Brown bread
This brown bread is a delicious homemade loaf made from wholemeal flour. It’s a classic recipe that’s easy to make at home and great for getting kids busy in the kitchen.
This delicious brown bread recipe is a fantastic bake for kids and beginner bakers to try. It uses wholemeal (whole wheat) flour to make a hearty loaf with a soft centre and slightly crisp crust.
We love making bread – it’s so simple and kneading the dough is a great tactile experience for kids. There’s really nothing better than the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven, or biting into a slice of homemade bread still warm from the oven.
I’s an added bonus that we get the kids busy in the kitchen making something that doesn’t involve lots of sugar and butter!
How can kids help make this brown bread?
Making bread is one of the easiest things to make with kids. There are only a few ingredients in it so your kids can help measure it all out in no time.
Kneading bread dough is my kids favourite thing to do in the kitchen. They get to get their hands messy and really stretch and play with the dough – not things they often get to do.
We normally use our mixer to give the kneading a bit of a head start. By doing that i’m less worried about how well the kids knead the dough or how long for. I’m not sure mine would keep at it properly for the 10 minutes or so that is needs.
If you want some extra tips on how to knead bread, or find other fab bread recipes check out our kitchen skills guide.
Is brown bread healthy?
Brown bread is healthier than white bread because wholemeal flour has more nutritional benefits over white flour. Wholemeal flour is rich in fibre which can have health benefits.
Brown bread flour vs white bread flour
Brown bread is the term generally given to breads made with significant amounts of wholemeal or whole wheat flour. It’s not generally made with 100% wholemeal flour as it can become too dry and dense.
We’ve used 400g of wholemeal bread flour and 100g of white bread flour but you can have a play with the ratios if you like. Try adding more white flour and less brown if you’d like a lighter/fluffier texture. Just make sure the total amount of flour is 500g and when you’re adding the water note that you will need a little less if you’re adding less wholemeal flour.
What is the difference between wholemeal, whole wheat and wholegrain bread?
There’s not really any difference, just different parts of the world call it different things. In the UK we’d tend to call it wholemeal flour but in the USA whole wheat is the more common term.
How long does this wholemeal bread keep?
I think this brown bread is best when it’s still a little bit warm from the oven, but it will keep for a day or two. If you want to keep it for longer, you can freeze it, sliced and in a freezer bag for a few months.
What other easy bread recipes for kids can i make?
If your kids enjoyed making this brown bread they might also some of our other easy bread recipes for kids including:
Finger rolls
Easy white bread recipe
Soda bread
Homemade bagels
Hedgehog rolls
English muffins
Breadsticks
Homemade garlic focaccia
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make this brown bread:
Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Wire rack
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Ingredients
400g (3 1/4 cups) + brown/wholemeal/whole wheat bread flour
100g (3/4 cup) white bread flour
7g sachet fast action yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
300-350ml (1 ¼ – 1 ½ cups) warm water
How to make brown bread
Mix the dry ingredients together
Get your kids to measure the two flours and add them to a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer.
In one side of your bowl get your kids to pour in the sachet of yeast.
In another side, measure in the salt and sugar. Make sure your kids use their finger to level off the top of the teaspoon so you measure just the right amount.
Finally, measure the olive oil and add that to your bowl.
Make the brown bread dough
Measure out the water. Make sure it is warm so that it activates the yeast – not too hot or it will kill the yeast and not too cold or it won’t rise properly. It should feel like a nice temperature if you put your finger in it!
When I make this with my kids I normally measure out 300ml first, then the extra 50ml separately so they don’t add too much all at once.
If you’re using a free-standing mixer, attach the dough hook and turn it on to a low speed.
If you’re using a mixing bowl, make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.
Get your kids to slowly start pouring in the water and mix it all together. Start with 300ml. Once you’ve added it, let it mix for a minute. If your dough is very dry and /or there is loose flour at the bottom of your bowl slowly add the last 50ml. You might not need it all. Stop adding the water when your dough has come together.
Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes
I normally let our mixer do most of the hard work, then the kids finish it off by hand. That way I know the dough will have had enough kneading but the kids still get a wee turn which they love.
If you’re kneading the dough by hand, get your kids to pull and stretch the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic.
Pop your dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it in cling film or a clean tea towel then leave it somewhere warm for about an our or until it has doubled in size.
Make the brown loaf
Lightly oil a 2lb loaf tin.
Once the dough is ready, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and knock the air out of it. (That just means you get your kids to bash it a few times to let the air out.)
Shape the loaf so that it fits into your loaf tin. To do this, shape it into a long cylinder then tuck the ends under. Roll it a bit to smooth it down then pop it into your loaf tin.
Cover your tin again, then put it in a warm place for around 40 minutes until it has doubled in size.
Bake the brown bread
Preheat the oven to 200C / 180C Fan / 390F
Bake your brown bread for 55-60 minutes. It’s ready when the bread has risen and if you remove it from the tin and tap it on the bottom it should sound hollow.
Remove your loaf from the tin, and pop it on a wire rack to cool.
Serve and enjoy!
Brown bread
Equipment
- Digital scales
- Freestanding mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 400 g (3 ¼ cups) brown/wholemeal/whole wheat bread flour
- 100 g (¾ cup) white bread flour
- 7 g sachet fast action yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 300-350 ml (1 ¼ – 1 ½ cups) warm water
Instructions
- Measure the two flours and add them to a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer.
- In one side of your bowl get pour in the sachet of yeast. In another side, measure in the salt and sugar. Finally, measure the olive oil and add that to your bowl.
Make the brown bread dough
- Measure out the water. Make sure it is warm so that it activates the yeast – not too hot or it will kill the yeast. It should be a nice temperature if you put your finger in it!
- If you're using a free-standing mixer, attach the dough hook and turn it on to a low speed.
- If you're using a mixing bowl, make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.
- Slowly start pouring in the water and mix it all together. Start with 300ml. Once you've added it, let it mix for a minute. If your dough is very dry and /or there is loose flour at the bottom of your bowl slowly add the last 50ml. You might not need it all. Stop adding the water when your dough has come together.
- Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes
- Pop your dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it in cling film or a clean tea towel then leave it somewhere warm for about an our or until it has doubled in size.
Make the brown loaf
- Lightly oil a 2lb loaf tin.
- Once the dough is ready, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and knock the air out of it. Shape the loaf so that it fits into your loaf tin. To do this, shape it into a long cylinder then tuck the ends under. Roll it a bit to smooth it down then pop it into your loaf tin.
- Cover your tin again, then put it in a warm place for around 40 minutes until it has doubled in size.
Bake the brown bread
- Preheat the oven to 200C / 180C Fan / 390F
- Bake your brown bread for 55-60 minutes. It's ready when the bread has risen and if you remove it from the tin and tap it on the bottom it should sound hollow.
- Remove your loaf from the tin, and pop it on a wire rack to cool.
Pin it for later
Similar recipes:
If you liked this tiger bread recipe, you’ll love our other easy bread recipes, including:
Finger rolls
Easy white bread recipe
Soda bread
Tiger bread
Homemade bagels
This recipe was first published in November 2026 and republished with new images in February 2024.
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