About This Recipe

I received several requests for a decent whole wheat sandwich bread recipe, so of course I had to make one! This recipe is a little more advanced than my basic white sandwich bread, due to some modifications that need to be made to make this whole wheat bread taste good. We will talk about each of these in “Why This Recipe Works.” I’ve designed this recipe to be soft, fluffy, flavorful, and moist (not dense like whole wheat can sometimes be). If you’ve been searching for a whole wheat sandwich bread that is actually good, make sure to give this one a try.

Why this recipe works

Yudane

Though I do not have anything written about yudane yet, a yudane functions similarly to (actually, almost exactly like) tangzhong. Read more about tangzhong here. This secret will create softness in the loaf, and will keep it from quickly staling on the counter.

Milk Mixture

This recipe includes a heated mixture of milk, butter, and honey. All of these things add a special flavor to the dough that makes it taste sweet and special. If you were hoping for a recipe that does not include enrichments, I’ve written recipe modifications here.

High Hydration

This is a wet and sticky dough. It must be this way in order to counter the amount of water absorbed by the whole wheat flour. Do not be tempted to add more flour! Adding more flour will create a dense loaf. While this loaf is made from a whopping 90% hydration dough, the flour will absorb much of the water and it will not be too difficult to work with after gluten is developed. Read more about dough hydration here.

Gluten Development

This dough is kneaded in a stand mixer. Because of the wetness of the dough, I use a medium speed (speed 6 on a KitchenAid) to begin, but reduce to a lower speed once the dough comes together. Since this dough is not heavily enriched, stretch-and-folds can be performed instead if kneading in a stand mixer is not an option for you.

Shaping

This dough is easily shaped using any favorite sandwich bread technique, or by simply being flattened out into a rectangle (slightly smaller than the loaf pan) and rolled into a cylinder. Though the dough is wet to begin with, the whole wheat flour absorbs enough water that the dough is easy to work with and shape. Use wet hands if needed.

Baking method: Steam

This recipe uses a pan of boiling water next to the loaf of sandwich bread as it bakes to create steam. The steam does a few things. First, it keeps the dough soft in the beginning stages of baking, allowing for maximum expansion. Second, since the steam is left the entire time the bread is in the oven, it helps keep the outside of the loaf soft and it adds color to the top of the loaf. Since this recipe is washed with butter instead of egg, the loaf will not brown properly without it.

Suggested Daytime Baking Timeline

8 AM

+Mix and knead the dough: use 150 grams of starter

+Bulk ferment the dough

2-4 PM

+Shape the dough

4-6 PM

+Bake your sandwich bread and enjoy!

Suggested Overnight Baking Timeline

9 PM (Day 1)

+Mix and knead the dough: use 75 to 100 grams of starter

+Bulk ferment the dough at a room temperature of approximately 70 F

7-8 AM (Day 2)

+Shape the dough

9-10 AM (Day 2)

+Bake your sandwich bread and enjoy!

FAQs

Can I stretch-and-fold this dough instead of kneading in a stand mixer?

Yes! Because this dough is not heavy in enrichments, stretch and folds are absolutely an option. Perform 4-6 folds in the first two hours after mixing the dough. Then, let the dough rest until it has increased in size by 50-75% before shaping.

I can't do honey. Can I use something else?

Of course! The honey adds a sweet flavor to the dough. You can simply use sugar instead, but any sweetener should work. As an alternative, you may also choose to leave it out (you won’t have to replace it with anything). The dough will ferment faster with the removal of the sweetener.

Do I have to heat the milk mixture?

You do not have to heat the milk mixture. Alternatively, the butter could be melted independently and all ingredients could go straight into the dough. The heating step brings up the initial temperature of the dough and kickstarts fermentation. Without heating, expect slightly longer fermentation times.

My loaf cracks upon baking! What can I do?

This loaf does like to crack upon even the slightest under-proofing. If this is happening to you and it is bothersome, try scoring the top of the loaf before baking. This will give the bread a set place to expand, and will eliminate a crack along the side.

100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Recipe by Caitlin VincentCourse: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, SnackCuisine: UniversalDifficulty: Intermediate

Prep time

minutes

Resting Time

8-16

hours

Baking Time

minutes

Yield

loaf

This 100% whole wheat sandwich bread is surprisingly not dense, perfectly soft, and stays fresh on the counter for days. The secret lies in the wet dough and addition of a yudane. For an unenriched dough, check the end of this recipe card to discover modifications.

Ingredients

Optional Whole Wheat Levain
5-10 g active starter (1 tsp)
50 g whole wheat flour (1/3 cup)
50 g filtered water (1/6 cup)
Yudane
100 g boiling water (1/3 cup)
50 g whole wheat flour (1/3 cup)
Milk Mixture
250 g milk (1 cup)
60 g honey or molasses (3 tbsp)
3 tbsp butter (43 g)
Dough
350 g whole wheat flour (2 2/3 cups)
8 g salt (1 tsp)
100 g active starter (1/2 cup) or all of the whole wheat levain
All of the yudane (cooled)
All of the milk mixture
For baking
2 tbsp butter, melted (28 g)
Boiling water

Directions

Optional whole wheat levain: If you want this bread to truly be 100% whole wheat and you do not maintain a whole wheat starter, a levain can be made 8-12 hours before you plan to mix the dough. Mix together all ingredients for the levain and rest, covered, on the counter for 8-12 hours.
Make the yudane. Boil some water in a tea kettle or over the stovetop. To a small bowl, mix 100 g of the boiling water with 50 g of whole wheat flour. Let it cool before incorporating into the dough. This can be done the day before (and placed in the fridge) or the day of.
Warm the milk mixture. Warm the milk, butter, and honey over the stovetop on medium-low heat until the mixture reaches 100 F. Stir and set aside.
Mix the dough. To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the remaining whole wheat flour, salt, active starter, all of the cooled yudane, and all of the milk mixture. Stir briefly, then transfer to your stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook attachment.
Knead on a medium speed, speed 6 on a KitchenAid, for about 10 minutes, until the dough removes itself from the sides of the bowl. Scrape down the sides as necessary. Then, reduce the speed to low, speed 2 on a KitchenAid, and knead 5-10 minutes more, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Bulk ferment the dough. Shape the dough into a ball, cover, and let it rest until it doubles in size.
Shape the dough into a loaf (3:39 in video) using any preferred shaping method, or by shaping it into a rectangle slightly smaller than the loaf pan, rolling it up, and pinching the seams.
Final proof. Place the dough in a greased 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan and let it rest again until it has risen just above the rim of the loaf pan.
Preheat your oven to 350 F. Boil some more water.
Brush your risen loaf all over with melted butter.
Bake at 350 F for 50-60 minutes next to an oven-safe, water-safe loaf pan filled halfway with boiling water. The internal temperature should register 190 F.
Brush all over with melted butter once more.
Let the loaf cool for five to ten minutes in the loaf pan before removing. Cool completely on a cooling rack.
Enjoy!
How to store: Store in a Ziploc bag on the counter for three to five days, or slice and store in the freezer.
To reheat: From room temperature, toast 2-3 minutes. From frozen, toast 4-5 minutes. I do this in my air fryer at 400 F.

Watch the Video

Notes

See below the recipe card for modifications for an unenriched dough (made with just flour, water, salt, and sourdough starter).
This loaf loves to crack if under-proofed even the slightest. To control this, you can score the top of the loaf before baking, if desired.