Bread Machine Whole Wheat Bread

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Bread machine whole wheat bread is easier than you think.  Just a few ingredients tossed into the machine, and a few hours later a wholesome loaf of soft 100% whole wheat sandwich bread emerges almost by magic.

In the past few weeks, we’ve been our bread machine to nearly daily use.  I love making bread at home, but with two toddlers underfoot, I’m glad to have a bread machine that does the work for me.  My little ones are especially fond of my simple bread machine white bread, and they go nuts for my bread machine honey white bread, but I was hoping to up the nutritional content a bit by trying whole wheat.

I know there are a lot of transitional loaves out there, with part whole wheat and part white flour, but I decided to go all in and see how they like it.  The crumb on this 100% whole wheat sandwich bread is softened a bit by adding a bit of olive oil, and then a hint of sweetness comes through thanks to the addition of maple syrup.

All in all, it’s a very wholesome loaf that stays soft with baking and holds together beautifully when sliced.  I couldn’t be more pleased.

The real test comes when I hand a slice to the babies.  The verdict!  Toddler Approved!  Slather a slice with butter, and my little ones clean their plates every time.

This bread is soft and flavorful enough that it allows for a seamless transition from white bread to 100% whole wheat.  And this mama’s happy that I didn’t have to sneak the whole wheat into the bread a cup at a time.  It makes things simpler, and everyone’s happy with the outcome.

In the next few batches, I’m planning on trying honey (instead of maple) as a sweetener, and I’ll be testing whether or not I can substitute butter for the olive oil to enrich this whole wheat loaf.  I may also try adding small amounts adding whole grains like oats or millet, and maybe some flax seeds too. 

If you’re not ready to go all in on 100% whole wheat, I’ve recently added a couple of transitional recipes as well.  I’d suggest trying my Bread Machine Honey Wheat Bread or Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread, as both have a good bit of sweetness to balance the whole wheat flavor.

Ingredients for Bread Machine 100% Whole Wheat Bread

I’m baking this as a 2-pound loaf in my Zojirushi Supreme Bread Machine, which makes beautiful horizontal loaves in a pan that uses two paddles for more efficient mixing.  I’ve worked with many different machines over the years, and this one’s my favorite.  

I’ve also included instructions for a 1 1/2-pound loaf if you’re working with a smaller machine or a machine that bakes vertically since they don’t work as well with full-sized loaves. 

To make an extra small 1-pound loaf, just divide the 2-pound quantities in half.

Two Pound Loaf Ingredients

To make a 2-pound loaf of Bread Machine 100% Whole Wheat Bread, you’ll need the following:

Liquid Ingredients (add first)

• 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) lukewarm water
• 2 Tbsp. (30 ml) olive oil
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup (or liquid honey)

Dry Ingredients (on top of wet)

• 3 1/2 cups (400 g) Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. (9 g) salt
• 2 tsp. (6 g) SAF Instant Yeast (or 2 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast)

One and a Half Pound Loaf Ingredients

To make a 1 ½ pound loaf of Bread Machine 100% Whole Wheat Bread, you’ll need the following:

Liquid Ingredients (add first)

• 1 cup (240 ml) lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. (22 ml) olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. (45 ml) Maple syrup (or liquid honey)

Dry Ingredients (on top of wet)

• 2 2/3 cups (300 g) Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 1/8 tsp. (7 g) salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. (5 g) SAF instant yeast (or 2 tsp bread machine yeast)

Making Bread Machine Whole Wheat Bread

To make this simple bread machine whole wheat bread, you’ll follow the instructions from the manufacturer of your machine.  For most machines, that means starting with the wet ingredients first in the bottom of the pan.  You then make an “island” on top of the wet ingredients with the flour, and then make a well in the flour to hold the other dry ingredients (in this case, salt and yeast). 

That keeps everything dry until it’s time to start the machine, and allows you to do the time delay cycle if you’d like.  (Even if you’re not doing a time delay, adding the dry on top of the wet helps the paddles evenly incorporate the flour without lumps).

turn on the bread machine and select the “whole wheat” cycle.  Some machines don’t have a whole wheat cycle, in that case, just choose basic yeast bread.

The main difference with a whole wheat cycle is that the machine gives the bread more rise time, which helps the yeast slowly digest the more nutritionally dense whole wheat flour.  If you don’t have a whole wheat cycle, I’d suggest adding 1/2 tsp extra yeast to help make up for that.

Turn the machine on and let it go.  It should make a loaf of whole wheat bread without any more intervention from you.

Sometimes, however, it can help to watch for the first few minutes of the knead to ensure the water/flour balance is right.  Add an extra tablespoon of water, if necessary, to help the dough come together.  I’ve never had to do that with this recipe, but it’s always a good idea to watch just incase.

Otherwise, just let the machine do its thing, and you’ll have a loaf of fresh-baked bread before you know it.

4.46 from 324 votes

Servings: 10 slices (2 lb loaf)

Bread Machine 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

By Ashley Adamant

This simple 100% whole wheat bread machine bread is delicious, and a perfect nutritious alternative to white flour sandwich bread.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Total: 3 hours hrs

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Equipment

• Bread Machine

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

Liquid Ingredients (add first)

• ▢ 1 1/4 cups water, lukewarm
• ▢ 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• ▢ 1/4 cup maple syrup, or liquid honey

Dry Ingredients (on top of wet)

• ▢ 3 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• ▢ 2 tsp. SAF Instant Yeast, or 2 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast

US Customary - Metric

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Place all ingredients into the bread machine in the order listed. The dry ingredients go on top of the wet, making an island with the flour. Make a well in the flour and place the salt and yeast in it, so they don't get wet until the machine starts kneading.
• Select the "whole wheat" setting if your bread machine has one. If not, choose basic white. If using the "basic white" setting, add an extra 1/2 tsp of yeast.
• Turn the machine on and allow it to run a full cycle, first kneading and then baking the bread in the machine.
• Allow bread to cool completely before cutting.
• Note: This recipe is perfectly fine to do as a time delayed bread. Be sure you keep the salt and yeast above the liquid and in the flour so they don't get wet until the cycle starts.

Notes

To make this recipe without a bread machine, knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 10 minutes. Allow to rise until doubled in volume, about 90 minutes. Punch down dough, knead for another 1-2 minutes, and form into a loaf. Place into a greased loaf pan and rise again for about 90 minutes until the bread has risen about an inch above the top of the pan. Preheat oven to 375 and bake for about 35 minutes. Remove from pan to a cooling rack, and allow the bread to cool completely before cutting.

One and a Half Pound Loaf Ingredients

To make a 1 ½ pound loaf of Bread Machine 100% Whole Wheat Bread, you’ll need the following:

Liquid Ingredients (add first)

• 1 cup (240 ml) lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. (22 ml) olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. (45 ml) Maple syrup (or liquid honey)

Dry Ingredients (on top of wet)

• 2 2/3 cups (300 g) Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 1/8 tsp. (7 g) salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. (5 g) SAF instant yeast (or 2 tsp bread machine yeast)

Nutrition

Calories: 194kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 290mg, Potassium: 180mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 4IU, Vitamin C: 0.003mg, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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