If there’s a better smell than fresh whole wheat bread baking in the oven, I can’t think of it. Sure, it’s easier to buy bread at the store, but homemade is fresher, softer and just knowing you made it always makes it taste better.
Because flour is the most prominent ingredient in homemade whole wheat bread, you might wonder about all the whole wheat flours out there. And if one actually bakes up a better loaf than another.
But who has time to experiment with a bunch of different brands of whole wheat flours to find the Best Whole Wheat Flour for Bread? Well, me.
So I put four popular brands to the test to see if one would rise to the top. (Pun definitely intended.)
The Quick Take: At a Glance Results
Spoiler: As much as I wish there was some big “ta-da” moment coming, the differences between these flours were surprisingly subtle. All four produced excellent homemade bread, but each had its own personality in terms of dough handling, texture and flavor. Still, I had two favorites.
| Flour | What Stood Out |
| 365 Whole Foods Market Organic Whole Wheat Flour | A hearty loaf with a sturdy crumb and mild flavor. |
| 🏆 Tie for Best: Wheat Montana Bronze Chief Whole Wheat Flour | Soft, supple dough that baked into a tender loaf with excellent structure and warm wheat flavor. |
| 🏆 Tie for Best: Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Flour | Rich, nutty flavor with a moist, tender crumb; enjoyable dough to work with. |
| King Arthur 100% Whole Wheat Flour | Mild wheat flavor with a soft texture and denser crumb. |
Best Uses: Because all four flours are made from hard red wheat, they’re well suited for hearty yeast breads, rustic sourdough loaves, artisan boules, pizza crusts and sturdy sandwich loaves, all of which need strong gluten to hold their shape.
About the Whole Wheat Flours I Tested (And Why)
I tested a variety of whole wheat flours that are well-known, popular picks for bread baking and are also easy enough to find in stores and online.
365 Whole Foods Market Organic Whole Wheat Flour is made from dark northern spring wheat grown on American family farms.
Protein: 13.3%
Wheat Montana Bronze Chief Whole Wheat Flour is made from the entire kernel of hard red spring wheat, with no separation of bran or germ, and milled at their certified facility in Three Forks, Montana.
Protein: 15.5%
Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Flour is made from 100% stone-ground hard red spring wheat, milled at their headquarters in Milwaukie, Oregon, to retain the nutrients from the bran and germ.
Protein: 13-15%
King Arthur 100% Whole Wheat Flour is milled from the whole grain of hard red wheat grown on American farms.
Protein: 13.2%
Does More Protein Make Better Bread?
Whole wheat flour typically ranges from about 13% to 15% protein, and all four flours I tested fell within that range. While higher protein can contribute to stronger gluten development, I found that all four produced excellent rise and structure in this recipe. Dough handling, texture and flavor ended up being more noticeable differences than protein percentage alone.
If the bag of flour doesn’t list the protein count, here’s how you can figure it out:
- (Protein grams ÷ Serving size in grams) × 100 = Protein %
- Example: 4 g protein ÷ 30 g serving × 100 = 13.3% protein
What About White Whole Wheat Flour?
If you’ve seen white whole wheat flour on the shelves and wondered if you can sub that into your whole wheat bread recipes, yes, you definitely can.
Both traditional whole wheat and white whole wheat are 100% whole grain. The difference is the type of wheat they’re milled from. Traditional whole wheat uses hard red wheat, which has a richer, nuttier flavor, while white whole wheat is milled from hard white wheat and has a milder taste. White whole wheat is popular for sandwich bread, rolls and recipes where you want a milder whole wheat flavor.
Does Milling Matter?
Most whole wheat flour is milled using one of three methods: stone milling, impact milling or roller milling.
Bob’s Red Mill is stone-ground, Wheat Montana uses impact milling, while King Arthur and 365 Whole Foods Market use roller milling.
Although each method can influence particle size and dough handling, the differences I noticed were fairly subtle in the 50/50 whole wheat bread recipe I tested.
My Bread-Baking Test
Lucky me, I got to spend a couple of days in the kitchen baking four loaves of whole wheat bread. Actually, five if you count the one I forgot to add water to! (FYI: Don’t do that.)
To keep the test as fair as possible, I used the same honey whole wheat bread recipe for every loaf, weighed every ingredient, used the same pans and followed the same process. The recipe called for equal parts all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour, so the only thing I changed was the brand of whole wheat flour.
I swapped out quick yeast for regular yeast, expecting to reduce rising times in half. This also meant that instead of dissolving the yeast in water, I whisked it into the flours, mixed the wet ingredients separately and stirred everything together. Then I kneaded them all by hand, which was still surprisingly meditative, even after four loaves. Or five, counting my oopsie one!
Why Use White Flour and Whole Wheat Flour?
Many whole wheat bread recipes, like the one I used, call for a 50/50 blend of all-purpose and whole wheat flour, especially for sandwich bread. It delivers the rich, nutty flavor of whole wheat while producing a lighter, softer loaf than one made with 100% whole wheat flour. You can also substitute bread flour for all-purpose flour if you prefer a chewier texture.
Because the bran and germ in whole wheat flour absorb more water than white flour, recipes made with a higher percentage of whole wheat may require additional hydration. In my testing, however, all four flours worked well with the same amount of liquid, so I didn’t need to adjust the hydration from one brand to another.
The Slice-by-Slice Results
365 Whole Foods Market Organic Whole Wheat Flour
This dough was the coarsest and firmest to work with. I spent nearly ten minutes kneading it before it softened up and felt pliable.
The wheat aroma and flavor were both mild but still came through in the finished loaf, tasting like classic homemade whole wheat bread, especially when toasted, which brought out more of the rich grain flavor. The crumb was the densest and chewiest of all the loaves I tested, with a sturdy structure that made it easy to slice thin for sandwiches.
Dough: Coarse and firm at first, soft after kneading
Texture: Sturdy and slightly dense with a consistent crumb
Flavor: Mildly wheaty, more pronounced after toasting
Overall: This loaf was easily better than most store-bought whole wheat breads. While the other flours edged it out in my side-by-side comparison, the differences were fairly subtle. If I hadn’t baked the loaves together, I’m not sure I would have noticed much difference at all.
Wheat Montana Bronze Chief Whole Wheat Flour
🏆 Tie for Best Overall
This was the second loaf I made, and the dough felt noticeably different from Whole Foods from the start. It was smoother and easier to shape into the pan.
The baked bread was velvety soft and tender, with a fresh, sweet aroma and a wheaty, nutty flavor. It held together firmly without going dense, so it was really easy to slice for sandwiches and toast. Toasting brought out even more of the earthy flavor.
Dough: Soft and supple, easy to knead and shape
Texture: Tender and soft with an even crumb throughout
Flavor: Nutty wheat flavor
Overall: This was one of my favorite loaves of bread. The dough was easy to work with, and the hearty, soft texture and rich nutty flavors had me reaching for a second slice.
Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Flour
🏆 Tie for Best Overall
This was the third loaf of bread I baked, and I had a hard time telling the difference between this one and the Wheat Montana, from dough to baked loaf. The dough was soft and supple and actually quite pleasing to knead. It was easy to stretch and fold into the loaf shape and baked up nice and golden brown with a firm crust.
This bread had a fresh wheaty aroma and rich, nutty flavor and it stayed moist but held together firmly enough to slice and toast well.
Dough: Soft and smooth
Texture: Moist and tender with an even crumb.
Flavor: Rich and nutty
Overall: This was a tie for my favorite throughout the entire experience, from baking to eating. Everything from mixing the dough to tasting the last bite was exactly what I wanted in a loaf of whole wheat bread.
King Arthur 100% Whole Wheat Flour
Working with this dough, it felt coarser and stickier than Wheat Montana and Bob’s Red Mill, but still kneaded out smoothly. It easily shaped into a loaf and baked up with a beautiful golden brown crust and a fresh, nutty aroma.
Biting into it, it had a denser texture, but was still soft. I expected it to taste similar to my top two favorites, but the whole wheat flavor was a little milder. Now, I doubt I would have noticed this if I hadn’t been going back and forth between the other three breads. It was a very good loaf that I’d happily bake again.
Dough: Coarse and sticky at first, smooth after kneading
Texture: Soft and slightly dense
Flavor: Mildly wheaty
Overall: A soft, tender loaf of bread that rose nicely and tasted pleasantly wheaty, just not quite as flavorful as Bob’s Red Mill or Wheat Montana.
The Biggest Surprise
During this test, I had my pen and paper with me throughout every step of the process, ready to note all the differences from price, rise and bake times, texture, flavor, etc. And I was a little surprised by how often I kept writing down the same thing for each one.
- Price: All the flours were priced similarly. They ranged from $5.56 to $7.29 for a 5-pound bag, with Wheat Montana the least expensive and Bob’s Red Mill the most.
- Rise times: They all rose to nearly double in size after 30 minutes and were ready for the oven after a second 50-minute proof.
- Baking times: I checked the internal temperature of each loaf as it came out of the oven, and they were all done in 30 minutes on the nose.
- Crumb: All four breads baked up with a consistently uniform crumb that bounced back perfectly when gently pressed.
- Crust: The crusts on all four loaves were equally golden brown and crisp and firm enough to hold together well.
- Overall: Truly, these four flours all performed exceptionally well head-to-head. I’d be hard-pressed to pass up a slice of any of these loaves and would happily stock my pantry with any of these flours.
If there’s one thing I learned from baking these four loaves, it’s that you really can’t go wrong with any of them. Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Flour and Wheat Montana Bronze Chief Whole Wheat Flour were my tied favorites thanks to their soft dough, tender texture and rich whole wheat flavor, but all four flours produced fresh, flavorful homemade bread. In the end, the differences came down to personal preference more than dramatic performance differences.
