Honey Bread Recipe | Soft Sweet Homemade Loaf Bread Easy for Beginners
Soft, lightly sweet honey bread that’s beginner-friendly and perfect for toast or sandwiches. Simple pantry ingredients and two rises yield a tender, golden loaf with a shiny top.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 3 cups (360 g) bread flour (or all-purpose flour, plus 1–2 extra tablespoons if sticky)
- 1 cup (240 ml) warm milk (about 105–110°F / 40–43°C)
- 1/4 cup (85 g) honey
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 g) instant or active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, softened
- Optional: 1 egg for egg wash
- Optional: 1 tablespoon milk + 1 teaspoon honey for a shiny glaze
- Optional: Honey-butter for brushing the warm loaf
Instructions
Instructions
- Warm the milk to 105–110°F and whisk in the honey until dissolved.
- If using active dry yeast, sprinkle it over the warm milk-honey mixture and let stand 5–10 minutes until foamy; if using instant yeast, proceed without blooming.
- In a large bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups flour and salt, then add the milk-honey mixture and instant yeast if using, mixing until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead in the softened butter a tablespoon at a time, adding the remaining flour gradually until the dough is soft and slightly tacky but not sticky and pulls away from the bowl.
- Knead until smooth and elastic, about 8–10 minutes by hand or 6–8 minutes in a stand mixer; the dough should pass the windowpane test.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 60–90 minutes.
- Gently deflate the dough, pat into an 8x12-inch rectangle, roll tightly from the short side, pinch the seam, tuck the ends, and place seam-side down in a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.
- Cover and let rise until the dough crests about 1 inch above the rim, about 35–50 minutes; near the end, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Brush the loaf with egg wash or milk-honey glaze and bake at 350°F for 28–34 minutes until golden brown and the center reads 190–195°F; tent with foil if browning too quickly.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely; optionally brush the warm top with honey-butter.
Notes
This recipe yields one standard 9x5-inch loaf. For all-purpose flour, add 1–2 tablespoons extra if the dough is sticky. Whole milk gives the richest crumb; 2% works well. If substituting water for milk, add 1 tablespoon extra butter. Aim for a slightly tacky dough for the softest crumb. Let the loaf cool at least 45 minutes before slicing. Variations: cinnamon swirl, partial whole wheat, oats added, rolls instead of a loaf, seeded topping, or orange-honey flavor.