Honey Wheat Bread

Homemade honey wheat bread is soft, perfectly sweet, and packed with wholesome ingredients. It's perfect for toast or sandwiches, plus easy to make and for a fraction of the cost of store-bought bread!

4.86 from 7 votes

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Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 40

dough rise time: 3

Total Time: 4 10

Servings: servings

Equipment

9 x 5" loaf pan

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk*, warm to 110°F
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons oil*
2 and ¼ teaspoons active-dry yeast, 1 standard packet
¼ cup honey*
1 and ½ teaspoons salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-2 cups* whole wheat flour

Instructions

Activate the yeast: Add the whole milk to a bowl or liquid measuring cup. Microwave for about 1 minute or until the temperature reaches 100-110°F on a digital thermometer. It should be lukewarm and not too hot.
Whisk the granulated sugar, oil, and active dry yeast into the warm milk. Let that sit for 5-10 minutes to activate the yeast. It should start to foam on the surface if the yeast is alive.
Make the dough: Transfer the yeast mixture to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk in the honey, salt, and 2 cups of all-purpose flour.
Add 1 cup of whole wheat flour and mix it in with a wooden spoon or with the dough hook attachment in the stand mixer. Add more whole wheat flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the dough comes together and isn't too sticky.
Knead the dough: Knead the dough in the stand mixer with the dough hook attachment for 5 minutes. To knead by hand, turn the dough out onto a clean surface. Lightly dust your hands and the surface with flour if necessary. Fold the dough over itself towards you and then push it away with the palms of your hands. Turn 90 degrees and repeat. Knead the dough until it's smooth, elastic, and bounces back when gently pressed in.
First rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or softened butter. Shape the dough into a smooth, round ball and place it in the greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a slightly damp kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in size. In a warm environment this will take 60-90 minutes, but it can take several hours for the dough to rise (See notes for ways to speed up rising).
Lightly grease a 9x5" loaf pan with oil or softened butter. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down to release the air. Shape the dough into an oval shape and add it to the greased loaf pan.
Second rise: Cover the loaf pan with a slightly damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise again until doubled in size. Again, the dough will rise faster in a warm environment.
Bake: Preheat your oven to 375°F. Bake the honey wheat bread for 37-40 minutes. Cover the top loosely with aluminum foil halfway through to keep the top from browning too quickly.
Brush the top of the bread with melted butter and sprinkle with rolled oats, if desired.
Let the bread cool completely before slicing. Don't skip this step! I know it's tempting to slice into fresh-baked bread, but cooling is an important step in developing flavor and texture.

Notes

Wrap the bread tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and keep at room temperature for 2-4 days.

You can also freeze the bread, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 months. Reheat frozen slices in a toaster or warm oven.

Ingredient Notes:

*Whole milk: Using milk makes a softer loaf of bread. You can also use non-dairy milk or water.
*Oil: Any light, neutral-flavor oil will work. As long as it doesn't have a strong flavor that will change the taste of the bread.
*Honey: ¼ cup might seem like a lot, but it's really just enough to add subtle sweetness to the bread. I know honey can be expensive, if you don't have enough or don't want to use that much you can substitute some or all with an equal amount of granulated sugar. Agave or pure maple syrup will also work!
Flour: Using a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flour gives the best taste and texture, plus all of the nutritional benefits of whole grain!

*When adding the whole wheat flour, start with 1 cup and add more as needed until the dough comes together and isn't too sticky.

How to Knead Dough by Hand

How to speed up dough rising: Dough rises fastest in a warm, humid environment. To speed up rising, cover the bowl with a slightly damp kitchen towel and place it next to a window on a warm, sunny day. You can also use a warm oven. Begin preheating your oven to the lowest temperature setting for a few minutes. Then turn the oven off and place the bowl inside with the door cracked.

Note: Both the first and second rise can also be done overnight in the fridge. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 hours (up to 2 days). Then, take the bowl out of the fridge and let the dough come to room temperature before continuing with the recipe.

Nutrition