This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy.
This Honey Whole Wheat Bread is moist, flavorful, and doesn’t fall apart! From breakfast toast to sandwiches, this bread is the perfect addition to any meal!
Featured with this recipe
Honey Whole Wheat Bread is my absolute favorite homemade bread because it is so moist and really holds its shape. You know how some breads break apart when you cut them? This one never does. Not to mention, the flavor! It’s slightly sweet, warm, and hearty, just like homemade bread should be. My friend used to make this bread when we were going to school in Idaho and it always filled our apartment with that homey scent that just made me feel comforted and cozy. Slather this bread with honey butter or jam in the mornings, make French toast, use it for sandwiches at lunchtime, or serve it alongside soup for supper. No matter how you serve it, this homemade bread will be a hit with your family!
Ingredients in Honey Whole 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 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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions about Honey Whole 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.
Read Next: 35+ Quick and Easy Lunch Ideas
What to Serve with Homemade Bread
Top this 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 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.
How to Make Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Video
Ingredients
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.
-
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.
Hi
Made this bread today and it was wonderful. It was so easy and tastes really great. I used butter instead of shortening. I halved the receipe and made one loaf. Will be making more soon.
I have made this 4 times. Its always delicious and I make my own bread all the time, but each time the top deflated. I’ve tried to be very careful not to jar it but it never fails. I wonder if it didn’t deflate would it be a big hole under the top crust? I noticed the slices crumble a lot more near the top crust when sliced
Made this and loved it! Just curious though, what’s the best way to store the loaves?
You can store them on the counter if you are going to eat it within a week, in the fridge will make it last a little longer. Or you can slice the loaf and freeze them if you want it to last even longer.
I made this today and it was fantastic!!! It is the first time I have made bread and it could not have been more perfect!!! Just the most amazing texture. When toasted it was a slice of heaven!! Almost english muffin textured when toasted!!! You had my hubby lavishing praise on me!!! <3 Thank you for the perfect recipe!! And on a side note….I saw a previous comment was made about the yeast not foaming….mine never really foamed either! I was thinking it may be a flop until I saw it rising to perfection!! 🙂
Yay! I’m so glad it turned out for you! I love this bread!
did some of your instructions disappear? it doesn’t say what you do with the yeast, and I am a big time bread rookie!
Sorry, it’s a little confusing, the first instructions are up with the ingredients.
This looks great! I have never made bread before. I am assuming you use wheat flour? Is that what makes this “honey wheat”?
Yes – thank you for your comment! I changed it to “wheat” flour in the recipe, but it can also be made using white flour. I definitely prefer the wheat flour especially if you grind your own. I found some hard white wheat at Costco that is fabulous when making bread. It is “Lehi Roller Mills” hard white wheat.
I have been trying to master the art of making homemade bread, but not having much luck. I am following the recipe exactly, either comes out too dense or in this case I tried your recipe and even after adding 7 cups of flour still not dough consistency more like really thick cake batter, added more flour and still no go…. What am I doing wrong??????????
Make sure you are giving it plenty of time and a good place to raise. Density issues usually have to do with that the bread didn’t raise enough before baking. You want it to really raise up out of the pan before sticking it in the oven, and when you do, put it in the oven gently so it doesn’t deflate.
My wheat bread always deflates
Just mixed up 1/2 the recipe (used butter instead of oil) in my bread machine on the “DOUGH” setting, let rise in the loaf pan and then baked in my oven. Turned out really, really good! Thanks for posting the recipe!
I’m just starting to learn how to make bread and I was wondering if it mattered what kind of dry yeast to use?
I usually get the yeast in the little packets.
Do you use Rapid-Rise yeast or Active yeast? Both come in the little pouches.
Active yeast
I Just made this and it turned out amazing! ! Thanks for making my first go at making bread easy!
Have you tried making it in a bread machine? If so, what alterations would you make to the process? Thanks!
I wish! I don’t have a bread machine but I’m sure it would work fine. 🙂
Amy, I’m curious to know if this worked ok in your bread machine, or if you had to cut the batch size?
How long do you knead the 2nd time? From Edmonton Alberta.linda
Just enough to punch down the air, then let it rise again in the pan!
Wondering if there was any update for us bread machine users??
Just out of the oven. Very very good!!!
This sounds so good! Can you half the recipe? We don’t eat a lot of bread so I don’t want it to go to waste.
Do you use all whole wheat flour or a mix of white and whole wheat?
I have done both, I like it with the mix of white and wheat.
Do you do an equal amount of white and wheat when you mix the two?
Yes, but you can’t go wrong. Any way you want to mix it will work.
Your bread looks utterly delicious. I would like to make this but could you clarify exactly what shortening is, I’m guessing it is either hard margarine or maybe lard?
You can find shortening in a container in the baking isle of the grocery store. It’s not refrigerated like butter. It’s stored on the shelf.
Sorry, I forgot to mention I’m from England so I’m pretty sure this doesn’t exist over here.
You can definitely use the same amount in butter instead of shortening and it will work fine, it will just taste a little different.
In the UK it’s sold as brand names Trex, Flora White or Cookeen.
@Mandy- Make sure your water is REALLY warm, almost hot. As long as the yeast is activated you should be fine.
I have been trying all morning to get my yeast and warm water to froth and it's not frothing to save my life. Do you have a certain technique. I even added a little sugar to the mixture to help activate the yeast. I did test my yeast in another bowl with little amounts and it is active. So the 3 cups isn't too much water to add with yeast?
I will be using my kitchen aid that I got for Christmas. 🙂 Very excited to put it to work 🙂
Proof your yeast in 1/2 warm water then add it to 2 1/2 cups warm water. I had the same problem.
I add a teaspoon of sugar to the water and yeast mixture and it froths just fine!!
I also used active dry yeast (traditional)…. I have run into problems when I have used the wrong yeast and then my recipe doesn’t work.
Thanks for the bread recipe – super good!
I love looking at your blog and seeing all of your great recipes!! I just wish I could pay you to come and make us dinner every night!!!! I have never made bread before but I tried this recipe because it looked so good and it turned out great!! It was so easy, I am going to be making this all the time:) Thanks for all of the amazing recipes (I once in a while dare to try one hoping it will look half as good as your picture)!!:)
We make bread every week and I love trying new recipes!!
Thanks for posting this,
we’re great homemade bread lovers!! I really enjoyed reading your blogs today! :0)
Your bread looks great a honey butter yumyum.