Heavenly Honey Wheat Bread
“Smell this,” the baker said, breaking open a dark loaf. “It’s a heavy bread, but rich.”
– Raymond Carver, “A Small Good Thing.”
Really, is there any scent more enticing than baking bread? Cookies and cakes may smell amazing but there’s just something really special about bread. Beyond the visceral appeal of its aroma, there’s also something so humanizing about bread. Take the word “companion” for instance.
That’s the Latin root cum, put together with panis, making a companion literally a person you break bread with. Or how about the traditional Russian greeting “Khleb da sol!” (“Bread and salt!”) from guest to host? Or the wonderful short story, “A Small Good Thing” by Raymond Carver? Speaking of which, you should do yourself a favor and go read it right now. I’ll wait. (Or even better, go buy Short Cuts, a truly excellent collection it appears in, and read ALL of the stories. You won’t be sorry. Carver was a freakin’ genius.)
Finished? Didn’t I tell you that was an amazing story? Now that you’re inspired and your brain has been fed, head into the kitchen to make this bread. It’s really tasty and quite simple to make.
Reality Bakes
Proof the dough fully both times and warmer is better.
As the recipe yields two loaves, I usually keep one in the freezer until needed. To defrost, just pop the frozen loaf in an oven preheated to 325°F until soft and fully thawed in the middle, usually 20 to 30 minutes. This bread makes for some pretty yummy sandwiches. It also toasts up pretty nice.
Heavenly Honey Wheat Bread
Ingredients
- 2 packets active dry yeast
- 3 cups warm water (105°F-110°F), divided
- 1/2 cup honey (or substitute molasses for a darker, slightly less sweet loaf), divided
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 tsp kosher salt
- 5 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour, divided
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- Olive oil for greasing bowl
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix 1 tsp of the honey in 1/4 cup of the warm water and add the yeast. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Once foaming and bubbling, add in the rest of the honey, the butter, salt, the rest of the warm water, and 3 cups of the white whole wheat flour. Mix on low with a handheld mixer until combined, then raise speed to medium for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Mix in remaining white whole wheat flour.
- Scrape the bowl then stir in 2 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour until dough pulls away cleanly from the bowl.
- Lightly flour a work surface and knead in remaining 1/2 cup all-purpose flour gradually, until dough is springy and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl and place dough in bowl, then flip dough over to coat both sides. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in size, usually about 30 to 40 minutes, longer if in a cool place.
- Grease or spray two 9×5-inch loaf pans. Punch down the dough and then divide in half. Let rest for about 10 minutes then shape each half into a loaf and place in pans. Cover and let rise again until doubled in size, usually about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake loaves uncovered for 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when knocked on the bottom. (Tip: brushing butter on top of the bread upon removal from the oven will help prevent a hard crust.) Immediately transfer loaves from pans to cooling racks, and let cool entirely before serving, usually about an hour.
- Loaves can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.
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