Honey Wheat Bread

Recipes

May 24

Written By Jennifer Minyard

High Altitude Honey Wheat Bread

Honey wheat bread should be soft, subtly sweet, and sturdy enough for sandwiches. The loaf should be tender without being dry or crumbly.

Achieving this balance can be challenging at high altitude, where wheat-based doughs tend to ferment too quickly, lose moisture during baking, or collapse after rising—especially when honey is part of the formula. Honey speeds up yeast activity while adding extra moisture, both of which require mindful balance in thin mountain air.

This high altitude honey wheat bread recipe is tested at 5,000+ feet and produces evenly risen loaves with a soft crumb, light chew, and dependable structure.

The High-Altitude Science

Three adjustments make all the difference when baking honey wheat bread in the mountains:

Slower Fermentation: Lower atmospheric pressure accelerates yeast activity. Reducing yeast and carefully monitoring rise times prevents overproofing.
Moisture Retention: Whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid, while dry mountain air pulls moisture out while baking. Extra hydration and honey help keep the loaf soft and sliceable.
Stronger Structure: Whole wheat weakens gluten formation. Additional kneading and proper shaping strengthen the dough, ensuring the loaf holds its height and bakes evenly.

The pictures below demonstrate the rise that you can expect when shaping the loaf before baking:

Honey Wheat Bread

PREP TIME: 30-35 minutes RISE TIME: 75–90 minutes total COOK TIME: 35-40 minutes SERVINGS: 2 sandwich loaves

Yeast: Reduced to 1 3/4 teaspoons to prevent rapid fermentation.

Liquid: Increased to 2 cups water to hydrate whole wheat flour.

Honey: Set at 1 1/2 Tablespoons, enough for softness without accelerating yeast too aggressively.

Flour Blend: Mixed All Purpose and Wheat Flour for structure and softness.

Ingredients

Directions

2 cups (454g) boiling water

1 cup (99g) quick rolled oats

1/2 cup (106g) brown sugar

1 1/2 Tablespoons (31g) honey

1/4 cup (57g) butter

1 Tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 Tablespoon active dry yeast

4 cups (362g) All Purpose Flour

2 cups (362g) Wheat Flour

1. Combine Base Ingredients : In a large bowl, combine the water, oats, brown sugar, honey, butter, salt, and cinnamon. Let stand for 20 minutes.

2. Activate Yeast : Combine warm liquid, yeast, and honey. Let sit 5–7 minutes until foamy.

3. Build the Dough : Add the yeast, all purpose flour and wheat flour and mix until the dough has pulled together and a soft dough forms.

4. Knead : Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes. If you have a dough hook available on a mixer, knead for 7-8 minutes. Add remaining flour gradually if needed.

5. First Rise : Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and rise 35–45 minutes, until puffy but not doubled.

6. Shape : Punch down gently, divide into two loaves, shape tightly, and place into 2 greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" bread pans. Cover with plastic wrap.

7. Second Rise : Rise 40-50 minutes, just until dough crowns about 1 inch above the pan.

8. Bake : Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 35–40 minutes, tenting with aluminum foil after 20 minutes, to prevent over-browning. Once the internal temperature reaches 190–195°F on a digital thermometer, remove from the oven.

9. Cool : Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a rack. Cool completely before slicing.

Simply Altitude Pro Tips

Watch the Rise, Not the Clock: At altitude, bread is ready when it looks right—not when the timer ends.

Bread Slices: Honey wheat bread continues setting as it cools. Cutting early leads to crumbling.

Soft Crust: Brush warm loaves with butter for a softer crust.

Freezer Friendly: Slice before freezing for easy grab-and-go sandwiches.

Explore More High-Altitude Baking

If you enjoyed this recipe, head over to our High Altitude Baking Made Simple page. It’s our combined resource for mastering the science of elevated baking, featuring helpful adjustment charts and troubleshooting tips for different altitudes.