100% whole wheat sandwich bread with sponge method
4
Units:
Prep: 20 min Cook: 38 min
Sponge
- 1 cup warm water, 110F
- ⅓ cup whole milk, warmed
- 2¼ tsp instant yeast
- 2 cup whole wheat flour
Dough
- 3 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1⅓ cup whole wheat flour
- 1¼ tsp salt
A soft, flavorful loaf made entirely from whole wheat flour. The sponge (preferment) technique is the key — it gives the whole wheat flour time to hydrate and the yeast a head start, overcoming the challenges that make most whole wheat breads dense and dry.
Instructions
- Make the sponge: Whisk water, milk, and yeast in a large bowl. Stir in 260g whole wheat flour. Cover and let double, 60-90 minutes.
- Mix the dough: Add honey, butter, lemon juice, remaining flour, and salt to the sponge. Knead with a dough hook on medium 3 minutes until pulling from sides, then 8-10 more minutes until smooth.
- First rise: Cover, rise 1.5-2 hours until doubled.
- Shape: Punch down, roll into an 8x15-inch rectangle, roll into an 8-inch log. Place in a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.
- Second rise: Cover, rise 45-60 minutes until dough crests 1 inch above the rim.
- Bake: Preheat to 350F. Bake 36-40 minutes. Tent with foil if browning too fast. Done at 195-200F internal.
Tips
- The lemon juice strengthens gluten in whole wheat dough and improves crumb structure
- Honey counteracts the slight bitterness from wheat bran
- For a lighter loaf, replace 1 cup of the dough flour with bread flour (making it about 70% whole wheat)
- Whole wheat bread dries out faster — store in a sealed bag or freeze for up to 3 months
Created: 2/27/2026, 2:30:33 PM diybest practice
Stand mixer with dough hook, 9x5-inch loaf pan, kitchen scale, instant-read thermometer