The Best Way to Make Softer and Fluffier Whole Wheat Bread (2024)

Emma Christensen

Emma Christensen

Emma is a former editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. She is the author of True Brews and Brew Better Beer. Check out her website for more cooking stories

updated Sep 22, 2022

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The Best Way to Make Softer and Fluffier Whole Wheat Bread (1)

It can be hard to get homemade whole wheat bread as soft and fluffy as the loaves we see at the grocery store. All too often, our loaves end up like dense heavy bricks. But there is hope! A few baking tricks can help us get much closer to the pillowy whole wheat loaves we crave.

The reason why whole wheat loaves end up so dense is because whole wheat flour has very little gluten as compared to white all-purpose flour. Gluten is important for giving the dough – and final loaves – structure. Without it, loaves tend to end up flat and dense.

One trick is to add some white all-purpose flour along with the whole wheat flour. Even just a little white flour has enough gluten to give the dough better structure. White and whole wheat flour can be substituted one-to-one, so just play with the ratio of the two until you end up with a loaf you like.

If you want to keep your bread 100% whole wheat, vital wheat gluten is your new best friend. This stuff is super-concentrated gluten flour, and it really helps to give low-gluten doughs better structure.

Add one tablespoon of vital wheat gluten for every 2-3 cups of flour in your recipe. You can find it in the natural food sections of most grocery stores these days, or order it online from a place like King Arthur Flour.

To make softer loaves, try letting the dough rest for about 20 minutes before kneading. This gives the flour time to absorb the water and softens the grains of whole wheat. There are some other ingredients that can be added to any recipe that also help make a softer texture: potato flakes (1/4 – 1/2 cup), honey (2-4 tablespoons), milk (replace some of the water), and butter (2-4 tablespoons) (all amounts are for a recipe making 2 loaves).

What other tricks do you have for getting softer, fluffier whole wheat loaves?

The Best Way to Make Softer and Fluffier Whole Wheat Bread (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a soft and fluffy bread? ›

Add Milk

To make your bread soft and fluffy, another trick used by commercial bakers is replacing water with milk. Milk has fats which make bread softer. We at Old Bridge Bakery, carrying years of tradition of bread making, provide authentic and delicious loaves of bread in different flavours.

What is used to make bread soft and fluffy? ›

The yeast releases carbon dioxide, which fills the dough and increases its volume. Due to the heat, more gas bubbles emerge when this dough is baked. The bread rises and becomes soft and fluffy as the gas leaves.

How do you soften whole wheat dough? ›

To make softer loaves, try letting the dough rest for about 20 minutes before kneading. This gives the flour time to absorb the water and softens the grains of whole wheat.

How do you keep bread soft and fluffy? ›

The solution is to put your lovely bread into a zip lock storage bag, then place that bag into a second plastic bag. Place a moistened, damp paper towel in between the two bags and zip it shut. Using this little trick should help your bread stay fresh for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

How do bakeries get their bread so soft? ›

Consistency: Bakeries often use machines to ensure consistent kneading and proofing times. This consistency is key to producing the same soft texture batch after batch. Special Ingredients: Many bakeries use dough conditioners or enhancers, which improve the texture and extend the bread's shelf life.

What additive makes bread soft? ›

Reddi-Sponge is a reducing agent made with dairy whey and L-cysteine and I bet that 6% level really gave you a soft and extensible dough. The best suited product for your application is an additive co*cktail made with SSL (sodium stearoyl lactalate) and distilled mono-diglyceride.

Why is my homemade whole wheat bread so dense? ›

The reason why whole wheat loaves end up so dense is because whole wheat flour has very little gluten as compared to white all-purpose flour. Gluten is important for giving the dough – and final loaves – structure. Without it, loaves tend to end up flat and dense.

How can I make my bread fluffier instead of dense? ›

Potato Flakes or Potato Water

Starch helps the dough by trapping the gas from the yeast in the dough and makes the bubbles stronger. This helps the bread to rise and be lighter and fluffier. If you are boiling potatoes, you can use the unsalted water in place of the water in your bread recipe to help out the yeast.

Why is my wheat bread not fluffy? ›

As mentioned earlier, you may require additional water for wheat bread to make them fluffy. Water vapor is one essential leavening gas that makes the dough more moist and soft. Therefore, you need a lot of water, which changes to water vapor while baking.

What ingredient makes bread more fluffy? ›

Bread flour with a high protein content is ideal for making soft and fluffy bread dough. The higher protein content helps to develop gluten, which is essential for the structure and texture of the bread.

What is responsible for making bread soft and fluffy? ›

Final answer: Carbon dioxide gas given off during fermentation of sugar makes bread soft and fluffy.

Does letting bread rise longer make it fluffier? ›

Does Rising Bread Affect Its Texture? For a fluffy bread texture, the key is to let the bread rise long enough.

Why is my bread not fluffy and soft? ›

Over-kneading the dough can lead to a tight gluten structure and result in a dense texture. Using too much flour or not enough yeast can also affect the rise of the bread. Additionally, insufficient proofing time or improper shaping can contribute to a heavy loaf.

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