Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

This whole wheat sandwich bread bakes up so soft and fluffy. Made with 100% whole wheat and sweetened with honey, this hearty homemade bread makes amazing sandwiches and toast. You'll never want to buy bread from the store again!

Prep Time3

Cook Time30

Total Time3 30

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Keyword: whole wheat bread

Servings: slices

Calories: 141kcal

Author: Heather Thomas, That Bread Lady

Ingredients

2 cups warm water (110°F)
4 teaspoons instant yeast
2 Tablespoons powdered milk
2 Tablespoons vital wheat gluten
2 Tablespoons soy lecithin granules (optional)
¼ cup olive oil
⅓ cup honey
1 Tablespoon fine sea salt
5 cups wheat flour*

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Sponge: To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the water, yeast, powdered milk, vital wheat gluten, lecithin granules, olive oil, and honey. Whisk together to combine.
Add half of the wheat flour. Mix on low speed with the dough hook attachment until combined. It should resemble a thick pancake batter. Let mixture rest for 30 minutes. It will sponge up and double in volume. This counts as the first rise.
Add the salt and mix on low as you gradually add the remaining half of wheat flour. As you near the end of the remaining flour, look for the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl and concentrate around the dough hook. Stop the mixer and lightly tap on the dough. It should feel soft and slightly tacky. If it feels wet, add 1 Tablespoon additional flour until dough reaches the right texture. You may or may not use all of the flour in the recipe.
Knead the dough: Knead on low speed for 8 minutes, then cover and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Spray two, 4.5x8.5-inch bread pans with non stick spray and set aside.
Divide & Shape the Loaves: Turn dough onto a floured surface. Divide dough into two equal pieces (about 600g each), and shape into loaves. (See pictures in the recipe post for shaping technique).
Final Rise: Place loaves in greased bread pans. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until it's about 1 inch above pan level. Depending on how warm your kitchen is, this will take about 45 to 60 minutes.
Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake loaves for 30-35 minutes. Tops should be golden brown. Bread should be at least 195°F internally.
Optional: After removing from oven, brush the tops of the loaves with vegetable shortening for a shiny crust.
Allow the loaves to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing and cooling completely on a wire rack. Slice and enjoy! Store in heavy bread bags - they will stay fresh for 5-7 days. This bread freezes well!

Notes

(Recipe updated January 2025)

*If you are milling your own wheat flour, grind it at least 2 hours before using. It needs time to cool down and settle a bit. I prefer to use Hard White Wheat for a milder wheat flavor.
*Bread made with all whole wheat flour is nutritious and tasty, but will be more dense than bread made with white flour. If you want a taller, fluffier loaf, you can replace 1 cup of the wheat flour with white bread flour.
The dry lecithin granules are optional but provide extra nutrients and enhance the fluffy texture. If you can, they are a great addition!
Avoid keeping your bread in the refrigerator. It will dry it out.
Since it has fresher ingredients, homemade bread has a shorter shelf life - this is a good thing! I like to freeze loaves that I have pre-sliced and pull them out as needed.
See recipe post for troubleshooting tips.

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