Most of y’all might not know that making bread is rather easy. I used to be scared of baking and using yeast, because I had a few flops early on.
Once I realized that the trick was having patience and letting it rise for the allotted time, my baking turned out much better. It’s no different with this recipe for buttermilk honey bread.
It has amazingly simple ingredients and is easy to make.
Jump to:
Why you will love this buttermilk honey bread
Nothing beats a warm loaf of bread straight out of the oven! The smell of fresh baking bread is tantalizing in every way. This easy recipe for buttermilk honey bread will be your new favorite.
Since this homemade buttermilk honey bread is measured out for using one loaf pan, you can either do the kneading yourself and bake it, or if you have a bread machine you can use the factory settings to let it do all of the work.
Either method of making this honey buttermilk bread is easy and delish! Biting into this warm bread slathered with butter is a mouthwatering experience.
Tips
- When it comes to baking, one of the things you need is patience. The greatest tip is to let this recipe rise for the total time that it specifies. If you don’t let your bread proof enough, you may end up with dense bread instead of fluffy bread.
- Also, check the date of expiration on your yeast! If it is past the date, go out and buy new yeast. Dead yeast does nothing, and you will end up with flat and dense bread.
- It’s important to proof your bread in a warm and calm environment. I recommend proofing your bread in a cool oven with the light on. This gives just the right environment for rising bread.
Ingredients
All of the ingredients in buttermilk honey bread are very basic and easy to find. Let’s address honey for a moment though.
When you buy honey at the store, you should purchase quality honey that is not imported.
The more local, the better. I don’t know how regulated honey is, but I do know that some honey has been diluted with con syrup, fake sweeteners or even water.
Buying raw honey from a local farmer is not only your safest bet, but it is also delicious. I feel lucky because my dad has a beehive and I get honey from him whenever I want.
Even amongst local honey farmers, not all honey is the same. Some honey is clear and sweet, while other honey is darker and has more of a yeasty smell and taste.
The best honey we have ever had was when the farmers next to my parents’ house grew pumpkins. The honey from that year was the sweetest, lightest honey I have ever seen!
There are also many health benefits to local honey. Did you know that certain studies suggest that consuming local honey can help reduce or irradicate pollen allergies?
This is actually the reason my dad started beekeeping and he actually reduced his allergies to being nearly imperceptible!
Anyway, here are the ingredients for buttermilk honey bread:
- Buttermilk
- Honey
- Water
- Active dry yeast
- Salted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Baking soda
How to make buttermilk honey bread loaf pan method
Warm the water to just above room temperature and add the yeast. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until the yeast blooms and is fragrant.
Warm the buttermilk up to room temperature or just above and melt the butter.
Sift the flour, salt and baking soda into the mixing bowl of a kitchen stand mixer and make sure to have the dough hook attachment.
Into the mixing bowl, add the honey, yeast mixture, buttermilk, and melted butter.
Turn the mixer onto low and let it knead together for 8-10 minutes.
The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and not be sticky.
Let it knead for a while to get the yeast and gluten working together.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in warm place for 1 ½ hours. It should almost double in size.
Prepare the bread loaf pan by generously buttering the bottom and sides.
After the dough has risen, punch it down and knead it by hand a few times. Shape it and place it into the prepared bread pan, making sure any folds are on the bottom of the loaf.
Cover the dough again and let it rise for a second time. The second proofing should last about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Uncover the bread pan and place it in the preheated oven. Bake it for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
The bread will rise while it bakes and it probably will be several inches over the top of the pan. This is what you want.
Once it is a deep golden brown and sounds hollow when you knock on it, pull it out of the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Invert the bread out of the pan and onto a plate.
Slice and serve it while it is warm.
How to make buttermilk honey bread bread machine recipe
Add all of the dry ingredients into the pan of a bread machine and the wet ingredients on top. Follow the instructions of your bread machine for the proper settings for it to knead and bake the bread.
Serve warm!
Substitutions
You may use bread flour in place of the all-purpose flour in this recipe, just add half of the baking soda.
If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can use one cup of milk plus one teaspoon of lemon juice. You might not get the same exact consistency as buttermilk, but I have used this substitution quite a bit and I usually can’t tell the difference.
Serving suggestions
Buttermilk honey bread is best served warm and fresh. It is delightful with a whole bunch of butter melting on it.
Another great way to serve it is with honey butter! Yum!
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- Non-stick bread loaf pan(8 ½” x 4 ½” x 2 ½”)
- Bread machine, only if using this method
FAQ’s
Why is buttermilk used in bread?
Buttermilk is a wonderful ingredient for bread because it gives a richer flavor and the acid in the buttermilk makes a more fluffy loaf of bread.
What happens when you add honey to bread?
Adding honey to your bread dough helps your yeast to activate, and in turn helps it to rise better. Honey may also deepen the golden color of your crust.
📖 Recipe
Buttermilk Honey Bread
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- Non-stick bread loaf pan(8 ½” x 4 ½” x 2 ½”)
- Bread machine, only if using this method
Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup water warm
- 1 package active dry yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons
- 1 tablespoon salted butter melted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Mix the yeast in the ¼ cup of warm water until it is foamy and fragrant: about 5 minutes.
- Sift the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt) together and put it in the mixing bowl of a kitchen stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.
- Add the wet ingredients (buttermilk, butter, yeast and honey) and mix it on low speed. Let it knead for about 10 minutes. The dough should separate from the mixing bowl and it should be stretchy but not sticky.
- Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for 1 ½ hours*
- After it has about doubled in size, punch the dough down and knead it just a little. Shape it and add it to a greased or buttered bread pan. Cover and let it rise for another hour before baking it.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Uncover the bread and bake it in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until the top is a beautiful golden brown.
- Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove it from the pan and serve warm with honey butter.
Bread Machine Instructions:
- Place the dry ingredients into the pan of a bread machine.
- Place the wet ingredients on top of the dry ingredients.
- Use the bread machine manual to select the proper settings to knead and bake the bread.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Comments
No Comments