how-to-make-wheat-bread

Whole Wheat Homemade Bread Recipe & Tips

how-to-make-wheat-bread

Making your own wheat bread from scratch can be so much healthier than processed bread. You will control and know every ingredient that goes into making a loaf, without any of those unpronounceable ingredients listed on store-bought loaves…

There are countless bread recipes to discover.
You can even make bread without yeast (sort of). Or maybe a sourdough starter.

Here is one basic wheat bread recipe that we used for awhile – I found it from an old post back in 2011.

 

Wheat Bread Recipe Ingredients

Related articles:
Hand Flour Mills
Electric Flour Mill

3 cups milled whole wheat flour
1 egg
1/2 cup warm water
1/3 cup milk
2 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. vital wheat gluten
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. yeast


Bread Machine Tip:

As a general rule, add the liquids first, then the dry ingredients, adding the yeast last. Before adding the yeast, make a shallow indentation in the dry ingredients and pour the yeast into the hole to keep it from coming into contact with the liquid ingredients. This will prevent the yeast from being activated too early in the bread machine cycle. Use 80°F liquids for bread machine baking.


Yeast Tip:

Since yeast is a living organism, accurate liquid temperature is important. It directly influences the yeast activity as it dissolves the yeast granules.

Using a thermometer is the most accurate way to determine the correct liquid temperature. Any thermometer will work as long as it measures temperatures between 75°F and 130°F.

Instant Read Thermometer for breadmaking
Instant Reading Thermometer

Traditional baking:

Dissolve dry yeast in a water temperatures between 110°F – 115°F.

If yeast is added directly to the dry ingredients,
– liquid temperatures should be 120°F – 130°F.


 
If mixing by hand, knead until soft and elastic (approx. 15 mins.).

Cover and let rise until doubled (about an hour).

After the first rise, punch dough down slowly, releasing the gases.

Place in a greased loaf pan, cover and let rise again.

Bake in a 350 degree oven until done (apprx. 30 to 40 minutes depending…).

 
A bread machine can do all of the work for you including the actual baking.

Read more: The Best Bread Machine for Bread Lover’s

When using a bread machine, I sometimes take it out after the first rise (there’s a setting for that). Then I let it rise a second time in my own loaf pan (and then bake it in my oven instead).  One reason for this is simply the bread’s ‘shape’ of my own loaf pan versus the ‘shape’ of the bread made in the bread machine. Plus I can control the bake better than a preset in the bread machine.

 
Hey, did you know you can make bread in a solar oven too?
Solar Oven Bread
Solar Cooker, All American Sun Oven

 
Here’s a challenge, instead of listing your own recipes (we’ve done that before), lets share a bread making tip! List your tips below:

34 Comments

  1. Two things;
    First of all my Grand-Ma always said “if you can pronounce the name (ingredients) DON’T eat it”.

    Second, Sour Dough…. need I say more?
    OK I will, if you want something really special in the making, start with making your own Starter and than a week later bake some bread……

    There is an entire social entity out there focused on Sour Dough Breads….

    So; for a hint on Baking Breads….. make sure you have a full stick of Butter warmed and a Jar of homemade peach jelly ready. Don’t forget the cold COLD glass of Milk.

    Also, make sure all the ingredients are at room temp, nada that will “shock” the yeast.

    Lastly, it you’re adding Salt to your bread, do NOT let it mix with the Yeast before the mixing, it will kill the yeast, OR don’t add any salt to your Bread at all.

  2. Before adding the ingredients to the bread machine, I spray the inside of the bread machine pan with a cooking spray. I find that the bread mixes and kneads better. It also makes it easier to remove once baked.

  3. I also forgot to mention that some time ago I noticed that the bread machine pan was slightly warm when mixing. So I experimented with using cold ingredients and it worked fine. I know that not all bread machines are the same but this one does seem to have this warming feature. This way I don’t worry about the liquids being too hot.

  4. Simple no knead bread dough can be left out loosely covered for a couple days to give it a sour dough, you can also pinch a bit to make your starter as long as its a 4 ingredient dough, salt/yeast/flour/water 1.5/1.5/6/3 tbs/tbs/c/c

  5. If you like different breads go to the breadkitchendotcom, look up Honey & Yogurt bread rolls. These are mildly sweet with soft texture for dinner roll, and oh so good!!
    I used this dough for making cinnamon rolls one time, they were good. Not up to what I wanted but I was experimenting with the dough, a lazy way for a short cut to make cinny rolls.

  6. When working with whole wheat, it is important to keep your dough hydrated. Whole wheat takes just a dab more water than store bought flour. You can compensate by using a teaspoon less flour per cup or add just a smidge more water. I like to let my dough rest a bit before starting the initial knead so everything can soak in. I have found that I get nice soft loaves of whole wheat bread perfect for sandwiches or just eating by doing this.

    Just give it a try and if you cannot eat it when you first start making bread, the chickens or pigs will love it no matter what. Give it a try and practice, practice, practice.

    1. you betcha. When you get old it is easier to let zo (my breadmaker) do the hard work

    2. Some have lost all use of their brains!
      Not us here, but out there in the abyss

    3. Arthritis in my hands makes it hard to knead the bread without pain, so yes I do use a bread machine. Made it by hand for many, many years before depending on the bread machine.

      1. love my machine.

        we have more than once a month Sunday dinners at church. the machine does all the work for me when I’m on the dinner roll committee and have to make several dozen yummy yeast rolls :)

        my machine will also make a quick batch of fresh fruit jelly to go with those rolls. (we don’t eat jelly at house so I don’t put much up)

        and now that my back is out from spinal stenosis and I can’t stand for long periods of time – I love my machine even more !

  7. I like the bread machine for a number of reasons. I can bake in the summer and not heat up the house! : )

  8. I have taken over as the bread baker in the family, and having tried the bread machine actually prefer to do it the old fashioned way in the oven. Lately it’s been Ezekiel bread (Ezekiel 4:9) which we really like. Next I’d like to try some Russian black bread, the recipe looks very interesting. Sourdough could be interesting too. But for now, after doing maybe 5-7 batches of Ezekiel bread (3 medium sized loaves per batch), each one a bit better than the one before it, I want to get really good at it before moving on.

    1. Bogan, I’ve always thought Ezekiel bread would be interesting to try. Could you share your preferred recipe and methods for making it? Thanks

  9. We do corn bread and regular bread in a crock pot most often. Also have done it in a regular oven and also many times in a dutch oven and a tripod over an open fire. That method works amazingly well actually. Just a scoop of coals on the lid, and then you can adjust the height after cooking for a while to prevent over “crusting” the bottom. 🍞 🙆

  10. I received a gift from my hubby which is a long covered clay baker for bread. I finally learned how to use it and it makes the best french or any other type of bread. I still let the breadmaker mix the bread. Bought it from King Arthur.

    1. Old Lady,
      Ive been eyeballing those things, really want to get a few different ones, a friend uses his on his BBQ

    2. I like my cast iron bread pans, which I grease with lard prior to each use. I have also used a bread stone, the covered clay bread baker, and even ceramic and standard tins for baking, but I love using the cast iron pans the best. When baking corn bread, I prefer my cast iron skillet.

  11. I like SAF yeast. You do not have to baby it! Comes packed in brick like some coffee used to. I rotate and keep cool.
    If you have high cholesterol add some oat bran.

  12. Oh how I have missed bread. I have tried different keto bread recipes. Nothing has been good. Found some ok low carb tortillas. Diabetes is really a pain. I miss hot, fresh bread from the oven. Mmmmm

    1. Texasgirl
      I discovered what was called flour but is made from an African seed, the flour is called ”tuff”. Bob’s Red Mill has it, see if that will work for you. I looked it up because of great nephew had Celiac’s but according to his specialist is clear of it. He still has to be careful of what he can consume.

      1. AC,
        Do you maybe mean ” Teff”? (“tuff” is anything I might bake.) “Teff” is an African grain, which is grown here in places in the US for cattle fodder. bet you have the same darn problem with the ‘spell correct’ as I do.LOL.

        1. Minerjim
          ROWL, your spelling is correct mine is not..😂🤣🤩
          OK, so it is cow fodder. I wondered when it stated it was a grass seed.

          Have you ever eaten black eyed peas or known as black eyed Susan? They call it cow fodder, guess what MOOOO I have eaten those beans. Pretty good. lol.

        2. Antique Collector, Minerjim, Texasgirl

          Teff (or tef) flour is used to make a thin fermented dough. Cooked like a crepe, it becomes injera, a staple in Ethiopian and Eritrean diets. It’s a wonderful sour spongy bread torn into pieces and used to pick up the rest of the food in the meal. Traditionally East African food is eaten with the fingers. It’s a sign of affection to take a bite in your hand with the bread then offer it to another. It also is used as the base for the other foods in the meal. When the food on top is gone you’re left with lovely soft bits soaked in all the sauces. Mmmmm.

          Bread in every bite! Now that’s heaven.

          Not sugars in it but like most grains packed with carbohydrates.

        3. Anony Mee
          Now that is rather interesting. You would see it used in the old movies example that come to mind are Moses and Ben Hur.
          Learn something new every day, thank you.

        4. Anony Mee,
          Very cool. thanks for info. Sounds like it is used like Nan bread in India.

  13. AC,
    Well, they grow it for fodder here. They also grow a mix the cattle producers call “salad”. It’s got leafy growth, radish and turnips. Have to admit I have gone into the neighbor’s field and dug up a few turnips before the cows got em. LOL, one cow’s fodder is another man’s (or woman’s) food! Some of these lesser known grains, grown for animal feed here are major food sources in other countries. Just read that millet is the grain that really feeds most of China. Grown for bird seed here. Well, have fun making “fodder bread”,LOL.

    1. Minerjim
      It was not for me but the lady in Texas that loves bread but can not use regular flour so I was trying to come up with an alternative for her.

Comments are closed.