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It is no secret that I’ve been working to perfect a whole-wheat sandwich bread recipe for months now. I was not only looking for a recipe that was reliable and tasted good of course, but that also didn’t contain any “unusual” ingredients like dried milk powder or wheat gluten. We absolutely LOVE the honey whole-wheat loaf from Great Harvest, and if they can make it with only five simple ingredients (freshly ground whole-wheat flour, water, honey, salt & yeast) then I should be able to do it too!
So after months of experimenting I am thrilled to finally have something to share. And while this recipe comes out just right 9 times out of 10 I’ve learned that things can’t always be “perfect” when it comes to making bread in your bread machine. If you aren’t weighing your ingredients and instead just measuring them out like me, and if you live in a place where the humidity might change from time to time…well then, expect some occasional surprises with the outcome of your bread. I have learned one valuable trick though (from a blog reader!), and that is to check on the bread once or twice during the kneading process to make sure the dough looks “right.” I’ve caught mine looking too wet and sticky a couple times so I’ve added a few sprinkles of flour to get things back on track before the baking started. That’s exactly why the picture loaf looks a little “floury.”
I also want to share that this particular recipe makes a loaf that is on the larger side, which I like because then I don’t have to replenish our bread supply every two days. This loaf also comes out with a lighter crust due to its big size and that is a plus in my book as well. If you have any good bread making tips or recipes that you’d like to share please do so in the comments below!
- 4 ¼ cups whole-wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups warm water (not too hot or it will kill the yeast)
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or melted butter)
- 1 packet or 2 ¼ teaspoons yeast
- Follow your bread machine’s directions for making a whole-wheat sandwich loaf. For me that means putting in the dry ingredients first with the wet ingredients on top. I have the Panasonic SD-YD250 Automatic Bread Maker and it takes the machine five hours to make this loaf.
In other news: Check out my syndicated newspaper column, which ran in papers across the country on Monday including the Miami Herald “Eating ‘real food’ in a processed food world.” If you like it please click “like” by the title. Thanks for your support!
[...] Honey Whole-Wheat Sandwich Bread for Bread Machine: This recipe calls for only whole wheat flour, which has This one baked up smelling and tasting good but it was way too dense. We’re using this bread for toast now. [...]
What setting should b used? Express? Whole wheat? Basic?etc……
She says in the instructions “Follow your bread machine’s directions for making a whole-wheat sandwich loaf.”
So please use the setting on YOUR bread maker for a whole wheat bread.
[...] for the bread? A simple 6 ingredient recipe that I adapted from 100 Days of Real Food. It goes together quickly, although you should babysit the dough in the first kneading to make sure [...]
do you have a recipe for the oven? can i use the same technique and then put it in the oven?
Here’s a good recipe that uses the oven: http://deliciouslyorganic.net/everyday-whole-wheat-bread/
Hi there!
I have made this bread a couple of times with some success. The problem I am having is converting the amount of ingredients to how much flower my bread maker allows (3 1/2 cups).
Any suggestions?
Jen
oops, I meant flour.
What would be an adequate conversion of ingredients to 3.5 cups of flour? That is all my bread maker will hold.
Jen
My kids are happily eating it as toast right now and are waiting for me to come make more. My question is: how do I make it more moist? I am new to the world of bread machines (got mine new in the box for $10 at a yard sale) having only used tried and true homemade recipes handed down from both my grandmothers. I just like a more moist bread.
Glad your kids enjoyed the bread. Surprisingly enough the bread can change quite a bit depending on the weather outside…I’ve found that rainy/humid days are great for making bread (and yield a better loaf). You could also try playing with the water and honey ratios a little, but anytime you change a recipe it becomes an experiment.
I made this bread and it turned out well. The 2nd time I made it, I 2 cups and 1/4 of ground up oats and 2 cups of whole wheat flour. It turned out a lot lighter and my husband loved the difference in taste. I was thrilled that adding the oats worked so well. We were looking for a high protein high fiber bread recipe that tasted good.
What setting did u use to bake?
Hi Tasha. Since every machine is different, you need to follow the instructions for your machine. Jill
Made this for the second time last night. This time I used butter instead of oil and added another 1/4 cup of water. It came out so great! It took a lot of restraint not to eat the whole thing fresh out the breadmaker!
Hoping this time it doesn’t get so hard within the first couple days.
[...] this recipe at Deliciously Organic. Easy to make — very little kneading, quick. Thanks to the bread recipe at 100 Days of Real Food for the recommendation. I don’t have a bread machine, and don’t want to use a stand [...]
Just made this for the first time and it turned out perfectly. Will make it weekly now!
For everyone inquiring about converting the recipe – I found a sweet little tool to change the batch size of any recipe, here: http://www.fruitfromwashington.com/Recipes/scale/makeconversion.php
Do you use bread flour or regular? My
Loaf was really flat on top although it tasted great! How about the yeast? Rapid rise or regular? Thanks!
Hi Mimi. The recipe just uses regular flour and active dry yeast. Jill
Is there anything I can substitute for the honey or just leave it out althogether because my daughter is not old enough to ingest honey and I want her to be able to eat it also. Thanks!
Hi Erin. You should check with your doctor, but, I think to use the honey in baking may be ok, it’s ingesting raw honey that I believe is the problem. Again, you should double check with your doctor. Jill
The botulism spores can only be killed by the high heat which can be obtained in a pressure canner. The toxin (that is produced in anaerobic conditions) can only be destroyed by boiling (OSU Botulism FAQs). So technically, honey is not safe for infants even in cooked form such as in baked foods like breads. Botulism spores will NOT be destroyed during and under household cooking methods and temperatures.
http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/infantbotulismhoney.htm
Hi, I absolutely love these recipes! I was wanting to put seeds and some rolled oats in this bread recipe…to make it more healthy…maybe even milled flax seed. Could I just put it in the bread or would the dough turn out wrong? If I wanted to put that stuff in, what changes could I make? I hope that made sense!!
So glad you are enjoying the recipes. If you want a bread recipe with oats/seeds you may be better off looking for a recipe that already incorporates these things. I’ve found bread baking to be challenging at times and especially if you start changing or adding things you never know (although you could experiment).
Help! I don’t have a bread machine!
If you read through the comments there’s some advice/tips on making this without a bread machine.
Great, thanks for the tips!
I’m so excited to start making my own bread. I want to use brown rice flour tho…Can I switch the whole-wheat flour to brown rice flour?
Hi Thabata. I have not tried substituting brown rice flour in this recipe, but, you could give it a try. I would just check for substitution ratios (you can usually find them online) to see if it is 1:1. Good luck. Jill
I’ve made this bread for the first time and it smells and tastes lovely but it didn’t rise at all !!! HELP
Hi Squidgy. Did you follow the recipe exactly and were all of your ingredients fresh? Jill
Is there a different measurement if you use the yeast for a bread maker? I know sometimes its a different measurement
Hi Charlee. This recipe is configured for a bread machine so the measurement is accurate. Jill
I have tried 3 times to make this bread and it never comes out right. It’s super dense and the middle isn’t right.
Hi Neely. Best of luck to you and your husband with your health and pursuit of a family. Stick with it, you’ll quickly start to feel the benefits and you’ll be a pro in no time at Whole Foods
))!! Jill
Do you use King Arthur’s white whole wheat flour for this?
Yes Christa – you can use King Arthur’s white whole wheat flour, although, I think Lisa often grinds her own wheat as well. Jill
What did I do wrong? Made this last night and it is sooo dense. The kids are not fans. I am gluten free so I can’t taste it, but it is definitely really heavy. Would love any suggestions on changing it!
Hi Laura. I’m not sure how new you are to “real food” – but this bread will be a lot heavier than what you are used to. Many times I only eat a half of a sandwich with whole wheat bread because it is so much more filling. Jill
I have made this recipe 5 times, yes I am persistent, but none of the loaves have turned out well. The bread looks great as I check on it in the machine, but until the end during the baking time it seems to drop in the middle. When the bread is done, it is very dense and sort of concaved. I desperately want to make a good homemade wheat bread in my machine. Any suggestions?
Jamie – the bread will be more dense than you are used to if you’ve recently switched to whole food. I know many people have reported having issues with different altitudes. I’m not sure if that might be affecting you. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help. Jill
I almost buy it, but then I saw the warning for California residents :S What do u think?
Sorry, i did not tell what I was going to buy. Bread Machine ;P