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This fresh-milled gingerbread loaf will be your new go-to holiday sweet bread. It’s made with warm spices, molasses, and freshly milled soft white wheat. No one will ever guess it’s 100% whole grain!
A Quick Look At This Recipe
- Ready In: 1 hour
- Serves: 10 slices
- Calories: 304 kcal (approximately)
- Main Ingredients: Soft white wheat berries, molasses, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, milk, butter, and brown sugar
- Dietary Notes: 100% whole grain
- Why You’ll Love It: This fresh-milled gingerbread loaf is warmly spiced, velvety, and easy to make with wholesome whole grains.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS RECIPE ON
This buttery-soft, fresh-milled gingerbread loaf has recently become one of my go-to holiday sweet breads.
It's made with 100% fresh-milled flour and warm, cozy spices for a simple, whole-grain quick bread that’s perfect for any holiday occasion.
This is a soft white wheat recipe, which yields a tender crumb similar to all-purpose flour, but with the added flavor and nutrition of whole grain.
If you've made my fresh-milled pumpkin bread, the process will be familiar. This recipe follows the same easy method, but with molasses and classic holiday spices taking center stage.
It’s quick and easy, which makes it perfect for holiday gatherings and last-minute baking.
I also like making a few extra loaves to gift to friends and neighbors. I share more simple and festive homemade gifting ideas in my sourdough gifting post, and many of those ideas work well for fresh-milled gingerbread, too.
Happy baking! And happy holidays!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Whole Grain: You’d never guess it, but this recipe is 100% whole grain.
Cozy Flavor: Warm gingerbread and molasses create a classic holiday flavor.
Soft Crumb: The soft white wheat gives this loaf a surprisingly moist texture.
Easy: The process is simple and doesn’t require any fancy techniques, making it ideal for beginners to grain milling.
Gifting: This holiday bread makes an excellent gift for friends, family, and neighbors.
Ingredients
Wheat Berries: You'll need soft white wheat berries for the best texture. If you use hard wheat instead, add a little extra liquid and let the batter rest so it has time to absorb it.
Milk: I used whole milk. You can also use reduced-fat milk.
Vinegar: White vinegar reacts with the milk to make a buttermilk substitute. You can skip the milk and vinegar altogether and use 1 cup of buttermilk.
Brown Sugar: I prefer dark brown sugar, but light brown will also work.
Molasses: Use unsulphured molasses. Blackstrap is not a good option for this recipe.
Spices: I used ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. You can also add cloves or allspice if you prefer.
Vanilla: I used homemade vanilla extract, but store-bought works great too.
Get the full ingredient list and measurements on the printable recipe card below.
Tools You Will Need
Grain Mill: You will need a grain mill for this recipe. I use a Mockmill 200 Professional. Popular brands also include Nutrimill and KoMo.
Stand Mixer: I used a stand mixer to mix the wet ingredients. I love my KitchenAid bowl-lift mixer, but a hand mixer will also work.
Loaf Pan: I used a 9″ loaf pan, but an 8″ will also work.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease an 8″ or 9″ loaf pan.
Step 2: In a small bowl, combine the milk and vinegar. Set aside.
Step 3: Mill the wheat berries on the finest setting. You need a total of 2 1/2 cups of milled flour.
Step 4: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milled flour, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
Step 5: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and brown sugar.
Using a paddle attachment, beat on medium until combined and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step 6: Add the molasses and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until combined, about a minute or so.
Step 7: Add the eggs and mix on medium until combined, about 1 minute.
Step 8: Add 1/2 of the flour to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed just until combined.
Step 9: Add 1/2 of the milk-vinegar mixture. Mix on low speed just until combined.
Alternate adding the remaining half of the flour and milk, mixing between each addition. Do not overmix.
Step 10: Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 11: Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
I’ve found that the texture and flavor improve if it cools to room temperature first.
If sprinkling with powdered sugar, let it cool completely to room temperature first.
Tips for Success
- I always mill my wheat berries just before baking, but you can grind them a day ahead and store them in the fridge if needed.
- You can increase or decrease the spices depending on your preferences.
- A pinch of ground cloves is also good in this. However, I'm the only person in my house who likes cloves, so I leave them out.
- For the most accurate and repeatable results, I recommend weighing the ingredients in grams using a kitchen scale.
- Mix until the ingredients are just combined; overmixing can make the loaf dense.
- Chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or chopped pecans are all delicious additions if you want to change things up.
Serving Suggestions
Butter or Cream Cheese: Top a slice of the gingerbread loaf with a schmear of butter or cream cheese for a decadent topping.
Whipped Cream: Homemade whipped cream takes this loaf from delicious to absolutely dreamy.
Coffee: I love serving this with a hot cup of coffee with brown sugar creamer during cozy morning hours by the tree.
Holiday Brunch: Pair slices with eggs, homemade bacon, and fresh fruit for a delicious brunch.
Dessert Spread: Include this beautiful loaf on a holiday spread with sourdough peanut butter blossoms, molasses cookies, mini pies, and chocolates.
Storing
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- You can store leftovers at room temperature, but fresh-milled baked goods mold quickly. So the fridge will keep it fresh longer.
- To freeze wrap a loaf or slices in plastic wrap, then place in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Variations
Orange-Ginger: Add orange zest for a bright, citrusy twist that complements the warm spices beautifully.
Chocolate Ginger: Fold in chocolate chips for a richer, more decadent loaf.
Fresh Ginger: Grate in a teaspoon of fresh ginger for an extra pop of spicy, warm flavor.
Cream Cheese Swirl: Swirl in sweetened cream cheese before baking for a bakery-style touch.
Muffins: Pour the batter into greased muffin tins instead, and enjoy them for a great breakfast, snack, or lunchbox treat.
FAQs
Yes, you can use all-purpose. However, you may need to reduce the amount to 2 cups. Adjust as needed as you fold in the dry ingredients.
Yes, hard wheat works, but the texture may be denser. Hard wheat absorbs liquid differently, so let the batter rest for 30 minutes before baking. Then, adjust the flour or milk as needed.
Yes, you can use einkorn, but expect a softer, more delicate loaf and reduce the liquid slightly since einkorn absorbs less moisture.
A sinking loaf usually happens when the batter is overmixed, the oven temperature is too low, or the leavening is off.
Make sure to mix just until combined, preheat your oven fully, and measure baking soda or powder carefully.
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Fresh-Milled Gingerbread Loaf
Equipment
- Grain Mill
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 1/2 cups soft white wheat, finely milled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- powdered sugar, optional, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat and Prep. Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease an 8" or 9" loaf pan.
- Make the Buttermilk. In a small bowl, combine the milk and vinegar. Set aside.1 cup (244 g) milk, 1 tablespoon (16 g) white vinegar
- Mill the Flour. Mill the wheat berries on the finest setting. You need a total of 2 1/2 cups of milled flour.2 1/2 cups (310 g) soft white wheat
- Combine the Dry Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milled flour, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.1 teaspoon (4 g) baking soda, 2 teaspoons (4 g) ground ginger, 3/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt, 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cinnamon
- Cream the Butter and Sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and brown sugar. Using a paddle attachment, beat on medium until combined and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.1/2 cup (110 g) dark brown sugar, 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter
- Add Wet Ingredients. Add the molasses and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until combined, about a minute or so.1/2 cup (169 g) unsulphured molasses, 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla extract
- Add the Eggs. Add the eggs and mix on medium until combined, about 1 minute.2 whole eggs
- Fold in Part of Flour Mixture. Add 1/2 of the flour to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed just until combined.
- Alternate Buttermilk and Flour. Add 1/2 of the milk-vinegar mixture. Mix on low speed just until combined. Alternate adding the remaining half of the flour and milk, mixing between each addition. Do not overmix.
- Transfer. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Enjoy! Allow to cool for 30 minutes or so before serving. I've found that the texture and flavor improve if it cools to room temperature.If sprinkling with powdered sugar, let it cool all the way to room temperature first.powdered sugar
Notes
- I always mill my wheat berries just before baking, but you can grind them a day ahead and store them in the fridge if needed.
- You can increase or decrease the spices depending on your preferences.
- A pinch of ground cloves is also good in this. However, I'm the only person in my house who likes cloves, so I leave them out.
- You can skip the milk and vinegar altogether and use 1 cup of buttermilk.
- For the most accurate and repeatable results, I recommend weighing the ingredients in grams using a kitchen scale.
- Mix until the ingredients are just combined; overmixing can make the loaf dense.
- Chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or chopped pecans are all delicious additions if you want to change things up.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is auto-calculated and may not reflect your final product. Please verify independently if needed.
