Honey Wheat Bread

When I was a kid I always made honey wheat bread for the county fair. I remember spending hours in the kitchen on a hot August afternoon trying to craft the perfect loaf in hopes of getting a blue ribbon. Obviously my life is filled with more responsibilities than I had at 12 giving me less free time to bake honey wheat bread from scratch. So while dreaming of how this bread would be the ideal addition to the perfect panini sandwich, I set out to make an easier honey wheat bread.

If you've never baked with honey before, the main thing you need to know is that honey tends to burn. This is easily managed by reducing the heat by at least 25 degrees and keeping a close eye on the oven. Beyond it's use as a sweetener, adding honey can help extend the shelf life of your baked goods. It contains fructose which holds moisture better to keep your bread from drying out, and it's acidity helps reduce mold growth. Those are exceptional benefits from a product that doesn't have a long chemical name!

This recipe makes a loaf that is deliciously crisp on the outside, moist on the inside, with just a hint of sweetness.  It caramelizes beautifully when grilled and is a great base for a sandwich.  Enjoy!

Honey Wheat Bread, makes 3 loaves
4 cups whole wheat or white whole wheat flour
3 cups white bread flour
3 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 T. yeast
1/2 cup honey
1 T. salt

Dissolve honey in water, add yeast and stir to combine.  Mix 6 cups of the flour with the salt using a stand mixer with dough hood attachment.  Slowly add liquids to flour, mixing constantly; dough will be quite wet.  Slowly add remaining cup flour, dough should rapidly come together resembling traditional bread dough.

Fast But Sticky Method: cover dough with a towel and allow to rise on counter for 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Slower But Less Sticky Method: Place dough in a large container with a lid or cover with plastic wrap.  Make sure the cover is a little loose to allow air to escape during rising, but not so loose that the dough dries out.  Place in refrigerator overnight to rise.

Baking Day:  Place an empty cake or roaster pan on the bottom rack of the oven, position the baking rack in the middle position.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease baking sheets.  Using damp hands, quickly shape loaves into rounds or loaves and place into a greased baking pan.  For rounds, slash the tops of the loaves with a sharp knife to vent.  Once the oven has preheated for 20 minutes, pour a cup of water into the now hot roasting pan at the bottom of the oven to create a steam bath.  Quickly place the loaves in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown and crusty.  Cool on a wire rack.  Once loaves are fully cool, store in plastic bags.