This whole wheat bread recipe for absolute beginners is designed to get you started right away on baking your first healthy homemade whole wheat bread with confidence. No previous experience required.
Want to jump straight to the recipe? You can click the “jump to recipe” button below. But I’d recommend reading through the full post first. This isn’t just filler, every tip in here will help you nail this bread on your first try.
Here’s my recommendation: Read the full guide → Download the recipe card → Head to your kitchen with confidence.
I’m not a master baker when it comes to bread or anything baking. But I made this homemade whole wheat bread for my family and got it right on the spot on the first try.
Actually, about 3 years ago, I did try baking bread twice but both came out not so well. So after all these years, getting it spot on this time around felt like a real achievement. And if you follow the steps here, there’s a great chance you’ll get it right on the first try too.
This beginner bread recipe is not the newest under the sun. But it’s made by an absolute beginner in baking, and so the focus is on getting you to nail your whole wheat bread right on the very first try or at most the third try.
This is a Ghanaian-style whole wheat bread recipe. But it’s pretty much the same approach you’d use anywhere.
The measurement stated in this how to make whole wheat bread at home guide is somewhat small but appropriate enough to get started and give you the confidence you need.
When you’ve mastered it and want to bake larger batches of bread, just multiply every ingredient by how much you want to scale it. The measure used in this recipe can give you one large loaf or two smaller loaves, lasting about 1 to 3 days depending on how you or your family enjoy it.
Essential tips for this beginner-friendly whole wheat bread recipe
1. About the measurements
Getting the measurements right is important, however, it’s not the final say. For instance, if the dough is just too sticky, you can sprinkle a little bit of flour to maintain things. This is completely normal and expected.
2. About butter substitutions
You can use salted butter or margarine instead if you don’t have unsalted butter. But you’ll need to reduce the salt to about ¼ teaspoon instead of ½ teaspoon to avoid over-salting your bread.
3. Kneading by feel, not time
First of all, this is a whole wheat bread without a bread machine kind of recipe. For the kneading time, just knead until your dough feels right.
I found myself trapped 3 years ago when I’d knead according to the specific time stated in the instruction manual. It didn’t give me any meaningful results. Any time stated here is just a guide.
Knead until your dough can bounce back. The signs of readiness start showing when the dough is no longer sticking excessively to your hand or the work surface. When that happens, just bring the dough together in a ball shape and tap your finger gently to see if the dough bounces back. If it does pretty quickly, it’s ready. If it doesn’t and just sinks in, you need to continue to knead a bit more.
4. About the all-purpose flour addition
This healthy homemade bread recipe for beginners contains a little bit of all-purpose flour mixed with the whole wheat.
This helps create a lighter, less dense texture that’s more appealing to most families, especially if you’re transitioning directly from white bread. The all-purpose flour also makes the dough easier to work with for beginners.
However, you can make it without this addition. Just increase the whole wheat flour to 2¾ cups and maybe expect to knead a little bit longer for proper gluten development.
5. Enjoy the process
The kneading process is really therapeutic. I personally found that kneading at dawn or late at night is so stress-relieving. That’s just me, but many bakers find the rhythmic motion and hands immersed in the flour and dough quite meditative.
How to store your homemade whole wheat bread
a. Storage on shelve
This whole wheat bread can stay fresh for 3 to 5 days. Just wrap it in a clean kitchen towel or parchment paper and keep it in a cool, dry place on your counter.
b. Storage in refrigerator
Most people advise not to put bread in the refrigerator because the cold temperature causes the starch molecules to recrystallize faster, making the bread go stale quicker. This is good science.
However, personally, I find that putting it in the refrigerator is okay if you plan to toast it before eating. The bread hardens a bit but still stays fresh and also reduces the incidence of mold growth if you don’t finish it within a few days or if it mistakenly gets moistened on counter.
So you can go ahead and refrigerate it, especially if you have a toaster to warm it up before eating.
c. Storage in freezer
You can also wrap your bread in parchment paper or a clean kitchen towel (you may use plastic if that’s what you’ve got. But we’d love to keep our planet free from single-use plastics. Hope you get where I’m arriving at) and freeze it for up to 3 months. Just remember to remove it about 30-45 minutes before you want to eat it, letting it thaw completely on the counter before slicing.
Homemade whole wheat bread recipe for beginners
Ready to start baking? Download your recipe card below. It has all the ingredients, equipment and streamlined instructions for easy kitchen reference. Then follow along with the detailed beginner guidance below.
Homemade whole wheat bread for beginners
Course: Side dishCuisine: Ghanaian, West AfricanDifficulty: Easy5
servings25
minutes50
minutes1
hr15
minutes1
hour15
minutesThis is a homemade whole wheat bread recipe for absolute beginners.
Ingredients
- Dry ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour + some more (separate) for working the dough
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp grated nutmeg
2 ¼ tsp instant dry yeast
- Wet ingredients
¼ cup unsalted butter
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ cup evaporated milk
1 cup warm water
Vegetable oil as needed
- Equipment
Clean napkin
Wooden ladle
Clean work surface
Ingredient bowls
A large mixing bowl
Measuring cups & spoons
A bowl of slightly smaller or similar size as mixing bowl
Directions
- Measure all your ingredients into separate ingredient bowls.
- Combine the flours, sugar, salt, and nutmeg in the large bowl and mix well.
- Then add yeast and mix well to prevent direct contact with salt.
- Add butter, vanilla, and evaporated milk to dry ingredients. Gradually add warm water (should feel like baby's bath water). Mix until shaggy dough forms.
- Transfer to floured surface. Knead until dough bounces back when gently poked and feels less sticky. Focus on feel, not exact timing.
- Shape into ball, place in oiled bowl. Cover tightly with towel and bowl. Let double in size in warm spot (about 1 hour).
- Press dough to release gases. Divide in half. Shape each into rectangle, roll tightly, place seam-down in greased pans.
- Cover and let rise until puffy (not quite doubled). Meanwhile, preheat oven to 175°C (347°F).
- Bake until golden brown and bottom sounds hollow when tapped.
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out. Cool completely before storing.
Notes
- Water temperature: should be warm to feel comfortable dipping your finger in. Too hot kills yeast, too cold won't activate it
- Kneading readiness test: Knead until dough bounces back when gently poked. Focus on feel and visuals, not the timing.
- Salt adjustment: if using salted butter, reduce salt to ¼ tsp
- Rising cues: First rise = doubled in size (about 1 hour); Second rise = puffy but not quite doubled (15-20 min)
- Doneness test: Golden brown top + sounds hollow when you tap the bottom (remove from pan first with mitts on)
- Key note: Well-baked (even slightly over-baked) is better than under-baked
Detailed step-by-step instructions for the perfect homemade whole wheat bread for absolute beginners
Step 1: Measure and organize your ingredients
Measure out all ingredients first. This enables you to focus on the actual bread-making process without scrambling to find ingredients mid-recipe. As a beginner, I find that measuring everything out ahead helps me better follow the steps without feeling overwhelmed.
Step 2: Mix your dry ingredients
In the large mixing bowl, pour the whole wheat flour, unbleached all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, and grated nutmeg. Mix with your wooden spoon until well combined.
Now add the instant dry yeast and mix again until well incorporated. We add the yeast separately to prevent it from directly contacting the salt, which can inhibit yeast activity and affect your bread’s rise.
Step 3: Add the wet ingredients
Add the unsalted butter, pure vanilla extract, and evaporated milk to the dry ingredients.
Then add the warm water gradually and start mixing with your wooden spoon. The water should feel comfortably warm on your wrist – like a baby’s bath water. Add all the water gradually while stirring.
Continue to stir until all the flour is incorporated into the doughy mixture. If stirring with the spoon becomes difficult, just go in with your hands. This is normal and actually preferred at this stage.
Step 4: Knead your dough
Once all the flour is well incorporated into the dough, spread some unbleached all-purpose flour onto a clean work surface and transfer the dough from the mixing bowl onto this surface.
Pro tip: You can wash your mixing bowl before you start kneading. You'll need it clean for the rising step.
Start kneading using this beginner-friendly technique: If you’re right-handed, push the upper part of the dough forward with the heel of your right hand while using your left hand to anchor the bottom part (the part closer to you). Then fold the part you pushed forward back over the bottom part, turn the dough 90 degrees, and repeat.
Continue kneading until the dough no longer feels too sticky to your hands and comes off the work surface more easily. This usually takes 8-12 minutes, but focus on the feel rather than the clock. This time is just a suggestion.
The readiness test: Once the dough starts feeling less sticky, bring it together in a ball-like form and gently poke it with your finger. Does it bounce back slowly? If yes, your dough has developed enough gluten structure and is ready for rising. If it just sinks in without bouncing back, continue kneading for a few more minutes.
From my beginner experience, kneading for a specific time like “8 to 12 minutes” doesn’t really tell you if your dough is ready. Going with this bounce-back test works much better.
Step 5: First rise
Once your dough is properly kneaded, form it into a ball by tucking the edges underneath to create surface tension.
Add a few drops of vegetable oil into your clean mixing bowl and spread it around evenly with your hands.
Gently place the dough ball into the oiled bowl, turning it once to coat the surface lightly with oil.
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, then place the smaller bowl upside-down over the towel to create a sealed environment. Make sure there’s no space left for air to escape – this creates the perfect humid environment for rising.
Place the covered dough in a warm spot in your kitchen until it doubles in size. In my beginner experience, 1hr is a good duration for this. Stay too long and the dough over-ferments, leaving you with overly sour, yeasty-tasting bread. Stay too short and the dough doesn’t rise well, resulting in dense, heavy bread.
Use this wait time to clean your work surface. Also prepare your baking pan by spreading some vegetable oil evenly, then sprinkling some unbleached all-purpose flour in the pan as well.
Step 6: Shape your loaves
After the dough has doubled in size, sprinkle some flour on your clean work surface and transfer the proofed dough onto it.
Gently use your fingertips to press the dough and spread it out, releasing the built-up gases. Then bring the edges in by folding them into the center. This process, called “degassing,” redistributes the yeast and creates a more even texture in your finished bread.
Depending on the size of your baking pan, divide the dough into two equal pieces for smaller loaves (which I recommend for better baking and easier storage).
Take one piece of dough and gently press it into a rectangle approximately the length of your baking pan. Then roll it up tightly from the side closest to you, tucking in the sides as you go to create a neat loaf shape.
Place this rolled dough seam-side down into your prepared baking pan. Repeat the same process for the second piece of dough.
Step 7: Second rise
Cover your shaped loaves with the clean kitchen towel for 15-20 minutes. This second rise allows the dough to relax and puff up slightly, creating a lighter final texture.
During this time, preheat your oven to about 170-180°C (338-356°F). If you have a gas oven without temperature markings, preheat on medium-high heat for about 15 minutes.
Step 8: Bake to golden brown
After 15-20 minutes, your dough should have increased in size by about half again. Not quite doubled, but noticeably puffier.
Place your loaves in the preheated oven and bake for 45-60 minutes. The specific time depends on your oven temperature the size of your loaves, and how brown you like your crust.
A well-baked bread (even if slightly over-baked) is always better than an under-baked one. Because under-baked bread has a gummy, dense texture with an unpleasant raw flour taste. That said, there is a limit. Burned bread with a charred, bitter crust crosses the line too.
How to know when it’s done? The bread should be golden brown on top and sound hollow when you carefully remove it from the pan (using oven mitts!) and tap the bottom of the loaf.
Step 9: Cool and enjoy
Remove the bread from the oven and place on a cooling surface. If you have an unused oven rack, you can transfer the bread there for better air circulation. Otherwise, you can leave it in the pan on a heat-safe surface to cool.
For immediate eating, you can dig in once the bread has cooled enough for you to handle and slice comfortably.
For storage, allow the bread to cool completely before wrapping for storage – this prevents moisture buildup that can make your bread soggy.
Why this beginner bread recipe works every time
This homemade whole wheat bread recipe is very easy to follow and creates consistently good results. The key is focusing on how the dough feels and looks rather than strict timing because every kitchen is different, and this approach adapts to your specific conditions. This, in my experience, works better for beginners.
Meal pairing suggestions for your fresh homemade whole wheat bread
If you’re wondering how you can enjoy this whole wheat bread in a variety of ways, here are some ideas for you:
Morning: Toasted with a light coat of butter or mayonnaise, or paired with a fresh coleslaw for a surprisingly delicious and healthful breakfast combination.
Lunch: Perfect for sandwiches. The nutty flavor of whole wheat pairs beautifully with turkey, avocado, boiled egg, salads or your favorite fillings.
Dinner: Slice it thick and serve alongside soups, stews, or as garlic bread.
Snack time: Spread with peanut butter and slices of banana, or simply enjoy with a cup of tea.
Your bread-making journey starts now
Making your own whole wheat bread (without a machine) is about taking control of one of the most basic foods in your kitchen and knowing exactly what your family is eating.
There’s something deeply satisfying about pulling golden loaves from your own oven, especially when you nail it on the first try like I did.
Your kitchen is about to smell incredible! You just need to start.
Try this whole wheat bread recipe and let me know how it goes for you! I’d love to hear about your first (hopefully successful!) bread-making experience. You can share your feedback (and photos) with me via the FoodPulse newsletter community.
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Etornam is a Food Systems Research Engineer with a generous passion for healthy food. She’s the Founder of FoodPulse, a speaker and currently conducts doctoral research at McGill University on consumer food systems. She helps the everyday consumer navigate the modern food environment with confidence. She loves teaching, gardening and developing new recipes. Learn more by Etornam
