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Whole Grain Bread

Whole grain wheat bread is made from flour that contains the entire wheat kernel. Its reputation as a health food comes from the fact that whole wheat flour contains the additional dietary fiber, B vitamins, essential fatty acids, and micronutrients found in the wheat germ and bran. Whole grain bread became popular in the early 19th century, and it began being commercially manufactured in the early 20th century. Whole wheat is the most popular type of whole grain; however, whole grain bread can include other whole grains such as barley, oats, buckwheat, or brown rice.   

Recipe Servings: 20

Prep Time
15 minutes
+ 1 hour 15 minutes resting
Cook Time
35 minutes
Total Time
2 hours 5 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal

Ingredients

  • Shortening, as needed to grease pans
  • 7½ cups whole grain wheat flour, divided (plus a little extra to dust the pans)
  • 2¾ cups hot water
  • ⅓ cup oil
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • 2 Tbsp molasses
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp dry active yeast

Directions

  1. Grease two loaf pans with shortening and dust them with a bit of the whole grain wheat flour.
  2. Combine the hot water, oil, honey, molasses, and salt in a large bowl.
  3. Add 2 cups of the flour and mix together.
  4. Mix in the yeast (if you’re not sure about the yeast proof it in a little warm water first).
  5. Add 4 cups of the flour and mix until the consistency is somewhat even. Slowly add more flour a ½ cup at a time until the dough quits sticking to the sides of the bowl. It should be tacky, but not sticky. You may not use all the flour as 6½ cups will likely be enough; however, do not exceed 7½ cups. Don’t over mix the dough because it will make the bread tough.
  6. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover the bowl, and let it rest for 30–45 minutes. The dough will become larger; however, it doesn’t have to double in size.
  7. Knead the dough just enough to bring it back down close to its original size.
  8. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape it into a ball using your hands and using enough flour so that it isn’t sticky.
  9. Divide the dough equally and shape the two balls separately by turning the dough under itself repeatedly. When they are completely shaped the sides and ends will be sealed and they will have smooth tops and sides.
  10. Drop the dough into the prepared loaf pans and let them rest for about 30 minutes or until they have almost doubled in size.
  11. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  12. Bake the loaves for 35 minutes or until they are cooked through.
  13. Remove the loaves from the oven and turn them out onto a wire rack to cool.

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