Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Teresa Ambra

Wonderful homemade bread recipe that can be made healthier with freshly ground wheat flours, honey instead of sugar, and butter instead of shortening. For those of you who enjoy a good loaf of homemade bread with your meals, this one is fantastic.

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Prep Time 1

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 45

Course Breads, Rolls and Muffins, Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 214 kcal

Equipment

2 9x5" bread loaf pans
1 large mixing bowl
measuring cups
measuring spoons
1 wooden spoon
1 small sauce pan
1 small mixing bowl
1 tea towel not a terry cloth towel
2 wire cooling racks
1 large bowl to raise the dough

Ingredients

3/4 cup 2% milk
3 heaping tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup Crisco shortening
1 tsp. sea salt
1/3 cup honey the original recipe called for molasses, we substituted honey instead
1 1/2 cups very warm water 105 to 115° (115 is awful hot. I probably dissolve the yeast in water about 105 degrees)
2 pkg. yeast
4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 3/4 cups bread flour
4 tsp. vital wheat gluten
1 tbsp. unsalted butter melted, to brush top and sides of bread with after it comes out of the oven

Instructions

Scald milk in a sauce pan over low to medium heat.
Place granulated sugar, salt, shortening and honey in a large mixing bowl.
Stir scalded milk into this mixture and keep stirring to dissolve shortening and honey.
Cool to lukewarm.
Measure very warm water into bowl.
Dissolve yeast, stirring with a fork or spoon until every bit of yeast is completely dissolved.
Stir yeast mixture into lukewarm milk mixture.
Add 2 cups whole wheat flour and 2 cups bread flour.
Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.
Sprinkle with vital wheat gluten.
Add enough remaining flours to make a soft dough.
Turn out onto lightly floured board.
Knead until smooth and elastic adding more flour to surface as necessary to keep dough from sticking, about 8-10 minutes.
Place in greased bowl, turning dough to grease top.
Cover with a tea towel; let rise in warm place, free from draft until double in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch down with fist and let rest 20 minutes.
Divide dough into 2 pieces.
Roll and shape into loaf.
Place in two well-greased 9x5” loaf pans.
Brush with melted butter on the top.
Cover and let rise again about another hour.
Bake in preheated 300° oven for 45 minutes.
Remove from oven promptly and tap on bottom to remove loaf from pan.
Allow to cool on wire rack.
Brush with melted butter immediately after placing on wire rack to keep tops from hardening.
Makes 2 loaves.

Notes

NOTE: Preparation time does not include time needed to raise bread twice.

NOTE: I have also used 3 cups whole wheat flour and 3 cups bread flour for this recipe with equally great results.

NOTE: Since I made this in the winter (and didn't have a really warm place to raise the dough), I turned my oven on for exactly one minute. Then I shut off the oven and placed the covered bowl of dough in the oven to raise. I did the same thing once the dough was separated into loaf pans.

NOTE: all-purpose flour does not contain the necessary gluten to bond the ingredients together as well as bread flour. The bread may turn out crumbly. For best results use bread flour.

NOTE: I recommend using Fleischmann's yeast or bread machine yeast in any yeast bread recipe. Red Star yeast just doesn't work as well.

NOTE: Drafts will quickly kill the yeast so it doesn't raise properly. Turn off AC vents or fans and keep doors and windows closed until the bread is in the oven and totally protected from circulating air.

Nutrition

Calories: 214kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 7gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 102mgPotassium: 64mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 28IUVitamin C: 0.05mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg

Keyword bread, breakfast, brunch

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