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31 Days to Hospitality::Day 23 Homemade Honey Wheat Bread

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This is day 23 in a 31 day series on hospitality. This series has been converted to ebook format and can purchased here.

honeywheatbread

You wanna know what love smells like? You do, don’t you? It’s the smell of homemade bread baking. I don’t know if there’s anyway to love someone more.  Unless you add softened butter to the bread then you win all contests of love and war.   So, I made this (dorky) video for you.  Always be wary of home jobs, with hair coloring and with video making.   But without further adieu—–

Welcome to dorkville.  But I hope this video helps give you confidence to try bread making for yourself.

Never mind the nail polish on one thumb.

Never mind that I sling flour all over the kitchen because my mixer is OUT OF control.

Never mind all that.  Concentrate on the bread, dear people.  This bread will never let you down.  It may be the easiest, most reliable bread recipe I have.  Add it to your repertoire.  You won’t regret it.

 

Can’t you almost taste it? Oh, it’s good, my friends!

And if you’re looking for dishes to serve it with, I have a plethora of delicious soups to choose from!

Ingredients::

2 cups warm water

1/3 c. honey

1/3 c. canola oil

1 T. yeast

1 t. salt

2 c. whole wheat flour (freshly ground if possible)

5 (or so) cups of all purpose flour  (add until the dough pulls away from the sides and is no longer sticky)

The How-to::

Pans—I use the stoneware loaf pans from Pampered Chef and they work GREAT!  You could use whatever you have but spray them with Pam first.

Preheat your oven to 375.  I think I said 350 in the video. It’s 375.  Sorry.  Dorky video.

Also—I said olive oil in the video.  I use CANOLA oil for this and olive oil for almost everything else in the world.  But for this, canola or something similar.

Pour 2 cups of warm water into your mixing bowl.  Add the oil THEN the honey.  Use the same liquid measuring cup and your honey will come right out of the cup.  Start your mixer on low.  Then add yeast, salt and 2 cups of whole wheat flour.  You could increase the amount of whole wheat for a denser bread (that’s coming tomorrow!) but for this one, I use two.  When those are incorporated, start adding the all purpose flour until   the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is no longer sticky to the touch.  It usually takes about 5 cups but when I made this batch, it took 5 1/3.  It’s the consistency you’re looking for so watch the video for a demonstration if you haven’t made much bread before.

When the dough is just right, turn it onto a clean, floured surface and knead it for 5-10 min.  The longer you need it the more dense it becomes.  I knead this bread about 5 minutes.  Or my sous chefs do, I should say!   Put some oil into the bottom of the mixing bowl and then add the dough back to the bowl to rise.    My oven has a proofing setting for the rising phase but you could also heat your oven to 200 when you begin and then just turn it off so that the oven is a little warm but not hot.  I place a warm towel over the bowl and let it rise until it’s doubled in size.  It usually takes 45′ to an hour in the oven.   After it’s doubled, divide it into two loaves, shaping it into loaves by tucking the sides under, and then place into greased loaf pans.  Let rise again until it’s just to the top of the pans.  Bake at 375 for 25-30 min.

ENJOY!!!!

***This recipe makes two loaves so it’s perfect for sharing.  I use these bread bags, Bread Loaf Bags, Pack of 100 by Perfect Utopia  from Amazon to store it or to give it as a gift.

 You will notice on bread-making day that there’s a general loveliness in the children and a certain all around sense of happiness and goodwill.

 

I’m pretty sure homemade bread has magical powers.    Give it a try!


Okay, loves, I’m outta here.

Bake bread.  It’s good for the soul.

Amen.
xoxo

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nicole @ Three 31 says

    Edie, this video is adorable!!!!!!! Your kitchen is beautiful too, and you of course. This is definitely an easy bread recipe that I can follow that doesn’t take two centuries to make! Husband is going to be happy-happy-happy. =) One quick question on your bread pans: in the video they sounded like stoneware, is that correct? I have a friend who swears by glass pans and an aunt who only uses silicone. What’s your suggestion?

    Hugs and blessings to you this day,
    Nicole @ Three 31
    http://nicoleandkevin.wordpress.com/2012/10/25/a-juggling-act/

    Reply

  2. Nan Tedesco says

    Ditto to all her comments above Edie! SOOO many recipes are just TOO laborious!
    Two questions:
    1. What “type” AND SIZE are your bread pans?
    2. What brand mixer is that you have? KitchenAide?

    Ahh ..Bread is The Staff of Life! Pondering this way back, I feel what makes is so incredible
    While preparing, baking, and then the best part..eating…is that it IS truly sacramental!!
    Hugs for the video….lovely!

    Reply

    • edie says

      Lovely comment, dear! I use standard loaf pans, stoneware from Pampered Chef and I have an industrial grade Kitchen Aid!
      :))

      Reply

      • Nan says

        aww. thanks for all!! Seeing your two girls all involved brings such delight! My two boys
        Would have fun with it but there’s just that limit..with all their maleness!!

        keep em coming! You are a treasure!!

        Reply

  3. Ruth says

    Oh-I love making bread. My kitchenaid takes quite a beating when I make bread. I think I need to upgrade. I would love a wheat mill. It is on my someday wish list.
    Your video is adorable. I love that you keep it real.
    Please do share a picture of the wooden bowl(?) on you island.
    Ruth

    Reply

    • edie says

      Aww, thanks Ruth! I will have to show that dough bowl. It’s so cool. I found it in Birmingham at a great shop called At Home.
      xoxo
      edie

      Reply

  5. elma says

    Love this !! My daughter Abigail is really starting to love to bake and this looks like it is something we need to try!! Love the video and your kitchen and you are to cute!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

    Reply

  8. Nancy says

    Thank you for this recipe! I have kids with food allergies so I generally just skim through ingredients and then go about my day because almost everything includes either milk or eggs. But this has neither and I swear I’m going to make it for them. I have fond memories of going to my aunt’s house and her making home made bread and eating it with butter and honey. Or strawberry jam. Oh my. Thanks. It’s kind of made my day!

    Reply

  9. Tammy says

    Edie,
    I have been a lurker forever and never commented until today. I am inspired to bake bread after watching this post. A few questions because baking bread is so foreign to me… When you let it rise I think you mentioned it was in the bowl you mixed it in? And then once you divide and place into well greased pans do you let it rise again before baking? And if so, do you cover and for how long?
    Homemade bread may be the key to keeping my teen son home long enough to chat and catch up 🙂
    Tammy

    Reply

  10. Chavala Orlando says

    I cannot wait to try this recipe! YUMMMM!!!! My Mama makes a delicious raisin cinnamon nut bread that is to die for and you are right….there’s nothing like adding REAL butter to freshly baked bread!

    Reply

  11. Katherine @ Whitehall says

    The weather is finally cooling down here enough in Houston to get the oven going. That, and with my in-laws coming into town this weekend, your timing is impeccable. I can’t wait to try this recipe out for myself and show them some hospitality of the warm and delicious kind. I love the cute video.

    Thanks for sharing so much with us for these 31 days. Your posts make my day!

    Reply

  12. Pamela Zwieg says

    Hi Edie!
    Follow your blog but have never commented-You are a wonderful blogger and like another writer said-keepin it real!! I am going to make the bread this weekend. Question: Did you let it rise in bowl for a bit and then shape in to loaves?? p.s. Kudos to your video girl–she’s adorable too!
    Pam/Barrington, Illinois 🙂

    Reply

  13. Sarah Jo says

    I’m wondering about your loaf pans, too. Wondering if they’re Pampered Chef. I had one, but it had an unfortunate incident with a hanging pot and cracked, so I went back to metal…although I haven’t done anything more than a free-form loaf in a long time.

    Reply

  17. Kim says

    Thanks so much for sharing this!!!! I’m so excited to try my hand at making bread. My sweet girl and I are looking so forward to it. Does this recipe make two loaves? Or did you double the recipe to get the two? Thanks again!!

    Reply

  19. Kristen @ Joyfullythriving says

    Ahhh, yes. Warm bread and butter. It’s my language of love, too. 🙂 I’m going to make some more this weekend, and will add your recipe to my list. I love homemade bread because it freezes well (if you can manage to have a loaf extra).

    Reply

  22. Terry says

    Fun video, Edie. I could almost smell the bread baking! I couldn’t help but notice the knife you used. It looks like my flatware, Maxville by Pottery Barn. If so, I just wondered what dishwasher detergent you use? I’ve really been enjoying this series on Hospitality!

    Reply

  24. stacy says

    You guys are so cute! I was headed ti be but you reeled me in — the bread looks amazing. Quick question, I dont have a mixer — but I do have a food processor and a bread machine. Do you think I could do this recipe with either one of those? Thanks

    Reply

  25. Wanda says

    Edie,
    My second daughter delivered a beautiful baby girl this morning! Rachel Ann arrived at 9:25 am. 7lbs 9oz with beautiful strawberry blonde hair like her mommy! After being at the hospital all day, I read your post and came home and baked 2 loaves of bread to take back to the nurses!

    Thank you!

    Reply

  26. Mandy says

    THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! I’m a VERY amateur bread baker and have been searching for a good (and easy) honey wheat recipe. I hope to try this one out this weekend. You and your blog are lovely!

    Reply

  27. Michele TX says

    Thanks for the video and the recipe! Since the recipe looked easy enough, I was encouraged to try making it today. How exciting to have sandwiches for lunch with our homemade bread. I like this recipe because it is very simple to make. Thanks for all of the tips etc. I have one of those same Pampered Chef loaf pans. It worked great so now I want another one. I’m loving this series btw.

    Michele

    Reply

  28. Jennifer @Cupcakes and MudPuddles says

    Hi Edie…can I just say, I love you! 😉 Your blog is always such a warm and inviting place to stop by. I so enjoyed this how-to video for your homemade bread. My 6 yr. old son and I love to make homemade bread together…and yes, it usually gets a little messy with him helping me out–but it’s so worth it. I’ll have to give this recipe a try.

    Many blessings,
    jennifer

    Reply

  29. Nici Higby says

    Hi Edie! I’ve been stalking your blog for a couple of years now. I love your writing style, your decorating, your recipes and most of all your heart. I am going to try this bread recipe. I have never made homemade bread like this…only the no knead kind. I do have a question…where did you get that adorable butter dish? I thought for sure someone else would ask about it in the comments, but since they didn’t, I felt it was my duty. 😉 Have a wonderful weekend, sweet Edie!
    Blessings,
    Nici

    Reply

  30. Jessica R says

    Delurking to say that I made this bread today! Thanks so much for the recipe and the push to just go ahead and make bread. The super easy recipe was the perfect nudge. That, and Hurricane Sandy is a’comin so I thought having some extra bread on hand would be a plus.

    Loved the video too!

    Reply

  31. Pumpkin, Pie, Painter says

    Craigs list is a great place to get stoneware for cooking breads and muffins. I’ve gotten most of my pampered chef stoneware on Craigslist for half the price (or less). Most of the stones haven’t even been used. I think people buy them planning to bake but never do, and then they take up so much space…I love them!! Going to HAVE to try this recipe. I’ve not made bread before but my sister has a mill and makes it for her 8 boys and husband all the time. 🙂

    Reply

  32. Abby says

    Edie,
    Hi, I was introduced to your blog by Centsational Girl when she had the kitchen cabinet debate. You have an inspiring story and life. I hosted a family in our home due to the Sandy Storm this week. Their power was out. Before last week, when I started reading your blog, I wouldn’t have even considered it. We live in an apartment, it isn’t a place with lots of space. Then, I decided that I could make it work and I realized I have a lot more space and ability to be a hostess then I originally thought. I even made bread for the second time in my life! It turned out better but still isn’t perfect. I used this recipe and it was a little dry. I think I put in too much flour. I am going to try it again until I get it right.
    Thanks for all the work you do and the unique way you have to inspire me.
    Abby

    Reply

  33. Jennifer says

    I love this recipe! It took me several tries but I think I have the hang of it. Thanks for sharing and inspiring a new group of bread bakers! (I linked to your recipe, too. Hope you don’t mind!)

    Reply

  34. Crystal says

    Made this for my girls and it was a HUGE hit. Even made cinnamon rolls and poppers with it. Love that it is simple and so much healthier then the store bought bread. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

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  42. Marilee Andersen says

    I am so happy that I finally found this website, you are awesome.
    I honestly have never been good at cooking/baking, I tried this bread recipe and it actually turned out wonderful. I am so excited 🙂 I can make bread!
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Trackbacks

  6. […] It’s so underrated, but cooking for people is one of the best ways to show them you care. We live in a world of fast and frozen food.  Most people don’t enjoy home-cooked meals everyday, so this is a sure fire way to bless someone.  I often double my recipes so that I have extras to give away.  Some of my favorite recipes to serve others are soups and I have a whole list of them on my blog.  Go all out and make homemade bread, too! […]

    Reply

  10. […] I’ve also dabbled in some bread making lately. Even though we don’t eat bread much, I love to make it from scratch; there’s just something about working a ball of bread dough in your hands that’s therapeutic. This is a honey wheat loaf that was super simple to make, recipe is from Life In Grace. […]

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