How to make the best bread machine whole wheat bread – This simple and easy recipe makes a basic crusty loaf with no kneading. Uses a combination of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour for a smooth, tasty loaf that’s healthy.
Somewhere between my need to avoid unnatural food additives, my desire to cook and eat more like my grandma, and Joe and my attempts to live more frugally, I talked my husband into making our own bread.
From scratch.
It took months of convincing. He likes the bread from the grocery store, and he isn’t into making more work for himself.
After a lot of discussion with Amy Clark from MomAdvice, I posted a request on my local FreeCycle board for a bread machine. Only a few days passed before an offer came in, and Joe went to pick it up. And then it sat in our dining room for seven months, until the car crash forced us to become more serious about being frugal.
$4 for a loaf of our favorite bread seems wasteful and we don’t really have that kind of money right now.
So, we are now committed to having a better, slower, more frugal lifestyle, and we are making our own bread.
Of course, when I saw we, I really mean that I’m lying on the couch with an ice pack while Joe follows the recipe I gave him, but that’s just as good as doing it myself, right?
Our first couple of attempts at homemade whole wheat bread were miserable failures. We ate them, but they were barely edible.
Then we found the whole wheat bread recipe that Phoebe (who did not use a bread machine) had adapted from Crystal (who did use a bread machine). We made a few changes to reflect the ingredients we had on hand as well as our taste preferences.
We were eager to try our bread, so we smeared real butter on the warm bread and topped it with a dollop of my homemade apple butter. It was comfort food at its finest.
How to make the best homemade whole wheat bread in a bread machine
- Layer the ingredients in the bread machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. In our machine, we put the yeast in the bottom with warm water, topped by the dry ingredients (sugar, whole wheat flour, unbleached white flour, salt, and powdered milk), and then add the wet ingredients (melted butter and vinegar) last, then shut the lid and turn it on using the Light setting.
That’s it. I’m not kidding. When the machine beeps, we open the lid and eat the most delicious and light wheat bread we’ve ever had.
I really like wheat bread with crunchy bits like seeds, so I am eager to experiment with this recipe and ingredients to see if we can get that kind of texture going.
Perfect Homemade Whole Wheat Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups warm water not hot or cold
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 1/4 cups unbleached white flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons dry nonfat milk
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
Instructions
- Layer in bread machine according to manufacturer's instructions. In our machine, we put the yeast in the bottom, topped by the dry ingredients. We add the wet ingredients last, then shut the lid and turn it on using the Light setting.
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Sharinskishe says
I will have to try this. Homemade bread is the best, but only sometimes, that is when you have a good recipe!!
Thanks for sharing.
Sharinskishe says
I will have to try this. Homemade bread is the best, but only sometimes, that is when you have a good recipe!!
Thanks for sharing.
Anissa says
I so want a bread machine! We love fresh bread. Sounds yummy! TFS and playing along today!
Anissa’s last blog post..I Love Faces — Pets
Joie says
Is there anything that smells more like home than a kitchen with bread baking? Great links, thanks.
Joie’s last blog post..Speaking of Recipes…
Tara says
Ohhh I like this recipe. I usually make white french bread but this wheat bread sounds sooo good! I bet its awesome with honey too lol 🙂
Tara says
Ohhh I like this recipe. I usually make white french bread but this wheat bread sounds sooo good! I bet its awesome with honey too lol 🙂
Felicia says
Thanks for the recipe! I am SO not a bread maker.. but my mother in law is awesome at it!
Felicia’s last blog post..Make Something Monday: Free Potty Charts!
Felicia says
Thanks for the recipe! I am SO not a bread maker.. but my mother in law is awesome at it!
Felicia’s last blog post..Make Something Monday: Free Potty Charts!
Laura says
I am totally making this tomorrow! Just have to pick up a few things. Can’t wait!!!
Laura’s last blog post..A New Take on Burgers – Chili Burgers
Tara says
Laura – I’m glad to hear it! The original recipe called for wheat gluten in addition to the flour, but we omitted it. I’m not sure how the addition of gluten changes the bread, but thought I should probably mention it.
Anissa – You should check your local FreeCycle group. They’re online at FreeCycle.org. Bread machines were in style about ten years ago, and everybody bought them. Many are sitting unused in closets, thrift stores, and in garage sales because people didn’t really use them once they’d gotten them. We use our free one all the time, at least 3 times a week.
Tara says
Laura – I’m glad to hear it! The original recipe called for wheat gluten in addition to the flour, but we omitted it. I’m not sure how the addition of gluten changes the bread, but thought I should probably mention it.
Anissa – You should check your local FreeCycle group. They’re online at FreeCycle.org. Bread machines were in style about ten years ago, and everybody bought them. Many are sitting unused in closets, thrift stores, and in garage sales because people didn’t really use them once they’d gotten them. We use our free one all the time, at least 3 times a week.
Anissa says
I so want a bread machine! We love fresh bread. Sounds yummy! TFS and playing along today!
Anissa’s last blog post..I Love Faces — Pets
Joie says
Is there anything that smells more like home than a kitchen with bread baking? Great links, thanks.
Joie’s last blog post..Speaking of Recipes…
Piera-Jolly Mom says
I will DEFINITELY try this because we JUST got a bread machine a couple of days ago! Thanks for the recipe!
Piera-Jolly Mom’s last blog post..Childhood Obesity in the US: Let’s Make a Change
Piera-Jolly Mom says
I will DEFINITELY try this because we JUST got a bread machine a couple of days ago! Thanks for the recipe!
Piera-Jolly Mom’s last blog post..Childhood Obesity in the US: Let’s Make a Change
Laura says
I am totally making this tomorrow! Just have to pick up a few things. Can’t wait!!!
Laura’s last blog post..A New Take on Burgers – Chili Burgers
Jerri says
Sounds delicious. I love homemade bread! (I wish I had a bread machine!)
Jerri’s last blog post..5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake
Jerri says
Sounds delicious. I love homemade bread! (I wish I had a bread machine!)
Jerri’s last blog post..5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake
AJacobsen says
I wish I had a bread maker so I could do this! Sounds great! I love homemade bread!
AJacobsen says
I wish I had a bread maker so I could do this! Sounds great! I love homemade bread!
Susan (A Happy Heart at Home) says
Sounds delicious!
Susan (A Happy Heart at Home) says
Sounds delicious!
Alice Audrey says
I think when you get used to your machine you won’t need Phoebe/Crystal’s recipe anymore. I use my machine all the time and hardly ever actually follow a recipe anymore.
Alice Audrey’s last blog post..Microwaved Eggs
Alice Audrey says
I think when you get used to your machine you won’t need Phoebe/Crystal’s recipe anymore. I use my machine all the time and hardly ever actually follow a recipe anymore.
Alice Audrey’s last blog post..Microwaved Eggs
Sarah @ Mum In Bloom says
I can’t get this recipe to work in my machine 🙁 Ours calls for wet ingredients first, I use bread machine bread & yeast and the bread still collapses every time. Today I’m going to try one last loaf & just put the dry ingredients first… I’ve got nothing to lose as I’ve already lost 4 loaves 🙁 The premade box mixes work fine in my machine but nothing else – so far. Thanks for sharing the recipe and fingers crossed it works this time.
Regarding finding a cheap bread machines our local thrift shop always has at least 3 on the shelf and I saw many at yard sales this summer. Price ranging from $3-$15 depending on model. I got mine for $4.00 🙂
Sarah @ Mum In Bloom says
I can’t get this recipe to work in my machine 🙁 Ours calls for wet ingredients first, I use bread machine bread & yeast and the bread still collapses every time. Today I’m going to try one last loaf & just put the dry ingredients first… I’ve got nothing to lose as I’ve already lost 4 loaves 🙁 The premade box mixes work fine in my machine but nothing else – so far. Thanks for sharing the recipe and fingers crossed it works this time.
Regarding finding a cheap bread machines our local thrift shop always has at least 3 on the shelf and I saw many at yard sales this summer. Price ranging from $3-$15 depending on model. I got mine for $4.00 🙂
Elizabeth says
What size of loaf is it? 2, 1.5 or 1 lb? My machine requires this information,
Thanks
Jack J says
Wonderful recipe! Best loaf I’ve ever made in bread maker. Thank you!
Dianne says
I have been making our wheat bread with the dough cycle on my bread machine. I like to put it in bread pans, then raise for an hour and bake. We really like adding sunflower kernels to our recipe.