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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.
Bread Machine 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
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
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
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Bread Machine Recipes
Looking for more bread machine recipes?
- Bread Machine Cinnamon Raisin Bread
- Bread Machine Apple Cinnamon Bread
- Bread Machine Brioche
- Bread Machine Challah
- Bread Machine French Bread
- Bread Machine Honey Wheat Oat Bread
Bread Recipes
If you’re ready to make bread without a machine, I have a few more recipes for handmade bread too!
How can adjust this to make this into a 1.5 loaf?
Yes, I’ve added instructions for a 1.5 pound loaf. Sorry about the delay getting back to you!
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 lukewarm water
2 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. Maple syrup (or liquid honey)
Dry Ingredients (on top of wet)
2 2/3 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. SAF instant yeast (or 2 tsp bread machine yeast)
Can I use active Dry instead of Instant Yeast?
Yes, but your bread might not rise quite as well. Instant yeast works faster, and it’s better suited to a bread machine. To use active dry yeast, dissolve it in the water and allow it to sit for 10 minutes before proceeding with the recipe (rather than placing it on top of the flour).
I decided to make this recipe today. I got tired of making basic white bread. It smells amazing I can’t wait to see how it turns out. Thanks
Oh my goodness! I have been baking for 50 years and have never made 100% ww bread. I’ve avoided it because I was afraid it would just sit there and not rise then taste like a brick. I took a chance on this one because I was in a hurry and can’t just jump in the car and go to the store anymore. Wow, was I surprised! Rose like a charm, like any I’ve made before with a mix of white and ww flours. Soft and lovely! I made it in my 20 year old Sunbeam. Slowly rose and I thought oh oh, and had to get a spatula and finish mixing it, then left the machine to finish up. But it is gorgeous, soft, tasty and just perfect. Highly recommend for bread machine.
Awesome, Trish! I’m so happy you loved this recipe!
Excellent outcome,thank you for your recipe.
You’re welcome!
Please could you post this recipe using metric weights. The American way with cups is so old fashioned and ambiguous. It makes conversion extremely time consuming. Other than that its a good recipe. A nightmare to upscale because of the method of measurement.
I tried this without a bread machine, and it turned out better than the last time I baked a bread! It still didn’t rise as much as I had hoped for, but I love the flavor of it. Question – how do I store this?
I’m so glad you liked the recipe! Typically you can extend the shelflife of your bread best, by freezing. If that is not an option, storing your sliced bread in a brown paper bag is your best bet.
Hi, I don’t have honey. Could I substitute it with sugar and if yes then how much?
I’m not really sure how much sugar to add as it would screw up the total amount of liquid in the recipe, however, maple syrup could also be used in place of honey if you have that available!
This recipe is perfection! I substituted the honey with half cup brown sugar and it worked like a charm! However whenever I tried reducing the amount of sugar it wouldn’t rise enough. So, yes, its a tad bit sweet but absolutely delicious!
I have made this twice. It is soft AND it is tasty. I use the bread machine to mix and knead it, then it punch it down to rise again. Issue is it never rises to the top of the loaf OAN. I want to use this bread for sandwiches, so I would like for it to rise to at least the top of the pan.
Hi there I just found your page and everything looks delicious. I would like to make this bread but my machine only makes 1lb loafs, I’m totally new to bread machines how can I use this recipe to make a 1lb loaf please ???
Hi, I would like to do the same. Did you try it? Please let me know.
I tried this recipe and it came out really dense (and I used the whole wheat setting on my breadmaker). Could it be that the recipe says t put the salt on top (rather than with the liquids) because salt interacts with yeast. Or is it because whole wheat flower has no gluten so it will always be dense?