For this Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread you only need a couple of simple ingredients and a little time. It is pretty easy to make and the result is a soft bread with a chewy crust. The addition of honey makes it especially flavorful. So good.
The recipe fits perfectly into any schedule, as you can either bake the bread the same day or chill the dough overnight in the fridge if you prefer to bake it the next day.
Tools & Equipment
- 23x13cm/9×5-inch loaf pan
- Bowl scraper
- Digital thermometer
- Large bowl
- Liquid measuring cup
- Plastic wrap
- Rolling pin
- Silicone spatula
- Stand mixer fitted with the dough hook
- Whisk
- Wire rack
Recipe Tips
Sweetener: Honey adds the best taste to this bread. You could use regular granulated sugar or brown sugar. But you will miss out on that honey flavor. I have not tested other sweeteners.
Doubling the Recipe: For a lot of breads you can easily double the recipe. But to get the best results here, I suggest making the dough in 2 separate batches. It is a large, heavy dough and it takes a long time for the sponge to rise, as does the kneading process.
Bake the Bread on the same Day: Once the dough is in the loaf pan, cover the pan and let it rise in a warm place until it reaches the top of the loaf pan, for about 1 hour. In the meantime, preheat the oven so you can bake the bread as soon as the dough has risen.
Directions – How to Make Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Ingredients for the Sponge
- Bread flour/T55 flour
- Dry yeast
- Water
- Whole milk
- Whole wheat flour
Make the Sponge
Warm water and milk in the microwave to 43°C/110°F. In the bowl of the stand mixer add warmed water, warmed milk and yeast and mix with a whisk.
Add the flour and stir with a silicone spatula until a thick dough forms. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let sit at room temperature until doubled in size, for about 60–90 minutes.
Ingredients for the Dough
- Butter
- Honey
- Lemon juice
- Salt
- Whole wheat flour
Make the Dough
Add honey, butter, lemon juice, flour and salt to the sponge. Attach the dough hook to your stand mixer, beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, for about 3 minutes.
Beat on medium speed for 9–11 minutes. If the dough becomes too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time to get a soft, slightly tacky dough. Poke it with your finger, if it slowly bounces back it is ready. Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, for about 1-2 hours.
Grease a 23x13cm/9×5-inch loaf pan and set aside. When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Lightly flour your work surface, hands and rolling pin. Roll the dough out into a rectangle, about 20x38cm/8×15 inches. It does not have to be perfect. Roll it up into an 20cm/8-inch log.
Place in the prepared loaf pan. Cover with plastic and chill in the fridge for up to 15 hours. At least 3 hours before you want to enjoy the bread, remove the dough from the fridge and let it rise on the counter before baking, for about 1–2 hours. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Bake for 35–40 minutes or until golden brown on top. If the top is browning too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil. It is done when the temperature in the center of the loaf is around 90-93°C/195-200°F. Remove from the oven and let the bread cool in the pan for a couple of minutes. Release the bread from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Storage: A simple paper bag or a kitchen towel are great to protect bread from drying out too much. You can store it for 3-5 days at room temperature. Do not keep bread in the fridge. If you keep your bread in the fridge, it will get stale faster compared to keeping it at room temperature.
Freezing Instructions: You can freeze the whole loaf or individual slices of this bread. Let the bread cool completely and then freeze in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature and then reheat as desired.
My Summary for Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Difficulty: Simple.
Taste & Texture: This bread is soft with a chewy crust and so flavorful.
Time: Making the sponge takes about 10 minutes. It then needs to rise for 60-90 minutes. It takes about 20 minutes to make the dough. Afterwards it needs to rise for 1-2 hours. Rolling out the dough and placing it in the loaf pan takes 5 minutes. Now you have 2 options: you can let it rise at room temperature for about 1 hour or put it in the fridge overnight to bake the loaf the next day.
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