Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread

loaf of whole wheat board on a wood board with the end cut off.

5 from 3 votes

This homemade Whole Wheat Bread recipe is so much better than anything you can buy at the store! Made with oats, brown sugar and honey for a hearty texture and subtly sweet flavor that’s perfect for sandwiches, soups and toast!

Course bread

Cuisine American

Keyword honey wheat bread, wheat bread, whole wheat bread, whole wheat bread recipe

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 25

Rise Time 2 30

Servings slices

Calories 90kcal

Author Trish - Mom On Timeout

Ingredients

2 ¼ teaspoons dry active yeast or instant yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ cup warm water 110°F
1 cup whole milk 110°F
4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup honey
1 cup old fashioned oats
1¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1¾ to 2¼ cups bread flour all purpose flour can be substituted

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Stir to combine and allow to sit for 5 minutes or until you see bubbles form on the top. **This softens the yeast and will also test to see if your yeast is active. If the mixture does not bubble or foam, your yeast may be bad.
Add the warm milk, melted butter, brown sugar, honey and oats. Stir until well combined.
Add the whole wheat flour and salt to the mixture and stir to combine. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Slowly add in the all purpose flour, adding in about ⅓ cup at a time, mixing on medium-low speed until all of the flour is well incorporated. Start with 2⅓ cups of flour and add additional flour, a tablespoon at a time, as needed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently.
Increase the speed to medium high for 8 minutes to knead the dough. You will notice that the dough is pulling from the edge of the bowl.
Lightly spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Place in a warm place and allow to rise for 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
Prepare 2 loaf pans by spraying with nonstick cooking spray and then line with a piece of parchment paper, set aside. (I like to make this recipe in 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pans but it also works in 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.)
Remove the dough from the bowl and divide into 2 equal portions.
Roll or pat out the dough into a rectangle roughly 8 by 12 inches making sure to press out any air pockets you see. (Air pockets will create actual pockets in the bread which we don’t want - this isn’t sourdough!)
Roll the dough up, starting at the short end, and pinch the seam together to seal. Place each loaf in a prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle each loaf with a tablespoon of oats, optional.
Cover the loaves and let rise again until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
About 10 minutes before the dough is finished rising a second time, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown on top (the interior temperature should be around 210°F). If the loaves are starting to get too brown, tent a piece of foil over the top of the loaves.
Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting into them. Serve with honey, jam, butter, or in a sandwich!

Notes

Storage Information

This bread stays fresh for 3 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. I like to store in a large ziploc bag. Refrigerate bread for up to 1 week.

To freeze, wrap the bread in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer safe ziploc bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. (Consider slicing before freezing as it allows you to thaw however many slices you need at a time.)

Nutrition