Honey Wheat Bread

Apr 29, 2023

This Honey Wheat Bread is lightly sweet with a deliciously soft texture. It is perfect for toast or sandwiches and it’s super easy to make. All you need are a few simple ingredients to make this hearty and nutritious homemade bread!

a stack of slices of honey whole wheat bread with a spoonful of honey in front of it and the rest of the loaf in the background

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Why We Love This Honey Wheat Bread Recipe

Instead of buying store-bought bread, try this wholesome honey wheat loaf that’ll save you money and waft the delicious smell of fresh bread throughout your house!

This homemade bread recipe is super easy to make – and it’s also full of fiber and sweet nutty flavors. If you’re a fan of our Whole Wheat Bread or Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls, this will be the perfect recipe for you. You can even make it ahead of time and pop it in the freezer so that you’ll always have a loaf ready for sandwiches!

Recipe Highlights

Honey Wheat Bread is the perfect slicing bread for sandwiches and toast
Budget-friendly
Only a few ingredients are required- all of which are kitchen staples!
This is a great yeasted bread recipe for beginner bakers.
Uses 100% whole wheat flour which has more fiber and nutrition than white flour.
This whole-wheat sandwich bread freezes well and can be kept at room temperature for days!

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Key Ingredients for Honey Whole Wheat Bread

whole wheat flour, honey, olive oil, salt, yeast, milk, and water mise en place to make honey wheat bread

Whole Wheat Flour: Weaves a hearty nutty flavor into your bread and acts as a good source of fiber. And the great news is this 100% whole-grain bread doesn’t require any white flour to rise into a lofty dome.
Yeast: Look for instant yeast or rapid rise yeast in the baking aisle of the supermarket. Make sure it is not expired. You can also use active dry yeast (sometimes called dry active yeast)- just check out our guide on yeasts for bread for tips for best results.
Sweetener: Honey gives this bread a classic floral honey taste but if you want you can also sub in Maple Syrup. The sweetener acts as food for the yeast so that the bread rises properly and it adds sweetness to the dough.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The fat in the oil helps to keep this bread soft for slicing.
Milk: Warm milk creates a more tender crumb and the sugar in the milk helps with the browning of the loaf. This is also important for a sandwich loaf.
Salt: Make sure you use granulated table salt- not kosher salt, because they have different levels of sodium in them. The salt helps to keep the yeast from reproducing too quickly and it seasons the bread dough.
Water: It’s important to add water that is between 120-130 degrees F to activate the yeast. Do not add water warmer than 140 degrees because it will kill the yeast. Adding very warm water allows you to add the yeast with the rest of the ingredients instead of needing to proof it first – this saves an extra step and a little time.
Optional: Melted butter for brushing over the top of the bread. This adds a subtle buttery flavor and also softens the top of the bread a little.

How To Make This Whole Wheat Honey Bread Recipe

heating milk and water and then combining dry and wet ingredients into a dough

Step 1: Heat Water and Milk

Combine the water and milk in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup and heat it in the microwave until it’s very warm (120° to 130°F), which should take approximately 1.5 minutes on high.

Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients and Add Wet Ingredients

Place the whole wheat flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer and combine using a spatula. Add the heated milk mixture, along with 1/4 cup of oil and the honey or maple syrup. Stir until the ingredients are just combined.

kneading dough and covering it with plastic wrap in a greased bowl

Step 3: Knead

Place the bowl on the stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Knead the dough on low speed until it’s smooth and evenly mixed. This should take approximately 5 minutes.

Tip: Do not add too much flour to the dough! Whole wheat flour will absorb more moisture than white flour as it rises, so you’ll want a slightly sticky dough to avoid a dense dry loaf. It is okay if it sticks to the sides of the bowl when you are mixing it. The wheat bran will soften and the flour will hydrate as the bread dough proofs. This hydration process will make the dough less tacky, and it will be easy to work with.

Step 4: Proof

Pour 1 tablespoon of oil into a large bowl. Using a bowl scraper or spatula, remove the soft dough from the mixing bowl and place the dough in the oiled bowl, turning it to coat it in oil.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and allow the dough to rise for approximately 1 hour in a warm, draft-free location, just until the dough has almost doubled in size. It’ll be ready once it does not spring back when touched.

the prepped pan and the dough shaped into a rectangle

Step 5: Prep Pan

Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan or bread pan with nonstick cooking spray or brush with oil.

Step 6: Form Loaf

On a lightly floured surface, form the dough into a loaf by flattening it into a rectangle that’s slightly shorter than the length of your pan.

Step 7: Fold Short End

Fold the shorter end of the dough halfway back on itself and flatten it with the palm of your hand to seal it.

Step 8: Fold Long End

Pull the outer corners to the center of the loaf and seal.

folding dough and covering it with plastic wrap

Step 9: Fold Again and Seal

Fold the dough halfway back on itself again and flatten it to seal it. Fold and seal it two more times to form the final loaf.

Step 10: Cover in Pan

Place the dough, seam side down, in the prepared pan. Cover it with plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Step 11: Rise and Preheat

Allow the dough to rise in a warm place or draft-free location until it has risen 1 inch above the edge of the pan. The time for a dough rise varies depending on the temperature of the room and how hot the dough is. It should take approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not let the dough over-rise or the loaf will fall when it’s baked.

Meanwhile, 15 minutes before the rising time is done, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 12: Bake

Bake the loaf for 30-45 minutes, rotating halfway through if needed, until it’s golden brown and the interior is approximately 190 degrees F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the center of the loaf.

Tent lightly with foil halfway through baking if the loaf is browning too quickly. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, and then remove it from the pan to cool on the rack. For a softer crust, brush the top of the honey whole wheat bread loaf with 1 teaspoon of melted butter. Allow it to cool completely before slicing.

a golden brown loaf of honey wheat homemade bread with a spoonful of honey sitting in front of it

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FAQs and Expert tips

How do I store homemade bread?

Wrap the honey wheat bread well in plastic wrap and it will last for up to 3 days at room temperature.

Can I freeze my honey wheat loaf?

Yes, wrap your bread well in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to three months. To defrost, remove it from the freezer and allow it to thaw at room temperature.

Can I substitute whole wheat flour in other bread recipes?

It depends on the recipe. Usually, your recipe will work the same if you substitute a quarter of your all-purpose flour with whole wheat. But keep in mind whole wheat flour requires more water or liquid to properly hydrate the flour. Once it is properly hydrated it will rise nicely, but if not, whole wheat creates denser bread. So, if subbing one to one for while flour, your bread recipe likely won’t turn out the way the recipe was intended.

loaf of honey wheat bread with one slice cut off and butter smeared on it. A spoon is drizzling honey on top from above

Serving Suggestions

Slice into thick slices and use for homemade whole-wheat French toast.
Spread on softened sweet cream butter and drizzle on a little honey while it is still warm.
Slice and toast for breakfast and serve with peanut butter or jam. We have been loving this low sugar blueberry jam recipe.
Cut into slices and use for a sandwich like our favorite turkey avocado sandwiches.
If it gets stale there are tons of ways to use it up. Try croutons, ham and asparagus bread pudding, apple and sausage breakfast strata or Panzanella.

Additional Whole-Wheat Recipes To Try

Whole Wheat Yeast Waffles

Whole Wheat Crepes

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

whole wheat blueberry pancakes with maple syrup poured overtop

Healthy Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for our email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. We would love to hear what you thought!

~Stephanie