Honey Wheat Bread Recipe

5 from 16 votes
124 Comments

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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!

Loaf of Honey Whole Wheat Bread sliced on a cutting board.
Featured with this recipe
  1. Warm, Hearty, and Perfect for Every Meal
  2. Ingredients in Honey Wheat Bread
  3. Step By Step Instructions
  4. Wheat vs. White Flour
  5. Questions about Honey Wheat Bread
  6. What to Serve with Homemade Bread
  7. More Delicious Homemade Bread Recipes
  8. How to Make Honey Wheat Bread
  9. Honey Wheat Bread Recipe Recipe

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!

Wheat flour, honey, yeast, salt, shortening and water to make Honey Whole Wheat Bread.


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.
Two bread dished with shaped Honey Whole Wheat Bread.

Step By Step Instructions

  1. 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).
  2. Once the yeast is dissolved and frothy, stir in the shortening, honey, and salt.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Remove and let cool about 10 minutes in the pans. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool for 10 more minutes before slicing.
  8. Perfect as a side or used as sandwich bread.
Honey Whole Wheat Bread on a cutting board with slices.

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.

Mixing bowl of Honey Whole Wheat Bread.

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

Is whole wheat bread healthy?

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.

Can this bread be frozen?

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.

Can I combine two kinds of flour for this recipe?

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!

Slice of Honey Whole Wheat Bread with butter and honey on top.

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

Three slices of Honey Whole Wheat Bread on a c cutting board next to a butter knife.

Honey Wheat Bread Recipe

5 from 16 votes
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!
Prep Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Cooling Time 12 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 55 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Servings 36 slices

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.
    Bowl of yeast and water for Honey Whole Wheat Bread.
  • Allow yeast to dissolve and froth, then stir in shortening, honey and salt.
    Mixing bowl of honey, shortening, yeast and salt mixture for Honey Whole Wheat Bread.
  • Add flour a cup at a time until you have a soft dough. Knead and put into a bowl. 
    Mixing bowl of Honey Whole Wheat Bread.
  • 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).
    Bowl of rising Honey Whole Wheat Bread bread covered in a linen.
  • Knead again, divide into two equal parts and place bread into baking tins and raise again for another hour.
    Two bread dished with shaped Honey Whole Wheat Bread.
  • Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until brown on the top.
    Rising Honey Whole Wheat Bread in bread pans.
  • Butter the top of the bread while still in the oven and let cook another 2 minutes.
    Butter brushing on the top of Honey Whole Wheat Bread in the oven.
  • Remove and let cool about 10 minutes in the pans. Turn out and cool for 10 more minutes before slicing.
    Honey Whole Wheat Bread on a cutting board with slices.

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.
     

Nutrition Information

Serving: 32gCalories: 88kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 3gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 195mgPotassium: 75mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 5IUCalcium: 7mgIron: 0.7mg

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About the author

Emily Walker

Emily lives in Meridian, Idaho, with her husband, Beau, a physician assistant, and her three incredible children: a son and two daughters. Travel is one of her favorite ways to experience new cultures and cuisines, and she has a love for all things Disney.

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Southern Utah University and Ricks College

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Co-Author of Favorite Family Recipes 3 Cookbooks:
Favorite Family Recipes
A Year of Favorites
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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    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.

  2. 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.

    1. 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!

  3. 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.

    1. 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!