Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Learn to make delicious honey whole wheat sandwich bread that’s tender, lightly sweet and full of grains. We love to enjoy it with sea salted butter and honey, or use it for deli sandwiches or even a pb&j!

If you want to learn to make bread at home, you will love this recipe for easy white bread, fool-proof artisan bread, or even this amazing recipe for French bread (it makes 2 loaves!) If making bread or working with yeast makes you nervous, check out this post for tips!

This recipe is one of my favorites to make for my husband and kids! You will love the texture of the bread from the whole wheat flour, as well as the subtle sweetness that the honey adds. This recipe makes two loaves, so you’ll have plenty to enjoy hot out of the oven, and another loaf for later! It is also low fat, which is always an added bonus. You can allow your second loaf to fully cool and then freeze it for later!

Tips for bread success:

My biggest tip for success in this recipe is to give the dough time to rise! There are 2 rises, one 1 hour and the second 45 minutes. Trust me when I say, don’t rush it! Allowing your loaves time to fully rise will result is a light and soft texture.
My second tip for success with this honey whole wheat bread, is to make sure the knead the dough until it is smooth. Whether you’re using a kitchen Aid mixer or not, be sure to knead the dough with the dough hook or by hand for a solid 5-7 minutes. This process will develop the gluten in the dough, resulting in a delicious chewy texture.

Honey whole wheat bread

Handmade Farmhouse

Print Recipe

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 2 loaves

Equipment

KitchenAid mixer

Ingredients

3 cups whole wheat flour
4 1/2 teaspoons regular or quick active dry active yeast I like SAF brand
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 cup vegetable or light oil
2 1/2 cups warm water
3 cups bread flour (All purpose will work fine, too)
1/2 Cup 7 seed mix Optional: I love the Herbs Super 7 Seed mix

Instructions

Mix whole wheat flour, honey, oil, salt and yeastt in mixing bowl. Add warm water. Mix on low-medium until ingredients have combined. Scrape bowl if needed. Stir in 3 cups of bread or all purpose flour- a cup at a time (be sure to give the dough time to mix so that it can incorporate all the flour slowly!)
I like to mix dough with my dough hook for a solid 5-7 minutes so that the dough really gets stretch and smooth. This will make for a really delicious texture in your bread.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface to knead if you're mixing by hand. Knead for 5-10 minutes.
Place dough in a large bowl, sprayed with non-stick spray. Cover with a clean dish towel or loose plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour. It should double in size.
Prepare two loaf pans by spraying with non-stick spray.
When dough is doubled in size, dump it onto a lightly floured counter. Cut dough in half. Roll or press each half into a long rectangle (about 8×16) and roll tightly like you would cinnamon roll dough (beginning on the 8' side). Tuck ends under and place the dough loaves into the prepared baking pans.
Cover loaves loosely and allow to rise for 45 minutes. The loaves will easily double in size and be ready for baking!
Prehead oven to 375 degrees F. Bake loaves for 38-40 minutes or until they are a deep golden on top, and when you tap the top of the loaf it sounds hallow. Remove loaves to cool on a wire rack for a few moments and then remove from the pan to cool so they do not collect condensation.
This bread freezes very well in a ziplock bag.

Notes

I find this recipe to be much easier with a KitchenAid mixer, but if you don’t have one it can most definitely be mixed by hand! Just be sure to knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until it is completely smooth.

Shop favorites in this post:

If you are on the lookout for a really good loaf pan, I have 4 of these and love them SO much! I even use them to make my sour cream swirl loaf and our favorite banana bread.

FAQ about Honey Whole Wheat Bread:

How can I store my bread?

Since this bread does not contain preservatives, it needs to be enjoyed within a few days. I like to store mine (once fully cooled) in a gallon ziplock or bread bag.

Can this bread be made ahead and frozen?

Yes! This bread freezes very well once cooled. You can pre slice or keep whole and add to a gallon ziplock bag. Allow to come to room temp the day you are ready to use it. This bread is delicious toasted to heat up!

Can the stale bread be used for croutons?

Yes! You might enjoy making croutons or using this deliciously textured bread in a recipe like this https://handmadefarmhouse.com/buttery-herb-and-sausage-stuffing/ ENJOY!