Honey Wheat Bread--Nick's Favorite

Last June, Greg bought me a breadmaker for my birthday, and since then I have not bought one loaf of bread from the store. Instead, I make my own. Nick definitely approves--he especially prefers the crusts, which is great, because I especially do not prefer the crusts. When he smells the bread baking, he points towards the breadmaker and shouts "NO!" That's what he says when he really wants something.

I have promised several friends that I'd post the recipe for my perfected honey wheat bread, and I'm finally getting around to doing that today. I fooled around for months trying to figure out how to make bread that I liked consistently. Finally I realized that I didn't need to use the wheat bread setting. Since I'm using white whole wheat flour, the regular bread setting works perfectly.

Since my surgery in 2003 (Roux-en-Y Bariatric surgery), white bread has not agreed with my system. When I eat it, it shoots my blood sugar up, and then within a half hour, I'm having trouble with hypoglycemia. After meeting with doctors and nutritionists, and through years of trial and error, I've figured out that I have to have a balance of "good" carbs (whole wheat, high fiber and protein content) and protein foods. That's why I've added the flaxseed, wheat germ, and oatmeal. This recipe tends to keep my blood sugar steady, and it is delicious, especially right out of the breadmaker. I also love the fact that I know exactly what is in it.

Honey Wheat Bread


1 ¼ cups warm milk
3 T unsalted butter
3T honey
4T ground flaxseed
3T wheat germ
1T vital wheat gluten
1/3 cup oatmeal
2 and 2/3 cups white whole wheat flour
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ teaspoon yeast


I warm the milk in the microwave first, then pour it into the pan over the butter to soften it. Then I add the rest of the ingredients, in order, and make a little hole in the flour to put the yeast. Finally, I set my breadmaker on the regular setting, and three hours later I have a delicious loaf of bread. The key to this recipe is using white whole wheat flour.

My favorite way to have this bread, lately, is with a little bit of promise spread and pumpkin butter. Last year I started going to the farmer's markets, and I found this great company that makes jam and preserves and such. I order apple, pumpkin, honey, and cherry butter by the boxload from McCutcheon's, and it is worth the price. Nick sure loves the variety of spreads.  :)