Honey Whole Wheat Bread

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here.  It's cold, snowy and I'm craving comfort food which, in my family, usually means something to do with bread and butter.  I'm also trying to increase the amount of whole wheat I use in breads to attempt to be a little healthier while we engorge ourselves on homemade bread.  It's a steep learning curve, this healthy eating thing.  Baby steps.

I made this loaf two weeks ago on my day off to go with my Slow Cooker Beef Stew.  I followed the instructions and used my bread machine to mix and rise the dough (one of my favourite methods of baking bread).  It was super easy and the loaf was pretty much inhaled by my clan.  Only one meagre little slice was left.

I made this loaf again just this past Monday but decided to just bake it in my bread machine because my oven was filled with my Rotisserie-Style Roasted Chicken (seriously good eats, that chicken is!!).  While this loaf tasted just as good as the loaf I made last week it came out of my bread machine looking a little wonky. 

Ok, it looked like a butt. 

BUTT, our family is not one to scoff at any type of carb, pretty or not, so this loaf didn't stand a chance with our carb addicted family and was inhaled with glee.  Given the choice I'd prefer to use the first method (so you don't risk serving butt bread to guests) but in a crunch you can make this small loaf in your machine too. 

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Inspired by: Honey Whole Wheat Bread (Allrecipes.com)

1 1/8 cup warm water (110F/45C)
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp melted butter
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Note: This recipe will take at least 3 hours from start to finish.

Place the ingredients into your bread machine in the order listed, making sure that the yeast doesn't come into contact with any liquid.  Set your bread machine to dough setting (usually takes about 2 hours).

Remove dough from bread machine to a lightly floured surface.  Punch down the dough then place it in a loaf pan and cover it with a tea towel.  Let it rise for 30 to 45 minutes in a warm spot.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Bake loaf for 25 minutes or until hollow sounding when the top of the loaf is tapped.  Allow loaf to cool for a bit in the loaf pan then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.