Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •9x5-inch loaf pan
• •Stand mixer with dough hook (optional)
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Kitchen scale

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine wet ingredients

   In a large mixing bowl, stir together the warm water and honey until the honey dissolves completely. The water should feel pleasantly warm on your wrist, like bathwater for a child. Too hot and you'll kill the yeast before it has a chance to work. Sprinkle the instant yeast over the surface and let it sit for two minutes. You don't need to wait for bubbles with instant yeast, but this brief rest helps it hydrate evenly.

   Test water temperature on your inner wrist. It should feel warm but comfortable, never hot.
2. 2

   Mix the dough

   Add both flours and the salt to the wet ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk, stir until a shaggy mass forms and no dry flour remains visible. The dough will look rough and uneven. This is correct. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 20 minutes. This autolyse period allows the flour to fully hydrate and begins gluten development without any effort from you.

   Resist the urge to add more flour if the dough looks sticky. Whole wheat needs this hydration to produce tender bread.
3. 3

   Add butter and knead

   Add the softened butter to the rested dough. Squeeze and fold the dough to incorporate the butter, which will feel messy and slippery at first. Once the butter disappears into the dough, turn it onto a clean work surface. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes using the heel of your hand to push the dough away, then fold it back over itself. The dough will transform from rough and sticky to smooth and elastic. It should pass the windowpane test: stretch a small piece thin enough to see light through without tearing.

   If the dough sticks relentlessly, dampen your hands with water rather than adding flour. Flour will tighten the crumb.
4. 4

   First rise

   Coat a clean bowl with the olive oil. Shape the dough into a ball by tucking the edges underneath and place it seam-side down in the oiled bowl. Turn once to coat the surface. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a damp towel and set in a warm spot, around 75°F. Let rise until doubled in size, which takes 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on your kitchen's temperature. The dough is ready when you press a floured finger half an inch into the surface and the indentation fills back slowly, leaving a slight depression.

5. 5

   Shape the loaf

   Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray. Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and press gently to deflate. Pat it into a rough rectangle about 8 inches wide. Starting from the short end, roll the dough into a tight cylinder, pinching the seam with your fingers as you go. Pinch the ends closed and tuck them underneath. Place the shaped loaf seam-side down in the prepared pan. The dough should fill the pan by about two-thirds.

   A tight roll creates the even structure you want in sandwich bread. Loose shaping leads to large holes and weak slices.
6. 6

   Second rise

   Cover the pan loosely with oiled plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rise in a warm spot until the dough crowns about one inch above the rim of the pan, usually 45 minutes to 1 hour. The surface should look puffy and feel pillowy when touched gently. About 20 minutes before the rise completes, position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 375°F.

7. 7

   Bake the bread

   Remove the covering and place the pan in the center of the preheated oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through for even browning. The loaf is done when the top is deeply golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 190°F. The crust should sound hollow when you tap it with your knuckle. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the final 10 minutes.

8. 8

   Cool completely

   Remove the bread from the oven and let it rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn the loaf out onto a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing, at least 1 hour. This is difficult. Your kitchen will smell extraordinary and every instinct will tell you to cut into it immediately. Resist. The interior continues cooking as it cools, and cutting too soon releases steam that should stay trapped in the crumb. Patient bread rewards patient bakers.

   A serrated bread knife with a long blade makes clean slices without compressing the tender crumb.

Chef Tips

• •Stone-ground whole wheat flour produces bread with more character than commercially milled flour. Look for it at natural food stores or order from a regional mill. The germ and bran remain intact, contributing both nutrition and a nuttier flavor.
• •If your kitchen runs cold, create a proofing box by heating your oven to 200°F, turning it off, and letting the dough rise inside with the door cracked open. The residual warmth provides the consistent temperature yeast loves.
• •This bread freezes beautifully. Slice the cooled loaf, separate slices with parchment paper, and freeze in an airtight bag for up to three months. Toast slices directly from frozen.
• •For a deeper honey flavor, brush the top of the loaf with additional honey mixed with a splash of warm water immediately after it comes from the oven. The glaze adds gloss and intensifies the sweetness.

Advance Preparation

• •Dough can be made through the first rise, then punched down, wrapped tightly in plastic, and refrigerated overnight. Let it come to room temperature for 1 hour before shaping.
• •Baked bread keeps at room temperature, wrapped in plastic or stored in a bread box, for 4 to 5 days. After day two, toast slices to refresh the crust.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 190g)