Does baking bread kind of intimidate anyone else besides me? I just feel like the whole process is so fragile. If the water is too hot…bread ruined. If the water is too cold…bread ruined. If you let the dough rise too long or too short…bread ruined. If you touch it too much or look at it weird…bread ruined.
But in all seriousness, bread can be a tricky one to perfect. That’s why I am sooo happy I stumbled across this recipe. This honey whole-wheat bread recipe comes from Emily Buckley–the editor of Cache Valley Family Magazine. She was so nice to share it and let me share it with YOU!
Seriously guys, I’m sold on this recipe. I’ve made whole-wheat bread in the past, but it usually turns out a little too dense and crumbly for my likin. This bread is amazing because it’s incredibly light and fluffy, and it holds together really well. And we won’t even mention how much healthier and yummier it is than store-bought…
Baking bread takes a little work, but I promise you the whole family will be thanking you when they smell that amazing honey whole-wheat heaven baking away in the oven.
Ingredients
- 2 1/3 cups warm water
- 1/4 cup honey
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted (oil can be substituted)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
- 2 1/2 teaspoons table salt
- 4 cups whole-wheat flour
- 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
Instructions
- Combine 1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour, 1/2 cup white flour, the yeast and the salt in the bowl of a mixer.
- Add warm water, honey and melted butter. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are combined, then beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
- Mix in the remaining 2 ½ cups whole-wheat flour, and add enough of the white flour to make a kneadable dough (it should still be fairly soft but still a little sticky.)
- If you have a dough hook, let the mixer knead the dough for 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic, on medium speed. (You can also do this by hand, but it may take a little longer to knead).
- Put the dough back into the mixing bowl, cover with a wet tea towel, and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes (an hour if your house is cold).
- Punch the dough down, divide it in half, and roll each half out into rectangular shape. Starting from the short end, roll each loaf up, and place into a greased 9×5 inch bread pan.
- Cover the loaf with a wet tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes, or until doubled.
- Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Alternatively, you can insert an instant-read thermometer into the long side of the loaf…when it reads 205 degrees, the bread is done.
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