cannery and back, so ordering it is definitely more affordable for me! 🙂
I have been baking homemade wheat bread for 20 years. The best recipe I have found is my husband’s grandmother’s recipe. Two things. If you do not have a Bosch or Kitchen Aid do not be afraid to make your own bread. I have never had one and just use a LARGE stainless steel bowl I inherited from my husband’s parents. I mix and knead in the same bowl. I make 4 loaves once a week. We eat 1 loaf right away, for the other 3 I slice with my electric knife and put each loaf into a 2-gallon ziplock. I then freeze the 3 loaves and pull them out one at a time for a perfectly fresh loaf every time!!
How about talking Bosch into letting you give away one of those awesome bread making machines! I absolutely love making bread and I overwork my Kitchen Aid. I have heard from friends that BOSCH is where it is at when it comes to making bread! Happy Easter! Catherine @ http://www.praycookblog.com
Come back tomorrow–you’re way ahead of us… 🙂
I have a stupid question!!! I have a kitchen aid (vintage green) with a dough hook. Can I use that to knead the dough for the 5 minutes?
Not dumb at all! It SHOULD be fine, just make sure it’s doing okay near the end (not straining too much, overheating, etc.)
Depends on the size of your bowl and the watts of you motor. Usually the vintange machines are about 325 watts and a full recipe of this bread would be too much for it. I would cut the recipe in 1/2 and give it a try. Also you can call Kitchen aid and ask them, they have always been helpful when I have called.
This is so similar to a recipe that I make. Mine is done in under an hour–start to finish. Mine has flax seed in place of the wheat gluten. Your recipe came out so pretty–I’m going to have to try it. I love trying new recipes for bread!
I love honey and wheat together!
Beautiful bread! I have committed myself to making 99% of our bread myself(although usually I put it off and put it off until everyone’s ready to just go buy a loaf, LOL) and I make it by hand 🙁 I’m really curious to see if you have more to say about Kitchenaid/Bosch. I’ve been looking at both but still have no idea which would be better for me 🙁
I do have more to say–be sure to check out The Scoop section of the blog tomorrow, but you can also feel free to email me with any questions that you have! 🙂
I love homemade bread. I have a really good recipe that I use.
This is my recipe that I adapted from my mom’s recipe: http://amyskitchen4.blogspot.com/2010/02/whole-wheat-bread.html
I prefer to use SAF yeast because you can add it in with your dry ingredients and use less of it because it is a concentrate.
Thanks for sharing a great recipe.