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This Honey Wheat Bread recipe is moist, flavorful, and doesn’t fall apart! From breakfast toast to sandwiches, this bread is the perfect addition to any meal!
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Warm, Hearty, and Perfect for Every Meal
Honey Wheat Bread is hands down my favorite homemade bread. It’s super moist and always holds its shape, which is something I really appreciate. You know how some breads just fall apart when you try to slice them? This one won’t do that! And the flavor? It’s the perfect balance of sweet, warm, and hearty—exactly what homemade bread should taste like.
My friend used to make this when we were in school in Idaho, and the smell of it baking would fill our apartment, making everything feel so cozy and comforting. I love it with a spread of honey butter or jam in the morning, but it’s also amazing for French toast, sandwiches, or served alongside a bowl of soup. Honestly, no matter how you serve it, this bread is sure to be a hit with your family!
Ingredients in Honey Wheat Bread
All you need for a few loaves of warm, delicious whole wheat bread recipe are a few pantry staples. These ingredients are easy to keep on hand and have a long shelf life. Here’s what you need:
- 3 cups water – the water needs to be really warm to the touch but not too hot or it’ll kill the yeast.
- Yeast – 2 yeast packets – each packet is about two teaspoons. Or add about one and a half tablespoons of active dry yeast. Do not use instant yeast for this recipe.
- Shortening – using shortening instead of butter helps the bread hold its shape better.
- Honey – about a quarter cup, or more if you like your bread extra sweet.
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 6 cups whole wheat flour – I always like to reserve about half a cup of the flour to add later if the dough seems too dry. But bread tastes better with a soft dough. Of course, you can make this recipe with white flour, if that’s what you have on hand.
Step By Step Instructions
- First, combine the warm water and yeast in a large mixing bowl (I like to go ahead and use the bowl of a stand mixer).
- Once the yeast is dissolved and frothy, stir in the shortening, honey, and salt.
- Then, add the flour a little at a time, using a dough hook to combine and knead together. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl as you go.
- Cover the bowl with a towel or cloth and let it raise for about an hour, or until it has doubled in size. It’ll raise faster if you place it in a warm place like in front of a window or on top of a warm oven.
- Punch down the dough and form two loaves. Place into pans that have been greased with cooking spray. You can also line the loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper. Cover and let them raise again for another hour.
- Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until golden brown on the top. Butter the top of the bread while still in the oven and let cook another 2 minutes.
- Remove and let cool about 10 minutes in the pans. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool for 10 more minutes before slicing.
- Perfect as a side or used as sandwich bread.
Wheat vs. White Flour
The quality of wheat makes a huge difference in baking wheat bread. Hard Red Wheat, Hard White Wheat, and Soft White Wheat all make delicious wheat breads. Grinding your own wheat will give you the most nutritious wheat bread. You can also purchase freshly ground wheat flour from a flour mill or wheat flour from the grocery store.
Much research has been done to evaluate the benefits of wheat bread over white bread, and the benefits of using 100% whole wheat products. When you purchase bleached white all purpose flour, you are purchasing wheat that has undergone so much processing that very little to none of the vitamins and minerals found in whole wheat remain. When you grind your own wheat, you can be assured that all of the nutritional value is still in your flour.
Questions about Honey Wheat Bread
Yes! Whole grains provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Eating whole wheat bread can help control cholesterol levels, weight loss, lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Freezing this bread will extend its shelf life by at least a couple of months! Wrap a loaf of bread in plastic wrap, then wrap in aluminum foil and store in the freezer for up to two months.
Absolutely! If you have picky eaters at home who won’t eat wheat bread, try using ½ unbleached white flour and ½ whole wheat flour in this recipe. You won’t be able to tell the difference, and neither will they! The bread will have a lighter color and texture than whole wheat bread, and you’ll still have a portion of the health benefits of whole wheat.
What to Serve with Homemade Bread
Top this honey whole wheat bread with our mouth watering Homemade Honey Butter, or a dollop of our Fresh and Easy Strawberry Jam, or our simple Raspberry Peach Freezer Jam. So yummy!
More Delicious Homemade Bread Recipes
Is there anything better than a warm slice of homemade honey wheat bread? Here are some more of our favorite bread recipes.
- Irish Soda Bread – This authentic Irish Soda Bread is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. It is easy to make. The bread doesn’t have to rise and there is very little kneading involved.
- Subway Bread – This bread works great for Subway sandwiches. It is soft, slightly chewy, and has a fresh, homemade flavor.
- Zucchini Bread – This is our Mom’s no-fail recipe for zucchini bread. A moist, flavorful bread with a slightly crispy crust.
- Rosemary Parmesan Focaccia Bread – The perfect dipping bread! It is delicious dipped in olive oil or as a side for soup.
- Sally Lunn Bread – A sweet bread recipe that has been passed down in our family for generations.
- Homemade Dinner Rolls – perfectly light fluffy and buttery!
How to Make Honey Wheat Bread
Honey Wheat Bread Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3 cups really warm water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons yeast or 2 yeast packets
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 6 cups whole wheat flour approximately
Instructions
- Pour warm water into a large bowl. Add yeast.
- Allow yeast to dissolve and froth, then stir in shortening, honey and salt.
- Add flour a cup at a time until you have a soft dough. Knead and put into a bowl.
- Cover with a cloth and let raise about an hour or until it has about doubled in size. (It rises much better if you put in front of a window with the sun shining in or on top of a warm oven).
- Knead again, divide into two equal parts and place bread into baking tins and raise again for another hour.
- Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until brown on the top.
- Butter the top of the bread while still in the oven and let cook another 2 minutes.
- Remove and let cool about 10 minutes in the pans. Turn out and cool for 10 more minutes before slicing.
Notes
- This recipe makes 3 regular or 2 large loaves of bread. A regular loaf provides approximately 12 slices, a large loaf provides 16-18 slices.
- I always like to reserve about half a cup of the flour to add later if the dough seems too dry. But bread tastes better with a soft dough. Of course you can make this recipe with white flour, if that’s what you have on hand.
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Try using ½ unbleached white flour and ½ whole wheat flour in this recipe. The bread will have a lighter color and texture than whole wheat bread, and you’ll still have a portion of the health benefits of whole wheat.
This turned out perfectly, and was delicious! I used the fast rise yeast, and it was fine. I ground my own wheat, and added just one extra teaspoon of honey.
Thank you for your recipe.
Would this do as well with butter or even lard? I don’t like using shortening. Grew up with using butter &/or lard. Am just cooking for 1 now & haven’t been baking for the last while.
We haven’t tried this recipe with butter or lard since shortening is important to the texture of the bread. Let us know how it goes if you try it!
Hello what wheat flour did you use? I am asking because I see that this wheat has a yellow (pumpkin) color tint to it, it’s not brown. I want make sure I get this bread recipe correct. Thanks in advance.
I think the orange color might be an artifact of your computer or phone screen, the bread turns out tan or brownish. We just used regular whole wheat flour!
Oh okay, Thank You!