Honey Whole Wheat Bread is a classic homemade favorite, perfect for sandwiches and toast. This recipe makes a soft, chewy loaf with a deliciously buttery crust.
Next, try my White Bread recipe or these amazing no-knead Dinner Rolls!
Honey Whole Wheat Bread
This recipe is inspired by the honey-wheat bread from the restaurant where I used to work. They were famous for the mini loaves with honey butter, and their Crème Brûlée, they’d give out while you waited to order. I begged and they shared their recipe with me, but it made about 600 mini loaves!
After some serious spreadsheet work to scale down the quantities and a lot of testing, I’ve finally perfected the recipe I’m sharing today. It might taste a bit different from the restaurant’s bread, but honestly, we like it even better!
Ingredients
- Milk and water: Warm milk and water activates the yeast.
- Yeast: This makes the dough rise and expand.
- Sugar: Feeds the yeast to help it grow and sweetens the bread.
- Honey: Adds sweetness and moisture, keeping the bread soft.
- Whole wheat flour: The MVP! Whole wheat flour is loaded with vitamins and fiber and tastes delicious!
- Flour: I love using bread flour here but all-purpose will works as well!
- Salt: You can’t make flavorful bread without salt.
- Melted butter: Adds richness, flavor, and tenderness to the bread.
- Olive oil: Greases the bowl to prevent sticking.
Quick Tip
How to tell your milk is at the right temperature? Use the wrist test! Drizzle a few drops of the warmed milk onto the inside of your wrist. It will be perfect for the yeast if it’s warm and comfy on your wrist. If it is not warm and instead feels hot, it will be too hot for the yeast. Too cold and the yeast will simply remain dormant.
How To Make Honey Whole Wheat Bread
- Mix: Combine warm milk and water in a bowl. Sprinkle yeast and sugar on top. Let sit until foamy.
- Add: Stir in honey and whole wheat flour. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Combine: Melt butter, mix with salt, then add to the yeast mixture. Gradually mix in bread flour until dough forms.
- Knead: Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, adding flour as needed.
- Rise: Grease a bowl. Shape dough into a ball, place in bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size.
- Shape: Punch down dough, divide into two parts, shape into loaves, and place in greased pans. Let rise until doubled again.
- Bake: Preheat oven and bake loaves. Brush tops with butter after baking.
Tips For Success
- Rising: Don’t rush the rising times. Avoid over-proofing to prevent crumbly, gummy texture.
- Flour Amount: Start with 1/2 cup less flour than the recipe calls for. Add more gradually until dough is not overly sticky but still moist.
- Kneading: Avoid flouring the surface. Use a dough scraper or metal spatula for sticky areas. Coat hands and counters with cooking spray instead.
- Measuring Flour: Spoon and level the flour to avoid excess. Don’t press the flour into the measuring cup.
- Yeast Freshness: Ensure your yeast is fresh, check out this post to check yours.
- Grinding Wheat: Let freshly ground flour cool to room temp before use to avoid killing the yeast.
Honey Whole Wheat Bread FAQs
Dense bread can result from several issues, most commonly:
-Yeast may not have proofed long enough or could be dead.
–Adding too much salt or putting it directly on yeast can kill it.
–Proofing in too cold or warm conditions can hinder yeast development.
–Using inactive/dead yeast leads to a dense loaf.
–Low-protein flour can result in density; bread flour is recommended.
–Visual Check: The bread should have a golden-brown, firm, and dry crust.
–Internal Temperature: The center of the loaf should be 190-200°F.
–Tap Test: Turn the loaf upside down and tap the bottom. If it sounds hollow, the bread is done. If not, try again in 5 minutes.
–When in Doubt: Over-bake slightly rather than under-bake. Consistent issues might indicate an oven temperature problem.
Storage
Storing Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Store Honey Whole Wheat Bread at room temperature in a cool, dry place for up to 2-3 days. Avoid the refrigerator as it makes the bread stale. Use an airtight plastic bag to keep it soft.
Freeze the bread for up to 3 months. Slice before freezing and take out individual slices as needed.
More Baking
- Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with cream cheese glaze
- French Bread fool-proof
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies reader favorite
- Easy Banana Bread with Greek yogurt
- Edible Brownie Batter no eggs and heat-treated flour
The only thing that can make this bread better? Slathering it in lots and lots of Honey Butter!
Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Video
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk warm (110℉)
- 1 cup water warm (110℉)
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast or active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed, see note 1
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- Unsalted butter optional, for topping bread slices
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl, combine warm milk and water. Sprinkle yeast over the liquids, then sprinkle sugar on top. Whisk together briefly and let stand for 5–10 minutes, until foamy. If no foam forms, you’ll need to start again (either yeast is too old or liquid too warm).
- Pour honey into the yeast mixture and add whole wheat flour. Use the beater attachment to stir until just combined. Let this mixture sit for 10 minutes.
- While the mixture sits, melt butter and let it cool to room temperature. Stir salt into butter. Set aside.
- After 10 minutes, switch to the dough hook. Gradually add 4 cups of bread or all-purpose flour. Add the butter and salt mixture, using a spatula to scrape it all into the dough. Mix on low (speed 2) until the dough comes together around the hook (about 2–3 minutes). If the dough sticks to the bowl, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 1/2 cup extra, until it gathers around the hook.
- Once dough has gathered around hook, increase speed to medium (speed 4–6) and knead for 10 minutes. Keep an eye on your mixer—it may move. If kneading by hand, knead for about 10–12 minutes.
- Grease a large bowl with olive oil. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl, turning to coat it in the oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch down the dough and divide it into 2 equal parts (a food scale can help). Shape each half into a loaf (see note 2) and place in greased 8×4-inch bread pans. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for another hour, or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake the loaves for 30–35 minutes. Brush the tops with butter as soon as they come out of the oven. Let the bread cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Chelsea, thanks for your recipe, I plan to make it today! Do you have a recipe for whole grain wheat bread?
Ava
Hi Ava! This recipe actually uses whole wheat flour, so you’re in the right place! If you’re looking for a different type of whole grain bread with additional grains or seeds, I don’t have a specific recipe for that just yet. Hope you love this one!
Can I half the recipe?
I personally haven’t ever halved it, sorry Peggy! I don’t see why it wouldn’t work though!
I haven’t tested a half batch yet but I would imagine it would work fine! Let me know if you give it a try!
Does anyone know, could this be halved, mixed, kneaded, and first rise in a breadmachine then 2nd rise in a loafpan and baked in the oven?
Since this makes 2 loaves, would I just half everything to make 1? I don’t have a stand mixer so I’ll be kneading by hand
Without a doubt, the best bread I have ever made! Thank you for such a fabulous recipe!
What a compliment!! I’m so happy you loved it! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
This was not only the best whole wheat bread that I’ve ever made it was absolutely the BEST bread that I’ve EVER made! A little sweet, a little salty and just divine with a dab of butter on it as soon as you can cut it, while it’s still a little warm. I will NEVER buy store bought bread again and will make this on a weekly basis. Absolutely awesome! Thank you so very much for sharing this excellent recipe, Chelsea! & my apron was messy too, but well worth it! Lol😁
This absolutely made my day! I’m so thrilled it’s the best bread you’ve ever made! Warm bread with a little butter is truly unbeatable. And a messy apron means you did it right, haha! Thank you so much for sharing!
My pleasure! About to make it again! Lol
best bread i’ve ever made,,,my go to recipe….rising as i type…
Yay! I’m so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Scott!
Could this recipe be made in a bread maker?
I haven’t tested it so I can’t say for sure! So sorry!
Do I have to use whole wheat flour or can I use all bread flour or all AP flour. Not a fan of WW Flour.
I haven’t tested other flours in this recipe! I’d recommend using my white bread recipe instead: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/white-bread/
One of the best breads I have ever made. For the past 15 years I was told I had a wheat allergy and it broke my heart because I used to bake bread almost everyday. I finally found out after going to Europe, I am really allergic Glyphosate better known as round up. Finally found a flour that is grown without this chemical and is milled by the grower so I do not have to worry about cross contamination. Finding this recipe has been so wonderful, my husband almost ate half a loaf in one night. Thank you so much
This makes me so happy to hear! What an incredible journey, and I’m so glad you’re able to bake bread again!