A simple, easy, and delicious soaked whole wheat bread recipe that can be incorporated into any busy person’s routine to get the most nutrition out of bread. Be sure to try my overnight Artisan bread or my homemade French bread.
We talked about bread and carbohydrates, in general, a lot in the past. And I mean, a lot.
From bleached flour to unhealthy wheat bread to the healthiest bread you can possibly make, we covered just about everything there was to talk about when it came to preparing, eating, and enjoying carbohydrates in the healthiest way possible.
I’ll admit though – learning about real food is one thing. Putting it into action is another.
We had a sourdough starter going for several months last year, making pancakes and even simple sourdough bread. But then temperatures warmed up and the starter was growing more than I could keep up with… and since it goes against every cell in my body to pour perfectly good food down the drain, the starter went into the fridge.
In order to get itself all ready to rise bread on its own, a cold sourdough starter needs to come out a day or two early to warm up and be fed. But quite frankly, I couldn’t get a grip on the timing of it all! I was always off, either too soon or too late. Still being somewhat novice at sourdough, ingredients were being wasted left and right and all I had to show for my efforts was rock-hard bread at the dinner table.
Not. Cool.
Then there was Allume in October and a two-week family vacation at Christmas… In the end, life was just a bit too busy for me to successfully keep a sourdough starter alive. I’m sure ya’ll can relate, yes?
My Soaked Whole Wheat Bread Journey
Fortunately though, we’ve got a pretty good grip on our weekly routine since the new year. Every Thursday is soup night, and with that meal comes freshly baked bread. “Bake bread” shows up just once on my weekly planner and I make sure we’re home to do it. It’s really become that simple, and effective and getting the job done!
Our long-time favorite (and still a winner) is rosemary olive oil bread. We’ve tried it every which way you can possibly imagine and it’s always delicious.
- You’ll note that recipe is not prepared in a traditional manner. There’s no soaking, no freshly ground sprouted wheat.
- It’s a throw-it-in-the-bowl-and-have-bread-ready-in-a-few-hours-no-preparation-needed type of recipe.
- It worked for me because I didn’t want the “inconvenience” of the extra five minutes it took to soak my grains on Wednesday night.
Then, a close friend of ours got really sick earlier this year.
Since we would be helping out with meals on occasion, I used Dr. Google to find out what type of foods she should eat, shouldn’t eat, what to avoid, etc., so that we could help with her health and not just her meals.
The results weren’t too far from what’s recommended for a perfectly healthy person:
- eat lots of nutrient-dense foods
- avoid refined grains and sugar
The first time we had them over for dinner, I soaked the whole grain flour overnight in an attempt to maximize every ounce of nutrition possible in her few slices of bread.
I kept this same routine for a couple of weeks – grinding grain and soaking on Wednesday afternoon, then making the bread on Thursday – and sharing small loaves with our friend.
After seeing how easy it really was, and remembering that I can’t turn a blind eye to inconvenience because I’m feeling lazy, “soak flour” has been added to my weekly planner every Wednesday.
Remember that I’m not a doctor and I am in no way saying that soaking your grains will prevent cancer. However, what I AM saying is that getting the most nutrition out of the food you eat isn’t a bad thing.
Searching for a good soaked bread recipe didn’t yield many results, so I turned back to my trusty Nourishing Traditions instead. Sally Fallon offers a recipe on page 493 called “Yeasted Buttermilk Bread” that seemed easy enough, and with just one cup of unbleached white flour (and four cups of whole grain flour), it met our goal of eating more whole grains too!
Here’s What You Need
- whole wheat flour
- whey or buttermilk, or yogurt or kefir
- butter
- warm water
- active dry yeast
- honey
- salt
- baking soda
- unbleached white flour, plus more for dusting
- butter, for greasing loaf pans
Psst! If you’re going to add salt, I highly recommend Ava Jane’s Kitchen. You may think all salt is created equal, but unfortunately, 90% of the salt produced around the world contains microplastics (gross, right?). Ava Jane’s Kitchen is an exception. Their salt is 100% microplastic-free, and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a bag for just 1¢!! (Get your penny bag of salt on this page.)
How to Make This Soaked Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
Step 1. In a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the whole wheat flour, whey/buttermilk/yogurt/kefir, and melted butter. Mix with a wooden spoon until a large ball of dough forms, or mix at medium-low speed for about 60 seconds. Add an additional liquid, one tablespoon at a time, if the dough seems overly dry. Knead to combine well.
Step 2. Cover with a towel and let it sit at room temperature for 12-24 hours, but at least overnight.
Step 3. When you’re ready to make bread, combine warm water, yeast, and honey in a small mug or measuring cup and allow the yeast to bloom for 5 minutes.
Step 4. Add the water/yeast/honey mixture to the soaked flour. Then, add the salt and baking soda to the soaked flour and knead by hand, or mix at medium-low speed, until the ingredients are well incorporated.
Step 5. Add 1 cup unbleached flour and knead by hand, or at medium speed, for a full 10 minutes. Add additional flour 1 Tbsp at a time if the dough is sticky past the 5-minute mark.
Step 6. Cover with a towel and let it rise for 2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.
Step 7. Dust your working surface and pour the dough on top. Punch down lightly and divide into two equal pieces.
Step 8. Working with one piece at a time, knead by hand for 30 seconds and shape into a rectangle. Starting at the short edge, roll the dough up tightly and place into a well-buttered loaf pan, using either a 9″x5″ pan, or an 8″x4″ pan, or one of each.
Step 9. Cover both loaves with a towel and let them rise for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Step 10. Preheat oven to 350F and bake loaves for 25-30 minutes, until the outside is golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Allow cooling on a rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Soaked Grain Bread FAQs
When you do an overnight soak it softens the grains. Doing so will break down some of their tough starches and give them time to absorb moisture. This makes the grains easy to work with the following day.
If you find yourself with a crumbly loaf, that means that there was not enough water or there was too much flour was used. Another reason this happened could be that the dough was not kneaded enough.
You can do a lot with soaked wheat! You can add it to baked goods, a granola bar recipe, casseroles, and even yogurt!
Conclusion
This recipe is my rendition of Ms. Fallon’s after many, many weeks of this bread being included on our weekly menu.
- I’ve tested it with whole wheat, spelt, oat, and even Kashi flour (which I don’t recommend, lol).
- I’ve subbed homemade yogurt, kefir, and whey for the buttermilk in the original recipe, after trying multiple variations of homemade buttermilk first of course.
- In the end, I’ve found my favorite combination, but this recipe adapts well to just about anything you throw its way. It’s perfect for soup night, holds up well to grilled sandwiches a couple of days later, and is lighter than most whole wheat bread recipes.
Of course, the pickiest eaters will notice the distinct taste of wheat, but see my additional tips after the recipe for a simple way to sneak this whole grain past them too!
More Soaked Whole Wheat Bread Recipe Tips
- My favorite combination of flour is 2 1/2 cups of freshly ground whole wheat and 1 1/2 cups of freshly ground spelt.
- Spelt is much lighter in flavor than wheat, tastes much like white flour and Mr. Crumbs has said numerous times that he prefers spelt over wheat. In fact, I’ve used spelt in place of the one cup of white flour and it’s come out just as delicious. Remember that you can grind your own flour without a mill with this tutorial if you don’t have one.
- My favorite soaking medium is whey, but 1/2 cup kefir and 1/2 cup milk are a close second place (mostly because they’re both almost always on-hand).
- We’ve tried this bread using granulated sugar in place of the honey, but I think the honey adds a hint of sweetness that really complements the whole grains. Use what you have!
- Don’t skip the butter and substitute at your own risk. 😉
More Homemade Bread Recipes
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Sign up for my FREE Crush Inflation Challenge and learn simple strategies to save money, even with rising food costs!Easy & Delicious Soaked Whole Wheat Bread
A simple, easy, and delicious soaked whole wheat bread recipe that can be incorporated into any busy person’s routine to get the most nutrition out of bread. Be sure to try my overnight Artisan bread or my homemade French bread.
- Prep Time: 16 hours 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 16 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 2 loaves 1x
- Category: Breads
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole wheat flour*
- 1 cup whey or buttermilk, OR 1/2 cup yogurt or kefir mixed with 1/2 cup whole milk, plus 2-4 Tbsp if needed
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup warm water (105F-110F)
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup unbleached white flour, plus more for dusting
- butter, for greasing loaf pans
Instructions
- In a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the whole wheat flour, whey/buttermilk/yogurt/kefir, and melted butter. Mix with a wooden spoon until a large ball of dough forms, or mix at medium-low speed for about 60 seconds. Add an additional liquid, one tablespoon at a time, if the dough seems overly dry. Knead to combine well.
- Cover with a towel and let it sit at room temperature 12-24 hours, but at least overnight.
- When you’re ready to make bread, combine warm water, yeast, and honey in a small mug or measuring cup and allow the yeast to bloom for 5 minutes.
- Add the water/yeast/honey mixture to the soaked flour.
- Add the salt and baking soda to the soaked flour and knead by hand, or mix at medium-low speed, until the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Add 1 cup unbleached flour and knead by hand, or at medium speed, for a full 10 minutes. Add additional flour 1 Tbsp at a time if the dough is sticky past the 5 minute mark.
- Cover with a towel and let it rise for 2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.
- Dust your working surface and pour dough on top. Punch down lightly and divide into two equal pieces.
- Working with one piece at a time, knead by hand for 30 seconds and shape into a rectangle.
- Starting at the short edge, roll the dough up tightly and place into a well-buttered loaf pan, using either a 9″x5″ pan, or an 8″x4″ pan, or one of each.
- Cover both loaves with a towel and let them rise for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Bake loaves for 25-30 minutes, until the outside is golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.
- Allow to cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
* You can substitute up to half of the whole wheat flour with another whole grain, such as spelt or kamut. However, it is best to use at least 2 cups of whole wheat flour.
Nutrition
- Calories: 635
Sarah
My loaves just came out of the oven and I have to say, this bread is phenomenal! I did as Amy H. and employed my bread maker for some of the process; success!! The bread’s so moist, soft, and perfectly sliceable. It smelled good through the whole process, and tastes even better! Thank you for this lovely recipe!
Tiffany
You’re absolutely welcome Sarah!!
Tiffany
Hi there. My sister recently shared your blog with me and I’ve tried your overnight no-knead bread (which was excellent) and am baking the soaked wheat bread as I type this. The only thing is, my bread loaves are really (I mean REALLY) ugly. I don’t know how they taste yet, as they’re still cooking, but any thoughts as to what I did wrong. I thought I followed the instructions exactly. My bread looks lumpy and didn’t rise up nearly as much as your pictures (or my sister’s) show. Being new to bread making, I’d be thankful for any tips you can give.
Tiffany
Hmmm… lumpy makes me think that the flour didn’t incorporate well during the kneading. A low rise usually means inactive yeast. I know it’s a couple days later now, but how did they turn out? Did they rise in the oven at all?
For future lumpy, I’d make sure the flour was combined really well the night before, and then added slowly in the next morning (1/4 cup at a time) so that the flour has a chance to get mixed in well.
I’m curious how it turned out though Tiffany – please update if you can!
Tiffany
Thanks so much for your feedback! The bread tasted great and rose a little in the oven but I’ll definitely use your suggestions next time and see how it turns out. Both my husband and I love it though, in spite of its density :). Thanks again!
– Tiffany
Hannah
I made this last week, and it was delicious! I used half yogurt and half milk, and I also replaced half the whole wheat with spelt. I do have a question, though: would it work using the homemade buttermilk where you put vinegar in milk? I never have actual buttermilk because I always make the vinegar substitute, but I didn’t know if this recipe required real buttermilk.
Tiffany
Hi Hannah! Yes – you should be able to substitute homemade buttermilk (vinegar + milk) in place of the liquid. Let me know how it turns out!!
Cheri
This bread is so good. SO GOOD!! I don’t mean to yell, but…oh wait, yes I do, I want to scream it from the mountain tops. “This bread is so gooooooooood!” Hahaha. Just kidding. In all seriousness though, this bread has got me trying to think of any way I can incorporate it into my meals. For some reason there seem to be a lot of sandwiches on my meal plan now…hmm, wonder how that happened 😉 I think to myself while I’m eating it, “You know what would go good with this bread? More bread.”
I think you get the picture by now that I love this bread. Thanks for the recipe!
Tiffany
LOL – this totally made my day Cheri. Thank you for shouting from the mountain tops your enjoyment for this bread! More bread with bread? Sign me up too! 😉
Ellie
Haha, “You know what would go good with this bread? More bread.” That made me belly laugh!
Veronica
is the unbleached white flour necessary? can I just add another cup of WW flour?
Tiffany
You can Veronica, but Ms. Fallon is very clear about soaking grains 100% of the time. All-purpose flour doesn’t need to be soaked, which is why she indicates using it at the end of the recipe. Honestly, I think you’re fine either way. 🙂
Kat
Oh my gosh YES!!! I have been trying all sorts of recipes to try and get a wholemeal loaf my kids like.
Just whipped up 2 of these babies and by crikey they are amazing! It comes out soft and fluffy, like nothing wholemeal I have ever seen before! Finally I can stop buying them sandwich bread.
You are my hero. 🙂
It was also the most pleasant dough I have ever dealt with, like playing with playdoh instead of working!
I soaked in 75% yoghurt 25% milk.
x
Ellie
Does it matter if it’s Greek yogurt or another type of yogurt? Thanks!
Jayne
Quick question….have you ever used the dough to make smaller rolls or buns or made a loaf without using a loaf pan? I’m not normally a bread baker but I’m anxious to try your recipe!
Tiffany
Yes! I’ve made smaller rolls before and they’re pretty tasty. A bit different than “bread,” but they did the job just as well!! Buns have a different texture, more like an egg-dough, but you could probably shape them as a bun and get away with it. 😉
Rachel
I am wondering which grain mill you would recommend? Thank you!
Tiffany
Hi Rachel! I have a Wondermill. It’s the only grain mill I’ve ever tried, so I can’t compare/contrast, but it does the job!!
Nicole
Do you think coconut flour would work in this recipe? Not as a ww substitute, but in combination with it?
Ellie
Hmm… That’s an idea! Every time I bake with coconut flour, it expands outward, not upward (sort of like spelt), and it ends up almost sponge-like in texture. However, I’ve never really mixed it with other types of flour before, so that’s something I’d like to see! If you end up trying, tell us how it works!
Jennifer
I finally tried this! The recipe is soooo easy to follow and comes out soooo good! My family loves this bread, and I love that the grains are freshly ground and soaked. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe and for the inspiration to try it. It will be much easier to continue making bread now that I know I have a fool-proof recipe.
Tiffany
Wonderful Jennifer! I’m so glad you like it! And you’re most welcome. I love when I find a tried and true recipe that becomes a staple. I’m honored that you picked one of mine! 🙂
Rachael
Hi, I’m new to your page and would love to try this recipe! However, I’d really prefer to not use white flour. Do you think it will really change the end result to use all wheat flour (I don’t have spelt or anything else)? Thanks!
Rosemary
Heya, this is kindof a side note, but what was it you found hard with the sourdough starter? my mum started a starter a few months ago now, and gave me some. Since then, I’ve kept it in the fridge, forget to get it out until I make my bread (so it’s cold still, poor thing), only feed it once every few days (when I make the bread) and generally mistreat it, but it has been faithful and I’ve never had trouble. I’ve also heard you can freeze it 🙂 I make mine at night, before bed, wake up, add a bit more flour and put it in tins to rise then cook it at lunch time. Seriously so easy! Wish I could figure out why I seem to be the only one to not have trouble!! Even mum has trouble!!
Tiffany
Hi Rosemary! It’s the remembering to pull it out enough days in advance to feed and warm to make dough that’s difficult or me. And then once it’s out, feeling the need to keep feeding it “since it’s already warm” and keep it going until bread day again. In itself, sourdough isn’t tough. But for me, when it’s compiled with all the other things going on in the kitchen and life, it was just a bit too much. 🙂
Mariah King
How do you get the slices thin enough for sandwiches?
Tiffany
Wait until the bread is 100% completely cooled before slicing. You might even consider chilling it in the fridge for 20 minutes, to make it colder and thus easier to slice.
Angie
I have been making homemade bread for a while now and settled on one recipe but I love the idea of soaking the grains first. I have kids and hectic schedules so I also like the idea of freezing a loaf or two but have never done this. Do you bake the bread and then freeze or freeze the dough? I am not a baker to say the least! I consider myself a great recipe-follower cook! Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
Tiffany
Hi Angie! You bake, then freeze the bread. Some dough recipes can be frozen before baking, like biscuits or even pizza dough, but I’ve never preferred the end result that way. To make it REALLY easy later, you can even slice the bread before freezing. Regardless, wrap the bread twice – once w/plastic warp & then in a gallon bag – so it doesn’t get freezer burn. Simply re-use the plastic wrap each week!
emily
I know i’m late to comment, but i wanted to say THANK YOU for a great recipe! This has become our go-to bread for the weeks when i don’t feel like baking sourdough bread (my husband likes a European-style bread that i have to start three days before baking…which doesn’t always happen!).
I double your recipe and bake it in three 9-inch loaf pans (I freeze two loaves and let them thaw as needed) — that lasts my small family about a week and a half. I like to substitute 1/3 to 1/2 cup wheat germ for an equal amount of the whole-wheat flour for extra flavour and nutrition.
Tiffany
It’s never to late to comment, and you’re most welcome! I’m not sure I could do bread 3 days out either… I’m lucky if I remember the night before, lol. Brilliant idea on doubling for more loaves. Less time in the kitchen is always a good thing. 🙂
Paige
Thanks for this recipe! I have made countless loaves of soaked whole wheat bread that were too crumbly to use for sandwiches. I finally gave up and went back to either unsoaked whole wheat or unbleached organic bread flour. My second batch is rising as I type this and hopefully it will be as delightful as the last batch. I doubled the recipe and used my Bosch mixer. This is our new go-to recipe!!!! Thanks again……..I am forever grateful!!
Tiffany
You’re most welcome Paige! I hope this second batch comes out just as well too. 🙂 I’m glad you’ve found a new recipe for your family to enjoy!
Paige
It was perfect! Now I’m tripling it so I can have some freezers loaves. 😉
Tiffany
That’s great Paige!! Enjoy! 🙂
Dori Groff
This recipe is amazing. I also tried other soaked bread which was ok, but this is way more than ok! It’s so incredibly good, and easy to make. Thanks so much for this!!!
Amy H.
Thanks so much for sharing this! I’ve made it twice since you posted it and we are loving it. I’ve been doing sourdough (using the “bucket” method) in recent months, but my family is complaining that the crust is too hard, so I was very excited to see this post. It has the softness my family wants, but the soaking that I think is most important! The second time I made it, after step 3, I put everything in the bread maker on the dough cycle. Then took it out and put it in the loaf pans for the second rise. This worked beautifully, so I think I’ll keep doing it that way 🙂
Tiffany
You’re most welcome Amy! Genius for accommodating the recipe for your bread machine too!
Bess Hume
Thank you so much for this recipe! Question: Have you read about butter interfering with the soaking process?
Tiffany
Thanks Bess! No, I have not… and since it came from NT, I didn’t even think twice! Do you have any links to share?
Bess
Oh boy, it was a while ago and I don’t remember where exactly I read about it… if I come across it again I will let you know.
Tiffany
Thanks Bess 🙂
Tiffany
Hi Bess! I experimented with our bread last week, leaving the butter out until post-soaking – it came out great! If you’re concerned, soak w/medium & grains. Next day, add softened butter (not melted) to the dough and you’re good. 🙂
Bess Hume
Thank you very much Tiffany! 🙂
Karla
I, too, have Nourishing Traditions and got into soaking my beans and grains all the time. I had the same problem with my sourdough starter and eventually it got to be way too sour. So I quit! More recently, I’ve ditched wheat due to health concerns – after reading Wheat Belly and similar publications. Wondering what your take on that is, the fact that the wheat (even whole wheat) we have today resembles nothing like the original grain.
So, I’ve sadly given it up, though it sneaks in here and there. It started when I realized we were having bread-related things for EVERY meal – pancakes for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, pasta for dinner. Trying to stick with protein, healthy fats, and other forms of carbs (fruits and veggies, rice, potatoes).
Tiffany
My thoughts on wheat… I know the wheat today is very different from the wheat long ago, so I’ve been trying to limit our grains to “one” at a meal (which includes all starches) and using more spelt where I can. We actually prefer the taste of spelt, but it’s rises out, not up, so I have to include some wheat in bread to make it go up. But nearly everything that’s non-yeast (pancakes, muffins, cookies, etc.) are made with spelt now. Plus I make bread just once/week, and when we’re out, we’re out!
I’m also using rye and other flours as well to cut back on the wheat. Another option is einkorn wheat, but I haven’t tried it yet and don’t know how it varies in terms of baking properties from the wheat we’re used to.
Gayle
What is your source for whey and how do you get the oval loaf shape? Thank you
Tiffany
Hi Gayle! My easiest source for whey is straining homemade yogurt. If I’m REALLY on top of things, I can pour it off from sour cream too, but that doesn’t always happen. I bake bread in loaf pans to keep the long shape, but after punching down, I roll into a square/rectangle, fold into thirds and roll up from the end.
Tiffany
I’m so glad you liked this, Ellie!
Dena Norton
I’m with you – finicky sourdough is still a little intimidating for me. I’ve been meaning to search for a recipe for soaked grain bread for a while now, and this looks like a great place to start – it’s on the menu for this week. Thanks, Tiffany!