Step-by-Step Whole Wheat Quinoa Bread {My New Fave}
Healthy, hearty, and absolutely delicious, this whole wheat quinoa bread is light, fluffy and packs a protein punch. Pretty sure it’s my new favorite homemade bread!
I have been so excited to share this homemade bread recipe with you! It’s no secret I love making homemade bread. I’ve used this tried-and-true fabulous recipe (Darcy’s recipe in that post) to make my family’s everyday bread for years.
There’s just something about making bread that feels wholesome and good. It’s hard for me to explain.
I guess I’m just always amazed that such simple ingredients can come together to create fluffy domes of hearty goodness; it’s a mini miracle.
I wasn’t always good at making bread. And even now, sometimes my bread flops, but it is definitely one of the most satisfying things I make at home.
Having said that, can I take a minute to just throw this out there:
You don’t have to make homemade bread to be a a good mom, a decent human being, a rockstar in the kitchen, a role model to young children, or anything else that your guilt complex might want to fill in that blank.
THERE SHOULD BE NO GUILT OVER STOREBOUGHT BREAD, PEOPLE. And likewise, there shouldn’t be any guilt if you decide to make bread every day of your life in lieu of cleaning your bathrooms.
Sorry to get all lecture-y on you; I just feel strongly that we all need to stop the guilt.
Anyway, moving on.
A little while ago, I decided to branch out and try a new whole wheat bread recipe. With quinoa! I know. It sounds a little strange, but since we eat quinoa with dinner quite a bit, it wasn’t too much of a stretch to throw it into bread.
And oh, my goodness. This whole wheat quinoa bread is the best bread to ever come out of my kitchen.
So good, in fact, that this is the only sandwich bread I’ve been making for weeks. I’ve even converted several of my staunch bread making friends to this recipe, too. We are all in love!
The quinoa lends a deliciously nutty flavor to the bread. It also makes the loaf extremely tender.
And if you are wondering, like I was, what happens to the quinoa in the bread dough, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. The loaf is intensely soft and fluffy without any hard bits of quinoa in the crumb.
The quinoa melds and absorbs in the bread dough as it mixes and bakes. There’s a hint of nutty flavor, but it’s not an in-your-face-quinoa punch as you eat it.
My kids are convinced this whole wheat quinoa bread makes the best toast in all the land. They’ll often eat through a whole loaf at breakfast (or for an after school snack, particularly if I let them slather it with nutella).
Because I want you to love this bread as much as we do, I’ve included a step-by-step tutorial below.
The recipe really is straightforward, but the method is a little unique, and the texture may be a bit different than other classic sandwich bread recipes.
Speaking of mixers, I know the world is divided when it comes to which stand mixer reigns supreme, but I make all of our bread in my beloved Bosch stand mixer. It is a powerhouse when it comes to bread.
I haven’t made this whole wheat quinoa bread in a KitchenAid mixer or by hand. Both could work, although keep an eye on your stand mixer if it has a weak motor.
I don’t want any stand mixers burning out (and people getting mad at me!).
UPDATE: I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the bread pans I use. My favorite bread pans are the USA bread pans and the Chicago Metallic pans. I have a few of each and love both of them.
This whole wheat quinoa recipe is softest, fluffiest, best bread ever!
And if you are wanting to delve into the world of bread making but don’t know where to start or feel a little intimidated, here’s a step-by-step guide on my other go-to whole wheat bread recipe. And here is a tutorial on yeast (an oldie but a goodie of a post).
Please leave any questions in the comments below (or on specific recipe threads). I don’t have all the answers, but I can definitely try to help!
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Two Years Ago: Foolproof No-Stir Homemade Caramels {With Step-by-Step Tutorial}
Three Years Ago: Simple Homemade Haunted Halloween Houses
Whole Wheat Quinoa Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked white quinoa, rinsed
- 2 ¼ cups water
- 8 cups whole wheat flour, don't pack the flour in the measuring cup
- ⅓ cup vital wheat gluten, optional, see note
- 1 ½ tablespoons instant yeast
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 2 ¼ cups milk, lightly warmed (about 110 degrees F)
- ¾ cup room temperature water
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup oil, canola, vegetable, avocado
Instructions
- Combine the quinoa and 2 1/4 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 10-12 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, remove the lid, stir the quinoa, and let it stand for 10-20 minutes.
- In a stand mixer, combine the wheat flour, gluten, yeast, and salt. Mix.
- Add the milk, 3/4 cup water, honey and oil. Continue mixing; the dough will start out looking very crumbly and come together in a stiff mass. That’s ok! It will soften as the quinoa is added.
- Spoon in the warm quinoa while the mixer is running. Gradually add all the quinoa and any excess water (there shouldn’t be much; most of it should have absorbed in the quinoa).
- Continue to mix until the dough comes together and forms a soft ball of dough that clears the sides and bottom of the bowl. If for some reason (and this can depend on elevation, humidity, temperature, etc), the dough is sticky and wet, gradually add 1/4 cup of flour at a time until it forms a ball of dough that clears the sides of the bowl – but avoid adding extra flour unless you really need to.
- Let the dough knead for 7-9 minutes.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl or container, cover, and let it rise until double.
- Lightly punch down the dough and portion into three equal loaves, about 32-35 ounces each. Form the dough into loaves by patting each piece into a thick rectangle and rolling it up, pressing with the heel of your hand to get rid of air bubbles and form a taut loaf.
- Place the loaves in greased 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2-inch loaf pans. Let rise, covered, until 1-inch above the rim of the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and gently turn the loaves out on to a cooling rack to cool completely. Brush the tops with butter while still warm, if desired.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: whole wheat quinoa bread adapted from this recipe in America’s Test Kitchen Bread Illustrated (I swapped out all the white flour for whole wheat and added a few extra ingredients to help with tenderness, and I changed up a few other minor things with ingredients and method)
288 Comments on “Step-by-Step Whole Wheat Quinoa Bread {My New Fave}”
I had to add rather a lot of flour after adding the quinoa because the dough was quite sticky. I added most of the quinoa, but not all of it, for that reason. The bread rose well and the finished loaf was delicious. It had excellent flavour, good texture, and it could be sliced into very thin slices, which I especially appreciated. This is a top notch recipe which will become a regular staple in our home.
I make bread often, many of your recipes, Mel! The first time I made this it turned out well. I’ve made it twice more and it has been a huge flop. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong but I don’t think I have it in me to try again. Like the most recent commenter, I couldn’t ever get the bread to come together no matter how much flour I added. I ended up plopping the glue in the bread pans like a quick bread.
Hey Monica, any chance the quinoa is too warm when adding? If so, it can make the dough a mess. If it worked out well for you before, I think we can figure it out, but I don’t blame you for not wanting to try again.
I should have known this recipe would be trouble based on the vague instructions. Mixer with a paddle attachment? Dough hook? How long to rise? I weighed out all ingredients and the dough never cleared the sides. I ended up needing to add at least 2 cups of flour and even still it was a horrible mess. I’m letting it ride now just to see what happens but I don’t even know if it will be worth baking.
I don’t leave reviews very often, but since I’ve been making this bread almost weekly for 4 months, I thought I better share! My family LOVES this bread. I almost can’t eat store bought anymore, hence making it so often. It’s the best texture and flavour, more filling than regular whole wheat bread, and adds a good amount of fibre into your day. Love love love. Thanks Mel!
Just had to share that on a whim this morning I decided I wanted to try a new wheat bread recipe and found myself here. Holy cow — this bread is addictive!! I literally said out loud (to myself, with no one else home) — “This could be dangerous!” So, so soft and yummy! If you’re on the fence about trying it, do it; you won’t be sorry.
Mel! I LOVE your recipes. Do you have any suggestions for making one of your whole wheat bread recipes into a cinnamon raisin loaf? 🙂 Your bread always turns out so well, yummy and simple! So I hate to go elsewhere…Just wondered if you have any up your sleeve!
Hi Stephanie, I’ve never made cinnamon raisin bread (probably given my family’s hatred of raisins) so I’m not a lot of help. I’m sorry!
Hi, I was wondering if I could cook quinoa in my Insta pot like I normally do when making quinoa. Or is there something different about the stove top method that you describe that is specific for this bread? Thanks!
Yes, you can use the instant pot!
I’m on a low sodium diet – please advise what the minimum amount of salt I could use in your recipe and still have success in baking the bread.
Thank-you.
Hi Tim, good luck with your low-sodium diet. I haven’t tested this bread using a lesser salt amount so you would have to experiment. You could try cutting the salt in half and see how that goes. Salt is really imperative to not only the taste but the structure of the bread so I don’t know how decreasing the salt will affect those two things.
You may have said this in one of your other bread posts but could you tell me what altitude you’re baking bread at. I am at sea level and if you’re at a high altitude that could change a couple of things for me including the amount of yeast.
Hi Glenna, I live at about 2,500 feet
I have made this recipe multiple times now and it is delicious! I used some of the dough for rolls today too. I think my only comment is that my loaves are never done in the time stated. I always use a thermometer to check when the bread is done. Thank you for sharing.
Hi there. This recipe looks fantastic. Any chance it could be made in a bread maker? Please let me know if you or anyone has tried it! (I know for sure I would have to adjust the amounts to make one loaf, not 3….)
Hi Hope, I don’t have a bread maker so I can’t say for sure. Hopefully someone else who has tried that can chime in.
I LOVE this recipe!! But since I have a kitchen aid I always end up having to knead it by hand and being 6 months pregnant it’s a killer haha. I would be so grateful if you could post a smaller version of this that could mix in a kitchen aid like your other small batch whole wheat bread! This is our favorite bread ever.
Love this recipe! I’ve been making into rolls instead of bread. And yesterday as an experiment I substituted freekeh instead of the quinoa. (Also forgot and used milk instead of water, since I’ve been using powdered milk during pandemic.) Love the original, and the freekeh makes it totally fragrant and rich.
Very nice recipe.
Used Ancient grains instead of quinoa, added dry milk (too lazy to open a new carton of milk or almond milk) to the flou/grain mixture, EVOO-oil from my peanut butter. Halved the recipe and used 3 smaller loaf pans. Baked beautifully.
Great with the soup I made on a snowy night.
Thanks for the recipe. I’ll definitely be making this again.
just found this recipe, looks great! I would like to know if it can be adapted to a breadmaker?
I don’t own a bread maker so I’m not sure – sorry!
Tried this recipe late last night. Turned out beautifully.
Substituted ancient grain mix, the oil from my peanut butter plus EVOO and added dry milk to the flour mixture. I usually use regular or almond milk in my bread but was too lazy to open a new carton!!! Adding vital wheat gluten always ensures a light and fluffy loaf. So, along with the grain’s it guaranteed a perfect result.
I don’t have a large freezer so I halved the recipe and used smaller loaf pans.
Thanks so much for this recipe.
Was the highlight of a snowy, icy day warm from the oven with peanut butter(@10 pm!).
I’ll definitely be making this recipe again.
Thanks.
I hate that I’m late to the party on how great this bread is!!! I was following you when you posted it – not sure why I didn’t make until now. It is FABULOUS!!!! I have made Darcy’s Bread that you posted every week for years – but this is going to change that!! I was loving it so much – that I gave a loaf to a friend of mine who has a vegetarian daughter and is worried about their protein intake (Dad is a doctor – she is fine and healthy, but a Mama worries). Mama reported back to me that each loaf contains 69.8 grams of protein! I did add an egg to the recipe instead of the vital gluten – so it may be less if don’t use egg. Thank you for another great recipe for our family!!
Hiii Mel!
I am from Pakistan. I absolutely love your recipies❤. Best of luck for everything!
I just wanted to ask an alternate to quinoa as it is a bit difficult to get it around here.
I don’t think there’s really a great alternative for this recipe unfortunately! It really relies on the quinoa – but another whole wheat bread recipe might be easier to source ingredients!
Abdullah, can you get freekeh in Pakistan? I’ve just made a batch of this bread with freekeh instead of quinoa, and it was absolutely delicious.
Whoa… I just made this bread and it’s super moist, soft and delicious. I messed up on the quinoa so the dough was extremely wet. I had to add more flour. I then kneaded by hand for about 7 minutes as listed. There’s only two of us so I’ve saved the other two loaves in the freezer. Yummy!! Thank you! My go to bread now.
Could one make this recipe with gluten-free flour? Perhaps sorghum?
I’m afraid it wouldn’t turn out the same with a gluten-free flour.
Hi Mel, can I use quinoa flour in place of whole quinoa? I’ve a bag of quinoa flour that I need to use up and had been looking for bread recipes that combine quinoa and normal flour. Most recipes I found are for the completely gluten-free type of breads. Thank you!
I’m not sure since I haven’t tried that – you could definitely experiment although the quantity of quinoa flour will likely be quite different than the amount of cooked quinoa called for in the recipe.
Hi Mel! First off, I have to tell you I love your site and it is our go to for finding new recipes. I’ve made your white sandwich bread, and tonight I made this one. Delicious! However, I keep running into this problem when I’m making bread where I have a big hole running through the top of the bread under the top crust. What am I doing wrong?? Thank you!!
Do you mean after it bakes there is a gap?
Yes! Like after it cools a bit and I start slicing it, there is a big whole throughout the bread! Usually right under the top crust!
Ok, from what I understand, that can happen if the crust is pulled too tight while rolling or shaping into a loaf. So it might help to keep an eye on that and also try not to let it rise too much before going into the oven.
Whoa… I just made this bread and it’s super moist, soft and delicious. I messed up on the quinoa so the dough was extremely wet. I had to add more flour. I then kneaded by hand for about 7 minutes as listed. There’s only two of us so I’ve saved the other two loaves in the freezer. Yummy!! Thank you! My go to bread now.
any idea what the calorie count is on one normal slice?
Hi, I would like to make a smaller amount, more like 1 or 2 loaves. I looked at the Perfect Whole Wheat Bread small batch and tried to convert the recipe to the Whole Wheat Quinoa Bread, I am not able to convert or change the recipe to a smaller amount. Could you possibly make a recipe for a smaller amount, I have a Kitchen Aid and it is not able to handle 8 cups of flour plus all the other ingredients. Thank you.
I have successfully halved the recipe and have also made the full recipe in the regular stand mixer. It does get a bit heavy going, so I split the dough into 2 and knead for a bit by hand and then swap it around.
Do you have weight measurements for any of your bread recipes? I had to add a bit of flour to my dough so wondering if measurements would help me out. I usually use a kitchen scale for bread. By the way, I LOVE this bread and the white bread recipe….and we’ll, everything you share!! It’s always delish! Thanks!
Hi Ashley – I generally don’t include weight measures for bread recipes, particularly the flour, because so much is dependent for homemade bread/yeast recipes on climate, elevation, and other factors and everyone will end up adding varying flour amounts. It’s ok if you have to add a bit more flour as long as the dough texture is soft and smooth.
I used oat milk and tri-color quinoa and it was amazing as well as pretty!
Quinoa bread, definitely delicious but it was too wet by a mile even though I live in an arid environment. It did rise beautifully but fell during the baking. I will play with the recipe a bit. We actually like bread with more body. I’m wondering how the addition of fresh milled rye would be a nice body builder. I used winter white wheat that I milled that day. Baking at 7000 feet is an interesting experience. I
Do you cook the quinoa first? And if so do you take from the water listed?
Yes, step #1 of the recipe details how to cook the quinoa.
I’ve been thinking of making this for a while. Using a whole wheat & rye mix of flour, I halved the recipe to make two lovely loaves of this bread and it is fantastic! I’ve also figured out I need different loaf pans for bread because my stone ones just don’t brown the bottom nicely though they were nearly as pretty as yours. And I need a better mixer because, well, bread. ;p
why is my bread so doughy? I’ve followed the recipe exactly but used 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 bread dough.
It’s ok if you need to add more flour!
This recipe is wonderful! I made it this afternoon (our supermarket was out of bread) and the kids inhaled half a loaf with dinner. I wound up using about 5c. stone ground red wheat (I was using up an open bag), and the rest all purpose. I had to add quite a bit of additional flour- maybe 2 cups, so it was nearly 1/2 and 1/2. I also used powdered milk instead of fresh. Because of the extra flour, I got 4 loaves of tender but hearty perfection. Our future sandwiches thank you!
Hi… can I use sourdough starter for this recipe ?
I haven’t tried that but I’m sure you could experiment!
Hi, has anyone tried this with non-dairy milk with good results? We typically have almond milk or coconut-almond blend in our fridge. Thanks!
I’m wondering the same thing! We have dairy allergies in our family.
I made it with water! (By mistake, actually.) Works fine with water.
Mel, I finally made this quinoa bread and it’s DELICIOUS! My husband does not like “healthy bread” but loves this! The texture is so moist and soft, and it’s full of flavor. I’ve made this recipe twice this week. My KitchenAid 6 qt. handled it – no problem.
I do reduce the water by 1/4 cup and have added 1/4 – 3/4 c flour and the dough has been perfect! Thank you for posting tried and true recipes! You’re bringing a lot of joy to me in my kitchen! 🙂
Thank you so much, Jill!
Do you use a bread slicer to keep the slices consistent?
No, I use a really inexpensive bread knife from Amazon (the 12-inch Rada knife).
I’m still working on getting my loaves as pretty as yours but man this bread is good! I ran out of instant yeast and made my first batch with active dry yeast. I mixed 2T yeast with the 3/4C water and 2T sugar, waiting for it to foam before adding it to the mixer. It worked great but before I make another batch I wanted to ask for your expert advice. Is there a better way to do this with active dry yeast? Or should I just stop being lazy and go to the store for more instant?
Haha, well my first inclination is to say get your hands on some instant yeast. But if you have active dry to use up, the proofing method you used really is the best way to go.
LOVE this recipe; it’s my choice for keeping us stocked in sandwich bread.
Question – I double the recipe and make 6 loaves at a time, and I know you’ve done large 5-6 loaf batches as well. What container do you use to rise that much dough? I bought 6 quart cambros but doesn’t seem large enough.
I divide it between two 6 quart containers.
Can’t wait to try this. Your step by step recipe will be so helpful. I have made quite a few loaves of bread, but branching out, trying 100% whole wheat.. Just tried a 100% sprouted wheat that turned out unbelievably soft. First time with sprouted wheat. That recipe had cottage cheese in it. Great sandwich bread. But this sounds amazing and I am so excited to try it. Thank you so much for all the work you do to give us great recipes.
I have now made this bread three times. I don’t have a mixer so I do it all by hand. It’s a workout! BUT I wanted to say the last time I subbed lentils for quinoa (ran out) and it turned out delicious. Thanks, Mel!
That’s amazing – thanks for letting me know!
Just made this bread. It is awesome! I think this is my new go to recipe for whole wheat bread. Thanks Mel, for always having the best recipes!
This bread is delicious! …but drives me crazy! I’ve made it twice. The first time I didn’t cook the quinoa enough and it didn’t “melt” into the bread enough. This time I used my IP to cook it and it was perfect. HOWEVER, both times I had to add WAY more flour! The dough is SOO STICKY! I even reduced the additional water to 1/2 C instead of 3/4 C. Perhaps I didn’t add enough flour in the first part of the recipe, but I had to add about 3 more cups of flour! Even still the dough was really sticky, but I couldn’t bring myself to add anymore flour. There was so much dough I actually made 4 loaves and luckily they turned out delicious.
Any special instructions if I’m making this without a stand mixer?
Thanks!
I haven’t made it by hand but as long as you don’t overflour, it should be fine!
Love this bread so much! I just made it with all white flour since I was out of whole wheat. It was delicious!!
Made this yummy bread today. Divided the recipe by three to make a single loaf and subbed the milk for soya milk. Tastes amazing soft and chewy with a bit of nutty texture but not crunchy at all. Thanks Mel for all the great recipes!
PS Have you ever considered doing a sourdough bread recipe on your blog?
Hey Melissa, so happy you love this bread! I keep a sourdough starter but don’t know if I’ll ever be confident to post a recipe since I”m still kind of learning. I mostly use the recipe(s) from King Arthur Flour when I make sourdough bread.
Would it be possible to post the measurements you used to cut the recipe to make a single loaf?
This is excellent bread. The first time I made it, I had to add about 2 c. Extra flour. This time I only added 1 c. of milk and the dough was the perfect consistency, maybe even a tad sticky. I kneaded it in the mixer and it cleaned the bowl. I didn’t have to add more flour when I kneaded it a short time on the table. It’s raising for the first time now.
I read all of the comments. My dough was very wet too. I threw in a handful of cornmeal, flaxseed meal, wheatgerm and then enough whole wheat flour to get the consistency needed. So why not throw some sesame seeds on top? Next time I think I’ll make 4 loaves out of it since I added at least 2 more cups of dry ingredients. Or three 9 x 5 loaves. We ate it hot out of the oven with honey butter. Yum!
Why did my bread deflate in oven?
It may have overrisen before baking…that can sometimes cause bread to deflate.
No it didn’t override, but it was bit sticky. Could it be that it was little to soft. Maybe could have added little more flour. Would that probably have helped?
Yes that’s probably it…if the dough is overly sticky or doesn’t have enough flour, the bread won’t have enough structure to keep it upright while rising.
This recipe is just amazing! I make it every week with red whole wheat flour using my hamilton beach bread machine. It turns great. I put the machine on cycle 8 which is “dough”. I follow the recipe and add all ingredients but do not add the cooked quinoa. As soon as the dough is ready and the machine starts to heat the dough, I turn the machine off and wait for 10 minutes. Then I again put the machine on cycle 8, add the cooked quinoa and start the machine. This time I let the machine to continue normally and rise. When the dough has risen and is ready, I take it out of the bread machine and cut it and place it in the pieces in greased loaf pans and let them to rest for another hour. Then I cook them in the oven.
Thank you for this great healthy recipe.
I love this bread!! Do you think it would work to make one regular loaf and use the other 2/3 of the dough to do a “pull apart garlic bread” in a bundt pan? I guess like a monkey bread but buttery an delicious garlicky?
Thanks Mel!!
Sounds like a great idea! I haven’t tried it but I think it might work. Report back if you try it!
Reporting back! I used 1/3 dough in a bread pan as a normal loaf, the other 2/3 of the dough I rolled into balls and then dipped in butter before placing in a greased bundt pan. I melted 1 stick of butter and had 1-2 tbsp left over that I just dumped on the “rolls”. Next time
I would save it and brush it on the bread and rolls after baking.
The pull apart rolls were a little dense, but the outside ones had a nice crispy crust. Would go well with a pasta or soup as a dipper.
Thanks for the update, April!
I left out the second lot of water, halved the recipe and used 1 cup wholemeal, the rest plain. Still had to sprinkle lots of flour while kneading by hand.
Also used only two teaspoons yeast, which is plenty. Many recipes use far too much. Bread rises and keeps better with the addition of bread improver.
I would love to try this recipe, but I don’t eat dairy. Can I replace the milk by vegan milk such as almond milk?
I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure but you could experiment!
I used almond milk. It’s fine. I use it all the time in baking.
I realize it’s been 2 ½ years so you’re probably not still looking for this answer…but I made this bread with water and it was excellent.
I made this bread today. I have made several of Mel’s recipes and they have been very good, especially her pretzel rolls. This bread was good but not great. I guess my tastes are different. The bread was very hearty and rich, but just a little too heavy for me and my wife.
I have been making Darcy’s whole wheat recipe for about 6 months and it’s been great. I was hesitant to try this as it just seemed too good to be true with the added nutrition of the quinoa. Just followed the recipe carefully and made this as directed and it was absolutely amazing. I did have to add maybe an extra 3/4 cup of flour or so but stopped adding flour once the mixer sides came clean. The kids said it was the best bread I’ve ever made and gobbled up several pieces each! Thanks so much. I think this is going to be my new go-to!!
Glad you loved it, Marsha!
When you double this, do you use 3 T of yeast?
Yes, I do!
I tried this recipe but used oats flour with the whole wheat 1/2 and 1/2.
I mixed a half recipe of this bread in my 5 qt KitchenAid mixer (since I knew it couldn’t handle a whole recipe), and it was good. I used half bread flour and half wheat since I didn’t have the vital wheat gluten. I did need to add extra flour than the recipe called for.
I recently got the Bosch mixer, and I’m looking forward to trying out the whole recipe with the wheat gluten. I was wondering if you’ve ever tried substituting oatmeal for some of the flour. I love oatmeal bread and think oatmeal/quinoa bread would be awesome. I may try substituting half a cup oatmeal for half a cup of the flour and see how it goes.
Thanks for the recipe!
I make this in my 5-quart Kitchenaid all the time and it handles the full recipe beautifully.
I have made this bread several times and we love it but I have some problems everytime that I hope you can help me with.
The dough before you add the quinoa is never that stiff. I even added two extra cups of flour before adding the quinoa to have it look like your picture and have it clean the bowl. (I have a bosch also). Then when I add the quinoa, and knead it the 7-9 minutes it gets really soft–alot softer than roll dough! I added more flour to attempt to get it to clean the bowl but finally gave up and just put it into my raising bowl. Remarkably, the dough at that point felt pretty good even though it had not cleaned the bowl.
Am I kneading too long? It is very dry here in AZ so it is not the humidity! Help!
I think you’re making it just fine! This dough is much softer than most whole wheat bread doughs and the quinoa absorbs a lot of flour due to its moisture. Much of why you might need more flour may be the amount of moisture left in the cooked quinoa and that will vary a little from person to person. As long as the dough isn’t too sticky to handle, it should be fine. Did the baked loaves rise and bake up well?
Love the bread . Are the loaves suppose to be heavy
I made 4 loaves that were each just over 25 ounces and they were the perfect size, not too huge. We loved this, so yummy!
I love this bread! I have not had my bread turn out so soft and fluffy. I did not use the gluten and it worked great!
So first, I am THRILLED to report that my 7 qt professional KitchenAid passed this test! Handled the dough like a champ! And I love the bread!
I do have a question:
1. About how long do each of your rises take? I realize this can be different based on all the factors that affect the recipe as well, but I could use a ballpark time. I think I probably cut the first rise short. It appeared to be doubled, but the loaves didn’t quite come out to 32 oz each. The first rise for me was almost 3 hours. Second rise was almost 2 hours, My loaves weren’t tall or as light and fluffy as yours. Was it the rise? Can I let dough rise too long? What would be the effect of that? I also didn’t have the vital wheat gluten, could it be that? Or both? The bread is nice and soft, just not airy.
This bread rises super fast when I make it, Jodi. I’m guessing my first rise is right around an hour (maybe slightly less) and about an hour in the bread pans. The vital wheat gluten definitely helps develop the natural gluten in the bread (which assists in light, fluffy bread) but a lot of people make whole wheat bread without it, so I don’t think it would be the sole factor.
This was pretty easy (as most breads are). It turned out better than any bread I’ve ever made. It was fluffy and light. I could tell there was quinoa in it, but not in a bad way, just made it feel healthier and “nutty”. Another awesome recipe Mel. 🙂
Why not just leave the dough in the Bosch bowl for the first raise?
You could definitely try that…I’m just in the habit of transferring to a greased bowl (makes it less sticky to work with when shaping into loaves).
Best whole wheat bread I’ve ever made. The recipe is very fool proof and easy. This while be the new monthly bread I make. Delicious!
Do you think it’s possible to make this with almond milk, making it dairy free? We are new to this food allergy thing and I’m not sure if almond milk substitutes in bread?! Thanks!
That’s a good question, Natalie – I definitely think in the case of bread, it’s worth a try.
This bread SERIOUSLY is the yummiest! My family has loved it! Thanks again for a wonderful recipe, Mel!
Happy to hear that, Julie!
Can you please post a video tutorial for shaping the loaves? I’ve been making a different recipe of yours for the past few years. This dough is. Wet different to work with and I can’t figure out how to shape smooth loaves.
Correction: “The dough is different to work with and I cant figure out how to shape smooth loaves.”
Also, I have added over 2 cups (10 ounces) of additional flour and still the dough is quite wet. I live in AZ where the weather is typically dry and sunny—and shouldn’t have any effect on the dough. I think the wet dough is another reason why I can’t get the loaves smooth.
Hi Amy, it’s ok if you have to add more flour than even that (some of it may just be a difference in how we each measure flour). You can also try decreasing the water to 1/2 cup. I’m not sure if/when I’ll be able to work on a video for this particular post but I shape them just like in the picture tutorial below the recipe – hopefully that helps a little. I think if you can get your dough more floured, you’ll have better luck shaping them. Let me know if you have other questions.
Can you taste the honey much in this bread? I’m wanting to give homemade whole wheat bread another go, but I can’t stand the blatant taste of honey in my sandwiches. Lots of whole wheat recipes call for honey, but I’m hoping I can find one that’s not overtly sweet.
I haven’t noticed an overt honey taste, but I like the flavor of honey so maybe I’m just not aware of it. You could try subbing in regular white sugar for part of the honey.
Just curious if you have ever heard of or tried dough enhancer? My store (I live in the middle of no where Montana!) didn’t have vital wheat gluten so I am trying the enhancer. Its made by Augason Farms. Hopefully it works!
I haven’t ever used dough enhancer, but I know a lot of people do. Let me know how it goes!
The flavor is great, it’s a bit dense & didn’t raise as nicely as yours did, think I should have done half & half for the flour, its been years since I’ve made bread & I was never real successful at whole wheat. Its still a very nice bread, I’m not sure the enhancer did anything at all tho. l need to get the vital wheat gluten & try it again. I love the idea of using quinoa in bread! Thanks for your wonderful step by step!
I’ve never had the vital wheat gluten–I guess it’s not vital after all, ha. This bread works great without enhancer or added gluten. Don’t be scared to give it a try.
Hi Mel! I’m so excited to try this bread recipe, question- I am wondering if a non-dairy milk (almond, cashew) would work in place of the cows milk? Any thoughts or experiences with this?
Thanks!
I haven’t tried a non dairy milk, Tabitha, so I’m not sure, but I think it’s definitely worth a try!
I put the Quinoa in when it was too hot and it made the dough a wet mess 7 minutes into kneading it!! I had to add 1-2 more cups of flour and knead it for longer. But it still turned out edible! I’ll just have to follow instructions better next time!
Can this recipe be made in bread machine?
I’m not sure – I haven’t ever used a bread machine so I don’t know how the capacity of dough would work.
This is my go to wheat bread recipe I’ve been making for months, but it’s failing me the last few times I’ve tried to make it. The loaves keep sinking, dough is too wet and difficult to shape, despite adding nearly 2 extra cups of flour. The only thing I’ve changed is the brand of vital wheat gluten. Is it just a bad batch of gluten? Is that even a thing? Help! I miss my sandwich bread!
I don’t think the gluten would make that much of a difference. Has the weather been different there? More humid? Rainy? Something like that can wreak havoc on bread making and cause the need for extra flour.
It was amazing how much joy I have from making my own healthy wheat bread! Thank you for this recipe it worked wonderfully. I am making a second batch today!
I made this bread for the first time yesterday. It tastes good but I made it too wet so it came out more like a cake texture. It did rise though. Next time I will hold back on the milk.
I was a little skeptical about putting quinoa in bread?? Needless to say I am now a believer!!! My loaves turned out almost as pretty as yours did. The softness of the bread is so so good. Even after three days, it is still soft. And my husband loves it!! Thank you, thank you!
I have made used this recipe twice and it is delicious, but mine don’t turn out as pretty as yours. As my loafs are rising the second time they get bumps and grooves all over them. The tops of your loves are so smooth! Any tips on how to get my bread to turn out as pretty as yours?
Any chance they are over rising? Are the loaves smooth when you place them in the pans? If they are bumpy then, you might try greasing your hands as you shape the loaves.
I made this today, and even my quinoa-hating hubby enjoyed it! I was worried about my KitchenAid, so I made half the recipe and formed the dough into a long loaf (similar to a loaf of French bread, but thicker). I placed it diagonally on my rimmed baking sheet, so it fit nicely. Great recipe, Mel!
Forgot the rinse the quinoa – oops! Hand kneaded it. Still turned out delicious. Certainly a keeper! Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for the recipe. I wondered, have you ever tried this with pre-cooked quinoa that maybe you have leftover in the fridge? How much do you think it would require? It would just be nice to use up leftovers and cut out a step.
I haven’t tried that yet, Briahna…mostly because I think the dough benefits from warm quinoa (and often precooked quinoa is salted or cooked in broth which wouldn’t work for this recipe). I’m guessing it’s around 2 1/2 cups quinoa…
Hello Mel,
I’m not in the habit of posting comments but find I need to do it now! I thought that a kitchenaid was my coveted prize have used them in the past but not for bread making. Started really researching for best and easy to use machines for bread making. Was into bread making many years ago mostly batter breads. Bought a bread maker machine (again) as my family is much grown and gone wasn’t satisfied even just using the dough cycle. In my researching discovered the Bocsh compact which was to my surprise very affordable which in turn jogged my memory of a time 32 years ago being introduced to a lady who sold Bocsh that I could never dream of affording. Enter Bocsh compact at last I could afford a Bocsh! And a note to those who have negative views on its looks, I love it’s sleek compact light weight looks! The day after it was delivered I made your Quinoa wheat bread. I just can’t express how thrilled I am with the results I didn’t have quite the high loaves you did and was dissapointed at first but after tasting it OMG! So glad I found your site! And as far as the Bocsh, for me the ease of making bread and the performance is everything and more! Sorry this was so long couldn’t be helped. Thank you thank you again for your site!
I loved your comment, Gloria! Thank you! And I agree that the Bosch is unparalleled when it comes to bread making!
Misspelled Bosch! Another comment regarding the quinoa bread… even though my loaves were not perfect looking like yours I was so pleasantly surprised at how good the bread was days later. At last I am finally having success at bread making and I have to give a lot of praise to the Bosch. I have my second batch of your recipie rising now along with your flaky cornmeal dinner rolls. I’m a very happy camper!
Well, I’m officially looking into buying a Bosch mixer. And ONLY because of you and your fabulous bread recipes.
A word of warning- don’t use your Kitchenaid for this one!!!! I definitely burned out my motor (yikes!) but thankfully I’ve done it before and the part costs like $10 and is a (relatively) easy fix.
I left the room to let it “knead” and came back to my mixer literally SMOKING! Holy cow!
That being said — my dough was WET. Like, super wet. I added a good 2 cups of flour to it and it was STILL wet. I just decided to grease it up, grease up a bowl, and let it rise and see what happens, since you warned against adding too much flour. Thankfully, it was manageable after the rise. (and my daughter loved helping me punch it out and form it into loaves!)
I usually HATE 100% whole wheat bread but this was pretty good! Hubby liked it a TON as well, so did my toddler. My bread was a little spongey, though, not quite airy and fluffy (maybe b/c the dough was more moist than it should have been). Also, I do get a few pieces of hard quinoa when I ate my slice – you can’t see the quinoa in the bread itself, but I did get the bite of some (uncooked??) quinoa. Not sure how that happens, maybe it’s typical for quinoa to have a few bits that don’t cook up and swell? (never made it more than once before, so I’m not sure).
Anyhow— definitely a re-make according to the family! Thanks for the receipe! Now time to try to find a used Bosch on Ebay! 🙂
Hey Jen, I’m SO sorry about your mixer! Yikes! I’m glad you know how to replace the part, but WHAT A PAIN! As for your dough, I think the sponginess was probably because the dough was a little on the wet side. As for the quinoa, depending on how it’s cooked, sometimes little bits of quinoa will stay up high on the sides of the pot/pan and not get fully tender. Just make sure to scrape those hard pieces of quinoa out of the pan before using it in the dough (and make sure the quinoa is super soft as a whole…increase water slightly or cook longer, if needed). I hope you can find a Bosch! Seriously life changing for bread.
Hi Jen. I’m trying to venture away from rolls and into bread loaves…in poring over Mel’s recipes, I ran into your comment. I love my (23-yr old!) KitchenAid but do have to scale down some recipes to minimize overflow and “traveling” across the counter!:) May I ask what is the exact part you’ve had to replace? I’m wondering if I have a few more years left with my mixer if replacing parts is so simple…thank you!
Oh my goodness, this bread came out perfectly!! I am declaring it as my new favorite bread. Haha we seriously devoured it at dinner tonight! Thanks for an incredible recipe!
Glad you loved it!
I got the huge stainless steel bowl for Christmas and have doubled this recipe twice. I have to say, it is a TON of dough and both times I looked at my dough mixing and thought, “No way is this gonna work!” But it works! And the process of hauling out the giant popcorn bowl (for rising) and all of my bread pans pays off when I have a freezer fully stocked! You mentioned you make 7 loaves when you double it, are they smaller? My 6 loaves all came out about 34 ounces and that was after adding quite a bit of extra flour. And just to mention, I always use skim milk for this recipe. I hoard my 2% for making kefir and yogurt.
My loaves weigh right around 29-30 ounces when making seven loaves for this recipe (which means our dough is probably right around the same mass – I’m just splitting them into 7 loaves instead of 6). I haven’t noticed they are noticeably smaller, but maybe they are slightly.
Hi Mel, 2nd time I’ve made this yummy bread now. My kids love it for sandwich bread in their school lunches! So both times I’s struggled w my Kitchenaid mixer. It’s obvious your mixer must be superior to mine as it’s really difficult to mix. I started mixing this time before my quinoa was done & it made me wonder…could I mix for the 7-9 mins & THEN add the quinoa in? That way there is less stuff in there & it will mix easier without overflowing so much! Then I would add the quinoa, mix it in for maybe a min & be done mixing? What do you think of that idea? That way the yeast & flour are getting a good mix to make the gluten still I think?? Thanks for your thoughts!
Hey Erika – I think that’s definitely worth a try. Next time I make it, I’ll try it that way and report back. I think it stands a good chance of working – I only worry that the quinoa may be more “present” in the bread. I think the mixing helps it absorb into the dough.
I have made this bread a few times now. We love it. But I am wondering if you can also use traditional active dry yeast.
Hi Brenda – yes, you can…just proof the active dry yeast in a bit of water and maybe a pinch of sugar until it is bubbling before using in the recipe.
I love your bread recipes. We make homemade bread weekly. Do you have a great Multigrain bread tucked some where? I worked in a bread store when i was in high school and my absolute favorite bread there was the 9 grain. Also, just a plain old white sandwich bread? Thank you.
Hy Shawnda – I am actually about ready to post my go-to white sandwich bread recipe. I don’t have a tried-and-true multigrain bread (yet) but I’ve been working on one and hopefully will post it sometime this year. 🙂
Hi Mel. I just finished making this bread and it came out great. I do have a couple of suggestions for making the instructions more “beginner friendly.”
In step 3 of the “Directions” you say to add the liquid ingredients and continue to mix. Using a Kitchen Aid mixer is this using the paddle attachment or dough hook? I tried using the paddle for mixing and it got way to hard to get the job done. I switched to the hook to knead the dough for 7-9 minutes. The dough continually came up over the top of the flat part of the dough hook, got into the upper part of my mixer and was a real mess! My mixer began to over heat and smoke. I turned it off and finished kneading the dough with my hands just like grandma did. The bread came out fine but it was truly frustrating to get to the finished product. I have a Kitchen Aid Artisan 5 qt. high-performance mixer yet this recipe was too massive for this appliance.
Hi Linda – all my bread recipes are written for a Bosch mixer which is what I use. I don’t have experience making bread in a KitchenAid mixer but I’ll try to do a better job at making a note that the recipe is written for a Bosch and may need to be scaled down for other mixers.
haha. Same exact mixer, same exact thing happened with mine. You can replace the stripped plastic gear relatively cheaply (less than $10 last time I had to) and youtube the how-to videos and it’s relatively painless (though messy!!!) to do!
Mel, your bread makes me look like a baking rockstar! Thank you for giving such detailed recipes that gave me the confidence to jump into baking ALL our bread. I’ve been making it for about a year and I don’t plan on stopping. Not only am I proud of it, I really enjoy working with the dough. Which leads me to my piece of advice: DO NOT try to double this in a Kitchen Aid Professional. The recipe will be way too big and then you’ll have to turn it out on the counter and hand knead it. And while you’re elbows deep in a mountain of dough, your kids will clean out one of the cabinets and turn it into a burrow from which they serve popsicles. My kitchen looked like a bag of flour exploded and I had been ransacked. But you know what? I learned that I can knead dough without my machine and still have it turn out fabulous! And that my kids CAN entertain themselves completely without my providing them toys/crafts. Thank you a million times over, your blog is my very favorite and a daily go to for kitchen inspiration. Merry Christmas!
Haha, Lindsay – I’m sorry but that made me laugh! I’m so glad your bread turned out…I would have loved to be a little fly on the wall observing the antics of your kids. 🙂
I just tried to make this bread and it did not work for me at all. I ended up having to add an extra 2-3 cups of flour and it was still so wet that it wouldn’t hold its shape. Any idea what I did wrong? Could I have kneaded it too long?
Hi Mara – sounds like you had more liquid to flour ratio in your dough. How did you cook the quinoa? On the stovetop? Was there a lot of excess water after it had cooked when you added it to the dough? Adding more flour is totally fine – in fact, based on where you live (elevation, temperature, humidity) you might need to add more than the 2-3 cups. As long as a soft, tacky dough forms and you’ve followed the rest of the recipe, it should be ok adding more flour.
Quick question…my husband can’t have whole wheat. Would white bread flour work instead? I love the idea of getting a whole grain in bread for him.
Yes, I think this would work with bread flour (eliminate the gluten in the recipe).
Awesome, thanks!!!
Hi Mel!
I made this bread today and I can see why it is your favorite! My family loved it and finished off one loaf with dinner. I cut the recipe in half to fit my kitchen aide and ended up with 1 regular loaf and one mini. I asked Santa for a Bosch for Christmas
I cook my quinoa in pressure cooker (instant pot). It takes only a cup and a half water — would I need to add extra water to the bread recipe if I use the quinoa from pressure cooker?
I make the quinoa for this recipe in the pressure cooker often, too…I use the water amount given in the recipe.
Mel! This bread is AMAZING! You know how I’ve spent the past several years trying to make the Darcy bread work for me, and now all that work is out the door, because this is my new go to. Can the mighty bosch handle doubling this recipe? Also, to cook the quinoa, I used the pressure cooker so I could set it and forget it while I got kids ready for school. I did 1 cup quinoa to 1 1/2 cups water and cooked at high pressure for 1 minute with a natural release (which was more like an hour release because I was trying to get kids out the door!) It was fluffy, moist, and warm when I was ready for it. Thanks Mel, total perfection this one!
I was wondering about doubling too. Will you comment if you try it?
I have doubled it and it made 7 loaves. However I do have the large stainless steel Bosch bowl with the dough hook in the bottom that I use for bread and it’s bigger than the classic white bowl…so I wouldn’t do more than 1 1/2 the recipe using the white bowl for the Bosch probably.
Is this the bowl you’re talking about? Is this a decent price?https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Bosch-Universal-Machine/dp/B0050E1N70/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1478350044&sr=8-14&keywords=bosch+mixer+parts
Yep, that’s the one I have and I think I paid about that (although I ordered it through pleasant hill grain).
After I added the milk, water, honey, and oil, the bread was not thick and dense. I am in Utah, so if would have expected it to be more dense rather than less. At the end, I added two extra cups of floor (1/4 cup at a time). Any suggestions?
I actually think it’s fine – so much depends on what kind of flour you are using (storebought is more packed vs freshly ground is light and fluffy) and a lot of other factors. Did the bread turn out ok? It’s ok to have to add flour at the end to achieve the right consistency of dough. Let me know how it turned out.
I was so worried about all the extra flour I added (not floor, ha!), but the bread turned out beautifully!! Delicious and perfect! Thank you!!
Hey Mel!
I made this bread today. So yummy! Most beautiful and easiest to work with dough I have ever made. But I feel like I definitely am crunching on some quinoa. Especially in the crust. Like I feel like some of the quinoa is getting stuck in my teeth…
Is your bread a little crunchy? Or did I do something wrong?
Ps love you and your site and everything you do.
I can feel a tiny bit of the quinoa texture in the crust but definitely not in the crumb of the bread. Is there a chance you quinoa was undercooked at all? It should be really soft and tender.
I am happy to report that day 2 bread has no crunchys! So I must have undercooked the quinoa.
I took the bread to mom’s group and it was a hit! Everyone assured me they couldn’t tell there was any quinoa inside the bread.
Also I used half white wheat and half red wheat that I grounded just before I made the bread. The combo worked great! I also had to add a little extra flour. But it’s wasn’t more than 1/4 cup. I live in Colorado. Thanks again!
I am happy to report that day 2 bread had no crunch! I stored it in gallon zip lock bags last night and so maybe the moisture helped? I guess I must have under cooked the quinoa…which probably means I have been under cooking quinoa all along haha oops! Anyway, I took a loaf to mom’s group and they all assured me that they did not notice any crunch at all.
Also, I used half white wheat half red wheat combo and it turned out beautifully! Maybe just a tad bit darker in color than your pictures but not overly heavy or anything. I also added some extra flour. Mine was fresh ground and I added no more than 1/4 a cup. I live in Colorado!
Thanks again!!
Hi Mel!
How do you warm up your milk to get it to 110 degrees? I microwave and it always gets too hot!
Thanks
Nadia
I usually microwave for 1 minute at 50% power. Stir, and then microwave for 10-12 second spurts until it’s warm enough.
This bread is AHHHHMAZING!! I made it last Wednesday and a week later it is still moist. I’m kind of a “bread snob” and will usually only eat it the day I make it but this is incredible as are the other recipes I’ve tried from your site!! Thank you so much for sharing! My friends and family all laugh at me because I tell them I will check with my “BFF” for a recipe…she won’t let me down!! And you always come through; I haven’t been disappointed yet!! And they haven’t either. I send them all to your site!
Thanks, Linda! Isn’t it amazing how soft this bread stays??
I’m trying this today! Question about the quinoa – I started cooking it about when I started making the bread. I ground my wheat, added the ingredients, etc. while the quinoa was cooking and cooling. It’s been way longer than 20 minutes (and I even stuck it in the fridge for about 10 minutes) and it’s still super hot – about 150 degrees. I’m worried about it killing the yeast, so I’m still letting it cool. About how long do you let yours cool? Do you start it way before you start the rest of the bread? It looks super yummy and I can’t wait to taste it!
I haven’t ever taken the exact temperature of the cooked quinoa but I usually start the bread after the quinoa has cooked – like, right when it starts cooling. Having said that, it’s pretty darn warm when I start adding it to the bread and it’s been fine. Next time I make this (probably tomorrow or the next day), I’ll grab a temperature reading and post an update.
Hey Amanda, I finally got around to getting a temperature on the quinoa I used. I’m making the bread as we speak and actually used the quinoa a bit warmer than I usually do – it was about 145 degrees and still steaming when I added it to the bread.
Finally I made a healthy bread that was not heavy like a brick!
Absolutely delicious! Now, I just need to figure out how to stop eating it.
Thanks!
Anyone use olive oil or coconut oil? Will any oil do?
I’m not sure if I did something wrong…my bread doesn’t look like yours. It’s lighter in color and looks a little denser. It is definitely baked and tastes good, but not great, so I was disappointed for the amount of time I spent working on it this afternoon. I used the King Arthur flour as you recommended. I just don’t know what went wrong.
Hi Sara – sorry your bread didn’t turn out! If it was dense, is there a possibility it needed to rise longer?
What type of mixer do you have? I’ve never made bread before but have thought about it and getting a mixer sounds like a good idea.
I use a Bosch Universal mixer for all my bread recipes. 🙂
I was so excited to try this recipe yesterday. My kids and husband don’t like quinoa but it’s so good for you and I was excited to have a way to sneak it in. But…my bread tastes like quinoa. Like that raw, almost dirt flavor you get when quinoa isn’t rinsed and/or cooked in chicken broth. My quinoa bag said its pre-rinsed so I didn’t rinse before cooking it. Could that be why? Any other ideas why this might have happened? The texture is great and I want to love this recipe, I really do!
Hey Natalie – I highly recommend always, always rinsing quinoa even if it says pre-rinsed. I’ve had that same thing happen with supposedly pre-rinsed quinoa and have learned it’s best to always rinse. That’s my guess of why your bread had an off taste…I can’t think of what else it would be other than brand (what kind did you use?) since it shouldn’t have an overpoweringly dirty quinoa taste when baked.
Have you ever used keifer instead of the milk? I have done keifer to use up and would love to try this bread recipe.
I haven’t used kefir in this bread recipe instead of milk but I think it’s definitely worth a try.
I tried it and I don’t know if it was because of the keifer or some other reason, but I had to add at least two more cups of flour (I live in Utah not very humid). The bread tastes good but it doesn’t look as fluffy as yours does.
Kneaded!!! Not needed.
P.S. My Kitchen Aid stand mixer did fine. It was maxed out and going over the attachment slightly, but it needed the dough for sufficient time and I just peeled away the dough that was up high.
Mel, thank you!! I made this today and LOVE it! I’m pumped!!! Put some in the freezer and we already downed one loaf. I made four smaller loaves instead of three.
I don’t have Instant yeast on hand. think I can figure out how to substitute active yeast? Do you have any tips?
I haven’t tried it but you could experiment by dissolving 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons active dry yeast in maybe 1/2 cup water with a pinch of sugar and then sub it in the recipe (and decrease the liquid in the recipe just slightly or add a bit more flour).
Mel! This looked so amazing that when I saw the email first thing in the morning, I tossed my children’s homeschooling to the wind and spent all morning making it. (Clearly I’m an excellent mother with excellent priorities 🙂 Anyway, I made a couple small changes and it was still delicious: used coconut oil since that’s what I use in my other bread recipe, and non-dairy rice milk since that’s what we always have on hand. I also had to add a significant amount of extra flour while mixing (about a cup in both batches I made) and I live in Phoenix, so definitely no humidity. Maybe it depends on the wetness of the quinoa? Anyway, super yummy!
Side note: if you ever see jars of E.D. Smith’s Black Cherry Raspberry Blood Orange jam at your local Costco, buy 15 jars. It’s the best jam on the planet and SO good with this bread 🙂
Thanks for your notes on the recipe, Bonnie, and now I’m going to be on the lookout for that jam!
I recently bought the Bread Illustrated cookbook and liked the fan roll recipe I made from it. I’m very intrigued about the method it describes to use lava rocks to create a steam oven type of environment for making crusty bread. Good thing a kind older gentleman at Home Depot steered me away from the landscaping lava rocks I was about to buy to the ones for use with a gas grill.
Haha, that would definitely be something I would do. I’m loving that book, too. I made the fan rolls and loved them and am trying my hand at the croissants this week.
Hmmm croissants! Only you can motivate me to make them!
After eating a slice, my daughter said to only make this kind of bread now. Usually I make Darcy’s bread but now I think this is my new favorite. So tender and wonderful! I didn’t have the smaller size pans so used my 9.25×5.25 size pans and made two bigger loaves and one smaller loaf. Thanks for a delicious recipe!
That’s exactly how we feel; we love this bread! So happy you and your crew loved it, too.
Looks like maybe the container is a Cambro brand? (Just by searching Amazon) Do you recommend a certain size Mel? Note that the lids are sold separate.
I have the 8-quart size and like it for larger quantities of dough. Eventually, I’d like to get the 4- or 6-quart one, too. The one I have is pretty big. It also makes a great storage container for other things (if making a lot of food or chopping up fruits/veggies for canning, etc).
Thank you very much for this recipe! I am going to forward it to my sister, as she is looking to change up a few things in her normal diet, and this might be a great bread for her. She loves quinoa as well, so I’m sure her and my mom will really like this. Thank you again.
What is the container you use to let the bread raise? I’d love to have one of those!!
Hi Liz, I got it at Standard Restaurant Supply but someone else in the comments found them on Amazon (the Cambro brand). I have the 8-quart size.
YUM! Can’t wait to try this. What kind of milk do you use or does it matter (skim, 1%, reconstituted powdered) …… Thanks for the great recipes!
I use 2% because it’s what I keep on hand – I think any kind would work although maybe not skim?
Bread tastes great! My only problem is a huge hole in one of the loaves (hopefully not all as I’ve only cut one) any idea on how to not get the big holes inside? I flattened out the loaf as mentioned with the rolling out. did I let it rise too long?? HELP!!
Hi Yvette, it’s probably not from rising but almost certainly from how it’s rolled up – any air pockets (even tiny ones) can result in large holes. Make sure to really press out the air with your hand while shaping or try using this shaping technique (it’s the video at the bottom of this post): http://www.melskitchencafe.com/whole-wheat-bread-step-by-step/
Quick question. Where did you get the container that you’re using to raise your dough in? Looks like something I need in my life!!
Thanks!
Hey Rachel – I picked it up at the Standard Restaurant Supply store near me. It’s awesome; I use it all the time for rising dough.
Oh boy do those loaves of bread look amazing. I make all of our bread here too. We’re partial to wheat bread but I’ve never added quinoa to bread. I can’t wait to try it! Your description and photos sold me. I don’t grind my own wheat but have everything on hand to give this a go-hopefully soon. 🙂
Hi Mel, I will be giving this recipe a go on the weekend, I have just enough quinoa for this wonderful bread. Thanks for the recipe and the step by step guide. Have a wonderful day.
Fi
Hey Mel, I would love to know if and where you buy your quinoa in bulk? I want to start feeding it to my family more but it seems expensive to buy in small amounts. By the way, this bread recipe looks so yummy! I cant wait to make it. And can I just say, you are my favorite =) I never really comment, but almost 100% of my recipes come from you and me and my sisters talk about you like you are an old friend…Thanks for all you do!!
I agree that quinoa can be expensive! I buy it at Costco when it’s there and also in #10 cans (for our food storage) at Thrive. I’m very choosy when and how I use it because of the cost (so you know this bread has to be good!). 🙂
Hi Mel,This looks great! I love the added nutritional benefit of the quinoa!!! I had a question about the vital wheat gluten. Why do some wheat bread recipes have it and some do not? The best luck I’ve had with wheat breads is a recipe without the vital wheat gluten. I don’t know if the gluten is what is throwing me off or not. Why do you need it? Thanks
Hey Erin – good question on the vital wheat gluten. I’m not sure why some bread recipes have it and others do not; I like to use it when I’m making breads or rolls with 100% wheat flour because I think it helps the bread to have a light and fluffy texture – it basically doesn’t take as much work to develop the natural gluten in the bread. Even if I use a little white flour, I’ll leave it out. It’s not 100% necessary, but if it’s left out, I’d encourage the bread to be kneaded a bit longer.
Hi Mel, what did you use to grease your bread pans? Your loaves look perfect and appear like they just fall out of the pan. Mine do not. Thanks for any advice you have!
Hi Erika – I just use nonstick cooking spray. A lot may have to do with the pan. I heart my bread pans big time (I use some from Chicago Metallic and a few others are USA bread pans).
I followed Mel’s advice and bought the Chicago Metallic pans and I just spray them with Pam and the bread DOES just *fall* out of the pan! So definitely buy them yourself, it’s amazing how amazing they are!
Do you have to use white quinoa? I have some red in my pantry. I have to try this, I love bread!
I’ve only ever used white quinoa, Renay, but you could definitely experiment!
I was already planning on making bread today and was happy to see this post. I just had a piece for lunch, and loved it!! I live in an area where there is high humidity, so I think I ended up adding almost a whole extra cup of flour, and I also lrft out the vital wheat gluten. It turned out awesome! Your website has made me into a baker, and I can’t thank you enough! I love all of your bread recipes and am excited to have one more to make for my family.
Good to know, Nicole! Humidity can definitely affect the dough so thanks for chiming in with your comments. I live in an extremely dry area which would make sense why I don’t need the extra flour
I’m making this right now and for any others living in humid areas, you may have to add quite a bit more flour to get it to clear the sides of the bowl. I didn’t measure exactly how much I ended up adding, but it was probably at least one cup. (I made the rest exactly as written, including weighing my flour at the beginning.) It looks and smells so good. I can’t wait to try it!
Thanks, Megan! It helps when others chime in with comments like this…I live in a very dry climate so it’s helpful for others to know if they live in a humid area, they may need more flour.
I needed to make bread today and was so excited to find a new bread recipe to try! It is rising now! As far as mixers go, for anyone looking into mixers, I went with the Ankarsrum mixer. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CA8YJ5M/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3UYW39N0T6GC5&coliid=I26RYX7JGAIYZE&psc=1
It is more pricy but I do love it!
I’ve never even heard of that mixer, Lachelle!
I can’t wait to try this!
Just a note for Kitchen Aid users, I learned the hard way that the Artisan mixer (which seems to be most common) is only designed to hold 9 cups of ingredients. I’ll be sure to decrease the recipe to make 2 loaves instead of 3!
It’s a hassle to get a Kitchen Aid mixer fixed, too! It’s insanely expensive to send it in to get repaired, so I kinda fast talked a Mennonite guy who owned a small engine repair shop to fix it! 🙂
Good note to make for other KitchenAid owners. Thanks, Becky!
I’ve repaired the stripped (plastic , UGH!) ) gear in my Artisan on my own before. The part can be bought for less than $10 and there’s lots of Youtube videos out there to help with step by step! 🙂
It’s messy (lots of engine grease) but worthwhile (money wise) to do it yourself.
Thanks for the tip on the number of cups of incredients— that could explain the disaster I had with this recipe written as is! 🙂
I can’t wait to try this! My family has been seriously missing my homemade bread since I took a teaching job this fall… Have to try this. Then I’ll share with my Home-Ec class. Thanks Mel!
What beautiful loaves of bread. I grind my own wheat also. I haven’t made bread in a good while. I need to try this.
This bread looks amazing! I’ve been looking for a new bread recipe to try for some homemade pear butter we’ve made, this might be the one!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
This looks amazing! Since my teenage son could live on bread, this would be a nice healthy upgrade to our regular old bread. BTW…I just made your Classic Snickerdoodles and they are awesome! I only had 1/4 cup shortening (instead of 1/2 cup) so I added just another 1/4 cup butter and they turned out perfect! I’ve also been making your Creamy Garlic Alfredo Sauce – perfectly quick, foolproof, yum!! I love your recipes!!
This looks so good! Is there a way I could just make one loaf? I know there are rules about decreasing yeast. Thanks!!
Hi Jill – Liz, who just commented above you, is right in the process of making one loaf!
Wow, I had no idea there were rules about decreasing yeast … I just used 1/3 of all ingredients including yeast…it is only about 20 minutes but there is what I would say is normal rising for that time, i.e. it is rising. Any the warmest spot in my house is 64F.
I make a lot of yeast breads so use SAF Instant in bulk, kept in the refrigerator. I’ve never had a rise failure with it. It is vacuum packed and I make sure to get the freshest pack when I buy.
I’ll post back in reply to my upper comment later this afternoon after rise-bake-cool.
Mel,
This is pure genius. I’m definintely going to give this a shot. Thank you for sharing! What a great way to feel like I’m getting a healthy amount of protein in bread! I will report back. 🙂
Denise
Has anyone had any luck trying a nondairy milk in this recipe? If so, I’d love to hear about it!
Yes! I used rice milk and it turned out great!
Thank you, I’m excited to try this! I’ve been making the standard bread, but this looks intriguing. I’ve also never put milk in my sandwich bread…is it necessary because of the quinoa?
I don’t think it’s the quinoa that requires it – I think it’s there to help make a more tender loaf of bread.
What brand of bread pans are you using? I have been looking for some good “square corner” ones instead of pans with rounded corners. The same goes for a 15x10x1 jelly roll pan if you have any suggestions! Love your site!!
Hi Diane – I have this jelly roll pan and LOVE it:
https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Non-Stick-Jelly/dp/B015CQZK4C/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1476890990&sr=8-5&keywords=jelly+roll+pan
I also have the Chicago Metallic 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2-inch bread pans and they are great but a friend recently gave me some of the USA ones and they are my faves!
https://www.amazon.com/USA-Bakeware-Aluminized-Steel-Pound/dp/B0029JQEIC/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1476891042&sr=1-1&keywords=usa+bread+pan
Thank you for the info!!
I always have cooked quinoa in the freezer, how much would you say i should use? I searched how much cooked quinoa a cup of dry yields and i found between 3-4 cups :s
Also, does the quinoa need to be warm? One more question, i noticed that this loaves weigh more than your whole wheat bread, why is that?
The texture and density of these loaves are a completely different animal than my go-top traditional whole wheat bread, so that is why they weigh more (probably thanks to the quinoa and overall structure/makeup of the dough). Yes, the quinoa needs to be a little warm and not dry at all. I haven’t ever measured the quinoa but I’m guessing it’s right around 3 1/2 to 4 cups. You might try making the quinoa for the recipe as written just once so you can get a better idea of how much to use and the texture of the quinoa – then it will be even easier to pull it out from the freezer and use it in the recipe.
Thanks Mel!
This bread recipe looks so good! Do you think it would adapt to a bread machine?
I honestly am not sure since I don’t use a bread machine – the only step I would be concerned about is adding in the quinoa at the end of mixing (since don’t you normally throw all the ingredients into the bread machine to start)?
Good news! I just tried it in a bread machine and it worked great. Just the dough cycle though — I always switch things over to bake in the oven myself. Anyway, I cut the recipe in half and added the quinoa towards the beginning (I let it get a start on mixing and then put it in before the blade struggled). Then I checked it a couple times during the mixing rounds to make sure that the flour was the right amount (always seems to vary). But it worked wonderfully. And you’re right, Mel — absolutely delicious bread!!
Thanks for the tips Angela! I am trying it today.
thanks for the bread machine tip!
I have wheat all ground ready to make bread, so I think I’ll try this today! Yay! My question is… I only have 9 inch loaf pans. How would you suggest baking in 9 inch pans? Should I only split it into 2 loaves or leave it at 3 smaller loaves? Thanks Mel!
Hi Aubri – it’s quite a hefty loaf, you might try baking three loaves in three 9X5-inch pans. They might be a little less tall but it might work. You could also make two bigger loaves and then use the last bit of dough to make a few rolls or something.
I just did three loaves in my 9×5 bread pans, and it turned out great!
Yay!
Hi! This looks amazing! Quick question: is the vital wheat gluten, well, vital??? I tend not to use it in my breads, but always add about a 1/3 cup of flax. And I want to make sure this bread won’t be a flop without it. Thank you!
I think the vital wheat gluten makes the bread much more fluffy and soft but you could definitely experiment leaving it out. 🙂
Wow really want to give this a try! I bake bread often but have never used vital wheat gluten. I tried making bagels once that called for it but left it out and they were just okay. Your recipe may be the push I need to try this ingredient out. Thanks for the detailed instructions!
I will definitely try this! Thanks.
I love to bake bread, but sandwich loaves have always been a problem for me in terms of slicing them into thin-enough pieces for sandwiches. If we want to just eat a hunk of bread, no problem, but for normal-sandwich-thickness slices: big problem. Do you ever have this issue?
I haven’t really had that problem, Nancy – what kind of bread knife do you have? I have a really inexpensive one (the Rada) brand from Amazon and it works amazingly well.
I used to have that problem as well, but am a huge fan of using an electric bread knife. Super, super thin slices (our preference) without any problem. I have a good bread knife as well, but it can’t compete. Several of my friends have converted to electric bread knives after asking how I could get my slices so thin.
Yes, an electric bread knife is the best for thin slicing. I got mine at Goodwill for a few dollars. Works great! Often see them at Goodwill.
Thank you, Susan and Alicia! I’ve heard about electric knives for this purpose before–I really will have to seek one out. I have a fancy Henckels bread knife, but I just can’t get thin-enough slices with it.
haha! I thought I was the only crazy person who uses an electric carving knife for cutting bread!!! 🙂
Looks great and I” definitely going to try it but I gotta ask – what if I don’t need 3 loaves of bread at a time? Can I freeze before baking? Or after baking? Or cut the recipe by thirds?
This bread freezes great after being baked and cooled!
I have 1/3 recipe rising right now – it is just me plus I only have 1 bread pan 🙂
Also, I don’t have a stand mixer so I modified the method a bit for hand mixing as well as my WheatMontana brand white whole wheat which seems to need more liquid in most recipes.
13 ounces would be about 1/3 of the flour, but I started with 10 ounces to make it easier to hand mix and then kneaded in about another 1.5 ounces at the end to get what I think is the correct feel. We will see – I’ll post back later today. My house is very cool and I usually need longer rise times…
Oooh, I’m excited to hear how it turns out, Liz! Happy to hear you made it by hand and survived! 🙂
http://beardogco.com/theroadhome/?p=17131 some quick photos of my process and results.
Great flavor and texture. I had some work interference and a bit long on the first rise, maybe a bit short on the 2nd and I might bake 5 minutes longer.
I made a little sandwich and a bit of toast from 1 slice for taste testing – good for both!
You are awesome, Liz! I think your bread is perfection!
Do you know how this can be adapted for a Cuisinart food processor?
I do love your recipes! Have you ever had clotted cream? I had it when I was in London. I’m thinking it would go well with this bread.
I love clotted cream, Laurie! Yum! I haven’t made this in a food processor so I’m not sure how it would work; good luck if you experiment!
I noticed in your other bread post that you grind your own wheat. Any recommendations for a good wheat flour for those of us who don’t grind our own wheat? Will using another type of flour change the taste or texture of the bread? I absolutely love your recipes! Thank you for sharing your talent with us!
Hi Jordan – great question. I love the King Arthur brand of whole wheat flour and I think it’s pretty widely available in stores – I’m sure there are other good brands but because I grind my own, I don’t have a lot of experience with storebought wheat flour. Using a different variety of wheat (I use white whole wheat), like red whole wheat, can change the texture and color and density of the bread, but it’s definitely not a deal breaker. The main thing to keep in mind is to not overflour the dough. If using storebought flour, it will be really compact in the bag, so it will be important to fluff it up really well before measuring. Let me know if you have any other questions!
I’m in the southeast (Atlanta Metro area) and the Krogers around me sell Kroger brand white whole wheat flour, for what it’s worth. I know Kroger affiliates are in Alaska and Arizona, where I have family, but I don’t know if they have the white whole wheat flour.