I’ve baked a lot of bricks in my time. You know the ones—those dense, heavy wheat loaves that look beautiful coming out of the oven but end up tasting a bit like cardboard.
This Honey wheat bread recipe is the exact opposite, and it’s the only one I bake anymore. After messing around with the ratios in my kitchen for what felt like months, I finally found the absolute sweet spot: exactly two cups of whole wheat flour for that rustic, nutty flavor, balanced out by all-purpose flour to keep the crumb impossibly soft. The honey gives it just enough sweetness without turning it into a dessert.
Whether you’re slicing it thick for a turkey club or just eating it warm standing over the kitchen counter with way too much salted butter, this bread just hits different. Here is exactly how I make it.
Honey Wheat Bread Recipe
What You’ll Need to make this Honey Wheat Bread Recipe
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2 cups warm water (110°F/45°C – think warm bathwater)
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2 cups whole wheat flour
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1 tablespoon active dry yeast
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1 teaspoon salt
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⅓ cup honey (I love using a local wildflower honey if I have it on hand)
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⅓ cup vegetable oil
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5 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
All-purpose flour
Honey
How to Make It
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Wake up the yeast: Grab a large mixing bowl. Pour in your warm water and the active dry yeast. I always stir in just a tiny spoonful of the honey here—yeast loves sugar, and it helps get things moving. Let it hang out for about 5 to 10 minutes until it looks frothy and smells like a brewery.
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Build the base: Once your yeast is awake and bubbly, pour in the rest of your honey, the vegetable oil, the salt, and the 2 cups of whole wheat flour. Grab a wooden spoon and stir it up until it’s nice and smooth.
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Work in the flour: Start adding the all-purpose flour about one cup at a time. Mix it well after every cup. You want to keep adding flour until the dough starts pulling away from the sides of your bowl. A quick heads-up: depending on the weather and humidity in your kitchen, you might not need the full 5 cups. Go by how the dough feels.
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Knead it out: Dump the dough onto a floured counter. I usually knead it by hand for about 8 to 10 minutes (it’s great stress relief). You’re looking for a smooth, elastic ball of dough that feels tacky, but doesn’t leave a sticky mess on your fingers.
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Let it rise: Place your dough ball into a large, lightly oiled bowl. Give it a quick turn so the top gets a little oil on it, which stops it from drying out. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and leave it in a warm corner of your kitchen until it doubles in size. Usually, this takes me about an hour.
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Shape it: Gently punch the dough down to get the air bubbles out. Cut it right down the middle into two even pieces. Shape each half into a loaf and drop them into two greased 9×5-inch loaf pans.
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The second rise: Cover the pans loosely. Let them rise again until the dough peeks about an inch over the top of the pans. This is usually a quick 30-minute wait.
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Bake: While they are rising, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Throw the pans in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. You’ll know they are ready when the crust is a gorgeous deep golden brown and the bottom of the pan sounds hollow if you give it a tap.
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The hardest part (cooling): Take the bread out of the pans immediately and put them on a wire rack. Let them cool completely before you slice into them. I know the smell is intoxicating, but cutting hot bread releases the steam and makes the inside gummy. Be patient!
The Details
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
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Rise Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
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Bake Time: 30 minutes
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Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
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Yield: 2 loaves
Nutrition Information about this Honey Wheat Bread Recipe
(Estimates per slice. Makes about 24 slices total across two loaves).
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Calories: 148 kcal
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Carbohydrates: 28g
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Protein: 4g
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Fat: 3g
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Sodium: 98mg
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Sugar: 4g
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Fiber: 2g
A Few Quick Tips (FAQ)
Can I just use 100% whole wheat flour? I really don’t recommend it. The all-purpose flour is the secret to getting that bakery-soft texture in this Honey wheat bread recipe. If you go full whole wheat, the bread will end up super heavy and dry.
What’s the best way to store the leftovers? Keep it in an airtight bag on your counter. Because we aren’t pumping this full of store-bought preservatives, it’ll stay fresh for about 3 or 4 days. Whatever you do, don’t put it in the fridge—the cold air actually makes bread go stale much faster.
Is this freezer-friendly? 100%. I almost always freeze the second loaf. Let it cool completely, slice it up, wrap it tight in plastic wrap, and then wrap it in foil. It’s good in the freezer for up to 3 months, and you can just pull out a slice whenever you want toast.
Source: www.allrecipes.com
