Whole Wheat Flour

• In the United States, bread that is labeled "whole wheat" has been made from 100 percent whole wheat flour. Without the word "whole," wheat bread might use a combination of white and whole wheat flour. Whole wheat contains more nutrients than white flour, including fiber, antioxidants, vitamin E, vitamin B, zinc and magnesium. It has a nuttier, more earthy taste and a darker color.

Yeast

• Yeast is the ingredient that makes the dough rise. It is essentially a plant that supplies carbon dioxide, and it is this gas that produces little bubbles in the dough mixture, which makes it expand and rise. Bread is slightly spongelike in appearance thanks to all the tiny pockets of air.

Sugar

• Sugar is added to white bread to sweeten it; however in whole wheat bread it is dissolved with the yeast to encourage it to foam up. Yeast cultures feed on sugar, which encourages them to grow, therefore it will produce enough gas during baking for the bread to rise.

Molasses

• Despite being a by-product of the sugar cane, molasses is far less sweet. It is often added to baked goods such as cakes and bread. Molasses adds richness to whole wheat bread that complements its nutty flavor; it wouldn't work with white bread, which is sweeter.

Other Ingredients

• Seeds and nuts are sometimes added to whole wheat bread for flavor and to give a crunchy texture; the most common are oats, flaxseed, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds, walnuts and hazelnuts. Honey can be substituted for molasses to give sweetness.