A foolproof recipe for the softest, most tender and delicious Whole Wheat Bread that’s easy to make with my step-by-step photos and secret (but super simple!) ingredient. I am sure you will love this homemade Wholemeal Bread (or Atta Bread) made with the usual bread baking staples.
About Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
This soft and tender whole wheat bread has a similar fluffy consistency as your favorite White Bread,, but with the yummy flavor and health benefits of whole wheat.
How is it possible to make such a magical loaf? After much trial and error I finally stumbled across the secret ingredient that’s key for the softest crumb.
Similar to Naan and Bhatura, my wholemeal bread recipe includes yogurt (or curd). The creamy, slightly acidic consistency of the yogurt creates a delightful texture every time! Plus, yogurt is rather mild in flavor, so you get that full earthy taste of wheat you love.
And YES, this recipe can be made vegan-friendly! The acidity of yogurt is what creates the great rise for a super soft crumb, but this can be easily replicated. Simply swap with vegan almond yogurt or cashew yogurt, or even just lemon juice or vinegar.
I have tried making the bread with cashew yogurt, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar and they all work well.
Below are my step-by-step photos and instructions for making the best whole wheat bread from scratch. I use my hands to knead the bread, but feel free to use a standing mixer with a dough hook instead.
This Wholemeal Bread recipe works wonderfully with any kind of baker’s yeast. Be it instant yeast (or rapid rising yeast), dry active yeast or fresh yeast.
Remember to proof dry active yeast or fresh yeast in lukewarm water. And also note that the leavening time or the time taken for the dough to rise will be more when using these two types of yeast.
Note: To make this wholemeal bread, I have used instant yeast (rapid rising yeast). In the recipe card below I have mentioned proportions if using dry active yeast or fresh yeast.
How to make Whole Wheat Bread
Proof Yeast
1. In a large bowl or in the bowl of a standing mixer, add ½ cup of water and 1 tablespoon of raw sugar. The water can be room temperature or lukewarm.
However, if using active dry yeast or fresh yeast, then be sure to use lukewarm water.
Wondering which yeast to choose? The leavening and rising time of instant yeast is faster compared to dry active yeast. You also don’t need to proof the instant yeast like the dry active yeast, but I still show you the full proofing method to help if you are using dry active yeast.
2. To the bowl add 1 teaspoon of instant yeast (rapid rise yeast).
If using dry active yeast, add 1.5 teaspoons. Swirl the bowl around or stir with a spoon to help the yeast dissolve in the water.
3. Mix well and let the yeast proof for 10 to 15 minutes.
Make Wholemeal Bread Dough
4. Now to the frothy yeast water mixture, add 3 cups of whole wheat flour (360 grams), 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of your favorite neutral flavored oil (or butter or ghee) and 2 tablespoons of yogurt (curd).
For a vegan-friendly loaf: Use either 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, or 2 tablespoons of almond or cashew yogurt in place of dairy yogurt.
5. Mix well with a spoon.
6. Add ½ cup of water in parts as you mix.
7. Now begin to knead the mixture into a soft dough, adding water at intervals as needed.
8. The dough will be slightly sticky at first, but it will be fine after the initial rise. If the dough looks dry, however, you can add some more water.
Work in 1 tablespoon at a time. If the dough looks too sticky (is actively sticking to your hands), then sprinkle in a bit of flour.
Knead very well for a total of 8 to 10 minutes to get a supple, pliable and soft dough. A slightly sticky dough is fine.
Proof Dough (First Rise)
9. Flatten the dough to fill the bottom of the bowl. Lightly brush the top of the dough with water.
10. Place a towel over the bowl, and proof the dough for 30 to 35 minutes if you have used instant yeast.
For dry active yeast, give a time of about 1.5 to 2 hours for the dough to double in size.
11. After the initial rise, the dough should be nearly double in size like in the photo below.
12. Use your fist to punch the dough lightly into the bowl, and knead again lightly.
Shape to a Loaf and Proof Loaf (Second Rise)
13. Work the wholemeal bread dough out of the bowl and onto a clean work surface. Roll into a ball.
14. Now form the dough into a log, and gently pinch the edges into a seam.
15. Place the dough log into a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan. Cover again with a kitchen towel and let rise.
- If you have used instant yeast – leaven for 20 to 30 minutes.
- For dry active yeast or fresh yeast – set aside for 45 minutes to 1 hour or more depending on the temperature conditions.
16. While the dough leavens, preheat the oven for 20 minutes at 220 degrees celsius (425 degrees Fahrenheit).
If using a convection oven or oven with a fan, then preheat at 200 or 205 degrees celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes.
Score and Bake Whole Wheat Bread
17. Make a ¼ inch cross or slits on the bread. This helps the steam escape as the bread bakes, and creates a tender and soft loaf.
18. Lightly brush the top of the loaf with milk (dairy or vegan). You can even brush with some oil or butter or ghee.
This is an optional step but it definitely gives a lovely golden color and also a perfectly chewy crust and moistest crumb.
19. Bake in the preheated oven for 22 to 25 mins. If using a convection oven, shorten bake time by a few minutes.
20. Bake the whole wheat bread dough until the top crust is golden.
Remove the bread from the oven and let it sit for a few minutes to cool. Then gently tap on top of the loaf: if baked properly, the bread should should hollow.
If the bread does not sound hollow, put it back in the oven to bake for a few more minutes.
21. While the wheat bread is still hot, carefully remove it from the pan (using oven mittens/gloves) and place it on a wire rack to cool.
The bottom of your loaf will get soggy if you leave it in the pan for too long!
Let the Atta Bread cool completely before slicing with a serrated knife.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy homemade whole wheat bread sliced with butter, ghee, jams, peanut butter, or any of your favorite spreads.
You can also use this wholemeal bread or atta bread to make various recipes like sandwiches, Bread Pakora, Bread Roll etc.
I love to make Veg Sandwich, Paneer Sandwich, and Cheese Sandwich with this atta bread.
Storage
Once cooled, wrap in a cling film or keep in a bread box at room temperature for up to one week. If you live in a warm or hot place, refrigerate the wheat loaf.
To freeze, place the whole wheat loaf in an airtight bag after wrapping in cling film, and keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.
More Bread Recipes To Try!
Bread Recipes
Bread Recipes
Bread Recipes
Bread Recipes
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.
Whole Wheat Bread | Wholemeal Bread (Atta Bread)
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole wheat flour (regular whole wheat flour or chapati atta) – 360 grams
- 1 cup water divided, depending on quality of flour, can add upto 1.25 cups water
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast or 1.5 teaspoons dry active yeast or 1 tablespoon fresh yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt or edible rock salt or pink salt
- 1 tablespoon raw sugar or white granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons oil or softened butter or ghee (clarified butter)
- 2 tablespoons yogurt (dairy or vegan) or 1 to 1.5 tablespoon vinegar or 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 to 3 teaspoons milk (dairy or vegan), for brushing the top of the bread, optional
Instructions
Proofing yeast
- In a large bowl or in the bowl of a standing mixer, add ½ cup of water and 1 tablespoon of raw sugar. The water can be room temperature or lukewarm.But, if using active dry yeast or fresh yeast, then make sure to use lukewarm water.
- To the bowl add 1 teaspoon of instant yeast (rapid rising yeast).If using dry active yeast – add 1.5 teaspoons of it. Swirl the bowl around or stir with a spoon to help the yeast dissolve in the water.
- Let this mixture sit for 10 to 12 minutes until the yeast activates.
Forming Whole Wheat Dough
- Next to the frothy yeast water mixture, add the whole wheat flour, salt, preferred neutral flavored oil (or butter or ghee) and yogurt.
- Mix with a spoon.
- Next add ½ cup of water bit by bit and begin to knead for 8 to 10 minutes or as needed.
- Knead to a soft, supple and smooth dough. A well kneaded dough which when stretched should not tear.
- Add more water if required while kneading. The dough can be slightly sticky.
- Brush some water all over the dough and keep in a deep wide bowl covered with a lid or kitchen towel for 30 to 35 minutes if you have used instant yeast.If dry active yeast or fresh yeast has been used – keep in the covered bowl to leaven for 1.5 to 2 hours or more until the dough doubles.
- After the initial rise, the dough will be double in size. Remove and then lightly punch and knead the dough again.
- On a clean work surface roll the dough into a neat ball.
- Make a log of the dough and gently pinch the edges into a seam – meaning tuck in the edges at the corners.
- Place the prepared dough log in a greased 9×5 inches loaf pan with tucked edges facing downwards. Cover with kitchen towel again.
- Cover and let it rise the second time for 20 to 30 minutes if you have used instant yeast.For dry active yeast or fresh yeast – set aside for 45 minutes to 1 hour or more depending on the temperature conditions in your city or town.
Baking wheat bread
- Preheat the oven at 220 degrees C/425 degrees F for at-least 20 minutes.
- Once the bread has risen in the loaf pan, make a ¼ inch cross or slits on the bread. This helps the steam escape as the bread bakes, and creates a tender and soft loaf.
- Keep the loaf pan in the oven and bake at 220 degrees C/425 degrees F for 22 to 25 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.
- While baking, if the wheat bread begins to brown too much from the top, then cover with parchment paper or aluminium foil.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let it sit for a few minutes to cool. Then gently tap on top of the loaf: if baked properly, the bread should should hollow.If the bread does not sound hollow, put it back in the oven to bake for a few more minutes.
- When the bread is still hot, remove it from the loaf pan using oven mittens/gloves and keep it on a wired tray to cool.
- Let the Wholemeal Bread loaf cool completely before slicing it with a serrated knife.
- Enjoy homemade Whole Wheat Bread sliced with butter, ghee, jams, peanut butter, or any of your favorite spreads. Or use the Atta Bread to make your favorite sandwiches or snacks from bread.
- Store bread in the fridge for about a week or the freezer for about a month.
Video
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Whole Wheat Bread recipe from the archives first published in December 2013 has been updated and republished on December 2022.
Hey,
I tried making this bread and even though the bread did rise outside, it did not rise inside the oven at all. It was not cooked properly, was really wet and dense. Could this be because I use an OTG or some other reason? Should I add baking powder to make it rise?
Sorry for the botheration!
Thanks a ton for the recipe! 🙂
hi prachi, i think the bread was not leavened well. when the bread looks dense and wet after baking and you see uneven cooking in the texture similar to chapati atta dough, then it means that the yeast did not proof well. its not due to the OTG. no need to add baking powder or baking soda, if the yeast proofs well.
Thanks a ton!
Funnily enough, I did follow all the steps in the recipe. And even after adding the dry active yeast, left it at a humid place to rise for 2 hrs. And it did rise, but not a lot. So, where am I going wrong? Should I add more yeast the next time or increase the proofing time?
prachi, if the dough does not rise well or less, than the yeast is not of a good quality. the mixture should bubble up so well. like in this pic – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/garlic-bread4.jpg
don’t add extra yeast. the bread will smell too yeasty. let me know which yeast brand you used. from the indian brands, mauripan/gloripan and muksha are good.
Did you set the oven to 220 C or 220 F?
Hi! I really want to try this recipe but I was wondering how long it would keep if I used vinegar and brushed with olive oil instead of milk. Thanks!
it keeps for a week with vinegar.
The break turns out great! But does not last for a week, the bread gets moldy after 4 says. The same happened even with the banana cake :(. Need guidance for longer shelf life!!
i keep in the fridge and the bread stays good for a week if made with vinegar. banana cake stays more than 7 days in the fridge. they do not get mouldy. are you keeping them out or in the fridge. if you keep out and the temperatures are hot and humid, then both the bread and cake will get moldy. in a dry cold temperature you can easily keep them outside for a couple of days.
Thx, will keep in fridge and see. I had kept both out, stored in box. I stay I hot, arid desert area with near zero humidity.
welcome komal. do keep in the fridge and these will stay good.
HI Dassana
Nice recipe. Can we use lemon juice? How much
Thanx
logically deducing, lemon juice can be used. but you will have to give a try. i suggest to use 1 tbsp.
Thank you so much! I’ve always stuck to making soda bread instead of “real” bread so this was the perfect recipe to get me started. I added flax seeds and sunflower seeds to the mixture. I also created some steam in the oven which made the crust really nice.
Some questions… The bread hardly rose at all outside the oven. All the rising seemed to happen inside. Any ideas on why this happened (the final result was great in any case!).
Secondly, I’d like to add another flour – will Ragi go well with this?
Thanks again 🙂
thanks tannaz. i have made soda breads a couple of times, but i have not liked their texture. but they are fine enough for a quick bread with some soup or a curry. difficult to say why the rising did not happened outside. if yeast was the culprit, then the bread would have not risen while baking too. i guess it may be the temperature or the altitude. in high altitude it takes time for the bread to rise. if adding ragi, then add 1/2 cup with 2.5 cups whole wheat flour. you can even try with 1 cup. but i would suggest you to first try with smaller quantity and then increase. i did make an all ragi bread with little wheat flour and it was a disaster. so i suggest to add small amounts.
Hello..thanku fr yummy recpies u share wd us.Ur answers alwys help.one question plz can i bake breads in microwave? Love your cooking.Thanku!!
if you have the convection option in microwave, then you can bake cakes or breads. in the microwave option, you cannot bake breads. there are some recipes of cakes that work in the microwave option, but i am not sure about breads. any bread recipe that can be made in a microwave option has to be tried and tested.
Thank you for the response..but one more doubt can we steam breads in pressure cooker rather.
Also I have tried your basic chocolate cake recipe but everytime I do my cake doesn’t rise well.What might be the reason?
Can I buy the measuring spoons from online,are they good enough??Plz consider my queries.
I follow only your website bcoz I love it immensely. Thanks once agn..Your new fan in the town. 🙂
thanks a lot nitha. breads can be steamed in the cooker, but the recipe will be very different. recently i made pav in cooker. not steamed them but baked them. they turned out as good as the oven baked ones.
less rising in the cake could be due to the quality and shelf life of baking soda. so if any recipe uses only one ingredient like baking soda or baking powder, then test the freshness by mixing 1/4 tsp baking soda with 2 tbsp vinegar. it should fizz and bubble immediately. i had got the measuring spoons locally. i would suggest you to buy steel ones as they are good and last for a long time. you can buy them online.
Hello! I have tried many of your recipes and they have been just great! One question about the bread. Can I make buns from this recipe instead of loaf bread? Thanks for the wonderful website
welcome priya. yes you can make buns. thanks for sharing your positive review on recipes.
Hi, Thanks for the lovely recipe. I tried to make it today, but got confused somehow and ended up adding 1 package of yeast (11 gms) to the mix. Can I still go ahead with making it or do I need to start all over again? Also, can if I start again, can I just store the flour and yeast mixture for something else?
which yeast did you use. if instant yeast, then 11 grams converts to 3.5 tsp of instant yeast and its too much. what you can do is freeze the yeast+flour mixture and use it as a starter to make other breads or even naan, bhatura or any other indian breads which uses yeast.
I am just amazed Dassana, you r so prompt with your reply. Thank u once again and keep up the good work, at least for amateur cooks like me.
welcome chetana
Thanks Dassana…. I have never worked with fresh yeast before so could you please guide me on that, as to how to mix it with the flour.
welcome chetana. fresh yeast you have to mix it in warm water. just follow this recipe with the amount of sugar and water. add fresh yeast instead of dry active yeast.
Hi Dassana just one confusion on this comment. fresh yeast needs proofing???
sumayya, yes fresh yeast needs proofing.
What brand of atta do you use for this recipe?
Thanks
welcome zaynab. 24 mantra chakki ground organic atta.
Can I use fresh yeast instead of instant yeast or dry active yeast. If yes then how to go about using it and the proportion too.
Thank u….
Yes. Use 3 tsp fresh yeast
Perfect recipe.Loved it !!Thank you very much 🙂
welcome anusha
How should this recipe be made in a bread making machine?
Should I pay extra attention to a particular step or ingredient?
Is the process of making bread different, if made in a bread machine?
Thanks!
I have never used bread machine, so i am afraid i cannot help you.
I am a great fan of your site and I tried baking eggless wheat bread.. It came out well but the middle was moist. though the top and bottom turned out well. the bread just does not turn out dry and porus in the middle portion. Please tell me where i went wrong and how to rectify that. Love your various posts and May God bless you for this lovely work.
Maha.
Thanks maha. The bread has not got cooked from the center. So it has to be kept for some more time in the oven for baking.
I have tried your bread recipe. Your step by step detailed explanation makes the recipe very simple to understand and make. Thanks. Appreciate your efforts in putting up all these recipes and guiding amature bakers like me. Thankyou .
welcome rashmi. thanks for your positive feedback.
Hi! I have been trying your recipes for quite sometime and they turned out superb .thank you for such elaborate explanation.today I m baking wholewheat bread which slot in otg should b used for baking bread.also how to store remaining dry active yeast.thank you.
thanks neha. i usually keep in the lower second rack as the oven is not big. the loaf pan takes up the space. but if you have a big OTG, you can keep in the center rack. i store all yeast in the fridge, be it dry active yeast or instant yeast.