Soaked Whole Wheat Bread

whole wheat bread recipe

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This soaked whole wheat bread is so light and delicious!  I love it toasted with a little butter or peanut butter.  Delicious and nutritious breakfast or snack! (bonus: wheat bread + peanut butter = complete protein!)

soaked whole wheat bread - finished

Soaked Whole Wheat Bread

Prep Time 25 mins
Cook Time 25 mins

Ingredients
  

  • 8 1/2 c. whole wheat flour 1020 grams
  • 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten added after soaking
  • 2.5 c. plus 1/4 cup filtered water
  • 2.5 tbsp. acidic medium apple cider vinegar, whey, yogurt, kefir, lemon - I prefer apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 heaping tsp. instant yeast
  • 2 tbsp. sugar

Instructions
 

  • 1. Mix flour, 2.5 cups water, & acidic medium until well incorporated. I use my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Start with 2.5 cups water and slowly (1 teaspoon or tablespoon at a time) add more until all flour is moistened. The dough should be VERY thick. Cover with greased plastic wrap or a silicone bowl cover, if you're lucky enough to have one, and sit at room temperature for 10-24 hours (longer time results in more sour taste - I prefer 10-12 hours)
  • 2. After 10-24 hours, warm dough for 10 minutes by placing in a warm oven. I turn my oven onto its lowest temperature, 170 degrees Fahrenheit, then turn off before putting the dough in.
  • 3. Heat 1/4 cup water to about 110 degrees Fahrenheit (about 18-20 seconds in my 900 watt microwave, in a 1 cup mason jar). Mix warm water, yeast & sweetener. Allow yeast to feed on the sugar about 5-10 minutes. Take the dough out of the oven. Add yeast mixture to dough. Add wheat gluten. Mix well by kneading with hands or electric mixer. Cover with greased plastic wrap or a silicone bowl cover, and let rise in a warm oven (again I turn on to lowest setting, the turn off) for 45-60 minutes or until doubled.
  • 4. After 45-60 minutes, sprinkle 2 tsp. of salt & 1/2 crushed Vitamin C tablet and knead well with hands or electric stand mixer until the dough is tough and the gluten is well-formed. If needed, add more flour slowly. Butter two loaf pans. Divide dough in half and form each into a cylinder. Place each loaf in its pan. Alternately, you can roll out the dough then roll it up like a jelly roll. This will yield a smoother, more uniform loaf. I choose to roughly shape with my hands because it is much faster and less messy for me.
  • 5. Place the loaf pans with dough in a warm oven & let rise, uncovered, another 45-60 minutes. After 45-60 minutes, carefully remove risen bread out of oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • 6. Bake the bread at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees. (I use a standard meat thermometer like this Taylor Precision Products one to measure - it has a nifty marker to make it easy to see when your food has reached the desired temperature! I insert after about 20 minutes. If you insert before beginning baking the dough may fall.) Remove bread from oven and let cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove and let cool for 10-25 minutes before cutting. If you have an electric knife, I recommend that to cut - you'll get nice smooth cuts and it'll only take a few minutes to slice!
I found this recipe on Weed Em and Reap when I was first looking for recipes that guided me with how to soak grains.  I have made this bread three times in a couple months and I love it.  Not only does the soaking remove the nutrient-stealing phytic acid, but it also softens the grains of wheat flour, making this bread lighter and smoother than traditional wheat breads.

Here’s my version of the recipe:

Hands-on prep time: about 25 minutes

Cook time: about 25 minutes

Total time including soaking and rising: 13-27 hours

Ingredients

8 1/2 c. whole wheat flour (1020 grams – I always weigh my flour.  I love my digital kitchen scale)
¼ cup vital wheat gluten, added after soaking
2.5 c. plus 1/4 cup filtered water
2.5 tbsp. acidic medium (apple cider vinegar, whey, yogurt, kefir, lemon – I prefer apple cider vinegar)
2 tsp. salt
2 heaping tsp. instant yeast
2 tbsp. sugar

Instructions

1. Mix flour, 2.5 cups water, & acidic medium until well incorporated. I use my KitchenAid Stand Mixer.  Start with 2.5 cups water and slowly (1 teaspoon or tablespoon at a time) add more until all flour is moistened. The dough should be VERY thick. Cover with greased plastic wrap or a silicone bowl cover, if you’re lucky enough to have one, and sit at room temperature for 10-24 hours (longer time results in more sour taste – I prefer 10-12 hours)

whole wheat bread recipe
mixing the dough

2. After 10-24 hours, warm dough for 10 minutes by placing in a warm oven.  I turn my oven onto its lowest temperature, 170 degrees Fahrenheit, then turn off before putting the dough in.

3. Heat 1/4 cup water to about 110 degrees Fahrenheit (about 18-20 seconds in my 900 watt microwave, in a 1 cup mason jar).  Mix warm water, yeast & sweetener.  Allow yeast to feed on the sugar about 5-10 minutes.  Take the dough out of the oven.  Add yeast mixture to dough. Add wheat gluten. Mix well by kneading with hands or electric mixer. Cover with greased plastic wrap or a silicone bowl cover and let rise in a warm oven (again I turn on to lowest setting, the turn off) for 45-60 minutes or until doubled.

whole wheat bread recipe
Before rising
whole wheat bread recipe
After rising

4. After 45-60 minutes, sprinkle 2 tsp. of salt & 1/2 crushed Vitamin C tablet and knead well with hands or electric stand mixer until the dough is tough and the gluten is well-formed.  If needed, add more flour slowly.  Butter two loaf pans.  Divide dough in half and form each into a cylinder. Place each loaf in its pan.  Alternately, you can roll out the dough then roll it up like a jelly roll.  This will yield a smoother, more uniform loaf.  I choose to roughly shape with my hands because it is much faster and less messy for me.

whole wheat bread recipe
in the oven

5. Place the loaf pans with dough in a warm oven & let rise, uncovered, another 45-60 minutes.  After 45-60 minutes, carefully remove risen bread out of oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

whole wheat bread recipe
baked bread

6. Bake the bread at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees. (I use a standard meat thermometer like this Taylor Precision Products one to measure – it has a nifty marker to make it easy to see when your food has reached the desired temperature!  I insert after about 20 minutes.  If you insert before beginning baking the dough may fall.) Remove bread from oven and let cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove and let cool for 10-25 minutes before cutting.  If you have an electric knife, I recommend that to cut – you’ll get nice smooth cuts and it’ll only take a few minutes to slice!

whole wheat bread recipe
the finished product

One batch yields 2 loaves, and I get 14 slices per loaf, including ends.  The whole wheat and multi-grain bread that I used to buy was 16 slices per loaf, including ends.

whole wheat bread recipe
sliced whole wheat bread

One loaf of store bought bread is approximately $2.99 on sale, or $2.99/16=$0.19 per slice.

My bread cost breakdown

1-5 pound bag of whole wheat flour, Stop and Shop brand, $3.49.  This recipe uses 8.5 cups flour, or 1020/2270=0.4493=45% of the bag.  $3.49×0.45=$1.57. 

1-22 ounce bag of Bob’s Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten, $10.93 on Amazon (I can get it less expensive at a local chain, Ocean State Job Lot, but I do not recall the price so I’ll use the readily available Amazon price).  This recipe uses 1/4 cup, or 30/623.69=0.048=5% of the bag.  $10.93×0.05=$0.55.

Water – I have an in-line filter for my tap water, which is very inexpensive.  For the purposes of this price comparison, water is free.

Apple cider vinegar – I use Vermont Village Organic Apple Cider Vinegar from BJ’s WHolesale Club.  It costs $8.99 for two-32 ounce (946mL) bottles.  2.5 Tbsp is 36.9675/(946×2)=0.0195=2% of the bottles.  $8.99×0.02=$0.18 (Also available on Amazon)

Salt – I use iodized table salt, $0.99 for 26 ounces at a grocery store, Target, Walmart, etc.  This recipe uses 2.846/737=0.0039=.39% of a carton. $0.99x.0039=$0.0038->round up to $0.01

Instant yeast – I use Fleischmann’s Bread Machine Yeast, $7.99 for a 4 oz/113 gram jar at my local Stop and Shop.  This recipe uses 2 heaping teaspoons (about 2.25 teaspoons), or 7 grams.  7/113=0.0619=6.2% of a jar.  $7.99x.062=$0.50. (Saf yeast available on Amazon has worked well for me too)

Sugar – 10 lb bag for $4.99 at BJ’s.  I always buy with a coupon, so $3.99 for 10 pounds.  2 Tbsp=24 grams; 24/4535.92=0.00529=0.53% of a 10 lb bag.  $3.99×0.0053=$0.02.

Total cost for 2 loaves of home made bread: $1.57+$0.55+$0.18+$0.01+$0.50+$0.02=$2.83.  Two loaves of my bread cost less than one regular loaf on sale.  If I buy discounted/nearing expiration bread at the grocery store, I can probably get it for $1.00-$1.50, making it possible to purchase bread for lower cost than making it.  However, soaked bread is more expensive, not to mention hard to find.  I plan to keep making my own bread whenever I have time.  I enjoy baking, enjoy the flavor, and enjoy minor cost savings over store bought bread.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!  Happy baking!