Dough Products · Bread machine · Wholewheat
Bread Machine Brown Loaf (Wholemeal and White)
A light brown loaf from two parts strong white flour to one part wholemeal: it rises well in a machine and slices neatly. Amounts are for a large (2 lb) machine; set the portions to 12 for a medium machine or 8 for a small one.
- Serves 16
- One 900 g (2 lb) loaf
- Hands-on 5 min
- Machine 3½–5 hrs
- Wholewheat or Basic programme
- No delay timer (egg)
- British
Variations ↓ · Kneading & proving → · Bread machines guide →
Method
Put the ingredients in the bread pan in the order your machine’s manual gives. Panasonic machines want the yeast first, then the flour and the other dry ingredients, with the liquids last; most other makes want the liquids first and the yeast last, on top of the flour, kept away from the salt and the water. Wholemeal flour drinks more water than white, which is why this loaf takes 10 ml more than the white one.
Choose the Wholewheat (Wholemeal) programme if your machine has one: its longer rest softens the bran and gives a taller loaf. Otherwise use Basic. Pick the loaf size and a medium crust and start it straight away (the egg means no delay timer).
After about 5 minutes of kneading, check the dough: it should be slightly softer and tackier than a white dough. Add a teaspoon of water if it looks dry and knobbly, or a teaspoon of flour if it is sticking to the sides.
When it beeps, lift the pan out with oven gloves, shake out the loaf, remove the paddle if it came too, and cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing.
Tip: tap a step to tick it off as you cook.
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Variations
Seeded brown
Add 2–4 tbsp mixed seeds at the add-ingredient beep.
100% wholemeal
Use 500 g strong wholemeal flour and 300 ml water on the Wholewheat programme. Expect a shorter, denser loaf.
Brown rolls (dough cycle)
Make the dough on the Dough programme, then shape and bake it as in Bread Rolls Brown.
See also
- Bread Machine White Loaf — the basic white sandwich loaf
- Soft Rolls from the Bread Machine Dough Cycle — 12 soft white rolls, shaped by hand and baked in the oven
- Bread Machine Pizza Dough — four 30 cm pizzas from the dough programme
- Kneading and proving — what the machine is doing: kneading, the windowpane test, bulk and final proof
- Bread machines — how they work, choosing one, programmes, the timer and troubleshooting
- Bread machines: ingredient order — liquid first or yeast first, and why it matters with the timer
- Bread machines: problems — sunken tops, craters, a heavy loaf and the paddle hole
Chef’s notes
- This makes a large 900 g (2 lb) loaf of about 16 slices, for a large machine. For a medium (1.5 lb, 680 g) machine set the portions to 12; for a small (1 lb, 450 g) machine set them to 8. Never fill the pan with more than the manual allows: the dough can rise over the top and burn on the element.
- Weigh the yeast and salt if you can (scales that read in 1 g steps); otherwise use level measuring spoons: 1 tsp fast-action yeast is about 3 g, 1 tsp fine salt about 5 g.
- For the delay timer: leave out the egg and add 50 ml more water (25 ml for a small machine). Keep the yeast dry, away from the water.
- Use flour sold as strong (bread) wholemeal: ordinary plain wholemeal has less protein and gives a flatter loaf.
Sources
For the method.
Useful kit
- Digital kitchen scales: weigh the flour, water, yeast and salt to the gram. Amazon UK · Amazon US
- Bread maker: if you are choosing one, see our Bread machines guide first. Amazon UK · Amazon US
- Probe thermometer: the sure way to tell when rolls and oven-baked loaves are done. Amazon UK · Amazon US
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