An easy whole wheat bread machine recipe that has the rich flavour of whole wheat, the delicate sweetness of honey, and the soft fluffiness of white sandwich bread. This irresistible homemade honey whole wheat bread is simply the best.
Here's the problem tonight: I realized I forgot to buy bread.
Normally that's not a big deal. But dear reader, tonight it was.
My son Zen requested his favourite school lunch: cucumber and cheese sandwich. He would not be swayed, he's stubborn like his father.
You know, maybe he got some of that stubbornness from his mother, too. I was determined to give him that sammy, so I whipped up a batch of my favourite whole wheat bread machine recipe, just in time for school tomorrow
This whole wheat sandwich recipe is dedicated to cucumber sandwiches!
Jump to:
Whole Wheat Bread Tips + Tricks
- No. 1 --> use local honey. Supporting your local economy is good, but the best reason for buying local honey is that the flavour and freshness can't be beaten.
- No. 2 --> this recipe mixes whole wheat and all-purpose unbleached flour - I found it gives a perfect mix between fluffy white bread and the flavour and heartiness of whole wheat bread.
- No. 3 --> 1.5 lb - this recipe is for a 1.5lb loaf of bread. Please ensure your machine has the capacity to handle a 1.5lb loaf!
- No. 4 --> Join my bread machine jump start email series!
Ingredients
- warm water - I always start my bread machine recipes with warm water, I find this helps to get everything off to a good start and give a tender, fluffy crumb.
- butter - I like to use butter in this recipe, that said, it's easily swapped out with oil. Just use the requested amount.
- salt - the kind of salt doesn't much matter in this recipe, but I do recommend using coarse ground salt. If you're using table salt, reduce the amount of salt your using to avoid an over salty loaf.
- honey - the yeast needs something to feed on to give us a quick and active ferment. If you don't want to use honey, swap that out too! You can use maple syrup, brown sugar, or even granulated sugar. I prefer honey or brown sugar as they add more flavour than a granulated sugar would.
- unbleached flour - yup. Busted! This is a half and half recipe. I prefer to use half whole wheat flour and half unbleached flour.
- whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour gives a lovely fleck and body to this bread recipe. Not to mention the much deeper flavour profile. I'll always prefer whole wheat to basic white bread.
- bread machine yeast - also called quick or instant yeast.
How to make whole wheat bread in the bread machine
- Add warm water, butter, salt and honey to the loaf pan of your bread machine.
- Add flour, and sprinkle yeast on top of the flour.
- Return bread pan to the bread machine.
- Set to desired whole wheat setting - On my Breville Bread Maker I usually use Bake Rapid - Whole Wheat - 1.5 pound loaf - Medium Crust.
- Allow bread to cool before cutting.
Flour matters
CANADIAN flour is different than American flour. By law, Canadian flour is bound to have at least 13% protein content and this can cause discrepancies between my recipes (I'm a Canuck!) and your results if you are using American flour, which doesn't have a protein requirement.
Now that we know the differences between flours, I recommend anyone using American made flour to use Bread flour - I linked to two flours that passed the protein test in the recipe card below- or any flour with 12-13% protein.
What's my protein content?
The easiest way is to look at the nutrition label and do some quick math!
Grams of Protein / Grams per Serving = _________ X 100 = ______%
In this image, the protein percentage of the flour is: 4/30=.1333 = 13.3%
Adapting this whole wheat bread machine recipe for your bread machine:
Every machine has it's quirks and has a ratio it likes best. This recipe is perfect in my machine, and with the tips in the flour section above, it should be in your machine too.
That said, take a peek at your dough during the first kneading cycle - 10 or so minutes in. The dough should be smooth and forming a nice ball.
If the dough is sticky, you may need more flour (or to check the Note On Flour Section above). If the dough is lumpy and shaggy, then you may need more liquid.
Check out my bread machine troubleshooting guide for more information.
More bread recipes:
LOVE THIS RECIPE?
Use the stars in the recipe card below to rate it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
📖 Printable Recipe
Honey Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
An easy whole wheat bread machine recipe has the rich flavour of whole wheat, the delicate sweetness of honey, and the soft fluffiness of white sandwich bread. This irresistible homemade honey whole wheat bread is simply the best.
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tbsp butter, cubed
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour *see notes above
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp bread machine yeast
Instructions
- Add warm water, butter, salt and honey to the baking basket of your bread machine.
- Add flour, and sprinkle yeast on top of the flour.
- Return baking basket to bread machine.
- Set to desired whole wheat setting - I usually use Bake Rapid - Whole Wheat - 1.5lbs - Medium Crust.
- Allow bread to cool before cutting.
Notes
*IF you do not use Canadian flour, please please take a quick look at the information above under the A NOTE ON FLOUR heading.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10 slicesServing Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 165Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 253mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 5g
Pin this bread machine whole wheat recipe!
Kate says
I made this on the weekend and it was a huge hit with my boys and hubby! We have a big pail of honey that I bought last week that was begging to be used.
This recipe will be a regular in my house. Thanks Ally!
Ally says
Ahh! I’m so glad you loved it ❤️
Gina J says
I made this and it was wonderful, despite being a bit overbaked, since my bread machine onlymalliws a 2 lb loaf setting on whole wheat fast rise. I am atempting again today on the regular whole wheat setting.
I used bread flour as advised for the higher protein content. Usually, I jump right to the recipe, but I am glad I took the time to read your explanation of the difference in Canadian and American a.p. flour, I chose non GMO flour, since almost all regular US flour is genetically modified.
THanks for a great recipe my husband loves! (I can't eat too much bread fue to a gastric bypass issue, but I did try a crustynedge with butter YUM!)
Gina
Ally says
Awesome to hear! I'm glad it was a hit for your family, Gina!
Annemarie says
Thank you so much for sharing this yummy recipe. Tried it for the first time and it is scrumptious! I’m holding myself back from eating the whole loaf! How do you store the bread? I would like to use it for sandwiches throughout the week! Thanks again!
Ally says
I'm so glad you love it! I will often slice completely then freeze and remove slices from the freezer as required. The best thing about homemade bread is that it's sooo yummy, but the worst thing is that it doesn't store well because there are no preservatives!
Ashley says
Hey, Ally!! I made a loaf today for my family and they ate half of it in one sitting. My almost 2 year old tot just kept asking for more! 🙂 what is the storing time and how wouLd you store it if not using a fReezer? Thanks!
Ally says
So glad to hear your little one loved it! Unfortunately, homemade bread sure doesn't last long because there are no preservatives. I would probably halve it, and store in a zip top bag for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for a couple weeks.
Donna says
I have Tried several bread machine recipes recently. This one is a keeper! Perfect pb and j bread. I will be making this often.
Ally says
Awesome to hear! It's a family favourite here for sure!
Hayley says
Hi Ally! Thank you for the excellent recipe. Im in canada too. Can i use all purpose flour For the white flour? Did i read this correctly? Also you mentioned rapid bake. I have a sunbeam machine which says use bread flour for “express” bake, which is done in like an hour. Can i do this in the regular 3 hour cycle? Thanks for your help.
Ally says
Yes certainly use all-purpose! I use unbleached AP as a matter of preference. As for the baking settings, my Breville has a "rapid bake" setting that works in conjunction with the whole wheat setting. I use that one out of the desire to have it done sooner, but the full-length whole wheat setting will work the same!
Christine says
Hi there,
I was wondering if you have tried to bake the loaf in the oven? I want to use my bread machine on the dough setting and remove the dough to rise and bake in the oven. Any ideas for timing and temperature to bake in the oven?
Ally says
Hey Christine, I haven't! But if I did, here's what I'd do.
Make the dough as stated in the recipe in the bread maker, once the dough cycle is complete, turn the dough onto a floured surface and form into log/ logs, depending on the size of your bread pans. Place the dough into greased pan (s). Allow the dough to rise in the pan covered with a damp towel for 45 minutes or so. When the dough is about 20 minutes away from being fully risen, preheat the oven to 375f. Bake the bread for 35-45 minutes. The crust should be nicely browned and the underside sounds hollow when knocked.