Jean’s Honey Whole Wheat Bread
- Jessica Kelly
- Jul 31, 2024
- 7 min read
There are some recipes so deeply woven into a family’s story that they aren’t just food—they’re love, tradition, and history, all wrapped up in one perfect, golden loaf. This Honey whole wheat bread is exactly that. It’s the scent of home, the warm hug of childhood, and the kind of nourishment that goes beyond just filling an empty stomach. It’s the bread my mother made when neighbors welcomed new babies, when friends needed comfort, or when we just wanted something wholesome and wonderful on our table.
I can still remember the way the house smelled on bread-making days—warm, slightly sweet, and rich with the unmistakable scent of freshly milled wheat. My mother would work the dough with steady hands, teaching me that patience is the secret ingredient to any good loaf. And now, I find myself doing the same, pressing my palms into soft, elastic dough, knowing that the loaves I make will carry the same love forward.
The Magic Begins: Yeast and Honey
Every great loaf of bread begins with a quiet moment of transformation—the yeast springing to life. This step always felt a little mystical to me as a child, watching those tiny granules dissolve and bloom in warm water, turning into a frothy, bubbling mixture that smelled slightly of warm beer and promise.
And then, there’s the honey. We don’t just add honey for sweetness—it’s here for warmth, for depth, for that whisper of golden richness that makes every bite just a little more comforting. Honey feeds the yeast, coaxing the dough into rising beautifully. It also acts as a natural preservative, keeping the bread soft for days—though in my house, a loaf rarely lasted longer than a day.
I always use a heaping spoonful, mostly because my mother did, and she had this belief that extra honey made the bread “happier.” And who am I to argue with that?
The Heart of the Loaf: Whole Wheat Flour
Flour is the foundation of any bread, but when you’re making a loaf meant to nourish, whole wheat is the way to go. It’s rich in fiber, packed with nutrients, and carries a slightly nutty depth that makes this bread as hearty as it is delicious.
I still remember the first time I helped grind wheat berries into flour. My mother let me turn the handle of our old grain mill, and I was mesmerized by the transformation—tiny golden kernels turning into soft, warm flour, full of life and goodness. We Always grind our own wheat these days (here’s a link to my favorite NutriMill wheat mill (use code THEKITCHNGARDNS for a discount) and soft white wheat berries as well as hard white wheat berries), but if you don’t have time to grind your own flour choose a high-quality whole wheat flour (I swear by King Arthur) and it makes all the difference.
For a softer loaf, I mix in a bit of white bread flour (About 20%)—just enough to lighten the texture without losing that rustic, old-world charm. It’s a trick my mother used and this little detail was one she made sure to pass along.
The Unsung Hero: Oil (or Butter, If You’re Feeling Indulgent)
Bread needs a little fat to be tender, and in this recipe, we have options. My mother always used vegetable oil, and for years, I followed suit. But as I’ve explored the world of baking healthy from scratch, I’ve found that olive oil gives a slightly more complex flavor as well as much healthier, as well as melted butter—well, butter just makes everything taste like home, doesn’t it?
Each choice brings something different to the loaf. Canola oil makes it light and soft, olive oil gives it a subtle richness, and butter? Butter makes it taste like something stolen from a countryside bakery where the baker wakes up before dawn just to craft perfection.
The Structure: Salt, Gluten, and a Little Magic
Salt isn’t just here for flavor (though it certainly does that). It strengthens the dough, controls the yeast’s growth, and brings balance to the sweetness of the honey. Too little, and the bread will taste flat. Too much, and it won’t rise properly. This is one of those ingredients where precision matters, but once you’ve made this loaf a few times, you’ll just know when it’s right.
If you want an extra boost in texture, a bit of vital wheat (2 T) gluten helps create a stronger dough, giving the bread that perfect elasticity.
The Alchemy of Kneading
This is where bread making becomes a full-body experience. Kneading isn’t just about mixing ingredients—it’s about developing the gluten, building the structure that will give the bread its perfect chew.
When I was little, I’d watch my mother knead, her hands pressing and folding with a rhythm that felt almost like a heartbeat. She’d always say, “You’ll know the dough is ready when it feels alive.” And she was right. After enough kneading, the dough becomes smooth, elastic, almost like it has a breath of its own.
If you’re using a mixer, let it do the work for you, but don’t be afraid to get your hands in there. There’s something deeply satisfying about feeling the dough transform beneath your palms, knowing that in just a few hours, this will become something warm and wonderful.
The Rise: Letting Time Work Its Magic
There’s a beautiful kind of patience required in bread making. After the dough is kneaded, it needs to rest, to breathe, to grow. This is the moment where you walk away, let the yeast do its work, and resist the urge to poke at it too soon.
In our house, we’d cover the dough with a clean towel and set it in a warm corner, usually near a sunny window or by the stove. There was always something magical about walking back into the kitchen and seeing that it had doubled in size, as if by some quiet miracle.
Shaping and Baking: The Final Transformation
Once risen, the dough is gently divided, shaped into loaves, and placed into pans. There’s a delicate touch needed here—you want to press out air bubbles but not deflate the magic you’ve just spent all that time building.
The second rise is shorter, but just as important. This is where the dough gets its final stretch, where it prepares to become the golden, crusty perfection we’ve been waiting for.
And then, into the oven it goes.
The smell of baking bread is like no other—warm, sweet, rich with memories of every loaf that has come before it. When it emerges, golden brown and singing with crackling crust, it’s almost impossible to wait for it to cool.
But when you finally do slice into it, and steam rises from that perfect, tender crumb, you’ll understand why this bread has been in our family for generations.
The Gift of Homemade Bread
This bread has been a gift in my family for as long as I can remember. It’s been delivered to friends who needed comfort, wrapped up for holidays, placed on tables where love and laughter filled the air.
There is something deeply special about making bread from scratch. It connects us to the past, nourishes us in the present, and reminds us that the best things in life take time, care, and just a little bit of magic.
So here it is—our family’s beloved recipe, now yours to share and pass down. May your kitchen be filled with the same warmth and love that mine has always known.
For a Step by Step tutorial for making this bread, visit my YouTube video at this link.
Jean’s Fresh-Milled Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
This is a recipe that has been passed down through our family. It is so good that it is often delivered as a gift during holidays and special occasions or when people are sick and need some extra love to heal. It’s time to let the world in on this special recipe so other’s can enjoy it as much as we have.
Course
bread, Side Dish
Keyword
bread
Prep Time
3 hourshours
Cook Time
40 minutesminutes
Servings
1Loaf
Equipment
1 Kitchenaid or Bosch Bread Mixer
Ingredients
1/2 cup Honey
3 cups hot water make it hot enough its hot to the touch but tolerable to hold your finger under
1 1/2 T active dry yeast
1/2 cup Olive Oil You can use algae cooking oil or melted butter as a healthier substitute
6 cups Fresh milled flour (1/2 soft white wheat, 1/2 hard white wheat), or Whole Wheat White Flour Find a link to my favorite wheat products at this link: https://amzn.to/4mghAyg
2-3 cups Organic Bread Flour (King Arthur is also my favorite)
3/4 T Salt
Instructions
Place the honey, hot water and yeast in the bowl of a kitchenaid mixer or mixing bowl (if kneading by hand). Stir lightly, and allow to bubble for about 10 minutes until large bubbles form.
Once yeast is activated, add oil, 6 cups of fresh milled wheat flour or organic wheat flour. Knead for 1 minute, then add salt and knead for 4 more minutes. Then add remaining 2-3 cups of flour (add white here if using white flour). Add flour slowly checking consistency as you go and add more flour if dough is still really sticky to touch until bread pulls away from sides of bowl but is still tacky.
Knead for an additional 3 minutes. Place on counter, cover and let rise for 1/2 hour. Form loaf on a floured surface. Place in oiled bread pans (I use stainless steel) and work the dough into the pan removing any air bubbles. Don’t overwork. Then flip dough over by pinching the middle and flipping. Form a little more into the pan if needed to smooth the top. Let rise until 1 to 1 1/2 inches above pans edge.
Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown/deep brown on top. (Note: cook times vary depending on elevation and oven, the more you make this loaf you will become accustomed to when your loaves are done).
Video
Notes
Music: Lovers in the nightMusician: EnjoyMusicSite:https://enjoymusic.ai
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