Honey Wheat Bread in the Bread Mixer
April 1, 2020
If you want to help your kids eat more whole grains, this Zojirushi honey wheat bread recipe will help you get there. Chock full of whole wheat flour and a bit of honey, this loaf comes out soft, fragrant and delicious.
A Family Staple for Whole Grain Bread
I’ve been making homemade bread using a bread mixer since 2007, when a friend of mine convinced me to try it. She generously gave me her recipe, and I’ve adapted it over time, and now I’m sharing it with you.
Read: My Bread Making Story
The height of my bread-making days was during my time living in Nashville. My kids ranged in age from 5 years to 10 years when we moved there, and at the time, I made the decision to NOT purchase store-bought bread.
And so it began.
The every other evening of bread preparations. I would assemble all the ingredients in my bread mixer, and program the machine to have the bread ready in the morning at 5:30 am.
I would get up at 6 am, pull the bread out of the bread maker, and start to make lunches.
Every. Other. Day.
Honey Wheat Bread was part of breakfast, in our lunch boxes, and propped on the dinner table as a routine option with butter.
Familiar Food: Honey Wheat Bread on the Table
You know how I always talk about having a “safe” food at the table for kids who may be fussy with food, or hesitant to try new foods?
Well, this honey whole wheat bread was one of those familiar foods.
(If you’ve got a toddler who won’t eat, check out my step-by-step guide.)
My kids loved this bread and would almost always have a slice with dinner. And I didn’t worry about how much bread they ate, or stress about them not eating their entire dinner, because I knew they were getting at least one nutritious item on the plate: My honey wheat bread!
Zojirushi Bread Maker: Making Bread Again
As my kids have grown and left the nest, I’ve been making this homemade bread recipe less and less. There just haven’t been enough mouths to feed to justify making such a large loaf (this recipe is for a 2# loaf).
However, recently, with our mandated sheltering in place, I’ve got everyone home, so I started to make it again.
Read: 9 Easy Family Recipes to Make When All the Kids are Home
My first loaf took me back to when my kids were much younger…and I think it brought them back in time, too.
Just the familiar aroma that filled the house prompted one of my kids to say, “Oh! Mom is making her bread!”
That filled my heart right up.
Zojirushi Bread Machine and a Honey Wheat Bread Recipe
I’m sharing my recipe below. If you try it out, let me know what you think!
Honey Wheat Bread in the Zojirushi Bread Maker
A honey wheat loaf that is soft, delicious, and a family staple.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups minus 2 tablespoons hot water
- 1/4 cup of canola oil
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup bread flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon Vital Wheat Gluten
- 1 tablespoon yeast (I use Saf Instant)
Instructions
Make sure your paddles are in the bread mixer!
Add hot water, oil and honey first. (I use the same measuring cup for the oil and honey; measure and add the oil first, then the honey. The honey will slide out of the measuring cup easier!)
Add salt and Vital wheat gluten to the water.
Add whole wheat flour and bread flour, distributing it atop the water.
Make a little "nest" in the center of the flour and add the yeast. (It's important the yeast does not come in contact with the salt or honey.)
Select whole wheat setting on your bead maker.
When finished, let cool for 20-30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
I store my gluten and yeast in the freezer to keep it fresh.
I use a homemade setting for this, as I have an older Zojirushi model, however, newer versions of the Zojirushi bread maker have a whole wheat setting.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 slices Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 136Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 213mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 4g
This is an estimation of nutritional content.
