Whole wheat bread calculator
A soft sandwich loaf made entirely from whole wheat flour, with honey and oil.
Total hydration counts the water inside the eggs, milk and butter.
A 100% whole-wheat sandwich loaf that people actually want to eat: King Arthur’s most popular version, softened with honey, oil and dry milk. No white flour hiding in the blend; the enrichment is what keeps the crumb tender.
How it works
Why the enrichment matters
Whole-wheat bran cuts gluten strands and drinks water, so an unaided dough bakes dense. This formula counters with 21% honey, 12.5% oil and 7% dry milk for softness, moisture retention and browning.
King Arthur’s loaf in grams
397 g of whole wheat flour, 227–255 g of water, 85 g of honey, 50 g of oil, 28 g of dry milk, 8 g of salt and 2½ teaspoons of instant yeast, about 8 g. One pan loaf. The default 850 g batch is that recipe at 60% water: 416 g of flour, 249 g of water, 87 g of honey, 52 g of oil, 29 g of dry milk and 8 g each of salt and yeast.
Water and mixing
The default 60% water sits inside King Arthur’s 57–64% range. Whole wheat keeps absorbing for a while, so let the mixed dough rest 20 minutes before judging it. Knead to a supple, slightly tacky dough; it will never feel as smooth as white bread.
One loaf, straight dough
A 2% instant yeast dose runs a same-day schedule: bulk until puffy, shape into a log, and proof in a loaf pan. Bake until deep brown; whole wheat crust colors darker than white without burning.
Sources & methodology
Every percentage in this calculator traces to the published sources below — nothing is invented. Where respected sources disagree, the default sits inside the documented range.
- King Arthur — Classic 100% Whole Wheat Bread — The “100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread” formula: ~60% water, 21% honey, 12.5% oil, 7% dry milk — the soft, enriched school.
- The Perfect Loaf — Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread — The lean 89.5% sourdough version — the other philosophy, recorded not chosen.
FAQ
Is there a leaner, sourdough version?
Yes. The Perfect Loaf’s whole-wheat sourdough sandwich bread is the other respected school: no enrichment at all, a levain, and a startling 89.5% hydration, because whole grain drinks that much. This page follows the soft enriched style.
Why is the water a range?
King Arthur states it as 227–255 g on 397 g of flour, 57–64%. Start at 60%, the middle, and add the rest only if the dough is still stiff after its 20-minute rest.
Can I cut the honey?
You can reduce it, but 21% is not a typo; it carries the softness and keeping quality of a 100% whole-wheat crumb. Halving it gives a drier, wheatier loaf.
Which whole-wheat flour?
Finely milled bread-strength whole wheat behaves best; white whole wheat (from white wheat berries) gives the mildest flavor. Coarse, flaky meal belongs in hearth loaves, not sandwich bread.
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