Honey Whole Wheat Bread – Little House by the Dunes

by Heather Harris Brady

There are lots of bread recipes out there, and lots of them are good but few of them meet my main criteria – happily, this one does! If I’m making bread for everyday use I want two nice, full loaves that taste great, slice neatly, keep well, and are at least partly whole grain.

This recipe is based on a recipe in Farm Journal’s County Fair Award-Winning Recipes cookbook. I’ve tinkered with it to good effect – I changed the original ingredients a bit and simplified the mixing method. The sugar gives it a nice brown crust, which you can leave as-is or brush with melted butter if you like a softer outer crust.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread, Makes two 8″ x 4″ loaves

• 1 pkg. quick-rise active dry yeast
• 1-1/2 c. lukewarm water
• 3-1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 2 T. local honey
• 2 t. salt
• 1/2 c. hot water
• 1/3 c. brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3 T. butter
• 2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• Melted butter for brushing

Combine the whole wheat flour, lukewarm water, yeast, and honey in a mixing bowl. Stir to a shaggy dough and rest for 15 minutes.

Combine the hot water, brown sugar, salt, and butter. Add to the bowl along with the all-purpose flour.

Stir until the ingredients are well-incorporated.

Let rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down and knead for five minutes on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in half. Pat each half to a disk, roll up like a jellyroll and put into greased loaf pans.

Let rise until the dough has reached the top of the pans. Preheat the oven to 375.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when you thump the top lightly.

Set the pans on a rack and brush the tops of the loaves with melted butter if desired. After five minutes turn the loaves out of the pans to cool completely.

Your house will smell terrific and you will have amazing fresh sandwich bread for a week. These loaves freeze well, just make sure to double wrap them (once in plastic wrap and then with an outer covering of freezer paper).

Other Little House on the Dunes fall favorites –

2012: Apple Crisp
2013: Malakoff Torte
2014: Brioche Coffeecake
2015: Panna Cotta with Pears & Salted Caramel
2016: Gingergold Cake
2017: Marble Bars