Honey Wheat Bread

Honey Wheat Bread

This recipe makes a loaf that is similar to the signature bread at a popular steak house here in the USA.

Dough

1 1/4 cups warm water about 110-115 degrees

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons (1 pkg.) yeast

2 cups all-purpose (or bread) flour

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon cocoa

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons molasses

Coloring (optional but I like to use it as it gives the bread a nice dark color)

1 1/4 teaspoons red food coloring

1 teaspoon yellow food coloring

1 teaspoon blue food coloring

cornmeal for dusting

1. Activate the yeast by mixing sugar, warm water and yeast in a cup. Allow the solution to sit for 5 minutes.
2. Mix the dry ingredients together in the bowl of your mixer with the dough hook in place. (or in a large mixing bowl if making the bread by hand.) Soften the butter and add the butter and other wet ingredients into the bowl. (If using the food coloring, mix it into the yeast mixture and add to the rest of the batter.
3. Mix for 8 minutes on low. (or combine ingredients in mixing bowl until combined and then knead on a floured surface by hand for 10 minutes.)
4. Preheat your oven to the lowest temperature setting allowed (usually this is 170 degrees) and then shut off the oven when it is up to temperature. (This makes a perfect place to proof your rolls!)
5. Separate the dough into six equal portions and form loaves from the portions. Place the loaves on parchment paper on a baking sheet and spray with vegetable spray (this keeps the dough from sticking to the plastic wrap) dust lightly with corn meal and cover the pan with plastic wrap.
6. Place the bread in the oven and allow to proof for 45 minutes to one hour until doubled in size.
7. Remove the bread from the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and bake uncovered in the oven for 365 to 40 minutes until the internal temperature is 185 or higher and the crust is a nice golden color.
8. Remove the bread from the oven, and allow to cool on a cooling rack for 10 to 15 minutes.
9. Serve the bread with whipped butter (add a small amount of honey to the butter for a special treat!)

Makes 6 small loaves or about a dozen dinner sized rolls