Everything You Need to Know to Bake Bread Like a Pro — and a Honey Whole-Wheat Loaf Recipe to Try

If you've been thinking about learning to bake your own bread, now's the time to try it. Homemade bread can be healthier, tastier and it will make your kitchen smell like your favorite bakery.

"Homemade bread has a fresh taste that you just can't get in commercial products," says Heather Reid, owner of the Eat Like A Mother microbakery in Chicago.

"You can taste the nutty, rich flavor of the wheat, the slight sweetness of honey — even the butter or jam you put on it isn't muted by additives in the bread."

Homemade bread also doesn't have any of the preservatives or added sugar you'll often find in the store-bought variety.

Plus, the act of baking bread in itself has benefits. "Actually making something real, special and delicious is a thrill," Reid says.

"Kneading bread is a zen experience for me. Not only does it require my full attention for 10 consecutive minutes (no phones, no keyboards), but the sensory aspect is so relaxing."

Here, Reid shares how to make bread in a few easy steps (no bread machine required) and her go-to whole-wheat bread recipe that features a touch of honey.

The basic ingredients for bread are simple: Flour, water, yeast and salt.

You can buy bread flour, which is higher in protein than all-purpose flour and will give you the chewy texture and structure you want in your homemade loaf.

But if it isn't readily available, you can make bread with all-purpose flour (just convert all-purpose to bread flour by adding vital wheat gluten, an ingredient you can buy at health-food stores, or on Amazon.com for $14.79).

If you make bread with all-purpose flour, you can substitute it in a 1:1 ratio for bread flour, Reid says.

"The bread is not going to have the same kind of chew or bite, and it's going to be a bit softer and less spongy without the protein from the bread flour. But you can do it with success."

Whether you use bread or all-purpose flour, Reid recommends going for the unbleached variety. "I think the yeast reacts better to it."

"The freshest flour is the best flour for bread. Fresh flour has more nutrients intact, which feeds the yeast in a much more robust way. It will rise higher and it will taste better."

One thing to make sure of no matter what kind of flour you use is that it's fresh.

"The freshest flour is the best flour for bread," Reid notes. "Fresh flour has more nutrients intact, which feeds the yeast in a much more robust way. It will rise higher and it will taste better."

Most flour comes with an expiration date on the package; check that before you start baking, and replace the flour if it's past its prime.

To keep it fresh, store it in an airtight container in a cool place, such as the back of your pantry (away from sunlight) or keep it in the freezer.

Although you can use different types of flour for bread, self-rising flour is not one of them, Reid warns.

"Self-rising flour has a leavener like baking powder in it and sometimes salt," she says. "It's made with a lower protein version of all-purpose flour, so what you get is a really tender result. You would use it for baking things where you're not looking for gluten development, like in biscuits."

Freshness is also key when it comes to yeast, Reid says.

Check the expiration date on the packet to make sure it's fresh. If you don't see a date, you can test the yeast in just a few minutes (here's how).

If you find yourself without active dry yeast and your local store has run out, all is not lost. You can make your own yeast, though it takes several days.

All you need is a couple of dried dates, a little bit of sugar, filtered water and a clean jar, according to chef Pablo Puluke Giet. As he demonstrates in this video, you combine all the ingredients in the jar, shake, cover and store in a cool, dark place for four days.

The natural yeast in the dates ferments, and you can use the resulting water in place of dry yeast. Be warned, though: If you use the yeast water, your dough may take longer to rise than with packaged yeast, Giet says.

The final ingredient that you need to make good bread is time.

"I always include time in the list of key ingredients because people are often in an 'instant-rice mode' when they're cooking, but you just can't rush bread. Bread takes as long as it takes."

Yields: 1 loaf

• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 ¾ cups warm water (about 110 degrees Fahrenheit)
• ¼ oz (1 packet or 2 ¼ tsp) active dry yeast
• 3 ½ cups white whole-wheat bread flour or whole-wheat flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 cup bread flour or all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp coarse salt
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more for bowl and pan

1. In a small bowl, stir honey into warm water and then sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. In another bowl, stir together flour and salt, and then stir in yeast mixture and melted butter just until the dough forms. Gently knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large buttered bowl, drape with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm spot until dough doubles in bulk, about 45 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Punch down dough. Shape into an 8-inch square, about 1 inch thick. Fold in two opposite sides to meet in the middle. Press seam to seal. Place dough seam-side-down in prepared pan. Sprinkle with flour. Drape with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot to 3⁄4 inch above top of pan, 30 to 45 minutes.
4. Just before baking, you can lightly brush the top with an egg wash (one whole egg beaten with a little water) and top with seeds or oatmeal. This gives it a nice shine and allows the toppings to stick to the bread. You can also get creative when it comes to topping your bread — try nuts or seeds (like black and white sesame seeds or poppy seeds).
5. Transfer pan to oven and immediately reduce heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake, rotating halfway through, until top is golden brown and bottom sounds hollow when tapped, 35 to 40 minutes.
6. The inside temperature of the bread will be around 195 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit when ready. Let cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes, then turn out bread onto rack and let cool completely.
   
   
   Bread can be tightly wrapped and kept at room temperature up to three days or frozen up to three months.