_edited.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
Prep Time:
25 Minutes -- 1.5 hrs. - 1.75 hrs. Rise Time
Cook Time:
12 - 15 Minutes
Serves:
12 Servings
About the Recipe
Hearty and full of old-world flavor, this honey whole wheat bread strikes the perfect balance of sweetness and texture. This easy-to-make bread features the heart-healthy goodness of whole wheat grain sweetened with honey, creating a deliciously wholesome loaf everytime.
Ingredients
FOR BREAD DOUGH
2 pouches of Foster’s Whole Wheat Bread Mix
(incl. 2 packets of yeast)
8 Tbsp. very hot water (185°F+) (for scalding flour)
3 Tbsp. of honey
Approx. 6.5 oz. of scalded milk (185°F+) (for dough mixture)
2 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. of cool water (for dough mixture)
1.75 oz. softened salted butter (3-1/2 Tbsp.)
1 egg yolk + 2 tsp. milk - whisked together
Cooking oil to oil baking pan or loaf pan
HONEY BUTTER (Optional)
3 Tbsp. of softened butter
1-1/2 Tbsps. of honey
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
Small and Large Mixing Bowls
Measuring Spoons
Large & Small Glass Measuring Cups
Food Thermometer with Probe
Small Spatula & Pastry Brush
Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer w/ dough hook
12 X 13 Baking Dish or 9 X 5 Loaf Pan
Preparation
1. Prepare Old Fashioned Whole Wheat Bread Mix by emptying both pouches into a large mixing bowl. Remove 8 level tablespoons of flour mixture for scalding and put into a smaller bowl. Add 8 Tbsp. of 185°F+ water to flour mixture to scald & make a paste. Set bowl aside. Open yeast packets & whisk yeast granules with flour of larger bowl.
2. Measure 3 Tbsps. of honey and put into a large glass measuring cup. Pour scalded milk on top of the honey and measure fluid up to the 8 oz. meniscus line. Add cool water; stir & cool liquid to 100° - 130°F. Pour liquid over the flour mixture & add softened butter. Stir-in scalded flour paste with a spatula & continue mixing the dough until homogeneous. Cease using spatula & begin hand-kneading dough inside the bowl or on top of a lightly oiled countertop for 10 minutes. To make quick work, you can use a hand mixer or stand mixer with a dough hook & mix dough for 5 to 6 minutes in a well-oiled bowl.
3. Divide dough into 12 equal portions and form into your preferred dinner roll shape - or - fold dough into an oval-shaped log & put into a well-oiled 9 X 5 loaf pan with the seam of the dough on the “underside” of the loaf. Length of dough log should fit “snug” into the loaf pan. For optimal rise and flavor, place rolls or loaf pan into a warm & humid environment of 110 - 125°F for a minimum of 90 minutes away from drafts. Dough is “ripe” for baking when it has doubled in size and/or risen about 1-inch above the loaf pans.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F and brush a thin layer of the egg yolk mixture on top of the dough. Bake dough for approximately 15 minutes or until tops are golden brown. For bread loaves, test doneness by tapping on pan for the “hollow sound” & bake longer if needed. You can leave dinner rolls in pan to cool after baking but for bread loaves, invert onto a wire rack and cool right-side up. Blend honey & butter till smooth & brush on top of bread.
RECIPE AUTHOR: Down Home Bakery, LLC.