Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread Recipe
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This whole wheat sandwich bread makes the perfect housewarming bread! Nothing beats good homemade bread, made with love and care. And this whole wheat bread recipe is exactly that. Warm comfort straight from the oven.
If you’ve ever watched “It’s A Wonderful Life”, you may remember a part of the movie where George and Mary welcome the Martinis to their new house. Mary says to Mrs. Martini,
“Bread, that this house may never know hunger. Salt, that life may always have flavor.”
Then George says to Mr. Martini,
“And wine… that joy and prosperity may reign forever.”
I love this part of the movie because I’m a sucker for these types of traditions. They have so much meaning and good will behind them and sadly, they are quickly becoming a thing of the past.

Many of these types of traditions are already extinct. I think this is a sad thing because these types of traditions add a certain “flavor” to everyday life that is lacking in our ever-busy, technologically “improved” lifestyle these days. But maybe by sharing this recipe, I can revive just a little bit of tradition.
Is Whole Wheat Bread The Same As Whole Grain Bread?
Whole wheat bread is whole grain bread, but whole grain bread isn’t necessarily whole wheat bread. Whole grain bread can be made from any whole grain including wheat, rice rye, or oats.
Is A Sandwich With Whole Wheat Bread Healthy?
That depends. It’s better than a sandwich on white bread, to be sure. But “healthy” is a subjective term and will also depend on what you put in between those slices of bread.
Why Whole Wheat Is Better Than White
Any time you strip away the nutritious part of a grain, it converts to sugar much faster in your body than a whole grain does. So your insulin takes a bigger, harder hit. Whole grains digest much slower, making things easier and healthier for your body.
About The Ingredients
Warm water – hot, but cool enough to stick your finger in it without burning yourself.
Instant yeast – active dry yeast.
Sucanat – or honey.
Vital wheat gluten – found at most health food stores.
10-grain cereal – uncooked – I used multi-grain cereal from Trader Joe’s.
Oat flour – You can buy this or grind your own from whole oats in a blender.
White whole wheat flour – This is pretty widely available.
Olive oil – or any light flavored oil.
Salt – use whatever type you normally cook or bake with. I used pink Himalayan salt.
How To Make Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Butter two standard loaf pans.
Combine all ingredients in a large stand mixer bowl with a dough hook and mix on low for approx 3 minutes until combined. Turn up to medium-low and continue kneading for 7 minutes (Place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Then add the wet ingredients and knead by hand for at least 5 minutes).
Place dough in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap, allow to rise until doubled, approx 1 hour.
Gently press down on the dough to release any air bubbles and divide into two equal pieces. Shape and put each into a 9×5 prepared pan. Allow it to double again, about 1 to 1½ hours. If you like, you can brush the top of your loaves with some melted butter, but this is not a necessary step. It just gives the crust a nice texture. You can also sprinkle the top of the loaf with seeds such as sesame, sunflower, or pumpkin seeds.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 F.
When the dough is ready, place it in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. you will know when bread is ready when it sounds hollow when you tap on the bottom, OR if you have a kitchen thermometer, plunge it into the center of one of the loaves, if the temperature registers between 190 – 210F, it’s done.
Cool on a wire rack to room temperature and slice with a serrated knife.
How To Store Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Place the loaf in a food-safe plastic bag and store it in the fridge for up to approximately 5 days.
How To Freeze Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
If you can’t use up a whole loaf in 5 days, freeze some of it! The trick is to wrap it twice. First, wrap it in plastic wrap as tightly as you can. Make sure you wrap the entire thing. Then place the wrapped loaf into a zipper-top, freezer-safe, plastic bag. Get as much air out of it as you can and close it up.
Special Thanks
I would like to also say thank you to Angelica Z. for sharing this recipe with me. It’s wonderful! I had to change the recipe slightly based on what I had, but it’s a really great recipe.
Need A Good Bread Knife?
This wonderful bread knife is the knife that I have and use almost daily, especially for sandwich bread. It’s a knife that you’ll have for a lifetime. Find one of these fabulous knives on amazon here! (affiliate link)

More Healthy Bread Recipes
Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread Recipe Card


Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups warm water (hot, but cool enough to stick your finger in it without burning yourself)
- 1 tbsp. instant yeast (active dry yeast)
- 1 tbsp. Sucanat (or honey)
- ¾ cup vital wheat gluten (found at most health food stores)
- ¼ cup 10-grain cereal (uncooked – I used multi-grain cereal from Trader Joe’s)
- 1½ cups oat flour
- 5½ cups white whole wheat flour
- ½ cup olive oil (or any light flavored oil)
- 2 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Butter two standard loaf pans.
- Combine all ingredients in a large stand-mixer bowl with a dough hook and mix on low for approx 3 minutes until combined. Turn up to med-low and knead for 7 minutes. (Place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Then add the wet ingredients and knead by hand for at least 5 minutes).
- Place dough in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap, allow to rise until doubled, approx 1 hour.
- Gently press down on the dough to release any air bubbles and divide into two equal pieces. Shape and put each into a 9×5 loaf pan. Allow it to double again, for about 1 to 1½ hours. If you like, you can brush the top of your loaves with some melted butter, but this is not a necessary step. It just gives the crust a nice texture. You can also sprinkle the top of the loaf with seeds such as sesame, sunflower, or pumpkin seeds.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 F.
- When the dough is ready, place it in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. you will know when bread is ready when it sounds hollow when you tap on the bottom, OR if you have a kitchen thermometer, plunge it into the center of one of the loaves, if the temperature registers between 190 – 210F, it's done.
- Cool on a wire rack to room temperature and slice with a serrated knife.
Congratulations! My favorite bread is rye, but I really love any variety.
My heart goes out to you and your family!! How wonderful that you can have your own home again! Blessings on you and your husband for all your hard work…your son will see by example what true loving parents you are!
Thanks so much! 🙂
My favorite bread to make in my bread machine is French bread. So yummy!
So excited for your great news! A blessing for sure. I am a bread freak, hard to pick one but will say sourdough.
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My favorite is dark rye bread with lots of nuts and seeds. I have not tried a bread with multigrain cereal but I may try this one.
Oooo….favorite type!? Hot!… ;o) I LOVE bread. My favorite are hot rolls with deadly white flour, and honey butter. I don’t eat them anymore (because who can eat just one piece!!!!) but they’re definitely my favorite.
As I sit here with tears in my eyes!!! I am so incredibly happy for you!!! We went thru a layoff when the economy took a dive and it was THE scariest time of my life. I wish for you gobs of happiness in your new home. Peace.
Jan Gomes
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Awww, thanks so much!
Oh, my email is [email protected]
I have a flax seed roll that I love to make
You are truly a remarkable young woman. I so enjoy your interesting stories about the adorable Mini Chef and more and more the back stories about you and Mr. Gracious Pantry. I’m sorry times have been so tough for the three of you, but it’s amazing how those terrible times make you and your marriage stronger. After 44 years we can now laugh about the early years and 27 cents in the bank, 2 tea bags and 1/2 pack of Saltine crackers and two weeks left til payday.
Just know you have spread much joy and invaluable information to many people.
You are a treasure and I am thankful to have found you.
Ann – Thanks so much!
I am looking forward to making this when I move in 2 weeks. My favorite bread growing up was sourdough cheese bread and my grandmother would make it for my birthday every year!
Thanks for all of your hard work!
Brittany Nance
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Does croissant count as a bread? 😉 congrats on the new place! I live in a 400 sq ft house. It’s small, but very cozy. As long as you’ve got a workable kitchen and your fam, what else do you need?
I love Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread… Always turns out terrific!
I love trying your recipes. My favorite bread is Latvian Rye made with a starter not yeast.
Love your blog!!
Tiffany Montgomery
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My favorite bread is toasted cinnamon chip!
Cindy Aldrich
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My favorite kind of bread is the one my Nana has made since she was 6yrs old in Newfoundland Canada. It’s like a white bread, but have never tasted it anywhere else. I’ve called it “Newfy” bread as long as I can remember. I know it’s not good for you but I eat it every time she makes it.
This looks like a great recipe – I definitely want to try it out! I love what you said about traditions – it’s so true, and my family traditions are really important to me. Thanks for sharing your personal story with us – it sounds like you and your husband are really hard workers and are setting a great example for your son. Congratulations on your new apartment – I’m sure a ton of delicious food will come out of that kitchen to nourish your family and create wonderful memories.
I love so many kinds of bread, but I think my favorite is probably sourdough. Love the tanginess!
A chewy, crusty country white is my fave but alas, not clean.
TamiDolan
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I can imagine the struggle! I wish you all the best. I’m sure you’ll land on your feet even better than before.