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It is no secret that I’ve been working to perfect a honey whole wheat sandwich bread machine 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. For a gluten-free option, try this Paleo Bread!
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!
Featured Comment
Wow! Your recipe has it all! First, of course, it’s delicious. Density is perfect, and my favorite part is that it is so low in salt.
Perfect Whole Wheat Bread Machine Recipe
So after months of experimenting, I am thrilled to finally have a homemade bread recipe 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 baking bread machine recipes.
If you aren’t weighing your ingredients and instead just measuring them out like me, or 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 of times, so I’ve added a few sprinkles of flour to get things back on track before the baking started. Using whole wheat flour is crucial here! Not only does it make your bread recipe more nutritious, but it's also more filling and flavorful.
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.
Serve bread warm with homemade soup or use it to make delicious whole grain sandwiches!
Easy Trick for Perfect Homemade Whole Wheat Bread Crust
After your honey whole wheat bread has finished baking let it rest for a couple of minutes until it’s cool to the touch. Then remove the bread from the pan and wrap it completely with a clean cotton or linen tea towel. Place the wrapped bread on a rack to cool.
The towel helps stop the bread’s moisture from being drawn out in the open air while still being breathable enough to keep the crust from turning mushy.
Once bread is completely cool you can put it in a plastic bag to keep the crust soft for longer.
Can I Make This Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread in the Oven Instead of a Bread Machine?
Yes, this recipe for honey whole wheat bread also works in the oven. Keep in mind that this recipe is for a 2lb loaf so you'll need a large pan (or split it between two smaller bread pans).
The first option is to use your bread maker to mix and proof the dough, then remove it to bake in the oven. If you don’t have a bread maker, though, you’ll need to make several adjustments to make this whole wheat sandwich bread with honey by hand:
- Add the hot water, a packet (2 ¼ teaspoons) of regular active dry yeast, and 1 teaspoon of honey to a large bowl or electric mixer. Stir gently to combine.
- Tip: Put a little oil in your measuring spoon before the honey and it won't stick.
- Let the mixture rest until the yeast activates (10-15 minutes). You’ll know it’s ready when plenty of bubbles have formed.
- Mix in the remaining honey, oil, and salt.
- Add the flour 1 cup at a time, fully incorporating each before you add the next one. Dough should be soft and not too sticky.
- If you’re not weighing flour the amount each person scoops can vary. Add more or less flour, as needed.
- Either with a dough hook or by hand, knead the dough for 7-12 minutes, or until elastic. You can tell if dough is kneaded enough by poking it; if the dough bounces back quickly kneading is done.
- Cover the dough with a clean towel to lock in heat and prevent drying. Let it rise until doubled in size (1-3 hours).
- Punch the dough down, then shape your bread loaf. Place dough in a greased pan, then cover again to rise until doubled.
- Bake honey whole wheat bread at 375 F for about 30 minutes or until crust has browned.
- Note: Cooking times will vary depending on loaf size and oven, adjust as needed.
Why Didn’t my Yeast Activate in Homemade Bread?
Old or inactive yeast: Yeast is alive and will become inactive under certain conditions. Honey or any type of sugar helps to activate it. Before you bake, make sure the yeast hasn’t expired. Once opened, a container of yeast only keeps for about four months when stored in cool environment, like the fridge. High temperatures can make yeast inactive quicker.
Water temperature: The water should be between 105 and 115 degrees F, a lukewarm temperature that you can comfortably wash your hands in. Too cool and the yeast won’t activate, too hot and it kills the yeast.
Not added to the bread machine correctly: Most bread machines have very specific instructions for how to add the yeast. The general rule is to keep the yeast dry; if your bread machine doesn’t have a yeast compartment, see if it helps to dig a small well in the flour to keep yeast from activating too soon in the cycle. If you prefer a version without a brand machine, make this Whole Wheat Bread!
Didn’t wait long enough: If you’re making this recipe by hand make sure you wait until the yeast has fully activated before adding other ingredients.
If you enjoyed this honey whole wheat sandwich bread or have any good bread-making tips or recipes that you’d like to share, please do so in the comments below!
Honey Whole-Wheat Sandwich Bread (for bread machine)
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cups whole-wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups water (warm (not too hot or it will kill the yeast))
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or melted butter)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet, or bread machine yeast)
Instructions
- Layer the dry ingredients into the bread pan, according to manufacturer's instructions (check the user manual for this).
- Make a well and place the wet ingredients on top of the dry ingredients. My particular bread machine (this one is similar) has a separate area for yeast; please consult your bread machine's instruction manual for yeast placement as this is very important!
- Select the whole wheat option on your bread machine and press start. My machine takes 5 hours to make a whole wheat sandwich loaf.
Notes
- Be sure to check your bread machine's instructions for how ingredients should be layered. This recipe goes by my machine's (the Oster ExpressBake Bread Maker is similar) preference which is dry ingredients first, then wet ingredients on top.
- This recipe has been around for a while, and I've read many comments about adapting it to bake in the oven. If you still want to use your bread machine, though, you can select the dough cycle to get the dough just right, then transfer to a bread pan and bake the bread in the oven.
aquina says
I've got this bread in my bread machine at the moment and I'm hoping for the best. From what I've seen the reviews are mixed, so i hope my bread turns out! :)
Jamie says
I tried the recipe and though it was good, it was still too dense/heavy for me and my family. I'm having a hard time finding whole wheat recipes that aren't so dense, so do you have any suggestions to make it lighter, while still keeping it healthy? Thanks so much!
100 Days of Real Food says
King Arthur makes a "white whole wheat" flour that is still 100% whole grain, but made from a lighter variety of wheat...that might make a little bit of a difference for you!.Also, make sure you check on the bread dough during the kneading process. If it looks too sticky add a tablespoon or two of flour (or else it will end up more dense than it is supposed to be). Good luck!
DARA GATES says
I have your same bread machine, but my loaf came out darker; especially the sides. I set the machine for WW sandwich. What setting do you use?
100 Days of Real Food says
That's the setting I used as well...whole-wheat sandwich. If you'd like your loaf to be lighter then take it out 5 - 10 minutes early.
Marcie says
I would like to make this dough in the bread maker and then form small bread rolls and bake in the oven. Do you have any idea what temp and how long in the oven rolls take?
Thanks! BTW this loaf turned out perfectly for me and my family loved it!
100 Days of Real Food says
I haven't tried doing that yet myself, but I think it would work...I wouldn't know what temp/time to tell you though. Sorry!
Laura S. says
Does anyone know how to adapt this recipe to bake in a regular oven? I don't have a bread maker and have never made bread before, but I would love to try!
Samantha Graese says
Hello,
Just tried making this recipe and when my loaf was done it was sunken in!!! :( I measured right and my machine has me add ingredients from wet to dry...can you be of any help as to why my loaf was not domed and risen? Do i need to add a different flour to my Whole Wheat flour?
100 Days of Real Food says
A lot of variables (like the weather) can affect the outcome of the loaf so it is best to check the machine during the kneading process to make sure the dough looks okay. If the dough looks too sticky then add a few tablespoons of flour for better results. I hope that helps!
Morgen Lacroix says
I loved the idea of this recipe but I have a smaller bread machine, it makes 1 or 1.5 lb. loaves. I didn't have good luck scaling down your original recipe. :( So I adapted a king arthur flour recipe for whole wheat bread. I had given up on this recipe months ago because kneading by hand I just couldn't get the texture/rise I wanted and I didn't like the dried nonfat milk powder that the recipe originally called for. But a few tweaks to the recipe and letting the bread machine do the work and presto! Lovely 100% whole wheat bread with 7 real ingredients.
My machine has you put the wet in first with the salt and then the flour with the yeast last on top but follow the order that your machine calls for.
1 & 1/4 cup warm milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
1 & 1/4 tsp. salt
3 & 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax or flax meal
2 & 1/2 tsp. bread machine yeast
This bread is our new everyday bread. And we are able to make it even better with local milk, awesome locally gown and milled whole wheat flour from Gleason Grains and local honey from Mountain Creek Apiary!
April says
Thanks, Morgen, for posting this! I, too, have a smaller machine and your recipe worked out great for me! :)
Jamie says
My bread machine has 1, 1 1/2, and 2 lbs settings...do you know which would be applicable for this WW bread? Thank you!
100 Days of Real Food says
The 2 lb setting...it is a big loaf!
DARA GATES says
What size loaf does this make? 2 lbs? Also, I checked out Amazon to purchase your same bread machine. You use the automatic yeast dispenser built into the machine lid. Is this the same for you?
100 Days of Real Food says
Yes, our machine has the automatic yeast dispenser. Also, I weighed the loaf when it came out once and it was just over 2 lbs.
Kathy says
A great tip for bread baking: Save the water from when you boil potatoes (for mashed potatoes, etc) and use it in place of water in your bread recipe. It will make the lightest bread, with the highest rise, and gives it an amazing texture.
Stephanie says
I had trouble with this recipe my bread machine is 1 - 1 1/2 lb loaf and I think the recipe was for 2 lb. It came out extremely dense. Any suggestions? Thank you, I can't tell you how much I enjoy your website and how much it has helped my little family of four.
100 Days of Real Food says
I am so glad you like the blog, and I'm also sorry to hear the bread didn't turn out! It sounds like this recipe has been hit or miss especially between all the different types of bread machines out there and the weather can also have a big impact. Did you check it during the kneading process to make sure the dough looked okay?
Kelly says
What brand flour (white whole wheat and whole wheat) do you buy?? I think I have seen it on here before but could not locate it -- sorry if it has been asked and answered :)
100 Days of Real Food says
I used to use King Arthur "whole wheat" or "white whole wheat" (which is still 100% whole wheat just made from a lighter variety of wheat). I now grind my own wheat just because I think it tastes better than store-bought flour: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/07/05/grinding-your-own-wheat-is-not-crazy-after-all-including-video/
Bobbi Winters says
I used agave instead of honey just to see what it would taste like. It was good. Im new to this baking thing and i wish there were more yummy whole wheat breads like sun dried tomato. Why does whole wheat have to be just whole wheat? lol If anyone knows how to add to whole wheat bread, please tell me. I miss Penera bread. LOL
Erin Girard says
I use the cookbook Artisian Bread in Five minutes a Day. We love it and make 99% of all our own bread. It is quick easy, healthy and my 2 year old twins LOVE helping! I bake what I need, and put the rest in the freezer or keep the dough in the fridge for up to 14 days! This is the light whole wheat recipe:
Whole Wheat Bread
Makes 4 1 pound loaves. Can be doubled or halved...
3 c warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
5 1/2 cup white flour
(to make white bread, just add more white flour instead of whole wheat)
1. Mix salt, yeast and water
2. Mix in rest of dry ingredients without kneading, use a spoon or mixer with dough hook.
3. Cover and allow to rise (about two hours - or put in fridge overnight and use next day)
4. To bake: cut off a 1 pound -grapefruit size piece. Dust piece with flour and shape.
5. Let rise 40 minutes
6. twenty minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450.
7. Slide loaf in, pour one cup hot water into a broiler pan (I use a second loaf pan) on the bottom rack)
8. Bake for 35 minutes
9. Cool, slice and enjoy!
Amanda says
I tried this recipe for the first time this weekend with my bread machine (only the second time I have ever used it, 1st attempt at bread!) and it turned out great! I let my 4 year old "help" me... she didn't click the pan all the way down into the machine (silly me for not knowing i would need to hear 2 clicks instead of one to know it was in there good!) so it went through the whole kneading process the first time with out actually mixing anything... Once I clicked the pan into place and restarted the process I noticed that it was a little dry 1/2 way throught the kneeding process. I just sprinkled a tsp of water in the machine and it was smooth sailing from there. My machine's whole-wheat setting is only 3 hrs 40 minutes long, so I think every machine is different! My husband and 4 year old are super picky eaters, and both loved the bread! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
Erin says
Hey, tip for those on a budget: people always buy bread machines, don't use them, and give them away. Before you invest $200 on a machine, keep an eye on the shelves at your local thrift store or yard sales. They show up so often, if one doesn't work well, it's not a big loss to try another one. I checked to see that the interior of the pan wasn't very scratched or used looking, that it had it's mixing blade, and plugged it in to see that the buttons all worked. Found the owner's manual online, and wa-la! a $10 bread machine! Thanks for the recipe, I will be trying it very soon. Also, w.w. pizza dough is up next, can't wait.
Zoe says
Can this be done in the oven and not a bread machine?? Thank you!
100 Days of Real Food says
Here is a bread recipe that is meant for the oven: http://deliciouslyorganic.net/everyday-whole-wheat-bread/
Stephanie says
Thank you that was my question also.
Vivian says
Is this recipe ok out of the bread machine?I have a food processor and make my own pizza dough in it, so I am going to try this like regular bread. Now you can buy gluten flour in Walmart. btw the water should be 105-110*.
Helen says
I am making this at least every other day, sometimes every day! My family LOVES it and will not eat any store bought bread anymore. I have a teenaged son and I think he could eat a whole loaf alone, especially whent it is fresh out of the machine and he smears it with honey or some peanut butter.
The humidity will affect how it turns out, so that may be the reason some people are having problems with it. The whole wheat setting on my bread machine takes 4 hours and the bread has always turned out beautifully with it, although it doesn't rise as much when it's really humid out.
Susan M. says
Have any of you tried doing this on a dough cycle and baking it on your own? I don't like machine-baked bread for sandwich loaves, but am not sure what to use for time and temp.
Teresa says
The first two times I made this recipe, my bread was very dense. Then I found this web site http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/faqbreadbaking.htm that gave me a tip. ADD GLUTEN FLOUR. What a difference!!!!!! You've gotta try it. Got it from a local health food store. Awesome!
rachel heldt says
Oh no! My loaf completely collapsed. I'm pretty sure it's my altitude, 6500 feet and baking can be somewhat difficult. I need to give my machine a rest and start again. I knew better too, with wheat loaves I have better luck running a dough cycle and letting it rise on it's own outside of the machine.
Eva Reynolds says
I have been following the recipe exactly, except I tried pure maple syrup in exchange for the honey. It works beautifully, and tastes yummy! This is a great recipe and is now the only bread we make.
rachel heldt says
Have you used your bread machine to make jam? It's wonderfully easy and the kids adore it. I do use organic cane sugar (less that half a cup for 2 cups of fruit) but I am sure you could figure it out with maple or honey, I am not opposed to organic cane sugar (in moderation)but I do use a lot of honey in my baking.
rachel heldt says
I'm going to try this tomorrow. I am using coconut oil for the oil. I love it in bread.
Megan Robinson says
My husband and I just had a fresh, warm slice of this delicious bread. It turned out perfectly for me, and my breadmaker is nearly 10 years old. The whole wheat cycle on mine is 4 hours and I checked it several times and it seemed to be mixing fine. Anyway, I'm thrilled! Thank you Lisa for creating this recipe.
Heather - check the instructions for your bread machine. For mine, dry ingredients on bottom, wet then yeast on top. Good luck!
heather says
my loaf didn't turn out right at all and i'm not sure why; if someone could please help me out i would appreciate it!! :)
i have almost the exact same bread maker as you do but it's a 200 instead of 250 or vice-versa. (i dont know what the difference is)
i put my yeast inside, salt, then my liquids which i mixed together real well then put my flour on top put it in the machine made sure it was in properly so it could mix it and set it on bake,whole wheat. start and it gave me a 5hr count down as you said yours did.
5 hours later.....
my bread is really hard on the outside color looked okay. not quite as light as yours but not "Dark" by any means. i cut it open and the inside is just weird. it's mixed together properly and looks good, but it's not fluffy like bread should be its compact and it can't decide if it wants ot be doughy, mushy, hard, cooked, fluffy or what its like the bread inside got a mind of its own wanted to be everything and then fell short of making its mind up.
i also noticed the loaf itself was pretty heavy. maybe i need to scale down the recipe??
all my ingredients were fresh and bought 2 days before. i used whole wheat ground flower ( i was going to get the king arthur but the only 2 bags they had had big gashes in them. :( dry yeast for a bread machine and then the barely warm water, olive oil salt and honey.
so if someone wouldn't mind giving me a pointer here i would really appreciative it. i've only been cooking for 2 and a half years now (barely) and i've come a long way and do quite a good job but i've never messed with anything like this before and so i'm not sure how to fix it to try again.
thanks in advance for your help and time!
------i just realized i put my wet in first and dry second. could that really be the cause of it coming out the way it did?? i dont understand the proccess as to how it matters which goes in first if its all going to get mixed together.
Dana says
Yes, that could be the problem. Some machines tell you to put in wet first (like mine) but if yous is close to the same model as Lisa's then you should follow the order of hers.
Teresa says
Adding 1/3 cup gluten flour to every loaf works like magic.
100 Days of Real Food says
I think it does matter what order you put the ingredients in. If your machine is almost the same as mine I know I have to put dry ingredients in first. Also, be sure to check the bread during the kneading process and if it looks too "sticky" (if you touch it none of the dough should be stuck to your finger) then add another tablespoon or two of flour. Also, I hate to say it, but the brand of flour can sometimes make a difference. You get what you pay for!
Rosie says
could be your water too... if it was really just "barely warm" it may not have been warm enough to wake up the yeast. Dense bread is usually a yeast problem... either "dead" old yeast (store it in the freezer... it lasts longer) or "dead" yeast that you killed with too hot water, or "live" yeast that you didn't wake-up enough with too-cold water. 80-100* is usually a good temp to shoot for. Should be warm to the touch, but not hot.
Nicole N. says
I know your comment was from quite some time ago so I don't know if you will see this but the gummy consistency is probably from not letting it cool all the way before slicing the bread. I know it feels impossible to wait when you have warm bread in front of you but apparently it is so critical to wait that it was explained to me that waiting for it to cool should be considered a critical part of the recipe. I hope that helps!
Brandicj says
My bread maker points out that salt should be added to the portion that is not in contact with the yeast (High salt concentration kills yeast). So I use liquid first (mix the salt in even though it is a "dry" ingredient), flour and other dry ingredients, then yeast on top.
Mary says
Just made my first WW loaf in my breadmaker...to my surprise my 3 year old ASKED to have a piece with apple butter for her snack...once my 18 month old saw this she "had" to have some too. They loved it and I am THRILLED!!
Two quick questions. Do you slice it all or just slice as you go and do you store it in the fridge or slice it all and then put some in the fridge and the rest in the freezer to pull out as needed?
Great blog...I am working my way through backwards since DH found this after you were profiled on Yahoo...LOVE EVERY BIT!! Hope you enjoy your trip!!
100 Days of Real Food says
I slice mine all at once after the loaf cools. Also, I definitely store it in the pantry and it lasts about 5 days. If you put it in the fridge it will change the consistency (in a bad way). I sometimes put half the sliced loaf in the freezer (which is totally fine when it comes to the consistency) if we also have tortillas on hand since I know we won't eat it as fast with other options. Glad the recipe was a hit!
Brittani says
Okay, it needed more water, which I added. The loaf raised way too high for my machine, so I'm going to scale the recipe down. But, it is DELICIOUS!
Amanda says
I wanted to share a trick with you that I read in the manual for my bread machine. It said that if you bread is rising to high poke it a few times with a tooth pick and it will deflate a little. I also read that salt can have weird effects on yeast, using to little salt will cause the yeast to over rise the bread, and using to much salt will cause the bread to not rise enough. I
Brittani says
Wow, I just tried this and it failed so horribly that I think it's operator error. The ingredients didn't even mix. I tried a 4 hour cycle and you said yours takes 5 so that could be something.
I'm determined though! I want some healthy whole wheat bread! I'll be back at it as soon as I can scrape the crud out of the bottom of the bread machine pan!
Teresa says
add 1/3 cup gluten flour to each loaf
Ashley says
When you add the wheat gluten do you need to decrease the amount of the whole wheat flour? I am going to try my new bread machine tomorrow and I am scared to death it won't turn out.
Martha Beckman says
This didn't turn out well for me. I have the best luck with a recipe from the King Arthur Bread website -100% whole wheat bread for bread machine.
Love your website.
Maggie@maggieandthenuts says
I just made mine with my three year old son - it's baking now. It was really easy and I hope it turns out!
Debbie@ Great Harvest says
Thanks for the kind words about Great Harvest bread, Lisa!
Your readers may be interested to know that many local Great Harvest stores will sell their fresh ground flour directly to customers upon special request. Just give your local Great Harvest a call to ask if they do this (my link is to our bakery locator page so readers can find the information.) Could be an option for people who don't want to mill their own, but still want super fresh whole wheat flour.
Thanks again!
Misty says
Thanks for this info Debbie! I can't wait to contact my local great Harvest to find out if I can purchase fresh milled flour from them!
Kathy Maas says
Now I'm reading more about "soaking your grains" to get a larger nutritional benefit out of everything (wheatberries especially). I just started the soaking process but hugely skeptic of how to dry them out to process them in my mill.
I'm also seeing the "vital wheat gluten" as solution to many heavy whole wheat breads. I followed the above recipe exactly--the top fell in and it was much too sweet/dense for our taste. Interested in this agent.
Any thoughts on either?
100 Days of Real Food says
From what I hear vital wheat gluten is like concentrated white flour. I am not sure if that is 100% true though. Also, I have not experimented with soaking my grains yet, but I am not sure if I have time or if it's worth the benefit for me. Just my two cents!
Amy D. says
Gluten is the protein found in wheat. What is sold as "vital wheat gluten" is simply this protein removed from wheat flour and powdered. Because of this, I would still not consider it a a whole or unprocessed food, but it is not "concentrated white flour."
Sonia says
Have you looked at Breadsmith bread in Charlotte? All the Charlotte area Earth Fares sell it, and they are sent there 3 times a week from the local shop in Fort Mill, SC. They use all natural ingredients, and its definitely a bread store to consider!
100 Days of Real Food says
Yes, I have seen that before, but have not tried it. I didn't think it would be as good as Great Harvest since GH grinds their own wheat fresh every morning. I don't know if Breadsmith does that or not.
Lisa says
I get my flour from an Amish farm.... actually my in-laws get it for me. It was on my Christmas list of ideas two years ago and has been fulfilled by them each year now! I like to use a loaf pan from Pampered Chef - the stone ware. I let it rise once in a bowl and then a second time in the loaf pan. Its super easy - I've not purchased bread from the store since!!
Debbie says
This bread is really good! I've made it 3 times already and my whole family loves it. Thank you so much!
Liz says
Just came across your website thanks to the Yahoo article I saw this morning! I am excited to try all your recipes! I have recently started trying to lose weight, but have not really been eating any healthier, only eating less. I know this is an effective method to lose weight, however I would also like to foods that are better for me. Your recipes sounds delicious and I am already thinking of ways to convince my husband to let me buy a grain mill :) THANKS!!!!!!!!!!
Angie says
I have been toying with the fresh food idea for months. I have incorporated a lot of fresh foods into my diet and have started juicing as well. I am enjoying myself. I stumbled upon your site today and really like it. Thank you!
Jenny says
So is this a gluten free bread or not? We try to do as much as we can gluten free and this bread sounds really good! Thanks! :)