Easy Hearty White Wheat Bread
Lauren Harvey
This bread is made to fill you up! Read the full recipe, including tips and notes about mix-ins before beginning. We suggest making it as is for your first try, and experimenting with mix-ins as you feel comfortable. Enjoy!
Prep Time 1 hr
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 1 hr 40 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
- 1 ½ cup warm water
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp Active Dry Yeast or Instant Yeast
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour or additional 1 cup of all-purpose flour
Add water, honey, salt, and yeast to a glass bowl. Whisk gently to combine. Let sit 3-5 minutes until bubbles appear on the top of the liquid.
Add the all-purpose and wheat flours to the bowl with the yeast. Incorporate using a spatula until dough becomes shaggy, then you can use your hands. Remember to scrape the bottom of the bowl to fully incorporate flour. Once all flour is incorporated and the dough has come together in a bowl, turn out onto a lightly floured wooden board or clean, flat surface. Knead using the heel of your hand until dough is smooth and not sticky. Heat the oven to 400°F. Turning the oven on now allows plenty of time for it to come fully up to temperature before baking the bread.Place the round dough on the wooden board. Cover gently with a clean flour sack towel or dish towel and allow it to rise for 30-45 minutes. Using a paper towel, lightly rub the inside of the pan with olive oil.This step is to ensure that nothing will stick. I do it even with nonstick pans. Better safe than stuck!Cut a strip of parchment to fit long-ways in the loaf pan with some excess over the sides. This will make it easy to lift the loaf out of the pan once its done baking. Gently roll the dough back and forth to make a log shape approximately the same size as your loaf pan. It shouldn't take much to get it into shape.Place dough into loaf pan and, using a bench knife, lame or razor blade, score lightly down the middle. Bake for 30-40 minutes.You are looking for a nice golden outside and a hollow sound when you knock on the bread.Leave on a cooling rack for an hour or so before slicing for a clean cut and to ensure its finished the cooking process.
Tip: Check for doneness by tapping the bottom of the bread. If it sounds hollow, the bread is finished cooking.
Mix-in Ideas
Add any spices, seasonings or mix-ins you'd like. Try adding sliced olives, patted dry, Italian seasoning or a sprinkle of your favorite cheese! Add mix-ins after dough is kneaded, but before it is shaped and rested.
Some ideas to get you started:
- Kalamata Olives, patted dry
- Parmesan, with pesto brushed on top just before baking and a sprinkle of flaky salt.
- Sunflower seeds, soaked in water for 30 min and drained dry before baking.
- Caramelized onions and blue cheese.
- Sun-dried tomatoes.
Keyword Easy Bread Recipe, White Wheat Bread, Yeast Bread Recipe