This post may contain affiliate links.
Read our legal disclaimer, cookies policy & privacy policy.
This wholemeal bread recipe is a great basic to have around when you need something soft and light with a touch of sweetness.
The combination of nuts, wholemeal and strong flour gives it a nice nuttiness.
Slather on your favourite spreads or sandwich fillings, make into french toast, puddings or a classic toastie and enjoy it fresh, toasted, covered or plain!
Recipe inspired by Josephine’s Kitchen as well as the ingredients in my pantry and a limitation of dairy products. Not to mention my love for milk bread and bread in general!
As a bonus, this wholemeal bread recipe has no butter or eggs in it. So it’s perfect for when these are a little difficult to come by. Therefore a trip to the supermarket is not necessary if you’ve got some strong flour around (which I’ve learned is a great privilege) and many of the ingredients can be substituted for things you may already have stocked up in your kitchen.
Lather on those jams, fruits, peanut butter, almond butter and spreads. Toast it, cover it, eat it fresh and pile it high… the possibilities are endless.
Gather all your favs, it’s time for some bread-making!
Bread Making Tips
Storing Yeast
Yeast is one of the most important parts of bread. Make sure that you store it correctly in a cool place. Once opened it’s also best kept in the fridge in an airtight container and used as soon as possible. Depending on the type of yeast you have, this can range from 2 weeks to 4 months, so follow the package directions.
More information about yeast can be found here.
Tangzhong (water roux)
Essentially the makings of all the fluffiest, softest bread there are out there. Tangzhong is a technique that is used in a lot of Asian bread (specifically milk bread) and is worth the effort. It involves using a portion of the recipe’s water and flour to create a paste-like consistency, also referred to as a water roux or slurry.
Using this technique not only extends the shelf life of the bread but also helps it better absorb more moisture/ liquid (Source).
One of the best ways to apply tangzhong is in a ratio of 1 part flour to 5 parts water (1:5). I referenced this post by King Arthur Flour as a guide on converting a recipe to use this method.
Overall, tangzhong takes things to the next level.
Ingredients
One thing I enjoy about this recipe is the ability to mix it up according to what you have available to you.
Milk
I’ve used regular cow’s milk, trim milk and alternative milk (nut milk such as pecan milk) to make this recipe and they all work completely fine. If anything I prefer using nut milk for the added flavour.
Ground almond or nut meal
This recipe also calls for ground almond or nut meal, which is essentially just finely chopped nuts. I often use the nut meal leftover from making my pecan milk recipe, when all the liquid has been extracted. Which means no wastage!
You may also use any other types of nut that you have around, all you have to do is finely chop them up in a food processor or by hand. One of my favourite combinations is cashew and almond.
Honey or maple syrup?
Again, both work perfectly great in the recipe and you can use whichever is most available to you. This recipe isn’t overly sweet but has just enough to give the bread some flavour and help develop the yeast.
The processes involved in this wholemeal bread recipe…
Bread has got to be one of my favourite things to make. The only downside is that it does take a bit of time and energy. But the best part is you end up with fresh fluffy clouds of joy and all those aromas warming up your kitchen. Nothing can compare to freshly baked bread!
And as long as you know what you are looking for, the experience can be such a good one.
Speaking of knowing what you are looking for, I thought I’d mention a few important steps in the recipe and provide you with some visuals (they normally help me best!)…
The dry ingredients…
One thing to remember when making bread is that preparations are important. The yeast will react with the salt, so mix them only when everything is ready to go. Then follow through with the next steps straight afterwards, so that it’s not sitting around for too long.
I like to do this by adding the ingredients into the bowl like the picture above in separate little sections. That means it’s all ready to go when you are.
The wet ingredients
Combine the cooled tangzhong with the honey/maple and milk to create a smooth mixture that can be directly added to the dry ingredients.
The temperature of the dough is important when developing yeast. Therefore, you don’t want the tangzhong to be too hot as it will affect the end product. The dough also builds in temperature as it is worked up during the kneading process.
The Dough
After mixing all the ingredients, allowing the mixture to sit for 10 minutes will allow the flour to absorb some of the liquid.
Further kneading will create a firm but soft dough that is smooth and elastic. It should bounce back slightly when you press. If not, this often indicates it needs a little longer.
The dough is then shaped into a neat little ball, placed into a lightly oiled bowl, covered and set aside to rise in a warm place for the first proofing.
Fun fact: after kneading the ideal internal temperature of the dough is between 24 – 25*C (Larousse Book of Bread by Eric Kayser). This allows for the yeast to do its thing in the most primary conditions.
After this proofing, the dough should have risen in size and be puffy and light. You can at this point use your hands to knock out the air bubbles and transfer the dough to a working surface.
Divide the dough into three equal pieces to ensure even rising and cooking. Use your hands to shape them into balls with the seals at the bottom. Then cover and allow to rest.
After this, you can go ahead and flatten them out into ovals, roll them into little logs and place them into your loaf tin.
Tada! All ready to go into the oven.
Now for the actual wholemeal bread recipe…
Wholemeal Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Tangzhong (water roux)
- 25g strong flour
- 125g Water
Bread
- 118g milk
- 30g honey or maple syrup
- 150g strong flour
- 175g wholemeal flour
- 7g yeast
- 5g salt
- 20g ground almond
Instructions
Tangzhong (water roux)
- Combine the water and flour in a small saucepan.
- Cook the mixture over medium heat until it thickens into a slurry (thick paste), whisking constantly. This should take 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool slightly.
Bread
- Whisk together the cooled tangzhong (water roux) with milk and honey until smooth and then set aside briefly.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine dry ingredients (flours, yeast, salt and nut meal). Then add in the tangzhong mixture.
- Using the dough hook attachment, mix at low speed until a dough starts to form.
- Rest the mixture in the bowl for 10 minutes before progressing (this should help the flour absorb the liquids).
- Knead the mixture on medium speed for 5 minutes or until it creates a soft but firm dough that bounces back to the touch.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, between 1-2 hours.
- Gently knock the air bubbles out of the dough and transfer them to a work surface.
- Divide the dough into three equal portions (you can use scales to measure these out accurately). Form each piece into a ball, cover and leave to rest for a further 15 minutes.
- Flatten out one piece of dough into an oval shape. Starting from the short edge, roll the dough into a log. Then repeat with the other two pieces.
- Place dough, seam side down into a lightly greased loaf tin (20cm x 12cm), making sure to leave a little space between them. Set aside to rise in a warm place for a further 1-2 hours. Halfway through the rising process, preheat your oven to 170°C.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and the internal temperature is 82°C
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before slicing.
Storage
- This bread is best eaten fresh. Store it in an airtight container for up to a week in your pantry and slice as required. Alternatively, you can also slice and then freeze the bread for future enjoyment.
Notes
- This recipe also works well with non-dairy, alternative milks such as soy and almond!
Pin for Later!
And that is your wholemeal bread recipe!
I hope you enjoy it in all its glory and give the recipe a go.
If you do, don’t forget to snap a picture, use the hashtag #theculinaryletter and tag @theculinaryletter. I’d love to see your creations and how you serve them up with your own choice of spreads, fillings, toppings etc…
Follow all my social channels to keep up to date with me and…
Until next time, stay curious!
