Sprouted wheat bread is the ultimate homemade comfort food, and this recipe creates an ultra-soft, tender loaf that’s perfect for sandwiches, toast, or simply enjoying on its own.

Using sprouted wheat flour gives you all the benefits of whole grains, with a light, fluffy texture and a subtle, natural sweetness brought out by the sprouting process. The flavor is mild yet rich, without the bitterness you might expect from whole wheat.

Four slices of bread made with sprouted wheat flour stacked on each other with jam in the background. — Sprouted wheat bread enriched with buttermilk and honey.

There’s nothing quite like homemade bread, especially with the nutty, earthy flavor of sprouted wheat. Store-bought bread doesn’t stand a chance. And bonus: your house will smell incredible while it bakes.

Try it with a dab of butter or a dip of garlic butter sauce or herbed olive oil.

Several slices of sprouted wheat bread net to a partially eaten slice.

Here is Why This Recipe Works

Ultra-soft texture: Thanks to the sprouted grain flour, this bread is unbelievably soft and tender. No dense, heavy loaves here!

Naturally sweet: The sprouting process brings out a subtle sweetness, so you won’t get that bitter whole wheat taste that some breads have.

Foolproof method: No fancy equipment or techniques required. Just a few simple steps, and you’re on your way to homemade bread heaven.

Perfect for any meal: From toast in the morning to sandwiches for lunch, this recipe will have you baking it on repeat.

Ingredients used to make sprouted wheat bread with sprouted wheat flour.

The Ingredients

Pantry: Sprouted wheat flour, instant yeast, honey, salt, olive oil
Dairy: Butter, buttermilk

Make sure you use sprouted whole wheat flour in this recipe, and not just sprouted grains.

Adding the milk and butter to the sprouted wheat flour.

What’s the Difference Between Sprouted Wheat Flour and Sprouted Grains?

Sprouted grains are whole grains like wheat berries that have been allowed to germinate or sprout. They are often used whole in recipes, offering a hearty, chewy texture and slightly sweet flavor.

Sprouted wheat flour, on the other hand, is made by milling those sprouted grains into flour.

Although it looks like regular whole wheat flour, sprouted wheat flour is quite unique. It’s finely ground after the wheat has been sprouted and dried. This process gives the flour a milder taste and softer texture, perfect for making tender, ultra-fluffy bread.

Placing dough in a bowl to do a bulk proof.

Variations

Honey Oat Sprouted Whole Grain Bread: Stir in ½ cup of rolled oats and drizzle an additional tablespoon of honey into the dough. Sprinkle extra oats on top before baking.

Sunflower and Flax Bread: Mix in ¼ cup of sunflower seeds and 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds into the dough. Top the loaf with more sunflower seeds for a rustic look.

Herb and Garlic Bread: Add 1 tablespoon of minced fresh garlic and 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary or thyme to the dough just before you shape it into loaves. Ingredients like fresh herbs and garlic can inhibit the yeast so it is best to add them toward the end of the process.

Cooling two loaves of sprouted wheat bread on a wire rack.

Tips for Success

Here are a few tips that I have learned along the way.

Keep the dough wet. This dough is meant to be sticky! Resist the urge to add more flour. Wet hands and tools will help manage the stickiness.
Use lukewarm liquids: Make sure the buttermilk mixture is no warmer than 95°F to avoid killing the yeast.
The dough may take longer to rise depending on your kitchen’s temperature; give it the time it needs to double in size.
Use commercially ground sprouted wheat flour. While sprouting grains at home and grinding them in a home mill works, commercially ground flour will produce a lighter, fluffier loaf and more consistent results.
Don’t overproof. Be careful not to let the dough rise too much in the pans. Aim for 1 to 1-½ inches above the rim to avoid deflating.
Use the stretch and fold technique. This method builds gluten while handling the dough less. Simply stretch and fold the dough a few times, wait for a bit, and repeat. After three or four rounds, the gluten will develop just as if you kneaded the dough for 15 minutes.
Let the bread cool completely before slicing; though I can never resist pinching off a piece while it’s still warm from the oven! Hopefully, you have better self-control than I do.

Sliced bread on a cutting board next to butter.

Storage

On the counter: To store leftover sprouted wheat bread, let it cool completely before wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap. Store it at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Freezing: Slice the bread before freezing for easier portions. Wrap individual slices or the whole loaf tightly in plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. The bread will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.

Note: When I slice the bread before freezing, I like to add a square of parchment paper between the slices to keep them from sticking together.

Slices of sprouted wheat sandwich bread. — No extra gluten or white flour added to our bread.

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Four slices of sprouted wheat bread stacked on top of each other.

Sprouted Wheat Sandwich Bread

A soft and springy whole wheat sandwich bread made with sprouted whole wheat.

4.66 from 89 votes

Print Pin Video Save

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 45

Servings: loaves

Calories: 92kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

6-⅔ cups sprouted wheat flour 800 grams
2-¼ teaspoons instant yeast 7 grams
2 teaspoons salt 14 grams
4 tablespoons butter 56 grams
3 cups buttermilk ( 735 grams)
5 tablespoons honey 100 grams

Instructions

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, and salt.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan and then add the buttermilk and honey. Gently warm over medium heat until it is just lukewarm. If it gets too warm, let it sit and cool down to about 95°F because if the liquid is too hot, it will kill the yeast.
Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until all the flour is incorporated. The dough will be very wet and sticky. Let it rest for 5 minutes to give the flour time to fully hydrate then stir the dough for 1 minute.
Spread some olive oil on a work surface and scrape the dough onto the oiled work surface. Using wet hands (to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands) stretch the dough up and fold it over itself four times.
Then cover it with a bowl and set it aside for 5 to 10 minutes (don’t worry if you get distracted and 20 or 30 minutes go by, just be sure to give the dough at least 5 minutes to rest).
Repeat this same stretch and fold process three more times. You will notice the dough firm up each time you repeat the process.
Put the dough into a well-oiled bowl then coat the top of the dough with oil and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Let the dough rise for 1 to 2 hours until doubled in size (the time it takes to double in size will depend on the temperature and humidity of your environment).
While the dough is rising, grease two 4-½ by 8-inch loaf pans with vegetable oil.
After the dough has had time to double in size, transfer it onto a greased counter. Divide the dough in half and shape each piece into a loaf and place into the loaf pans.
Oil the tops of the bread loaves. Cover the loaves loosely with plastic wrap and let them rise until they have risen about 1-½ times their original size, but not quite doubled. If you are using a 4-½ by 8-inch pan the loaves should be about 1 to 1-½ inches above the top of the pan.
While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350° F.
Place the risen bread loaves in the center of the oven and bake for 20 minutes then rotate the pans and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes until the tops are a golden brown color and they sound hollow when you thump them.
Remove the bread from the pans and place them on a wire rack to cool.

Notes

The dough will be wet and sticky. If you keep your hands and tools wet or well oiled then the dough will not stick to your hands. I keep a small bowl of water close by to dip my hands and bowl scraper into.
After the dough is shaped into a loaf make sure you don’t over-proof the dough. If you let the dough rise too far then it will deflate very easily and leave you with a collapsed loaf of bread. The dough should rise to 1 to 1-1/2 inches above the top of the pan. It is better to ere on the smaller size than to over-proof the dough.

Working with this flour: Sprouted wheat flour can be a bit finicky due to its sensitivity to humidity and temperature, as well as slight variations in the flour itself during production. While many bakers have success with this recipe, a few have found it challenging. Here are some insights :

Sprouted wheat flour tends to absorb moisture differently based on your local humidity. If the dough feels excessively sticky or too dry, try adjusting slightly by adding more flour or liquid, a little at a time until it feels right.
One tester found that using a stand mixer helped develop the dough more evenly.
Warmer kitchens can speed up the rise time, while cooler environments may slow it down. If your kitchen is on the cooler side, try placing the dough in a slightly warm spot to help it rise. A laundry room warmed by a running dryer works well.

Nutrition info is based on 22 slices per loaf of bread

Recommended Products

One Degree Organic Foods Sprouted Whole Wheat Flour, 80 Ounce (2-Pack)

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Nutrition

4.66 from 89 votes (89 ratings without comment)

Susan

Tuesday 18th of January 2022

Great flavor. However it was difficult to slice - too soft. Would adding vital wheat gluten help? Perhaps I let it rise too long in loaf pan before baking? Please help -I want to keep making this wonderful bread. Thanks

Friday 21st of January 2022

@Susan, thank you so very much dahn. Very helpful

Thursday 20th of January 2022

@Dahn Boquist, Thanks Dahn. Will try the freezing trick. Would adding vital wheat gluten help?

Dahn Boquist

Yes, soft bread can be tricky to slice. Here are a few tips. Turn the loaf of bread on its side and slice from one side to the other instead of from top to bottom. Since the top usually has a thicker crust, it is easier to slice through the sides. You can also partially freeze the bread. Just freeze it enough to make it a bit firmer but not too much or it will be too hard to slice. I also found a double serrated bread knife works much better than a standard serrated knife. I have a Wusthoff bread knife and haven't tested different brands yet but I imagine less expensive brands will work just as well. CooksIllustrated did a review on more affordable standard bread knives and found the Mercer bread knife and the Fibrox Pro bread knives did very well. They aren't double serrated knives but they are much more affordable and got good reviews.