100% Whole Wheat Bread

Print this Recipe

DVO Recipe Center
Makes: 2 Loaves

(Source: Utah State University Cooperative Extension)

4-1/2 teaspoons (2 packets) active dry yeast
3 cups warm water or 3 1/4 cups milk, divided (110-115 degrees F.)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons oil or 4 teaspoons fat
4 teaspoons salt
5-6 cups whole wheat flour, divided

Optional: any or all of the following optional ingredients may be added to the recipe, with excellent results:

1 egg (decrease liquid by ¼ cup) or (1 T. lecithin in place of 1 T. oil)
3 T. vital wheat gluten
50 mg ascorbic acid or 1 T. dough enhancer
½ cup whey
2 T. molasses or honey
½ cup mashed potatoes


1. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add a pinch of sugar if desired.
2. In a large bowl, combine remaining water, sugar, oil, salt, optional ingredients, and 2 cups whole-wheat flour. Stir mixture until smooth.
3. Stir in yeast mixture until smooth.
4. Slowly add 3-4 cups more flour, mixing each cup in before adding more flour.
5. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth, shiny, and satiny. Only add enough flour to keep dough from sticking to board and hands (10-15 minutes or about 300 kneadings). Dough that is a little stiff is ideal. Dough that is too soft will fall over the sides of your loaf pans as it rises and bakes.
6. For the quick method, shape dough into 2 loaves, place in greased pans, cover, and rise until double. Bake.
7. For more flavor and lighter texture, place dough into sprayed bowl. Lightly spray the top of the dough. Cover and rise until double. Punch down in center, pull edges in. Let dough relax for 10 minutes.
8. To have uniform loaves, either weigh dough (one loaf takes 1 ½ to 1 ¾ pounds of dough), or break out ½ cup size pieces of dough (standard size pans hold 3 cups dough; baby pans hold 1 cup).
9. Shape into loaves in either of two ways. (a) With fist, pound dough into a tight ball to eliminate air bubbles, then place in center of sprayed pan. OR, (b) Measured dough can be rolled into a rectangle the same width as the bread pan. Roll dough up, jellyroll fashion, pinching seam together. Place dough in center of pan, seam down.
10. Allow to rise until double (cover while rising with warm, damp towel). Bread is ready to bake is a slight dent remains when touched.
11. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 F for 10 minutes, then lower temperature to 350 F. for 25-35 minutes.



**Let Cook'n do the math for you. Just enter the number of people you'd like your recipe to serve and then print out the multiplied recipe and shopping list!

Help on downloading recipes

Be sure to check the Cook'n Recipe Archive for more recipes.