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Honey Wheat Bread is a super simple recipe that uses everyday ingredients to create a delicious, hearty Wheat Bread. This Wheat Bread Recipe is perfect for beginners and pro’s alike!
Homemade Honey Wheat Bread
Nothing beats the smell of fresh bread straight from the oven, right? This Honey Wheat Bread is a staple at my house! It reminds me of my favorite little shop my mom and I used to go to while growing up- Great Harvest Bread Co. We’d go in to get a few loaves of bread and they would always have warm bread slices to snack on. Their wheat bread was the only wheat bread I liked!
I love how hearty this bread is, it can handle honey, jam or even soaking up the last bits of gravy. This bread is versatile and delicious!
What Ingredients are in Honey Wheat Bread?
No special ingredients needed in this recipe! You can find specific amounts in the recipe card near the bottom of this post.
- dry active yeast
- warm water
- honey
- melted butter
- salt
- whole wheat flour
For real! That is all you need for delicious Honey Wheat Bread!
How to Proof Yeast for Homemade Bread
One of the trickiest parts of baking bread to someone who hasn’t ever done so before is working with the yeast. It can be hard to know whether it is alive and kicking or not in some recipes. For this reason I always proof my yeast before mixing it in with my flour and other ingredients.
To do this, you will add your yeast (in this case, 1 pkg or 2 1/4 tsp) in a small amount of warm water (approx 90° if you have an instant read thermometer) with some sugar (or honey!). They yeast will feed on the sugar and will activate. The yeast will become foamy, at this point, you will know your yeast is alive and well!
Tips for the perfect loaf of Honey Wheat Bread
When kneading the dough, the dough will be slightly sticky. The dough will stick to the bottom of your mixing bowl, but you should be able to pull a small part of the dough off and roll it into a ball without it sticking to your fingers much.
After rising the dough until double (approx 1 hour) punch the dough down and shape into a loaf by rolling into a log and then folding the ends under. Now, slap the loaf while rotating the dough to remove any air bubbles in the dough.
Lightly coat the bread pan in vegetable shortening, this guarantees an easy release every time!
Allow the bread to rise for an additional 30 minutes, while the oven is preheating.
To make the crust absolutely finger-licking good, brush butter onto the crust during the last 5 minutes of baking. Try to let the bread cool for 15 or so minutes before slicing, but I don’t blame you if you can’t wait. 😉
How to keep Homemade Bread Fresh
Once the bread has cooled completely immediately slice the bread and then freeze in individual zip top bags. Then you can remove the bread as needed, you can even toast it straight from the freezer for breakfast!
Can’t get enough Homemade Bread? Try some of my other recipes!
- Homemade Dinner Rolls
- Bread Bowl
- Soft Pretzels
- Cinnamon Roll Recipe
- Asiago Cheese Bagel
- French Bread
- Little Caesars Crazy Breadsticks
Honey Wheat Bread
Ingredients
- 1 pkg dry active yeastt
- 1 1/4 cup very warm water, divided
- 1/4 cup + 1 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tsp salt
- 3- 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Instructions
- Combine the yeast, 1/4 C of warm water, and 1/2 tsp of the honey to a small bowl. Let the yeast proof. This means to wait until it is bubbly, to show you that the yeast is alive and kicking!
- While the yeast is proofing, add the remaining bread ingredients (remaining water, remaining sugar, butter, salt and flour) to the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Once the yeast has proofed, pour it into the stand mixer and begin mixing slowly with the dough attachment. Once all of the flour is combined, knead for 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky, but you should be able to pull off some dough and roll it into a little ball. If it is too sticky for that, add a little extra flour.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until double in size.
- Shape dough into a loaf by rolling the dough and tucking in the ends and place in a shortening coated bread pan. Cover with plastic wrap and rise for an additonal 30 minutes.
- Turn on the oven to 375°. Bake at 375° for 25 - 30 mintues. Brush the top with butter during the last 5 minutes of baking if deesired.
- Cool for 15 mintues before slicing.
Nutrition
Can this recipe be made in a bread machine? It looks so good and I really want to try it in my bread machine.
I Bethany- I don’t have much experience with bread machines so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out. If you give it a whirl, let me know how it goes!
I made this today in my bread machine – and just now spotted the post above. It turned out fantastic! I put the warm water, butter, honey and salt in the machine first per recommendations. Then dumped in the flour, made a little indent for the yeast and let ‘er rip. on wheat menu. It is so good. I had a slice right off with a little butter and it’s heavenly. Definitely a keeper and thanks so much. I’ve now shared your site with my sis. We’ve been cooking for years and your recipes are well-written, well-put-together and tasty. Thank you.
I thought I posted this a few days ago, but I don’t see the post.
This was and still is delicious made in the bread machine. I added the exact ingredients in the order recommended by the machine manufacturer and the bread turned out perfectly. The only thing I’ll change WHEN (not IF) I make it again, is to turn down the “brownness” on the machine as it was a little darker than we like. Delicious and still eating it toasted with a little butter and quince jam from my pear tree, lol.
Linda, I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! So many people have inquired about making this in a bread machine so your comment will be very helpful to other readers. Thank you!! And thank you for your kind words. You have made my day! ❤️
Thanks for the love, Linda! Glad to see that the bread is STILL delicious. 🙂
Excellent. Made the dough in ABM. Been searching For years for a Tasty, soft 100% whole Wheat loaf.
I am so glad that you found and enjoyed this recipe, Linda!