Honey Bread Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Honey Bread Recipe

Honey Bread is soft, lightly sweet, and extra easy, baking into two fluffy loaves that are perfect for sandwiches, toast, and buttered slices.

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Kristyn Merkley

Ingredients

2½ cups warm water
¾ cup honey Delicious Clover Cox’s honey works best
1½ tablespoons yeast
⅓ cup butter melted
2 teaspoons salt
6 - 6½ cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the warm water, honey, and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until foamy. Tip: The water should be warm but not hot, about 105–110°F. If it’s too hot, it can kill the yeast.
Add the melted butter, salt, and 2 cups of flour. Mix until combined, then let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
With the mixer on low speed, add the remaining flour 1 cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky, but not overly sticky once all 6 ½ cups of flour have been added. Tip: Start with 6 ½ cups flour and only add the extra ½ cup if needed. Too much flour can make the bread dense and dry.
Lightly grease fingers with cooking spray and remove the dough from the bowl and continue to knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5-6 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Divide the dough evenly into 2 pieces. Shape each piece into a loaf by gently forming it into a rounded oval and tucking the dough underneath to create a smooth top. Place each loaf into the prepared bread pans. Tip: Roll each half of the dough into a long rectangle about 8 inches wide. Roll the dough up, starting at the short edge, to form a cylinder that is approximately 8 inches wide. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Cover the pans with a clean tea towel and let the dough rise for 1½ hours, or until doubled in size. Tip: The dough is ready to bake when it has risen to about 1 inch above the top of the pans.
Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190–195°F.
Brush the tops with butter right after baking for a softer crust.
Let the bread cool in the pans for 5–10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

Notes

Recipe Tips.

The dough should be soft and slightly tacky. Add flour slowly so it does not get too dry.
Let the yeast get foamy first; if it does not foam, the water may have been too hot, or the yeast may be old.
Rise time can vary, go by “doubled in size” more than the clock.
Use a thermometer if you can; 190 to 195 degrees F makes perfectly baked bread.
Brush the tops with butter right after baking for a softer crust.

Store. Let loaves cool completely, then store in a bread bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Freeze. Wrap loaves tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also freeze sliced bread with parchment between slices for easy toast. Thaw: Thaw at room temperature, still wrapped, or warm slices in the toaster.

Nutrition