How to Make 50/50 Homemade Sandwich Bread

A delicious soft homemade sandwich bread made with 50% whole wheat flour. An easy to make yeast bread for your everyday sandwich bread needs.50% whole wheat bread

I love fresh homemade bread – the smell, the taste and even the process of making it. There’s something so satisfying about kneading the dough, watching it rise and pulling fresh loaves out of the oven. Pure satisfaction!two loaves of bread

While I love a good sturdy whole grain, sourdough or rye bread, once in a while I also enjoy a lighter, softer style bread like this one. Unlike other whole wheat bread recipes, this one is quite light and not overly sweet as it’s sweetened with 2 tablespoons of sugar instead of molasses or honey. Even the most staunch white bread lover will enjoy this sandwich bread!

homemade sandwich bread

Another great thing about this recipe is that you can also use it to make dinner rolls or hamburger buns. You’re burgers and bunwiches deserve these buns!

For now, give these loaves a try and let me know what you think.

Print Recipe
5 from 6 votes

Homemade 50% Whole Wheat Bread

A delicious soft 50/50 bread that's perfect for toast and sandwiches. An easy yeast bread dough that can also be used for dinner rolls or hamburger buns.
Prep : 2 hours 20 minutes
Cook : 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, divided
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 3 tsp instant yeast granules
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine 2 cups all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt, sugar and yeast and form a well in the center.
  • In a small bowl, whisk egg with oil and warm water (110-115º F or 43-46°C).
  • Pour liquid into flour and stir together as much as possible. There will be some dry bits of flour left in the bowl.
  • Transfer dough and bits onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes to form a smooth, elastic dough. Add small amounts of the remaining all-purpose flour as needed to prevent sticking (no need to use it all). Dough is ready when it holds it shape, springs back when poked and feels smooth. It is difficult to over-knead dough by hand, so knead away!
  • Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turn dough to coat evenly with oil. Cover with a clean towel and let rest for 1-2 hours until dough has doubled.
  • Punch down dough to release air.
  • Split in half and shape each into an oval to fit two lightly greased 8 1/2"x4 1/2" loaf pans*.
  • Cover with a cloth and let rest for 45 minutes in a warm room.
  • Bake in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven for 35 to 45 minutes until dark golden brown. Use an internal thermometer, bread is done at 190°F (88°C).
  • Remove loaves from pan and cool on wire rack.
  • Resist temptation and allow bread to cool before slicing.

Notes

* I prefer 8 1/2"x4 1/2" loaf pans as they force the dough to bake over the pan sides giving slices the classic mushroom shape. You can use standard 9"x5" loaf pans as well.
Store in sealed bag for up to three days on counter or seal and freeze for up to 6 months.
The dough prefers a warm environment when rising. I will turn on the oven for a couple of minutes to warm it up just a little bit, then I turn it off and set the covered dough inside.
Tried this recipe?Mention @GetGettyS or tag #GetGettyS

I have made many batches of this bread and have experimented with various levels of whole wheat flour. Here’s what it looked like when I used 100% whole wheat flour. As you can see, it’s still quite nice, but it is more dense and crumbly than when adding in all purpose flour. The gluten development is just not the same. Still pretty awesome!whole wheat bread

If you’re an experimenter, go ahead and play with the ratios of all purpose to whole wheat flour. I’d love to hear how what your favorite combination is.

If you make a loaf or two, please take a photo and share it with me by tagging @getgettys on Instagram. Or leave a comment and let me know how it went.

Sign up to get articles by Getty delivered to your inbox. You’ll get recipes, practical tips and great food information like this. Getty is a Professional Home Economist,  speaker and writer putting good food on tables and agendas.  She is the author of Manitoba’s best-selling Prairie Fruit Cookbook, Founder of Fruit Share, a mom and veggie gardener.

4 Comments

    1. Hi Peggy,

      Great question!

      Yeast is a tiny microorganism that causes bread to rise. It feasts on sugar in flour and produces dioxide which forms bubbles as bread dough is formed. You can buy different types and forms of yeast. While bakeries and experienced bakers often use compressed yeast cake, most home bakers buy yeast in granule format. The granules are tiny oblong tan colored granules that come in two main varieties. Active and Rapid-Rise.
      Active Dry Yeast – requires a two step process. The first stage typically involves soaking the yeast in warm liquid until it softens and starts bubbling.
      Rapid-Rise Yeast is also called – Instant yeast, rapid rise yeast and quick rise yeast. They’re called this because they can be mixed directly into the flour without pre-soaking. Hence, they are “quicker” to use.
      In my recipes I typically use the rapid rise yeast. Although you can substitute with any other type of yeast by letting it proof or soak in the liquid from the recipe before adding.
      Hope this helps, Peggy.

      All the best,
      Getty

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