Homemade Buttermilk Bread Recipe with Honey

If you've never worked with yeast doughs before you might want to read this guide before you get started.

🥘 Ingredients

This honey buttermilk bread recipe is so unbelievably light that it doesn't seem like homemade. It's sweet but not too sweet so it makes a great sandwich no matter what the filling is.

Restless Chipotle readers LOVE this one!

• Active dry yeast but you can use rapid rise if you want.
• Powdered ginger - helps to activate the yeast but does not add flavor.
• Sugar is used by the yeast.
• Buttermilk - Adds a little flavor but mostly it creates that soft, tender crumb we all love.
• Honey - the type of honey you get will change the flavor. Strong honey will give a stronger flavor and wildflower or orange blossom honey will give a lighter flavor. Experiment with different types to see what you like best.
• Salt - kosher salt was used. If you use regular table salt cut the amount by about 1/4th or so.
• Baking soda
• Bread flour - you can use all-purpose flour if you like.
• Butter

🔪 Instructions

Just follow the images to see how to mix and shape this easy buttermilk bread.

1. Mix the sugar, ginger, yeast, and warm water and set aside until foamy.
2. Whisk the buttermilk, honey, salt, and baking soda together.
3. Add it to the yeast mixture.
4. Pour into the mixer.
5. Add three cups of flour and mix until smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes on low of a stand mixer.
6. Pour in the butter and blend.
7. Switch to kneading hook. Add the rest of the flour, one cup at a time, keeping mixer on low speed.
8. When dough pulls from the sides of the bowl remove it from the mixer to a lightly floured surface. Knead until elastic and smooth
9. Place in greased bowl, turn to grease the top, and cover with a clean tea towel. Let rise about 1 1/2 hours.

Shaping

1. Punch dough down. You'll want to give it a gentle kneading for a minute or two but nothing like the first time! Don't over-knead it.
2. Shape into loaves.
3. Place loaves in pans and let rise until double. Bake.
4. Remove finished loaves from oven. Brush with butter.
5. Cool and slice.
6. Perfect honey buttermilk bread!

🍞Bread machine instructions

Many of you have asked about making this buttermilk bread recipe in a bread machine. One reader, Debbie, did so and she left this comment.

"If you want to make it and bake it in a bread machine cut the buttermilk bread recipe in half, set it on white bread setting, and add ingredients in this order (or according to your manufacturer's instructions):

1. Water
2. Buttermilk
3. Butter
4. Honey
5. Sugar
6. Salt
7. Flour mixed with ginger and baking soda
8. Yeast"

High altitude instructions

This is not a problem here in Texas - at least not in my area!

King Arthur Flour has some great tips for high altitude baking on their site. The information about homemade bread and yeast is at the bottom of the page.

Also your rising time will be MUCH faster so keep an eye on your dough!

💭 Tips

Expert tip: You may need more or less flour than called for in the recipe. Weather and climate can affect your ingredients - humidity will often mean you'll need at least an extra 1/4 cup or so of flour. If you bake bread on a rainy day it will rise higher than on a clear one due to air pressure!

• Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
• Use yeast that is within the sell by date. If your buttermilk bread isn't rising well it could be that the yeast is too old..
• Make sure your liquids are not more than 110F. Check with a insta-read thermometer. If the liquids are too hot the yeast will die.
• Be sure to fully knead the dough. It develops the flavor and texture - and will take 8 to 10 minutes by hand.
• Grease the top of the dough before rising.
• Let the dough rise in a warm spot.
• Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out to finish cooling.
• Cover while cooling for soft crusts.
• Leftover buttermilk? Try this buttermilk banana bread!

👩🏻‍🍳FAQs

Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.

🎥  How to knead dough by hand video

Plan on it taking you 10 to 15 minutes to knead by hand. You can see an instructional video on how to knead bread here.

Troubleshooting

I've written a series of posts to help with questions about yeast baking and troubleshooting problems you  may experience.

• Yeast Bread Baking Tips Part 1
• Yeast Bread Baking Tips Part 2
• Yeast Bread Troubleshooting

Also - these tips on getting your homemade bread to rise properly are what keep mine high and light!

🍽 Equipment

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

If you want to learn to bake homemade bread but it never comes out quite the way you think it should... you might like my book. It's gotten great reviews! Not only does it contain this honey buttermilk bread recipe, there are recipes for batter, whole wheat bread, cinnamon rolls, and many more!
Bread Bootcamp is available on Amazon for Kindle or in paperback.

What’s new? Check out my Restless Chipotle & Co. Store on Amazon where you'll find all kinds of nostalgic goodness!  Thanks so much for being a part of Restless Chipotle!

☕️ Kaffeeklatsch

Homemade bread.

Honestly, learning to make it was one of those things that changed my life. You'll find tons more homemade bread recipes here. You know, in case you want to experience that life changing moment for yourself.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

4.58 from 307 votes

Honey Buttermilk Bread Recipe

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Y'all, this is my favorite sandwich bread recipe! Homemade buttermilk bread is so easy that even a beginner can make it perfectly the very first time! It's soft with a slightly sweet flavor that comes from honey - or use all sugar if you prefer. Difficulty level 2/10

Course Yeast Bread

Cuisine American

Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

rising time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours

Servings:20 (2 loaves)

Calories:188

Author:Marye Audet-White

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Equipment Needed

• Bosch Stand Mixer
• Glass Bread Pans

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon/packet yeast, I usually use 1 because I buy in bulk.
• 1 pinch powdered ginger
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup water, warm, 105F - 110F
• 2 cups buttermilk, warm, 105F - 110F
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 cups bread flour, divided use - may use all-purpose
• 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled so that it is warm to the touch but not hot.

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In a medium sized bowl mix the yeast, ginger, sugar, and 110F water.
• Set aside for 5 minutes or until foamy.
• Whisk the buttermilk, honey, salt, and baking soda together and add it to the yeast mixture.
• Add three cups of flour and mix until smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes on low of a stand mixer.
• Pour in the butter until it is totally mixed into the batter.
• Add the rest of the flour, one cup at a time, keeping mixer on low speed.
• When dough pulls from the sides of the bowl remove it from the mixer to a lightly floured surface. Knead until elastic and smooth. You can also knead in your mixer according to manufacturer's directions.
• Place in greased bowl, turn to grease the top, and cover with a clean tea towel.
• Allow the dough to rise for 1 1/2 hours, or until double.
• Punch down and form into two loaves. Place in greased loaf pans and grease tops.
• Cover, and allow to rise for 45 minutes, or until it is just about to the tops of the bread pans.
• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Bake for 30 minutes. You can cover the tops with foil if they brown too fast.
• Remove loaves from oven and brush with melted butter.
• Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes.
• Gently run a knife around the edge between the bread and the pan to loosen it.
• Turn out and cool completely on a rack.
• Cover the loaves if you want soft crusts.

Notes

The baking soda does two things... It works with the acid in the buttermilk to help the bread rise high and light and balances any off tastes from the acids in the buttermilk.

Tips -

• Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
• Use fresh yeast.
• Make sure your liquids are not more than 110F.
• Grease the dough before rising.
• Let the dough rise in a warm spot.
• Cover while cooling for soft crusts.

No buttermilk? Try this Amish White Bread!

Nutrition

Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 183mg | Potassium: 72mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 110IU | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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This recipe has been undated from the original 2008 version to improve reader experience. Last updated June 2020 for better images and user experience.