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.
There’s nothing quite like homemade bread. It’s one of my favorite things to make, and it fills the house with the most incredible aroma. If you’re new to bread making, don’t worry; this recipe is easy to follow and tastes even better than store-bought!
Try it with a dab of butter or a dip of garlic butter sauce or herbed olive oil.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
- 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.
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.
Here Are Some Other Recipes You Might Like:
- Sprouted Wheat Cranberry Bars
- Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe
- Sprouted Rye Bread
- Einkorn Sandwich Bread
- Sprouted Spelt Walnut Bread
- Cracked Wheat Bread
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Sprouted Wheat Sandwich Bread
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.
- Nutrition info is based on 22 slices per loaf of bread
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
Susan
Friday 21st of January 2022
@Susan, thank you so very much dahn. Very helpful
Susan
Thursday 20th of January 2022
@Dahn Boquist, Thanks Dahn. Will try the freezing trick. Would adding vital wheat gluten help?
Dahn Boquist
Tuesday 18th of January 2022
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.