Honey Wheat Bread

Delicious, simple, gluten-filled goodness…That’s what this honey wheat bread is! In my quest for an easy-to-make, whole-wheat included loaf that wins in both taste and texture, I have found this one to be a winner.

This recipe is inspired by the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes technique. You can bake it in a Dutch oven, on a baking stone, or in a loaf pan. Give this a try. I promise it’s so easy that you’ll wonder why you haven’t been baking your own bread all along.

Ingredients:

3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp dry yeast (this one is amazing!)
1/4 cup honey
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Additional flour for dusting
Olive oil for greasing pan (if baking in a loaf pan)
1 cup hot water (for baking in a loaf pan or on a stone. See bottom of post for baking variations)

Recipe

In a large bowl, mix together water, salt, yeast and honey.
Add flour to water mixture and use a large spoon to combine, ensuring that dough is completely moistened and that no dry patches of flour remain.
Cover dough with a towel and let rise for 2 hrs at room temperature. Put dough in fridge until ready to use. Note – you can use it immediately, however, refrigerating for a bit (1 hour or so) helps make the dough easier to handle when ready to bake. Dough can be stored in fridge for up to two weeks.
When ready to use, preheat oven on 450 degrees for 30 minutes. While heating, snip off a handful of dough and place in a greased bread pan (olive oil/olive oil cooking spray works well for greasing). You want to have enough dough in the pan to almost fill the bottom of it completely. Jiggle the pan and stretch the dough a bit with your hands if needed.
Let the dough rest in the pan 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, dust the top of the loaf with a little flour and use a serrated knife to cut slits in the top. When ready to bake, place an empty pan (broiler pan or some other pan with at least a 1 inch raised edge) on the bottom rack of the oven and add 1 cup hot of water to the pan. Place bread pan on top rack and close the oven door quickly to trap in the steam from the hot water. Bake for 35 minutes or so, until bread is golden brown. Let cool completely on a baking rack before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Baking Method Variations

Dutch Oven: This method yields an even-colored crust with more of a crunch and a soft center. Begin by placing a Dutch oven with a lid in your oven and preheating it to 450 degrees for at least 30 minutes. While oven is heating, sprinkle a little cornmeal on a pizza peel and grab an approximately 1 lb piece of dough from your bowl. If necessary, sprinkle a little flour in your hands and then form dough into a ball by stretching it a little, pulling the ends of the dough onto the bottom of the ball while turning it. Let the dough rest for 40 minutes on the prepared pizza peel. After 40 minutes, dust the top of the dough with a little flour and use a serrated knife to make a design on the top of the bread (if desired). Slide the dough into the hot Dutch oven and quickly close the lid (to trap in steam) and oven door. Let bake for 35 minutes and cool completely on a baking rack before slicing serving.

Pizza/Baking Stone: This method yields a more free-form shaped dough. Follow same instructions for Dutch oven cooking method, preheating a baking stone on the top rack of your oven. Before sliding dough onto stone, place an empty pan (broiler pan or some other pan with at least a 1 inch raised edge) on the bottom rack of the oven and add 1 cup hot water to pan. Quickly slide dough onto stone and shut the oven door to trap in the steam from the broiler pan. Bake bread for 35 minutes and let cool completely on a baking rack before slicing and serving.