Soft Honey White Bread
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If you’re looking for an easy old-fashioned sandwich loaf, this honey white bread is made with just a handful of simple ingredients and leans on active dry yeast, water (not milk) and butter to develop soft, rustic, flavorful slices.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4½ cups all purpose flour
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt (use either table salt or fine sea salt)
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1¼ cups warm water (between 100°F to 110°F or 38°C to 43°C)
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Topping (Optional)
- ½ Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon honey
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the all purpose flour, active dry yeast, and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the honey and warm water until the honey is dissolved.
- Add the honey & water along with the melted butter to the dry ingredients and mix with a large spoon until it forms a sticky dough.
- On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough by hand for 5 minutes, until the dough is soft, slightly tacky, and elastic. (If it’s sticking too much to your hands and counter, lightly flour your counter and rub a little olive oil on your hands. Don’t add too much flour though. It's normal for this dough is going to be a little tacky due to the honey.)
- Form the dough into a ball and place it in a clean mixing bowl. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel or dinner plate and let rise in a warm draft-free spot until it about doubles in size, after about 2 hours.
- On a clean work surface, shape the dough into an oval. Gently spread the top edges of the dough down the sides and underneath, to create tension and make it smooth. Make sure any seams are tucked underneath.
- Place the dough in a greased 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan.
- Cover the dough again with a towel and allow it to proof for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The dough is done proofing once an indent made by your finger into the dough springs back after 2-3 seconds.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bake the loaf for 35 to 40 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 190°F. If the bread is starting to look brown on top before it’s done baking, tent a large piece of foil over the top.
- Allow the loaf to cool for 10 minutes, then remove it from the loaf pan. Optional: Mix the melted butter and honey for the topping and brush it on the top of the loaf.Allow it to finish cooling on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Notes
- Storage: I have frozen this loaf and it still tastes great months later. I wrap mine tightly in plastic wrap then aluminum foil before freezing it.
- Topping: While the butter + honey brushed on top is optional, I definitely recommend it to add that last little bit of honey flavor.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice (of 12)Calories: 226kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 5gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 316mgPotassium: 62mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 88IUVitamin C: 0.05mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 2mg
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