White Whole Wheat Bread
Soft, delicate White Whole Wheat Bread has the texture of bread made from refined flour, with the fiber and vitamins of a 100% whole grain loaf.
You’ve heard the recommendations: for better health, make at least 50% of your grains whole.
But as much as you want to sub in those hearty, nutty whole grain foods for yourself and your kids, you really miss the pillowy softness of enriched flour.
If this is true for you, don’t sweat it. First of all, you’re conscious about whole grains and you’re trying them, which is a great start!
Plus, the more you eat whole grain foods, the more you develop a taste and even a preference for them. (A hearty Chili Mac and Cheese just begs for the robust texture of whole wheat pasta.)
So keep up the great work. And while your tastes are adjusting, venture into the world of white whole wheat flour. White… whole wheat… flour? Sounds counter-intuitive, I know. But there are good reasons to keep this whole grain in your stash of baking supplies.
What’s the Difference Between White Whole Wheat and Regular Whole Wheat?
To clear up any confusion, white whole wheat flour is 100% whole grain flour. The reason it’s light in color is just that the type of wheat plant it’s harvested from has different characteristics than “regular” whole wheat.
To be specific, typical whole wheat flour on the shelves at your grocery store is made from “hard red winter wheat.” That’s the kind that’s darker brown, nutty, and slightly coarse. White whole wheat flour is typically made from “hard white winter wheat” and it’s usually much lighter in color and finer in texture.
This light color and texture is what makes white whole wheat flour perfect for baking when you want good nutrition AND a delicate texture from bread, muffins, cupcakes, and more.
How to Make White Whole Wheat Bread
Homemade bread is not nearly as fussy as it’s reputation suggests, and White Whole Wheat Bread is no exception.
Start by mixing your dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then gently heat the liquid ingredients before combining them with the dry ones. The warm temperature helps activate the yeast so your loaf can rise properly.
You can use a stand-mixer to mix the dough, but if you don’t have one, your hands will work just fine. Think of it as 10-minute arm workout. Why not?
You’ll know when the bread is ready to rest and rise when it feels stretchy and elastic in your hands.
Form it into a loaf and drop it into a greased pan. Let it rise for an hour or until it nearly doubles in size. Then pop it into the oven!
Smell that? That’s homemade bread baking in your kitchen. Amazing.
Try more enticing whole wheat recipes like No-Knead Whole Wheat Pizza Dough and Whole Wheat Pancakes.
White Whole Wheat Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 packet yeast, active dry
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tablespoon butter, salted
Instructions
- Grease a loaf pan (9″X5″) and set aside.
- Add 2 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt in mixing bowl. Heat water, milk and butter until warm; 120 degrees F. Pour into flour mixture. Mix at medium for 2 minutes; scrape bowl and mix for 30 seconds more. Add 2 cups flour, mix on high for 2 minutes; scrape bowl and mix for 30 seconds more.
- Mix until a soft dough forms. Pour out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth; 8-10 minutes. Roll into a loaf and place into the greased pan. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Place pan onto a wire rack to cool before slicing.
Nutrition
www.superhealthykids.com
Natalie Monson
I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.
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Thank you so much for your quick response. I did compare the nutritional fact info. but I didn’t really pay attention to the order of the ingredients. I guess I need to be more label savvy while shopping. Thanks for the great information.
good info — thanks
Always good! thank you! 🙂
Great post! We’ve been using white whole wheat in our homemade breads – pizza dough, muffins, etc. – and it does make a heavier and denser end product, but none of us seem to mind. I’ve been leaving in a little all-purpose flour for lightness – usually 1/4 all purpose and 3/4 whole wheat flour – and using white whole wheat for the rest. It keeps it light enough for us while still getting a heaping dose of real whole wheat. Great information, as always!
I always eat whole wheat breads and I have to agree that it really is nutritious
Hi! I noticed that my website isn’t appearing well just in case you want to read what I think about food being the food buff that I also am. Cheers!
[…] Presence of whole grains (look for the words whole grain. If it doesn’t say Whole grain, it is NOT whole grain! Prior post For further discussion of whole wheat labels) […]
[…] Presence of whole grains (look for the words whole grain. If it doesn’t say Whole grain, it is NOT whole grain! Prior post For further discussion of whole wheat labels) […]
Could this be done in a bread machine too?
Hi Adriane, I’m not 100% sure because we haven’t tested it in a bread machine. But it could very well work! If you try it, please let us know how it turns out.
Can you make this in a bread maker? If so, what are the instructions?
Hi Amy! We’ve never tried this loaf in bread maker, but I think there’s a good chance it would work just fine. Try using our ingredients and following your bread maker’s instructions for a 100% whole wheat loaf. I hope you’ll come back and let us know how it turns out!
I just very recently discovered your site and this is the third recipe I’ve made from it. My boys are 10 and 11 and a bit on the unhealthy side as I’ve always struggled with getting them to eat healthy. We just started a new eating plan and your recipes are helping me immensely!! They have enjoyed everything I’ve made so far and I can’t wait to try some more recipes. Thank you for helping me turn their eating habits into healthy ones!
Gina, this is so great to hear! Keep up the good work!
I’m no baker, but this is the best whole grain bread we’ve ever tasted. I’ve made it a few times now and it’s turned out great every time. The whole family loves it. Thank you for the nutritious recipe.
What is the nutrition facts of this bread?
Hi Brittany! We’re working on getting nutrition data attached to all our recipes on this site. In the meantime, all our recipes are also inside the Prepear app, and nutrition facts are calculated there. You can get the app for free here: https://www.prepear.com/
This is a great recipe! For those who are concerned about the dense texture, you can add vital wheat gluten (1tsp for every full cup of flour). It will help with the texture. But I think this is perfect as is! My kids agree!
Can this dough be frozen and baked later. Will it still rise.?
Hi Christine, I’m not 100% sure since I haven’t tried it myself. My guess is it wouldn’t rise quite as well if it’s frozen first!
My daughter is dairy & soy free, do you think I could swap the milk for oat milk?
Hi Brooklyn! Yes, it should be fine to sub in a non-dairy milk in this recipe.
Can you use non dairy milk?
Yes you can, Diane!
Hi how are you heating the milk and butter? It says 120 degrees so am I putting it in the oven? If so how long?
Hi Sara, you could heat it briefly in a bowl in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove.
Can this be made with regular whole wheat flour or a mix of all purpose and whole wheat pastry flour? Want to try to use what I have on hand to limit our grocery store trips. Looks easy and delicious! Excited to try it ?
Yes, you can use regular whole wheat flour or mix flours!
Do you have any recipes for overnight bread or no knead bread using white whole wheat flour?
Hi Jean, I don’t believe we have that one! But it would sure be fun to try. 🙂
Can I just use regular whole wheat flour? That’s what I have in my pantry.
Yes, that’s fine! The texture may be a little less light.
Hi,
I have white flour and whole wheat flour. Can I use 2 cups of each in this recipe? Will it still turn out?
Hi Shauna, I think that will likely work, yes!
Are you using the paddle or dough hook on your stand mixer…also, I use Saf instant yeast….is heating the liquids necessary…thanks!
I use the dough hook for sure. And you should be ok not to heat the liquids with that yeast. Happy Cooking!
first time bread baker and trying for first time White Whole Wheat Bread. My dough turned out like a brick before proofing. Recipe calls for 4 cups White Whole Wheat Flour. Should I be using volume or oz. weight measurement. 32 oz just seemed to be too much flour after kneading making dough dry and stiff. 8 oz flour was like 1.25 cups. After 1 hour proofing dough was just slightly soft. Proof box set at 85 degrees.
Hi there, four cups is by volume, not weight. We use a one-cup measuring cup and scoop out each level cup from the bag of flour.
Thank you for sharing this recipe; it’s exactly what I was looking for! Off to the kitchen!
Can I proof this bread twice.
Hi Ceelia, yes you can
I made this white whole wheat bread this afternoon since I have lots of the flour that I bought online from King Arthur Flour before all of this Covid19 started. Honestly, I’ve made lots of bread, but this is delicious and easy to make. Thank you for the perfect recipe!
This is the best bread recipe I have ever tried! I used three parts white whole wheat and one part all purpose because I ran out. It was so fluffy and soft. Thank you so much for posting this.
Thanks so much for sharing Val!
I bought two bags of white whole wheat flour and have been having a hard time finding a recipe to use it in. Thank you for this one. I am going to give it a try.
Way to much sodium I found a low sodium no knead bread that’s better
Glad you found a recipe you liked!
Hi! I’m excited to try this recipe. Can I use olive oil or canola oil instead of the butter? I realize the taste will be different, but I need the bread to be dairy-free. I already saw in your answer to another question that the milk can be subbed with any non-dairy milk. Thank you.
Yep! You can substitute oil for the butter. 🙂
what brand do you use for white whole wheat?
We like King Arthur!
Trying to make this bread and my dough is so sticky! Too sticky for me to knead. What would cause that?
It could just be that the measurements are a bit off- weighing is the only way to truly get it accurate. If this happens again, you can simply add a bit more flour at a time until it comes together and you can knead it!
Hello! What an easy and super tasty recipe. I just milled some 20 year old winter white wheat berries from my food storage and whipped up this bread. It was SO light and rich tasting. Many thanks!
HI there what is the measurement of your one cup for flour please ?
Thank you
120 grams. 🙂
I make this bread all the time now in my cuisinart bread maker on the dough option. Wet ingredients on bottom then dry on top and it works great! When done mixing and rising in bread maker (mine is set for 1.5 hours total on dough option), I punch it down, put in greased bread pan and let rise one more time, usually 30 minutes maybe a little more. Then I bake as specified.
Thanks for sharing!
This turned out so good. thanks for introducing us to white bread
Can you use in brread machine
I’ve never tried it in a bread machine – typically the recipes are similar but you should follow the instructions for your bread machine. I know mine has some slight differences in bake time.
I have tried bread recipe many times but never made it perfect. May be this one will go right.
I have tried many bread recipes but today I came up with the perfect way to make wheat bread. Thank you!
I don’t have a mixer. What are the instructions for making the bread by hand?
Stir the ingredients in by hand, and once it gets too hard to stir, continue kneading by hand for 8-10 minutes.
Instead of kneading it by hand, can I continue with the dough hook for 5 minutes or so after it is thoroughly mixed?
Yep! That works too.
I normally proof dough, shape, put in pan proof then bake. This leaves out first rising. Will bread be lighter if I proof twice?
We didn’t find it necessary for this recipe, but you could certainly do that!
Hello Natalie, is a packet of yeast 7g or 10g?
We used a 7g packet!