Fabulous Honey Wheat Bread

My Pretty

Honey Wheat Bread
Makes 1 loaf

1 1/2 cups warm milk
3 TBSP butter, soft
1/2 cup honey
1 Tablespoon molasses
3 1/2 cups King Arthur unbleached bread flour, and as needed to knead
2 cups King Arthur Whole Wheat flour
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Nuke milk, butter, honey and molasses in a glass measuring cup for 10-20 seconds, or, until the milk is barely warm to the touch.  Set aside for 5 minutes.  Then, add yeast.

Combine flours, cocoa, espresso powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Stir to combine.  Then, add milk mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until ingredients are blended together.  Let sit for 20-30 minutes.  Then, knead on the number 2 setting of a Kitchen Aid (or any other stand mixer that is durable enough to handle bread dough) to combine.  Knead for 5-10 minutes.  The dough should be a wet, but easy to handle dough.  Turn onto a countertop to finish kneading.   Shape dough and place into a buttered 9×5″ loaf pan.  Cover with buttered Saran wrap and let rise in a warm spot for at least one hour.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes.  Remove bread from loaf pan and let cool for 20-30 minutes before slicing.

Practice makes perfect.  Ok, maybe not perfect, but, pretty amazing!