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.
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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.
Hi Dassana ,
I tried this recipe and the aroma of freshly baked bread in whole house was magical. That apart..bread turned out really nice..have baked it twice now..and ppl have asked the recipe..thanks a loaf 😀
welcome srividya. glad to know this. happy baking.
Hi!When I bake any bread in my electric oven becomes dry. What could be the reason.have you faced such problem and how do you manage it.
i have never had this problem. perhaps there is less moisture in the bread. try adding some more moisture to the bread dough. also bake in the center rack with both the top and bottom heating elements on.
Dasanna, I have read this post many times and finally decided to go ahead and bake. Thank you! About drying up, a saucer with a little water beneath the lowest rack should help. I don’t have an OTG myself but I read this in a Reader’s Digest publication sometime ago.
thanks for the info. i have heard about this method. but it was mentioned that this method helps to give a crusty layer. still i will check if this is the case.
My bread truned out to be hard. Not very hard but a little bit. And the bottom and sides of the break were overbaked as compared to the top of the bread !! Should i sprinkle some flour on the greased in order to avoid this over baking as it is done in case of cakes !!! Also my bread didnt rise that much after putting it in oven !!! What could be the reason ??
i think the dough has not leavened well. which brand of yeast did you use and which pan. meaning a metal loaf pan or a borosil pan. if you grease the pan very well, then no need to sprinkle flour.
Hi Dassana. Thankyou for this recipe, which looks simple. I’ve a 10.5 (length) by 3.5 (breadth) inches bread loaf pan. Can you please help me with the measurements for this pan? How can i modify the recipe? Thanks.
the pan is a longer in length. i have baked in a 8 inch x 3.5 inches loaf pan. instead of making a loaf, you can make dinner rolls or pav/buns and place them in a tray. the pav/buns can be placed in your loaf pan. after shaping, keep about 1 inch gap between the buns and allow them to rise for the second time. then bake them.
should i use top and bottom rods both or only bottom ones
saurav, heat both the top and bottom rods.
Hi D, love all your recipes. Trying to be on a Paleo diet now, is there any way to make a gluten free, low carb bread? Please let me know. Any other gluten free recipes will be much appreciated, your blog has the safest recipes, no flops!
hi sa, you can make gluten free breads. there are gluten free bread flours available in the market. these are imported in india and hence expensive. you can make breads easily from these flours. i did try making ragi bread and multi grain bread at home without wheat flour, but they become dense and had not a good texture. here i just used ragi flour and multi grain flour exclusively, but the results were not good. after that i did not try making breads of millet flours. my safest bet is to make rotis/bhakris with these flours. there is a gluten free section on the blog. you can have a look here – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/recipe/gluten-free/
I am eagerly waiting the bread at home,but i didn’t found proper recipe.I thought it will be good. So can I use cake dish instead of oven. plz answer me.
nandhini, what is cake dish and which bread recipe you tried?
Hi Dassana. I tried this recipe but used jaggery in place of sugar. Though it turned out well, can you please let me know if it is better to use jaggery in syrup form or grated/ powdered form. Thanks.
you can use either. does not matter.
Hi ,
I found this recipe so good n bought otg. As I m new in baking stuff . I have few questions.
. Pan should be on 1 st rack or second.2. Greasing is require before putting loaf into pan.
3.should I put foil on the loaf n the last one is on which mode I should bake this bread??
Thanks .
Vibha
– i keep the pan on the middle rack.
– yes you have to grease the loaf pan.
– if the bread starts to brown quick, then you can place a foil on the pan.
– i guess in OTG, there is only one mode. the one i have has only one mode.
Hi Dassana! The BreAd looks just perfect and yum. Can’t wait to try. Just had 2 queries.
1. Can I use this recipe to make in a bread machine?
2. Can I use the normal atta that we use for rotis…pilsbury atta?
Thanks.
you can use normal atta. i have used organic atta. you can try making the bread in a bread machine. i have never tried. i think it should work.
Hi Dasanna,
i must compliment on your patience! you have answered each & every querry! 🙂 i tried the recipe, the proofing was good but after keeping it in the oven it sank! 🙁 please suggest where have i gone wrong? i desperately need to get this right as the bread tasted really great!
for how long did you keep after kneading it and shaping the loaf. this can also be due to the baking time or the oven temperature. the oven has to preheated well before you keep the bread. many readers have tried this recipe with success. i also make often. after baking the bread sank or when you kept in the oven. the size and shape of the pan also matters.
hi. thanks for this awesome recipe. i have a query. can we replace water to knead the dough with milk?
sumayyah, yes you can use water.
Hi,
Your recipe looks interesting . I am going to try out. I was looking for a good recipe for whole wheat or atta bread and believe it or not this morning the same thought of using curd entered my head. But now that I have this recipe,I am going to try it out.
I have a question though .The cup measurement that you have used is it a 240 ml cup, 250 ml or 210 ml cup. The reason I ask you is because with the change in the flour measurements the yeast and curd will also undergo change
thanks parimala. i use american cups. 1 cup = 250 ml. i have updated this information in all posts. thanks for asking. if you have any other query then feel free to ask. happy baking.
I wanted to try your recipe but please tell the amount for the cup in grams.i will be using 1800g,wat will the approx amount for other ingredients?if i use vinegar,can I store the bread in the refrigerator for 2 weeks?thanks for replying
gavnisha, 1 cup whole wheat flour is about approx 128 gms. 1800 gms is close to 2 kgs. thats a lot of kneading 🙂 1800 gms is about 13.5 cups approx. so you can just proportionately increase the other ingredients. if using vinegar, the bread can be easily stored for 2 weeks.
This looks like the easiest recipe for bread. I have 2 questions. For how many days does this bread stays fresh? and can I freeze it for longer use? Thanks
you can freeze the bread for some days. since yogurt is there in the bread, i would not advise freezing for a long time. when milk products or eggs are added to breads, they should be consumed in a few days and not kept for weeks or months. the bread would stay good for 3 to 4 days in the fridge and about a week in the freezer.
Hi Dassana,
Tried this bread today, (My first try with baking bread), but unfortunately, my bread wasn’t cooked properly. It was doughy inside. I baked it for around 30 mins. It did seem hollow when tapped. I am not sure where I went wrong. And I had to use almost 2 cups of water for 3 cups flour to get a bit sticky dough. I knead it after the first rise, but lot long enough, as you asked to knead it lightly,I did that. Any ideas where I might have gone wrong?? Or any suggestions to give it another go would be highly appreciated.
Thanks
doughy means the bread has not been baked well. what temperature you baked and which oven. you could have baked for some more time. the temperatures vary from oven to oven. so as a guideline there can be a difference of about 5 to 10 mins here and there in the baking time. did you keep the bread for the second rise?
Thank you for your response. I have a gas oven and I baked it at 220 degree C, as per the recipe. I did keep the bread for the second rise. I used instant yeast. For how long the dough has to be knead in this method? Does the kneading time effects the bread?
the bread dough has to be kneaded very well. gluten strands have to be formed in the dough. yes the kneading time affects the texture of bread. for this porportion atleast about 6 to 8 mins. a test is to take a small piece of dough and stretch it. if its stretchable and does not break then the bread is ok to go for the second rise. you can also check this post which mentions some more pointers – http://www.thekitchn.com/bread-baking-tip-how-to-tell-w-156772
Hi Dassana,
Thank you so much for your response. I would give it a second try and see how I go this time.
I have another question for you. Its about egg-less baking. My parents are pure vegetarians, so I am always looking for egg-less recipes. What can be used to replace eggs in baking, if we don’t want to change the rest of the ingredients? Can that be done with something easily available? Or do we need to make a lot of changes in the recipes(with eggs) like ingredients and baking time,etc??
Your advice would be much appreciated.
I am really new to baking. Just trying my hands on it. It would be great to get some good tips from you on this.
Thanks
hi harjeet. fruit purees, yogurt, flax seed powder, milk, cream, condensed milk, silken tofu and mixture of vinegar + baking soda + buttermilk are some of the ingredients that are used as an egg substitute. personally i have used fruit puree like apple puree, pumpkin puree and banana puree and they give a good texture to the cake. i have also used flax seed paste, yogurt and the combination of vinegar + baking soda + buttermilk. both of these make the cake nicely moist as well as a light texture. if you don’t want to make any changes to the recipe, then i would suggest you to add yogurt or a fruit puree like apple puree. other fruits give their own flavors and you may or may not like the taste. apple puree or apple sauce is a safe bet. other best ingredient is to use yogurt or dahi. use fresh dahi and not sour one. 1/4 cup of apple puree or yogurt is equal to 1 egg. use these substitutions for cakes have just about 1 or 2 eggs. if there are more than 2 eggs in the cake recipe, then condensed milk works well.
Thank you so much for your advice. I would definitely try some of these and would get back to you if in doubt.
Regards,
Harjeet
welcome harjeet
Perfect bread recipe baked em n it came out so perfectly.. shortly will be posting in my blog wit ur link.. waiting to try more from baked goodies..
thanks kalpana for the feedback and the future posting and linking back. do try some more baked goodies.