Honey Wheat Bread

This has become my husband's favorite "go to" loaf recipe to make on at least a monthly, if not bi-monthly basis around our house ever since we made the point to switch over to primarily making our own loaf breads and rolls / buns. 

This bread has a very nice consistency - tender, but firm enough to slice pretty easily which makes it great for sandwiches and toast in particular. 

It has just a touch of sweetness from the honey, which is well balanced by the whole wheat flour. This is a terrific recipe to keep on hand, and we go through about one of these per week at our house!

Honey Wheat Bread from Kristin Zaharias on AllRecipes

Ingredients

1 (.25 ounce) package rapid rise yeast

1 teaspoon white sugar

1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup melted shortening

1/4 cup honey

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups whole wheat flour

3 cups bread flour

2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup warm water.
2. Combine milk, 1/4 cup water, shortening, honey, salt and wheat flour in food processor or bowl. Mix in yeast mixture, and let rest 15 minutes. Add bread flour, and process until dough forms a ball. Knead dough by processing an additional 80 seconds in food processor, or mix and knead by hand 10 minutes. Place the dough in a buttered bowl, and turn to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise for 45 minutes, or until almost doubled.
3. Punch down, and divide dough in half. Roll out each half, and pound out the bubbles. Form into loaves, and place in buttered 9x5 inch bread pans. Butter the tops of the dough, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm area until doubled; second rise should take about 30 minutes.
4. Place a small pan of water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
5. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until tops are dark golden brown. Butter crusts while warm. Slice when cool.

I had the chance to review the Francois et Mimi Stainless Steel Bread Box with Roll-top Lid and found this to be a fantastic addition to my kitchen tools / gadgets / containers - whichever category you want to put it in. I think it looks great on the counter, and keeps all of our bread items together, fresh, and soft which is fantastic. I remember growing up with a bread box on the counter, with whatever loaf bread, bagels, or English muffins we were currently using but this is the first time I've had one in my own kitchen and am so glad to enjoy the benefits of a bread box, and the sleek and clean look of this particular box. I have not been disappointed with Francois et Mimi products!

*Full Disclosure: I received complimentary product from Francois et Mimi for the purpose of review. I received no compensation for this post. All comments are 100% accurate and 100% my own