Mom’s 4 Loaf Wheat Bread Recipe
on Mar 19, 2018, Updated Aug 21, 2024
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A simple and fool-proof Wheat Bread Recipe that makes four loaves of bread in one batch. This recipe comes from my mom, and it’s certainly a keeper!
Mom’s 4 Loaf Wheat Bread Recipe
I have so many recipes that I make often that I haven’t shared on the blog. This year, I’ve made the goal to get more of my favorite go-to recipes out of my family cookbook and onto the blog so that you can enjoy them as much as I do. This recipe is one of those tried-and-true recipes that I’ve been making twice a month since my daughter was a baby. Now here we are, 10 years later, and I’m just now telling you about it.
This is my mom’s wheat bread recipe. It’s not a whole wheat bread, but a mix of white and wheat, which makes for a light and fluffy loaf of bread that is still brown and hearty. It’s a great middle for anyone who doesn’t eat whole wheat all the time! My mom has been making this recipe for as long as I can remember. It’s made with simple ingredients that I always have on hand and it just turns out well each time.
What’s unique about this wheat bread recipe is that it makes four loaves of bread in one batch instead of the traditional two loaves. I know that might sound like a whole lot of bread, but that’s my favorite part of this recipe. When I make it, I always think of the saying, “one for you, one for me.” I make this recipe with the intention of making warm comforting food for my family and also sharing that gift with others. This wheat bread recipes is meant to be shared with your friends and neighbors.
Tips and Tricks for making Homemade Wheat Bread
- This recipe is meant to be made with a mix of white and whole wheat flour (it’s not a 100% whole wheat flour recipe; I do have a great one of those coming soon). The ratio of white to wheat flour is up to you, but 50/50 is always a good place to start.
- Don’t skip the buttering of the top, this helps to make the crust soft and it also creates a bit of a “seal” on the crust that helps prevent the inside of the bread from drying out. That being said, out of butter, you can totally skip it 🙂
- I feel like you have some flexibility when it comes the loaf pans that you use (these enamel ones are fun). I have a few sizes, and though the shape of the loaf might be slightly different dependent on the size, the rising and cook time remain the same. Loaf pans that are 8-9 inches long generally work the best.
- This bread is great by itself with butter or jam on it, it makes great french toast, and it can go on the side of your favorite soup (like Instant Pot Broccoli and Cheese). There’s no wrong way to eat this. Plus, it makes a great gift! Who doesn’t love fresh baked bread?
Now all you need is a thick warm slice with a layer of good salted butter on top. That’s the stuff after school memories are made of.
Need help getting excited about making this recipe? I taught it in a free cooking class! You can find the video here:
Mom’s 4 Loaf Wheat Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons instant yeast
- 1/2 cup honey or 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 11 cups flour, a mix of 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 all-purpose is best
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast and honey in the warm water. Add the oil and salt and stir to combine.
- Add 5 cups of the whole wheat flour to the bowl and stir to combine. Stir for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the white flour, a cup at a time, until a smooth dough starts to form. You can use a stand mixer or your hands.
- Knead the dough on a well-floured surface until the dough becomes soft and elastic and doesn’t stick to your hands. I like to knead this for 6-8 minutes by hand, it helps the end texture a lot to work the dough well!
- Let the dough rise in the bowl until doubled, covered with a heavy towel or plastic wrap.
- Once the dough has risen, divide it into four pieces. Shape the dough into loaves and place them in 4 greased loaf pans.
- Let the dough rise in the pans until it is an inch above the rim.
- Bake the bread at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. The crust will be golden brown and you’ll hear a hollow sound when you tap the bread with your fingernail.
- Remove the bread from the oven, then remove the bread from the pans and place the hot loaves on wire racks to cool. Rub a stick of butter on the top of the hot loaves.
- Allow the loaves to cool slightly or to room temperature before slicing and serving. Store cooled loaves in an air-tight container and use within 5 days.
Notes
- So flexible! You can use all whole wheat flour (thought it won’t rise as much), half all-purpose and half whole wheat, all all-purpose, and even bread flour! I like to use 1/3 whole wheat and 2/3 all-purpose flour, but really, you can play with the ratios and use what you have on hand.
- You can use just about any oil or even melted butter or shortening for this recipe.
- Feel free to half this recipe to make 2 loaves instead of 4, it’ll work great.
- To freeze extra loaves simply let the bread cool completely. Store it in an old bread bag or wrapped well in plastic wrap and freeze. Let it thaw a few hours at room temperature when you’d like to use it. You can also slice it before you put it in the freezer to make thawing a little faster.
- No need to proof the yeast, it doesn’t need it.
Nutrition
Other great simple recipes you might love:
- Mom’s Jumbo Dinner Rolls
- Super Simple No-Knead Bread
- Easy Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
- The Best Homemade Cornbread Recipe
And there you have it. One of my all-time favorite recipes from childhood comes the blog!
This will be my first time making home made bread. Something for my kids and I to learn together 🙂 Before we get started, I wanted to double check. You use all-purpose flour not bread flour, correct?
I generally use all-purpose but bread would work too if you have it!
I make bread weekly and this will now be added to my rotation of recipes! This is a great recipe and it turned out light and delicious! I used the white sugar option vs the honey. Even without buttering the tops of the loaves, we loved them!
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Thank you for making it! Here’s the thing about sharing recipes online, you don’t always feel like people know how great they are, but then you leave a comment and say you made them, it totally makes my day. Thank you!
I just finished making 4 loaves of bread using this recipe. It turned out perfect. Thanks so much. I used a little less whole wheat flour and more unbleached white flour. I didnt use a bread machine. I enjoy making bread by hand. Its the recipe I will be using from here on, Thanks again, Linda
Thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment! And I love to know, what did YOU do with your 4 loaves? I tend to eat 2 and give two away 🙂
I froze 3 and left one out to eat and when i took the others out of the freezer they were great. Thanks.
Do I HAVE to use instant yeast? All I have is active dry yeast. If I can use that, how does that change the preparation procedures?
No ma’am, use what you have and just proof it a bit if needed. It’ll work with both.
How do you proof active dry yeast?
Nope, it’ll be fine to just use it!
Drop the yeast in the recipe’s warm water and sugar. Let it sit 3-5minutes and see if it foams. If it foams, it is ‘proof’ that it is good. Continue on with the recipe. If it doesn’t foam, throw it out and get new yeast. – Crystal (Mom)
Thanks for the tip Mama!
Do you use a Bosch or Kitchenaid to make this? Wondering if 11 cups of flour will kill my Kitchenaid. 🙁
It doesn’t kill it (I have a kitchen aid) but sometime it does kind of make a mess when the bread hook attaches to the machine, it’s a very full KA batch indeed.
Hi i have just come across your post and have been looking for wheat bread recipes. Could you please tell me the make of Wheat Flour you used, there is so many brands out there and i get confused Thank you in advance
I use Wheat Montana (it normally comes in a plastic resealable bag), bob’s red mill, or King Arthur flour brand most of the time. I feel like they have the best products that I have tried! Hope that helps and that you can find something in your store!
Have you tried freezing this bread? I have a small family and although I love the idea of sharing a loaf or two, it would be great to just pull a loaf out of the freezer instead of making it as often.
Yep, it works fine and comes out like breads that come out of the freezer! Not quiet as great as the first day but worth it when you didn’t have to go through the effort of making it.
We loved this recipe! I was curious if it could be made into rolls?
Could this recipe be used to make rolls?
I definitely think you could! I have another recipe of my mom’s, here jumbo dinner rolls and they are really really good too. Sometimes I’ll do half whole wheat flour and half white flour too if I want that wheat rolls. So yes, this would work and if you are looking for a roll recipe this one is amazing as well:
https://www.blessthismessplease.com/momma-jumbo-dinner-rolls/
Thank you! Sorry to post twice lol silly phone..
I have been looomg for a recipe like this one, not too healthy but just healthy enough. Totally making it. I also want to try a sprouted wheat, like the one Red Bicycle in Park City makes. I am obsessed with it!
I love this recipe. I make it with 100% whole wheat flour only. I find adding 1/4 cup of ground flax after the yeast is added and letting it sit for a few minutes for the flax to “gel up” really helps the whole wheat flour to rise. I also “proof” it in my oven to speed up the process and not keep my kitchen as warm. I simply place the bowl of dough in the oven and add a container of boiling water to the bottom of my oven and close the door. Viola! It raises up nice and beautiful. I also proof again when the bread is in the pans. You do not turn the oven on to proof, the steam is enough warmth. And I find this bread works wonderfully. I also freeze the other loaves, and they are fine. Thanks for posting!!
I’m trying that trick today! Thank you so much for the tip, and what a great addition to any whole grain loaf!
The flax is really really nice and the steam/oven rise was so simple. They are on their second rise now and the dough feel fabulous, especially since I’m cooking in an arid environment. Thank you for the tips! I’ll be adding them to the recipe card Sabrina.