Basic White or Wheat Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between basic white bread and whole wheat bread? ›

whole wheat bread is not much different and there only about a 10% difference between the two. Whole wheat bread tends to have a higher fiber content, and more micro nutrients than a standard white bread though and is still a much healthier choice over white bread.

Wheat flour

White bread / Main ingredient

Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of wheat used for human consumption. Wheat varieties are called "soft" or "weak" if gluten content is low, and are called "hard" or "strong" if they have high gluten content.

Wikipedia

Baking with whole wheat flour: the bottom line

Go ahead and start substituting white whole wheat flour for some or even all of the white flour in your favorite recipes. Most of the time you'll never notice the difference. In some cases your bread, cake, or cookies may look a little darker.

"As dietitians, we often recommend whole-grain bread because it traditionally contains more fiber, which aids in digestion and will help you feel full longer," says Kristi Ruth, RD, LDN.

“When it comes to health, whole wheat bread is a better choice compared to white bread,” says Kate Ingram, a Connecticut-based registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of TheVitalityDietitians.com. “This is because whole wheat bread contains more fiber and important nutrients from the bran and germ.

Wheat bread has more of certain nutrients

Whole wheat flour features nutrients you won't find in refined white flours—unless they've been enriched to add those vitamins and minerals back in. You'll see higher levels of magnesium, selenium, and folate in whole wheat bread.

White bread typically refers to breads made from wheat flour from which the bran and the germ layers have been removed from the whole wheatberry as part of the flour grinding or milling process, producing a light-colored flour.

In addition to the four main ingredients used to make bread – flour, salt, yeast and water – there are often small quantities of other ingredients which are added to improve the texture, crumb structure and keeping properties of the bread.

Satisfactory white bread can be made from flour, water, salt, and yeast. (A “sourdough” addition may be substituted for commercial yeast.) Yeast-raised breads based on this simple mixture include Italian-style bread and French or Vienna breads.

Use 3/4 cup (177 g) of whole wheat flour to completely replace 1 cup (237 g) of white flour. Whole wheat flour is denser and heavier than regular white flour. In order to produce baked goods with a similar texture to white flour, you'll want to use less whole wheat flour.

What happens when you use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour? ›

Generally speaking, substituting whole wheat can result in a drier, denser product. This likely isn't a problem when you're making muffins or quick breads, but using all whole wheat flour may be too heavy for cakes and cookies.

Be sensible when substituting

Any lighter-colored baked goods (sugar cookies, white sandwich bread, lemon muffins, etc.) will be slightly darker when baked with whole wheat, and may not rise quite as high.

Eating peanut butter alongside other nutritious foods is perfectly healthy — as long as you don't exceed your calorie needs. Peanut butter is high in calories and could lead to excess calorie intake if not consumed in moderation. However, it is still a high-quality food that provides numerous nutrients.

100% Whole-Wheat Bread

Whole-wheat bread is another nutritious addition to a heart-healthy diet that can help manage blood pressure. It's made from whole-grain flour—meaning it's ground from wheat that has all three parts of the grain—resulting in a natural source of fiber and minerals.

One 2014 study of 9,267 people found that eating two slices (120 grams) of white bread per day was linked to a 40% greater risk of becoming overweight or having obesity ( 10 ).

Basic white bread is made only with all-purpose flour, yeast, salt, sugar, fat, and water or milk. Whole grain bread is made with whole grain flour which replaces part or all of the all-purpose flour in basic white bread. How can basic white bread become batter bread and sweet white bread?

Wholemeal bread is made with wholemeal flour, which is milled to include the three different parts of the whole wheat grains (the fibre-rich bran, the endosperm and the nutrient-dense germ) in adequate proportions. In contrast, white wheat bread is made from refined flour which only contains the endosperm part.

Although exact counts vary by ingredients and portion size, bread made from whole grains typically has a lower amount of carbs when compared to those made from refined flour. It also contains more beneficial nutrients, including fiber. Whole grain products include the endosperm, germ, and bran of the grain.