Before you start
One hundred percent wholemeal bread tends toward brick, so this loaf runs 70 30 wholemeal to white, plus honey and butter, landing at soft, wheaty and genuinely sliceable. The overnight-oats style rest before kneading (an autolyse, in bread language) gives the bran time to soften, which is the difference between wholesome and sawdust.
Everything you need
- 2¼ cups (270 g) whole-wheat (wholemeal) flour
- 1 cup (130 g) bread flour
- 2¼ tsp (7 g) instant yeast
- 1½ tsp fine salt
- 1⅓ cups (316 g) lukewarm water
- 2 tbsp (43 g) honey
- 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, soft
- 2 tbsp (11 g) rolled oats, for the top
Weigh, don't scoop. Measuring flour by cups can overpack it and dry out your bake. Tap any ingredient to open its converter.
Method
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Stir both flours with the water and honey into a rough dough, cover, and rest 30 minutes. This soak softens the bran before kneading begins.
For this step
- 2¼ cups (270 g) whole-wheat (wholemeal) flour
- 1 cup (130 g) bread flour
- 1⅓ cups (316 g) lukewarm water
- 2 tbsp (43 g) honey
-
Add the yeast, salt and butter and knead 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wholemeal dough stays slightly tacky, so resist extra flour.
For this step
- 2¼ cups (270 g) whole-wheat (wholemeal) flour
- 1 cup (130 g) bread flour
- 2¼ tsp (7 g) instant yeast
- 1½ tsp fine salt
- 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
-
Cover and prove 1 hour until doubled.
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Knock back, pat into a rectangle as wide as your 900 g loaf tin, and roll it up tight. Place seam down in the greased tin.
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Cover and prove 45 to 60 minutes until domed 2 cm above the rim. Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F.
-
Brush the top with water, scatter the oats, and bake 32 to 36 minutes until deep brown and hollow-sounding underneath, or 93°C inside. Cool completely on a rack before slicing, however good it smells.
For this step
- 1⅓ cups (316 g) lukewarm water
- 2 tbsp (11 g) rolled oats
Baker's tips
- The 30 minute flour soak is the step that makes wholemeal loaves soft. Bran left unsoaked cuts gluten strands like tiny knives all through the knead.
- Fully cool before slicing. Warm bread compresses under the knife and the crumb gums. Sandwich bread is a tomorrow food.
Make it your own
- Add 3 tablespoons of mixed seeds with the butter for a granary-style loaf.
- Swap the honey for molasses for a darker, malty loaf.
Storing & freezing
In a bread bin or bag for 4 days, toasting handsomely from day two. Slice and freeze half at peak: 3 months, toast from frozen. Never the fridge, which stales bread fastest of all.
Frequently asked
Why is wholemeal bread denser than white?
The bran in wholemeal flour cuts gluten and weighs the crumb down. Blending in some white bread flour and soaking the flour first are the two standard counters.
How do you know when a loaf is baked through?
It sounds hollow tapped on the base, or reads 93°C / 200°F on a probe in the centre. A dark crust alone can lie about a doughy middle.
Baking in a different unit? Use the cups ↔ grams converter or the recipe scaler to halve or double this recipe.
More to bake
A note on cooking safely. Recipes are provided for informational purposes only and are not medical or nutritional advice. Cooking times, temperatures and quantities are suggestions: use your own judgement, and check that meat, poultry, fish and eggs are properly cooked before serving.
Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making dietary changes, particularly if you have allergies, a medical condition or specific nutritional requirements.