Name: Easy Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 6 cups Whole wheat flour (you can substitute white flour if you would like); 2 cups Warm water ( between 110-120 degrees); 1/2 cup Oil (you can use coconut oil or melted butter as well); 2 tbsp Yeast; 3 tbsp Sugar (or honey); 1 tbsp Salt

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Baking bread from scratch can sound like an intimidating task. It doesn’t have to be! My 6 ingredient recipe is SO simple! This easy whole wheat sandwich bread is the perfect recipe for the beginner baker. It uses simple ingredients, doesn’t require any special equipment or technique, and is so fast to throw together!

loaf of bread set horizontally on marble tray with 2 slices of bread stacked below it.

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sliced of whole wheat sandwich bread on wood and marble cutting board

What Is Sandwich Bread

To me, the definition of a homemade sandwich bread is a loaf of bread that slices easily, doesn’t squish or crumble, holds its texture, and can stay together if made into a sandwich. This bread recipe offers all of those benefits while still being soft and fluffy. Making it the perfect easy whole wheat sandwich bread recipe!

whole loaf of whole wheat bread sitting horizontally on marble and wood cutting board

Homemade sandwich bread is the perfect thing to have on hand for busy days. You can easily toast it, eat it with eggs, use it for a sandwich, make stuffing with it, options are endless for this versatile recipe. Made with flour, sugar, oil, yeast, salt and water – this simple recipe is a breeze to make even for a new baker.

pinterest photo for easy whole wheat sandwich bread recipe

Is Whole Wheat Healthy?

Making something whole wheat uses the entire grain kernel (bran, germ, and endosperm), providing more fiber, protein, and nutrients than typical all-purpose flour. Whole wheat encourages steady blood sugar and fullness. White bread digests quickly, but is often enriched with vitamins and folic acid. You can make this recipe with all-purpose flour if you would like! My favorite white flour comes from Costco they offer a non-enriched organic AP flour at a reasonable price.

What Kind Of Wheat Berries Should I Use?

There are different kinds of wheat berries. You will commonly see these 4: soft red, hard red, soft white, hard white. There are also einkorn, spelt, and rye options amongst many others but today I’m going to cover the main 4 I’ve seen used in home baking. I typically use a a mix of 50% hard red, 50% hard white for this bread recipe.

Hard Vs. Soft Wheat Berries

The difference between hard and soft wheat boils down to the protein and gluten content in the grains.

Hard wheat is high in protein. Creating strong, elastic dough perfect for chewy breads and good structure. Typically hard wheat is used for bread loaves.

Soft wheat is lower in protein, building less gluten and resulting in a tender crumb. Usually soft wheat is used in home baking for pastries and cakes.

loaf of bread dough in glass bread pan on wood table waiting to rise.

White Wheat Vs. Red Wheat

White wheat doesn’t contain bitter tannins, making it a naturally sweeter, milder, and lighter grain in color and texture.

Red wheat has a stronger, slightly bitter, and “nutty” robust flavor. Ideal for a whole wheat loaf of bread with that traditional whole wheat bread taste.

Where Do You Get Whole Wheat Flour Or Berries?

I have seen ground whole wheat flour offered at local health food stores and even big box stores like Walmart. Usually, this flour is quite expensive. If you have access to a grain mill, buying whole wheat berries is the cheaper option. Wheat berries can be found a local health food stores, countryside or amish stores, and also ordered online on Amazon or Azure Standard.

Activating the Yeast:

Many bread recipes just throw all of the ingredients together. I prefer to take the time to activate my yeast before adding the other ingredients. You activate the yeast by first mixing warm water, yeast, and sugar (to feed the yeast) in your mixing bowl. Covering it, and waiting 5-10 minutes for the yeast to become bubbly. Doing this ensures proper rise of the dough. It also guarantees your yeast is good. I have neglected to take this step before and regretted it when inactive yeast resulted in thin, dense dough.

Tools You’ll Need:

Stand Mixer

Measuring Cups

Liquid Measuring Cup

Measuring Spoons

Rolling Pin (optional)

Bread Pans

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour – you can substitute white flour if you would like

Warm water – between 110-120 degrees

Oil – I prefer olive oil but you can use coconut oil or melted butter as well.

Yeast

Sugar or honey

Salt

ingredients for whole wheat bread measured into separate containers and arranged on table.

How To Make Easy Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Grease 2 – 9″x 5″ loaf pans with either spray oil or by wiping a napkin or paper towel dipped in oil all over the pan. I like to also flour my oiled pan to ensure bread doesn’t stick. Especially if I’m making a cinnamon swirl loaf.

greased and floured glass 9" by 5" loaf pan on white table cloth

Make sure your water is between 110-120 degrees to encourage your yeast to activate without over heating it. In the bowl of standing mixer add water, sugar, and yeast. Give the mixture a small stir. Cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes or until yeast mixture is bubbly and smells very yeasty.

woman pouring water into standing mixer bowl

woman adding yeast to water in standing mixer bowl

woman adding sugar to yeast and water mixture in standing mixer bowl

bubbly activated yeast mixture in standing mixer bowl

Once the yeast is activated, add salt and oil to the yeast mixture and mix on low until incorporated.

woman adding oil to yeast mixture in standing mixer bowl

woman adding salt to yeast mixture in standing mixer bowl

Slowly incorporate flour into the dough mixture while mixing on low speed.

woman adding flour to yeast mixture in standing mixer bowl

Once shaggy dough is formed and all of the flour is incorporated, knead on low-medium speed in standing mixture for 8-10 minutes until the dough is a smooth elastic ball.

shaggy dough formed in standing mixer bowl

smooth dough ball formed in standing mixer bowl

Rising The Dough:

Stop kneading and let rise for 10-20 minutes or until doubled in size. The warmer your kitchen is, the faster the dough will rise.

ankarsrum mixer covered with towel letting dough mixture rise under it

risen dough mixture in standing mixer bowl

Punch down the dough, separate into 2 equal balls. Roll into a 9″-12″ flat rectangle with your palms or a rolling pin.

woman rolling bread dough into rectangle with marble rolling pin on wood table

Form dough into a loaf shape by rolling the short side into a tight spiral while folding the edges in at the same time. Pinch seam to hold loaf together. Plop into bread pan seam side down.

Cover with a towel and let sit 15-20 minutes or until doubled in size.

2 bread pans side by side with uprisen loaves of bread in them

2 bread pans side by side with risen loaves of bread in them

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

2 loaves of bread baked and sitting on wire rack to cool

Remove bread from oven and let sit 10 minutes in pans to cool. After 10 minutes, run knife around pan edge to loosen loaves from pan and turn pan upside down to get the loaf out. Let loaves cool completely on wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread:

For cinnamon swirl loaf: When rolled into a flat rectangle, slather with soft butter and then sprinkle a mixture of 3tbsp sugar and 2 tsp of cinnamon over the rectangle leaving a 1″ edge. Roll up as usual. You can also sprinkle with chopped pecans or raisins if you’d like.