The first time I brought my homemade wheat bread to a family gathering, my friend Mark, who swore all whole-grain bread tasted like cardboard—reluctantly took a slice. “Whole wheat bread without white flour? That’s going to be like eating a brick,” he muttered. After one bite, his eyes widened with surprise. “This is fluffy!” Now, he requests I bring a loaf to every gathering. This simple 100% whole grain wheat bread has been in my family for generations, though we make it much more often now with modern stand mixers doing the hard work. Unlike typical dense whole wheat recipes, this bread maintains an incredibly soft, fluffy texture while delivering all the nutritional benefits of whole grains. With just seven simple ingredients and less than three hours, you can create bakery-quality bread at home.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
The perfect balance of honey and molasses provides just enough sweetness to enhance the wheat’s natural flavor while helping feed the yeast for proper rising. Using hot water helps activate the gluten development in whole wheat flour more effectively than cold water. The combination of olive oil and proper kneading creates a soft, elastic dough that captures air bubbles during rising, resulting in a light texture that defies the typical density of 100% whole grain breads.
Benefits of eating whole grains
We have all heard that eating whole grains is really good for us, but did you know that whole grains deliver many important nutrients?
Here are some of the benefits:
- High in fiber, vitamins, minerals, protein, and antioxidants
- Lowers risk of heart disease and stroke
- Reduces the risk of obesity
- Lowers risk of type 2 diabetes
- Good for healthy digestion
Ingredients
- Dry active yeast – Creates the rise that makes the bread fluffy
- Hot water – Activates yeast and helps develop gluten in whole wheat flour
- Olive oil – Creates tenderness and helps preserve freshness
- Honey – Provides natural sweetness and feeds the yeast
- Molasses – Adds depth of flavor and characteristic color
- Sea salt – Enhances flavors and controls yeast activity
- 100% whole grain wheat flour – Delivers all the nutrition and flavor of whole wheat
How to make 100% Whole Grain Fluffy wheat bread
Making bread can take quite a bit of time to make. This recipe takes less than three hours and needs only 7 ingredients.
Here’s what you will need:
- Hot Water
- Olive Oil
- Honey
- Molasses
- Sea Salt
- 100% Whole Grain Wheat Flour
- Dry Active Yeast
Making bread is definitely an art.
Then you will have two beautiful loaves to enjoy.
Makes perfect toast and sandwiches.
100% Whole Grain Fluffy Wheat Bread – Light & Nutritious
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups hot water
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons Molasses
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 7 1/2 cups 100% Whole Grain Wheat Flour
- 2 tablespoons Dry Active Yeast
Instructions
- Place the first five ingredients in the bowl and mix.
- Add 2 Cups 100% Whole Grain Wheat Flour. Then add 2 tablespoons of Dry Active Yeast. (If you're not sure about your yeast proof it in a little warm water first – see notes).
- next, add 4 Cups of 100% Whole Grain Wheat Flour.
- Mix until the consistency is somewhat even. Then continue to slowly add flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough quits sticking to the sides of the bowl. It should be tacky to the touch. The trick is to have enough consistency to stand up with the least amount of flour so the bread will be fluffy. In any case, do not exceed 7 1/2 cups of wheat flour. Don't over mix or the bread will be tough.
- When your dough is finished, Cover the bowl and let it rise for about 30-45 minutes. The dough will be larger but it doesn't need to double when using a heavy mixer.
- Grease two bread pans with Crisco. You can also flour the pans to reduce sticking.
- Mix again just enough to knock it down at least close to the original size.
- Drop the dough on a floured surface so you can work the dough and shape it. Roll it in the flour and shape it in your hands to make a nice ball getting enough flour on it so it isn't sticky. Divide the ball in half and do it again. Shape the loaves by turning the dough under its self over and over. When the dough is shaped right the sides and ends will be sealed and all you will see is a nice oblong shaped loaf with smooth sides and top. Drop the loaves in your bread pans and let them rise until almost doubled. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 36 minutes. If you forgot to preheat 41 minutes. (gas oven)
- When done turn the bread out of the pan to a rack to cool. You can eat it right away (a great time for real butter).
Notes
- If you are not sure if your yeast is still good, you will want to “proof” it. Dissolve one package and 1 teaspoon of sugar in 1/4 cup of warm water. Let stand for 5-10 minutes. If the mixture foams up, the yeast mixture is good to use. But if it does not foam, you won’t want to use it.
- Make sure the bread is completely cooled before wrapping it. You don’t want it to get soggy.
- Keep out of the refrigerator – putting it in there will only make it hard.
Nutrition
Notes
- If you are not sure if your yeast is still good, you will want to “proof” it. Dissolve one package and 1 teaspoon of sugar in 1/4 cup of warm water. Let stand for 5-10 minutes. If the mixture foams up, the yeast mixture is good to use. But if it does not foam, you won’t want to use it.
- Make sure the bread is completely cooled before wrapping it. You don’t want it to get soggy.
- Keep out of the refrigerator – putting it in there will only make it hard.
Love to bake bread? Look at these recipes:
- Zucchini Bread
- Best Pizza Dough Ever
- Parmesan Garlic Bread
- Olive Garden Breadsticks Copycat
- Cornbread made with Sour Cream
- Black Eye Pea Cornbread
- Pumpkin Muffin Dunkin Donut
- Otis Spunkmeyer Muffins
- Beer Biscuits Recipe
- Make Ahead Biscuit Dough
Tasty Toast To Enjoy
Find more restaurant bread and easy breakfast recipes.
What do you think about this bread? Share your experience with making this recipe below in the comments. And share your creations by tagging us on Instagram. Remember to also sign up for our CopyKat newsletter so you never miss a recipe.
Hello, will the bread come out ok without molasses or can I substitute something else for it? Thank you.
It will work, but the dough is going to be a little stiffer, the bread won’t have the darker color, you could use corn syrup. If you don’t want to do that, omit it, but the final bread will be a little different.
Great recipe, it came out beautifully.
Please confirm if the nutrition value is per 100g?
It is per the slice, I am sorry I never weighed out the slices.
I think the picture of your bread is not a picture of the loaf made with this recipe as you do not include any seeds or other grains in the recipe and you do not answer questions about what you used.
You are correct, I used a stock photo on the bread. What other questions did you have?
What size loaf pans are used? I have the 10×5×3, and I only have one. Do you have any suggestions on which pan sizes are best for this recipe?
I used 2 standard-sized loaf pans. The measurement for these pans is 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2.
This looks amazing! Will it work in a breadmaker?
I haven’t specifically tried it in a bread maker yet. I will see if I can give it a try this weekend.
I have made this 3 or 4 times now and it turns out great. The only problem that I’m having is that when I place it in the oven it loses height and is not as fluffy when done. Any ideas?
Sounds like your bread is over proofed before being baked. Reducing the rising time might help.
Did you happen to respond to the question about what time of seeds did you use on the crust? If so, I think I missed it! Would you mind repeating and letting me know? Haven’t tried this recipe yet, but sounds like something I will be making soon! Love making homemade bread and this wheat recipe sounds great!!
Why can’t you use grams/kilos. Flour comes in different consistences 100g of one flour might not have the same volume as 100g of another making cups useless.
Thank you for your suggestion.
I was wondering the same thing. How much is 7.5 cups of your flour in kilos or pounds? This looks like a great recipe.
Absolutely heavenly! I can have processed bread that has updates in them- which is all of them!
I’ve been using rhoads (sp?) Frozen loaves, but I only have access to white bread. I’ve tried so many wheat recipes, and THIS IS THE BEST!
it not only tastes great, it feels right! perfect crumb!
Thank you so much!
Super easy people! And btw, I did it by hand! No mixer!
Recently I was really, really low on cash and debts were eating me from all sides! That was UNTIL I decided to make money on the internet. I went to surveymoneymaker dot net, and started filling in surveys for cash, and surely I’ve been far more able to pay my bills!! I’m so glad, I did this.. – ox7s
I just saw this. Are you still doing the surveys? My daughter discouraged me from starting for fear of hacking
HEY Regina, that response about online surveys was most likely posted by a bot and not a real person. You should be wary of people posting things that are completely unrelated to the comments (aka this is a post about bread and that person is talking about making money online) thats usually a sign that is a scam. Hope that helps. Also your daughter is probably right about avoiding certain surveys online haha
Which type of grain do you mill?
I have some red soft that I have milled. I just used whole wheat flour I bought at the store for this.
Hey Stephanie, the bread looks amazing,just what I was looking for. Would definitely try this soon. Can you please tell me what seeds have you used on the crust and how have you used them?
It makes me wanna bake a whole wheat bread right now at 11pm.
Aditi
https://itallcomesdowntofood.wordpress.com/
Yes, I would like to know the seeds used also. Looks so delicious!!
Can I use honey instead of molasses? And if so, how much?
Thanks!
I am not a baker by trade, I don’t know if you can substitute one for the other. This is a terrific recipe as written. ~stephanie
Question: How long is the second rising? I need a time to check on it. Thanks,
It can vary, it depends on the temperature and the humidity in your home, I would think it could take between 30 minutes to 1 hour. ~stephanie
I must be doing something wrong. Someone please help me! My bread came out really dense. It’s moist and has a good flavor but way too dense. When I was mixing the dough it was still really really sticky so I kept adding more dough even more than the 7.5 cups of dough but it was was still really sticky. I proofed the yeast first so I know that wasn’t the problem. How long should it take for the dough to double in size the second time it rises?
So, baking is more of an art, than say regular stove top cooking. Sometimes you can get things to vary by the flour you use, the moisture in the air, ect. I know in some bread recipes the amount of flour I use can vary by a cup or more. Honestly I had a very similar experience in making challah recently. It was a great recipe, but my bread was so dense you could have knocked someone out with it. I don’t know if you used fast acting yeast or the old fashioned kind. Your package directions would be the best indicator of how long it should take for the bread to rise.
Wow, just wow. I have tried many different whole wheat bread recipes, and most of them were either too dense or used too many artificial additives to make it work. This is by far the best bread I have had in a while. And the best part is, the bread is so good for you too! Thank you for sharing this simply wonderful recipe.
King Arthur Flour makes a white wheat version of their flour. But this is definately a good recipe. I use the whole wheat to make my dog some biscuits.
I have to thank you so much for this recipe! I made it this morning and it was totally awesome. I was afraid to go to 100% wheat, so I did 1/2 and 1/2 the first time. Next time, I’ll try more wheat! This was the softest sandwich loaf bread I’ve ever made, and tasted so good! Much better than anything I’ve ever bought in a store, or any other sandwich bread I’ve ever made!