This Honey Whole Wheat Bread recipe will make an exceptionally light and soft sandwich bread with both whole wheat flour and white bread flour--you'll be making this recipe on repeat!
1½tablespoons(21g)unsalted butter, cold and chopped
1½teaspoon(1½teaspoon)salt
1½cups(180g)whole wheat flour
1½cups(180g)bread flour
1½teaspoon(1½teaspoon)bread machine or instant yeast
Instructions
Place all ingredients: ½ cup water, cool, ½ cup milk, cool, ¼ cup honey, 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and chopped, 1½ teaspoon salt, 1½ cups whole wheat flour, 1½ cups bread flour, and 1½ teaspoon bread machine or instant yeast into the bread machine pan in the order given.
Select the DOUGH cycle and start. Lift the lid during the first minute to make sure the paddles are engaged correctly and the dough is starting to clump.
After 12-15 minutes, open the lid and check your dough. If necessary, add more flour, one tablespoon at a time until the dough forms a ball that sticks to the side but then pulls away. If the dough is too dry and won't stick to the side even for a moment, add water one tablespoon at a time.
Shaping the dough:
At the end of the dough cycle, the dough should be double the original size. If not, leave it in the machine to rise until it doubles. (Whole wheat often takes longer to rise.) Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and press or roll out into a rectangle shape of approximately 10 x 14 inches.
Roll up the dough from the short side and pinch the seam to seal. Tuck ends under. Place into a greased loaf pan (1-quart capacity or 8½x4½ inches) with the seam side down. The dough should fill the pan halfway. Cover with a tea towel or wax paper. Allow the bread to rise until the dough is just peeking over the top of the pan. This second rise may take 30 minutes to 1 hour or even more if the ambient temperature is cool.
Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C) and bake for 25-30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 190˚F (88˚C). Cover with foil halfway through baking time to prevent excessive browning.
After 15 minutes out of the oven, remove your loaf from the pan. Allow it to cool on a wire rack before slicing to prevent squashing.
Notes
Directions for making bread with a stand mixer or by hand:
To make this recipe in a heavy-duty stand mixer: Add ingredients to the bowl in the same order. Turn on LOW to mix until all ingredients are moistened. Then, using a dough hook, turn the speed to 2 or 3. Continue beating/kneading until dough becomes smooth and elastic (about 5-10 minutes). Cover and allow to rise in a warm place. Deflate dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
If making by hand: Combine all ingredients into a shaggy ball in a large bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead with your hands until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Kneading will likely take 10-20 minutes, depending on your experience. Place the dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise until double. Deflate the dough gently and shape it as directed in the recipe.
Please note: If you only have active dry yeast, use 1/4 teaspoon more than called for in the recipe. It no longer needs to be dissolved first, but you can if you prefer.