This 100% whole wheat sandwich bread recipe is going to take your homemade sandwiches to the next level! I love this recipe because on busy days, full of chores and errands and all the other fun things that come with adulting, you still have time to make this bread!
This bread can be made in between each errand you need to run, with just a few resting and rising times. I am so excited to show you how easy this recipe is, all while convincing you that this is the recipe to save you from ever buying sandwich bread again!
For this recipe, you will need…
1/2 cup warm water
2 teaspoons raw sugar, honey or maple syrup
4 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast (any brand will work, I use Red Star)
2 cups of whole milk (I use organic grass-fed, but any kind, including alternative milks, will work)
1/2 cup honey
2 1/2 teaspoons of salt (preferably kosher or real salt)
1/2 cup of salted butter (Kerrygold is the best for this, but I have used just about every brand and it turns out wonderful. If using unsalted butter, up the salt in this recipe to 3 1/2 teaspoons)
6 cups whole wheat flour (I use heirloom, stone ground flour from a local farm in my state, but any whole wheat flour will work)
1 small egg (for egg wash)
1-2 tablespoon whole milk (for egg wash)
4 tablespoons rolled oats (some crushed, some in tact, for topping after egg wash)
Large mixing bowl
Two-cup glass measuring cup
Mixing spoon of your choice
Tablespoon and teaspoon measurement tools
Various cup measurement tools
Two 9 x 5 inch loaf trays
Kitchen towel, plastic or beeswax wrap, or large plate (to cover bowl while bread rises)
Silicone kitchen brush or CLEAN paint brush (for egg wash)
Serrated Knife
Let’s get started!
First, you will need a large mixing bowl. This is where all good recipes start! I use a ceramic bowl, but any material will work for this.
In that bowl, add the 1/2 cup of warm water, (keeping the water around 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit, about 44 degrees celsius) then add the 2 teaspoons of either raw sugar, honey or maple syrup. Stir these together, until the sugar dissolves into the warm water.
Add the 4 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast directly on top of the warm water and sugar mixture. No need to stir this together. Leave the yeast on top of the warm water until it begins to look frothy, around 10 minutes.
The Honey Butter Mixture
While the yeast is feeding on the sugar water, start working on the honey butter and the milk mixture. For this, we will take 2 cups of our whole milk and heat this up to around 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit. (44 degrees Celsius) I use our microwave, because now we own one, but before I used to just heat it up in a small saucepan. After this is heated, set in on the counter and begin the honey butter.
For the honey butter, use a two cup glass measuring cup and add the 1/2 cup of salted butter. It can be room-temp or straight from the fridge. Microwave this (or heat it up in a saucepan) until it is halfway melted. Stir the butter until the heat from the mostly melted butter warms the rest of the butter and makes it an almost softened, almost melted consistency.
To this, I add 1/2 cup of honey. I usually just add this straight to the same measuring cup the butter is in, gauging how much by adding until I see the honey hit the 1/2 cup mark on the cup. Stir this mixture until it is well combined. Lastly, to this honey and butter mixture we will add our 2 teaspoons of salt. Mix together until all ingredients are dispersed within this heavenly blend.
Adding It All Together
Once the yeast and sugar water mixture is foaming and smelling wonderful, add the warmed milk and honey butter mixture to the bowl. Before mixing, add one cup of your whole wheat flour of choice. Mix this with your favorite mixing spoon for 30 seconds, or until all ingredients are combined.
Next, add another cup of your whole wheat flour of choice. Stir again for another 30 seconds, or until combined.
Continue to add the remaining flour in the 30 second mixing intervals until all flour is used. At this point, the dough will look shaggy. Keep mixing/folding until all flour is incorporated.
First Rest
The dough will need to rest for 30 minutes at this point, to help absorb the moisture from the water, milk and butter. This will soften the bran, keeping the bread soft, too. This is essential for that key soft sandwich bread texture. It is worth the wait! Be sure to cover the bowl with a damp dish towel.
After this rest, the dough should not look much different then before the rest.
First Knead
After this resting period, we will need to knead the dough. With the bread still in the bowl, knead the bread until smooth and elastic, roughly 5-7 minutes. The dough may feel sticky, and that is okay. Add one tablespoon of flour, but do not exceed four tablespoons of flour. This will make your bread tough.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Now the dough will be kneaded for 1-2 minutes, or until a smooth ball can be formed.
Wash and dry the bowl you used while the dough is still out on the counter. Lightly coat the inside of the bowl with oil of any kind, (I use extra virgin olive oil) and transfer the smooth, rounded dough to the bowl. Turn the dough around to coat it with the oil, then re-position it with the smooth side facing up.
Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel , and let rise in a warm space until doubled. (Depending on the time of year, I will set the bowl outside, out of the direct sun, or keep the bread in the oven with the oven light on) This will take 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
Before rising…
After 2 hour rise…
Transfer Dough to Pans
Once the dough has finished its 1 1/2 – 2 hour rise it should look puffed-up and double the size it once was.
Before touching the dough, be sure to lightly flour a surface so we can form and knead the dough again. Also, be sure to get out two 9 x 5 loaf pans and oil them inside with your oil of choice. Set these aside nearby.
To begin this, punch the dough down and it will deflate slightly. Grab the dough and place it on the counter. Begin to knead the dough, only kneading it a few times. After 2-4 kneads, divide the dough into two equal pieces.
Begin to shape each piece of dough into a cylinder by folding the sides of the bread under the cylinder until the top of the cylinder is smooth and shapely.
Once they look similar to the photos above, set them into the 9 x 5 loaf pans, turning them to coat with oil, and facing them back up to rise again.
This is the final rise. Cover them with a damp dish towel once they are in the pans, and let them rise for 1 hour. Let them rise in a warm space, either outside (out of direct sunlight) or in your turned off oven with the oven light on.
We are so close to delicious, warm, homemade 100% whole wheat sandwich bread!
Egg Wash and Rolled Oat Topping
The FINAL step for these loaves is to do the egg wash and oat topping and then to bake them!
When halfway through the final rise of the bread, (30 minutes) preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (roughly 177 degrees Celsius) and adjust the oven rack to the center location. While the oven is preheating, we will work on the egg wash.
For the egg wash, take your one small egg and crack it into a small bowl. Add your 1-2 tablespoons of whole milk (or milk of your choice) to the small bowl. Whisk these ingredients together with a fork until well combined.
Prep the oat topping by putting the 4 tablespoons of oats into a plastic or reusable plastic bag. Then, using a meat hammer or other heavy mallet, crush the oats until half of the oats are powdery and half remain intact.
Feel free to skip the meat hammer part and keep oats whole. Or, if your feet are clean and this does not freak you out, feel free to put the closed bag on the floor and jump on it numerous times until desired texture is achieved. Hey, baking can be fun AND a workout!
Next, using your kitchen brush or a clean paint brush, apply the egg wash to the tops of the loaves, taking care so that little to no egg wash runs down into the cracks of the loaf pans. Once both loaves are painted with the egg wash, sprinkle half of the oat mixture onto each loaf.
Once this step is done, wait until the rising is complete.
Baking the Loaves
We made it to our final step. Yay!
Once the rising time is up and the egg wash is on the loaves, place the loaf pans side by side into the oven. Bake the loaves for 20 minutes. Then, while loaves are still baking in the oven, loosely tent aluminum foil over the loaves to keep them from over-browning on top. Bake for another 13-15 minutes.
Once the baking is done, pull out the loaves and set them on a wire rack to cool.
This part is tough, but worth it. Let the loaves cool almost completely before attempting to get them out.
After loaves have cooled completely, or almost completely, run a butter knife around the edges of the loaf pan. Slowly work the bread out of the pans, or invert the pan and lightly pull the loaves out. Some oats may be lost, but that is okay!
Slice and serve with butter, honey or any toppings desired!
This bread will keep good in an airtight bag for one week. Feel free to freeze one loaf, as this recipe makes two. Freeze the bread in an airtight bag. Frozen bread will keep up to two weeks. To thaw, remove bread from freezer and let thaw at room temperature. Do not refrigerate this bread.
Congrats!
At this point, you have made your first batch of these 100% whole wheat sandwich bread loaves! I hope you love them!
Looks yummy!!!