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Organic Honey Whole Grain Bread Recipe

This Whole Grain Bread Recipe makes a deliciously soft and tender loaf with a sweet nutty flavor. It makes the Best Whole Grain Bread and is easy to pull off. An organic bread recipe, it’s one you’ll feel good about feeding to your family.

Tableview of a sliced loaf of Whole Grain Bread - Hostess At Heart
Soft and tender Whole Grain Bread

Whether you just want to eat a little better or want delicious soft and tender bread, you’re going to love this Honey Whole Grain Bread Recipe!

Why You’ll Love This Organic Bread Recipe

A simple recipe. This is an organic bread that’s easy enough to make for your everyday bread.

Better for you than white bread. You will be baking bread that your family will love and that you’ll feel good about serving. Some people think that bread that’s good for you tastes like cardboard. Not this one, it’s a slightly sweet nutty loaf that uses only whole grains and no dairy or added refined sugar.

Easy variations. Baking a delicious loaf of Whole Grain Bread is just as easy as baking a loaf of any other type of yeast bread. The difference is what you are looking for. We find that a loaf of Honey Whole Wheat bread is over the top in flavor and texture.

If you put two loaves of bread in front of us, I’m going for the one loaded with as many additions as possible. I love adding nuts, spices, fruits, seeds, and the list goes on. Check out our huge list of variations in this post that you can use to customize the loaf differently every time you make it.

Top-down view of a sliced loaf of homemade whole grain bread

Equipment Needed To Make Multigrain Bread Recipe

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Definitions for this Whole Grain Bread Recipe

Bread and what they call it can be darned right confusing. Just because they call it “whole grain”, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s 100% whole grain. What?

What is whole-grain? Whole grain bread is made up of grains that are fully intact meaning that they haven’t undergone processes that remove their bran and germ, not to mention nutritional benefits.

Wheat flour isn’t always whole grain. You need to look for the word “whole”. Flour that has had the bran and germ processed is referred to as “refined flour” like all-purpose flour or flour that isn’t listed as whole grain.

Is whole-grain bread healthy? In addition to tasting good, there are benefits to eating whole grains. Whole grains provide more vitamins, minerals, and higher fiber than refined ones which is important for your digestive health.

Organically Grown is another confusing term. The USDA states organic bread must contain ingredients that are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), or ionizing radiation.

The Whole Grains Council is another great source of information when it comes to clarifying these terms.

Whole Grain Bread Recipe Ingredients

Top-down view of Organic Bread Ingredients including flour, yeast, honey, salt, oil, and water.
Honey Whole Grain Bread Ingredients
  • Spelt Flour – Explained below, spelt flour can be substituted with whole wheat flour.
  • Whole Wheat Flour – We used organic WHOLE wheat flour.
  • Honey – We prefer locally grown honey. Use what you have available or prefer.
  • Instant Yeast – Also referred to as rapid rise or quick rise.
  • Vegetable oil – Any neutral oil will work such as canola, grapeseed, or olive oil.
  • Salt – We prefer using fine sea salt when making bread because we like the way it dissolves.
    • We add it to the liquid ingredients instead of the dry ingredients. The larger grain sea salts tended to sink to the bottom of our dry ingredients instead of blending with them.
  • Whole Grain Blend. This is our own blend. You can use your own mix of grains or even leave them out altogether.
  • Hemp Hearts – We took the opportunity to add hemp hearts that have great nutritional value. This is optional.
  • Water – In this recipe, any water that you would drink will work.

What is Spelt

Turkey-Spelt-Skillet-Hostess-At-Heart-5-819x1024.jpg
Spelt Grain

Spelt is an ancient whole grain in the wheat family but is not wheat!

It lacks the gluten that wheat has so it’s said to be tolerated by gluten-sensitive people. It’s not recommended for people with celiac disease.

Spelt has a nutty flavor that we love. However, because spelt lacks the structure of other flours it’s best to mix spelt flour with another flour, such as wheat or all-purpose flour at a 50/50 ratio.

We found out the hard way when we initially made our Spelt Sandwich Bread.

Please note, that the printable recipe card has ingredient quantities, complete instructions, and nutritional information. The following is a quick overview of the recipe.

How to Make the Best Whole Grain Bread

Step One: Proof the yeast.

Wet ingredients added to a mixer - Hostess At Heart
Combine Wt Ingredients

Combine the honey, vegetable oil, yeast and warm water. Let this mixture sit while you combine dry ingredients to make sure the yeast is actually working.

Step Two: Combine the dry ingredients.

A bowl filled with flour, salt, oats, and grains - Hostess At Heart
Combined Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl combine whole wheat flour, some of the spelt flour, the salt, organic whole grain bread blend and hemp hearts.

Step Three: Mix the wet ingredients and combine.

Mix the wet ingredients together and then gradually add the dry ingredients. Add spelt as needed. Continue to mix it for four minutes. Knead the dough either using the mixer or by hand only until smooth.

Step Four: Rise the Whole Grain Bread dough.

Oil the dough, cover it and let it rise until doubled.

Step Five: Form the Loaf.

Remove the dough from the bowl. On a lightly floured surface, shape it into a sandwich loaf and let it rise in a bread pan for another hour.

Step Six: Bake and cool your whole grain organic bread.

You will need to bake it for up to forty-five minutes

What to Pair with The Best Whole Grain Bread

Our honey whole grain bread makes a fantastic sandwich! It is hearty enough to hold up to several sandwich ingredients and just nutty enough to work with a variety of flavor profiles.

Why make sandwiches on store bought sandwich bread when you can make homemade bread so easily? This bread is also fantastic with soup, salad, or any meal where a loaf of bread is a welcome addition. It also works well as toast with butter, preserves, or jelly.

Substitutions – Additions – Variations

  • Add seeds such as sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
  • Nuts. Walnuts or pecans would be delicious.
  • Herbs. Dried or fresh thyme or rosemary.
  • Dried fruit. Add raisins, apricots, or your favorite dried fruit to the dough.
  • Top the loaf with seeds or oats for another whole-grain element.

How To Reheat & Store the Best Whole Grain Bread

Best Way To Store This Organic Bread

It’s best to store Organic Honey Whole Grain Bread at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Can I Freeze and Thaw Multigrain Bread Recipe

Bread may be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw slices in the toaster. Thaw a partial or whole loaf by setting it out on the counter (still in it’s container) until it reaches room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions for this Multigrain Bread Recipe

Is this organic bread recipe whole wheat bread?

No. This recipe uses spelt and wheat flour so it is a multigrain bread. It can easily be made into whole grain wheat bread by using all whole grain wheat flour.

Which is healthier whole wheat or whole grain?

They are equally nutritious since both whole grain and whole wheat use the entire kernel.

Tips to Make the Perfect Whole Grain Bread Recipe

Top down view of a loaf of wholegrain bread on a cooling rack
Thoroughly cool bread before cutting.

Make sure you let the bread cool completely before attempting to slice it. Otherwise, it will get smashed by the slicing process.

Do not over-knead the bread dough. This recipe does not depend on a lot of kneading to come out beautifully.

It’s a very sticky whole grain bread dough, so make sure you use vegetable oil and coat the bowl, the bread dough, oil it again after shaping it to fit the pan, and oil the baking pan. You can use a very small amount of oil each time, but give it a light coating.

Top down view of a knife filled with butter on top of a slice of buttered bread

Whole Grain Wheat Recipes

As we said, you can replace the spelt flour in this Honey Whole Grain Bread recipe with delicious whole-grain wheat flour. Here are some of our favorite wheat flour bread recipes!

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.

Angled view of a loaf of Honey multigrain bread sitting on a cooling rack with the front cut into 3 slices - Hostess At Heart

Organic Honey Whole Grain Bread Recipe

Author: Hostess At Heart
This Organic Honey Whole Grain Bread Recipe makes a delicious hearty loaf that is soft and tender with a sweet nutty flavor.
5 from 16 votes
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Rise Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 40 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Keyword: Almost No-Knead Bread, Organnic Honey Whole Grain Bread, Whole Grain Chicken Wrap
Servings: 12

Ingredients
  

  • 2-1/4 tsps instant yeast
  • 1-1/2 cups warm water
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 to 1-1/2 cups spelt flour
  • 1-1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup Organic Whole Grain Bread Blend
  • 2 tbsp hemp hearts optional

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine honey, vegetable oil, yeast and warm water. Let sit while you combine dry ingredients.
  • In a large bowl combine whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup spelt flour, salt, organic whole grain bread blend and hemp hearts. Whisk to combine.
  • If using an electric stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix wet ingredients together. On low, gradually add dry ingredients. Add additional spelt flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. The dough will be wet but not overly sticky. Continue to mix for 4 minutes.
  • Oil a large bowl and pat the dough into a ball. Put into the bowl turning once to oil both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and place the bowl in a warm area. Also to rise until doubled, approximately 1-1/2 hours.
  • Shape into a sandwich loaf and put the dough into a 9×5 oiled loaf pan. Spray or brush the top lightly with oil. Cover the dough until it just peaks the pan, approximately 1 hour.
  • Carefully remove the plastic wrap and bake in a 350 °F oven for 35-45 minutes or until dough measures 185 °F to 190 °F with an instant-read thermometer.
  • Remove bread from the pan immediately and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack before cutting.

Nutrition

Calories: 153kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 4gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 99mgPotassium: 82mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 13IUCalcium: 10mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!
Top-down view of a loaf of organic whole grain bread loaf and slices - Hostess At Heart

This homemade whole grain bread recipe was originally shared in 2017. Additional images and tips have been made to improve our readers’ experience. No changes were made to the recipe.

I first made this recipe as a part of a bread-baking group. The theme was “Healthy Bread” from our host, Pavani, the creator behind Cook’s Hideout. Here are more Healthy Bread recipes that our fellow #BreadBakers have baked!

Recipe Rating




Cynthia Williams

Friday 6th of January 2023

Hello. Would it be possible to grind the grain blend to a fine powder then add to the mix? I cannot eat seeds in their natural form. This recipe sounds so good. Thanks

Julie Menghini

Saturday 7th of January 2023

You can make it without the grain blend and I love the idea of blending it into a powder. It will add flavor. It shouldn't be enough to take away moisture but if you find thee recipe on the dry side just add a teaspoon or two of water. Stop back and let us know how it turned out Cynthia. I'm sure we have people with the same issues in our HAH Commmunity.

Betty B

Saturday 23rd of April 2022

I have made whole wheat bread before and have been disappointed and since have stuck to bread recipes with bread flour. I came across this recipe and thought I would give a try. It came out a little flatter than my other breads and dark and I thought I over baked it - temp 195-198 F. But oh my goodness, so incredibly good! Love the crust and bread texture and flavor. My husband had to have 2 pieces before making a verdict, and I think he is in the kitchen getting a 3rd piece. I followed the recipe using sunflower and poppy seeds, and oatmeal since I didn't have rolled wheat. I also topped it with sesame seeds. So Good! Thank you for the recipe!

Julie Menghini

Sunday 24th of April 2022

Thank you, Betty for your great comment. This bread doesn't rise the way other breads with bread flour do. Spelt lacks the structure of other flours so the whole wheat flour is the workhorse in this recipe. I'm so glad you gave it a try.

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Friday 1st of April 2022

[…] 2. Bread […]

Jessica K

Wednesday 26th of May 2021

I'm pretty new to baking bread but wanted to give it a try. This bread came out so good it's given me the confidence to try other recipes on your site. Thank you for all the tips!

Ellen

Tuesday 9th of February 2021

We love whole grain bread recipes and I'm always looking for new ones to try. Pinning for sure!

Julie Menghini

Wednesday 10th of February 2021

Thank you, Ellen!

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