Eight years ago, our family began learning about eating healthier and since then we have moved from store-bought white bread to homemade home-ground whole wheat bread (wow–that’s a mouthfull!).
To tell you a bit about the Granny behind this bread…she is Ty’s mother’s mother. She chose the name “Granny” as her preferred term of endearment and I’ve never known her by anything else. She is the matriarch of this family. She has always been an incredible cook and still bakes everyone’s birthday cakes even at the age of 81 (almost 82)!
Granny’s recipe for whole wheat bread is now the ONLY bread recipe I use. Some of you who have been following the blog for years have tried it, but I thought I’d share the recipe with those of you who are new to the blog. You will not be disappointed!
Granny’s All Wheat Bread
In a small bowl:
Dissolve 2 heaping Tbsp yeast & 1 Tbsp sugar in 1/2 c. hot water.
In mixer (I use my Bosch):
Whisk at medium speed 1 1/2 c. flour & 2 1/2 c. hot water.
Add: 1/3 c. oil & 1/3 c. honey (or other sugar equivalent) & 1 Tbsp salt.
Add: yeast mixture
Change to dough hook.
Add: 5 1/2 – 6 1/2 c. flour
When combined, knead 8-10 minutes (if you are doing this without a mixer, knead about 20 mins)
Oil a clean surface and dump dough into oil. Shape into loaves or rolls and place in greased pans. (I use 3 medium pans)
Let rise 20 mins in a warmed oven that has been turned off.
Take loaves out and preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake 20-25 minutes for loaves and about 18 minutes for rolls. Brush tops with butter and cover with a towel to cool. (my oven situation has changed a bit since I wrote the original post, so that is why there is a discrepancy between the two recipes.)
And just a little note from someone who has been-there-done-that…Don’t cut into your bread right away (no matter how tempting!) because it will be a bit chewy and you’ll think you messed up. Bread continues to bake just a bit more once out of the oven, so let it! You’ll be much happier with your bread if you practice a bit of patience! *sigh*
The products I use:
Mmmm… sounds yummy! Thanks for sharing. I wish I would have learned a few more things from my great-grandmas before they passed away.
That is awesome, Joann! Glad you liked it as much as we do!
~Amy
Really, one of the yummiest, moistest whole wheat breads I’ve made — and I’ve tried a LOT of recipes. We all really enjoyed this one – thanks so much for sharing. I’ll be making this again and again.
Am I reading the directions right? The dough only rises for 10 minutes before you bake?!
20 minutes.
I know this is a very late-to-the-game question, but where is the additional 10 minutes? I see where it says to let it rise for 10 minutes in the warmed oven — but I’m missing the other 10 minutes. Is it before or after it sits in the oven?
Oops! Need to fix that. I let the dough rise 20 mins in a warmed oven!
Thanks so much for your quick reply!! I’m excited to try it out this afternoon!
Yum, I really enjoyed this bread!
I have tried a LOT of whole wheat recipes. I WILL be trying this one! Mine always fall before I get a chance to bake them (or fall in the first few minutes in the oven). Could I let me bread machine do the kneading for me?! I don’t have a decent mixer and I just don’t have 20 minutes to knead bread with 5 kids at my feet.
Yes, Definitely use your bread machine to help out!
I’ll definitely have to try this. Thanks for sharing!
This looks wonderful!
What kind of flour do you use? I wonder if my whole-wheat flour will work for this recipe.
Absolutely! I use all whole wheat.
Is it wheat flour that you use?
Yes, all wheat.
I love homemade bread- this is almost identical to what I’ve been making. I quit buying bread at the store- only make bread now! So much cheaper and so much healthier (especially with the whole wheat flour)
Before we moved to our new(est) house I made our bread too. LOVE to smell the fresh bread baking in the oven and it’s much healthier than what we buy at the store. Now that we’re getting settled in, it’s time to get back to it! Thanks for motivating me, Amy!
I have a few questions and don’t mean to sound stupid but I’m not sure about a few things. What type of flour do you use? What type of oil? Can this bread be used for sandwiches? I am really intersted.
I use all whole wheat. Most of the time I just use canola oil, but you use anything. And yes, use it for sandwiches all the time. Makes awesome grilled cheese!
I can’t wait to try this. It looks a little simpler than the one that I have been using. (And bonus makes three loaves instead of the two my recipe makes so I would have to make it less often!)
What kind of flour do you use?
I use Wheat Montana hard winter berries.
Is all the flour whole wheat or a combination of white and whole wheat?
All whole wheat.:)
All whole wheat.
I need advice on buying a new mixer. something that will be able to handle my wheat. something that is big enough to make multiple recipes at a time.
Hi! I know we talked on Twitter, but in case anyone was reading comments, I wanted to say that the Bosch I use handles up to 6 loaves of whole wheat at a time. It is a workhorse and I’ve had it for close to 7 years now.
I tried to let this rise only 10 minutes with one loaf and then baked it, but it definitely needed more rise time. I let the next two loaves rise almost an hour and they were perfect!
I’m about to make it again, this time with Einkorn. This is my first time to try that grain, so I’m excited to see how it turns out!
It’s a great recipe, thanks for sharing!
I am about to make this bread with my kindergartner. We are so excited. We were wondering if coconut oil would be usable?
I would think so..let me know how it turned out!
Coconut oil is what I use with this recipe and it turns out great! I use refined since it’s cheaper and I’m going to cook it anyway. Raw CO would give it a subtle coconut flavor that might be really good though!
Thank you for sharing your insight!
Hi Amy – I want to try this one out, but it is sooo different from most bread recipes I had a couple of questions. When you say hot water – how hot? Are you using the usual bathwater temp for yeast, or is it hotter? Main reason I was wondering is because I am baffled by the short rise time. Are you using quick rise yeast?
Thanks so much-
Just to let you know my experience with this recipe: I used the hottest water I could that wouldn’t kill the yeast. Probably a nice hot bath temp would be about right.
And for me, I’ve had to let it rise longer. I let it go about 30 minutes, which is still pretty quick. I use SAF yeast. Not sure how it’s different, but I see a lot of other bread recipes (especially on real food websites) call for it, so that’s what I have.
I’m using SAF yeast that I buy in bulk. I make sure it is room temp and the hot water is the typical yeast temp water. I can’t explain why it works, but it does!
I love this bread!! Finally I found recipe that does not have milk and is super yummy!! My questions is how would I soak the grains for this recipe? I’ve never done it before but I know I can use vinegar or lemon juice I just don’t know how.
What size pans do you consider to be medium sized? Thanks!
I think this Norpro pan is what I have.
How many loafs does your recipe make? Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks
It will make 2 large loaves or 3 medium loaves.
I do not have a wheat grinder – would I change anything using store bought wheat?
Thanks!
No, I’ve used both.
Hi Amy! I realize this comment is a little “late.” I so wanted you to know how great it worked for us! We’ve been grinding wheat/breadmaking for almost 3 years. I make great sandwich buns, cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, pizza dough, french bread…you get the idea! My ONE struggle for all this time has been a plain old loaf of bread. I’d occasionally try a new recipe, but they never turned out quite right, so I’d turn right back to the buns for sandwiches. Thankfully, my family loves them! BUT today, the tides have turned!!!! Alleluia. 3 beautiful, fluffy, delish loaves of bread! Thank you. And thank the Granny for me too!
I’d seriously bring you guys some if I weren’t in Tennessee. Sounds like you might need some extra nourishment with all that nesting you are doing! (: Many blessings to you and yours.
Granny will be here in about 5 hours! I will be sure and tell her! She’ll be thrilled!
After years and years of searching I have FINALLY found THE perfect whole wheat bread recipe!! Thank you so much!!! After being out of bread for several days (with 6 kids during Christmas break, ahhh!) I figured I’d give homemade one more shot and started browsing recipes on Pinterest. That’s when I came across yours! After looking at several others I settled on this one and I couldn’t be happier! I don’t think I have ever had loaves turn out this beautiful!! Simple recipe, simple ingredients, glorious outcome!! I will be sharing this with everyone I know!
So glad you love it as much as we do!
Just tried the recipe for the whole wheat bread. My bread did not rise and does not look like your pictures. I followed the recipe exactly. Any thoughts on what might have went wrong?
Thanks
A couple of things…yeast was too cold and never proofed or water was too hot and killed the yeast. Are either one of those a possibility?
IT may have been the water because the yeast was room temp. I put my water in the microwave for 1 min and 10 secs. Any suggestions on how to know for sure what temp to get it at? I’ve never made homemade bread before to know.
You should be able to use hot water right from your tap. No need to microwave.
Even hot water from my tap would be too hot, mine gets up to about 150 degrees. Yeast is living, so you have to have the water warm enough to activate it (wake it up
, but not so hot that it kills it. Around 100 degrees is the general rule for yeast as well as anything else you want to keep alive like yogurt, raw foods, etc.
Basically a warm body temp. You can use a thermometer the first time or two to get an idea, but after that you can just feel of it and know if it’s right.
Hi Amy, I’m anxious to try this recipe, since it makes 3 loaves and seems so easy. I’ve been making all of our bread for a year now, and love it! I’m wondering about the single rise in this recipe? Every other recipe I’ve seen says to let it rise twice. Just one, 10-20 minute rise is enough?
Thank you, and Congratulations for your precious new baby!
Yes! Now, it won’t be enough if you don’t have a warm day or a warmed oven, but that’s really all it takes!
You’re so right, that really was all it took. I made this bread last night and I am THRILLED with how great it turned out! I followed the recipe exactly – just the one, quick rise in my warm oven (I used instant yeast) – and I’m so impressed with how moist and delicious this bread is. In fact, I’ve rarely had whole wheat bread rise that high! I will be making this again and again. Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe!
You are so very welcome!
Amy, has anyone shared with you if they had success in soaking the flour in yogurt, or other acidic medium overnight? I have made this recipe once with regular flour (I didn’t have any ground then!) and would like to try it with our fresh-ground and soaked!
No, no one has mentioned trying to soak the flour, but please leave a message if you try it and let me know how it turned out!
how do i know how warm to have my oven for rising? i have had horrible success at making any kind of bread ever but i am game to try again.. i hope it turns out! also i store my yeast in the fridge.. not sure why maybe i shouldn’t?? but took it out so it can be room temp before using. also can i substitute maple syrup for the honey?
Melissa,
Yes, I would think you could substitute the syrup for the honey. As for the oven, I warm it to about 200 and then shut it off before putting the loaves in. Let me know how it turns out!
Wanted to let you know that I finally got around to trying this out. It turned out beautifully! I am pretty sure the reason it rises so rapidly is the large amount of yeast – much more than the usual. Did you say you buy it in bulk?
I do buy SAF yeast in bulk.
Delicious! One question though…can you freeze the loaves and if so, for how long? Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Yes, you can freeze them. I’d suggest no longer than a couple of months.
Do you mix white and whole flour?
No, it is all whole wheat Prairie Gold.
I have a question …. When I heat the oven to bake, the risen bread fell. Do I keep it in the oven?
You have to be super careful with bread, no one touching it, no sudden movements, etc. I have only been able to keep the bread in the oven while it heated with gas ovens. Electric don’t do so well, so I just set it carefully on the stove top and tell everyone not to touch while the oven heats.
I FINALLY got a chance to try this out today. Everything wad going perfectly, until 10 minutes into the baking when the bread just collapsed. Any idea what caused it to fall so late in the process? It was handled super carefully when it was transferred in and out of the oven. :/
I have never had it fall, but I’m wondering if weather could affect it?