There is nothing quite like the smell of fresh bread baking in the kitchen, and today I finally broke in my stand mixer with a modified classic. I took a foundational white bread recipe from the KitchenAid manual and gave it a serious upgrade: swapping out the standard sugar for raw honey, bumping the liquid up to rich 3.25% whole milk, and using lard to grease the bowls and pans for that perfect, golden crust release.
For this batch, I used a KitchenAid stand mixer equipped with the dough hook, running it strictly on Speed 2 to let the machine do the heavy lifting of kneading. If you’re making this at home, any standard bread mixer or stand mixer with a solid dough hook will do the job perfectly—just let the machine knead until the dough completely clears the sides of the bowl and feels smooth and elastic.
The result? A deeply flavorful, incredibly soft loaf with just a hint of honey sweetness. It’s the perfect reminder that sometimes the best recipes are the ones where you trust the vibe of the kitchen and tweak the basics to make them your own.
A Quick Final Tip for Your Mix
Since you are using a stand mixer, keep a close eye on the machine during step 4. Stand mixers like to "walk" slightly across the counter when kneading heavy bread doughs. It's always a good idea to stay close by while it works its magic!
Ingredients
Method
Prep the Liquid Base.
Place the whole milk, honey, salt, and butter in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat just until the butter melts and the honey dissolves. Remove from heat and let it cool until it is lukewarm (if it's too hot, it will kill the yeast in the next step).Dissolve the Yeast
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water directly inside your warmed mixer bowl. Add the lukewarm milk/honey mixture and 41⁄2 cups of the flour. Attach the bowl and the dough hook to your KitchenAid mixer.Initial Mix
Turn the mixer to Speed 2 and mix for about 1 minute until a shaggy dough starts to form.KitchenAid Safety Note: Always stick to Speed 2 when mixing and kneading yeast doughs. Using higher speeds can overstrain the mixer's motor and gears.Add Flour & Knead
Continuing on Speed 2, add the remaining flour 1⁄2 cup at a time. Watch the dough closely. Stop adding flour as soon as the dough clings to the hook and completely cleans the sides of the bowl.Once the dough clears the sides, continue kneading on Speed 2 for about 2 to 3 minutes longer. The dough is ready when it is smooth, elastic, and just slightly sticky to the touch.The First and Second Rise
Coat a large bowl with a thin layer of lard. Place the dough inside, turning it over once so the top is also greased. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.Punch the dough down and divide it into two equal halves. Shape each half into a loaf. Place the loaves into two 8-1/2" x 4-1/2" x 2-1/2" baking pans greased with lard. Cover them lightly and let them rise again for about 1 hour until doubled in size.Bake
Bake at 400F (205C) for 30 minutes, or until the crust is a deep golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove them from the pans immediately and let them cool completely on wire racks before slicing.
Notes
Pro-Tips for Your First Mix
- The "Windowpane" Test: Instead of relying strictly on the clock for kneading, pinch off a golf-ball-sized piece of dough after 2 minutes of kneading. Gently stretch it out from the center with your fingers. If it stretches thin enough to let light pass through without tearing immediately, your gluten is perfectly developed. If it rips fast, slap it back on the hook for another minute.
- Flour Control: Don't feel forced to dump in all 6 cups of flour. If the dough clears the sides of the bowl beautifully at $5frac{1}{2}$ cups, stop there. Organic flours can sometimes be thirstier, so let the behavior of the dough in the bowl be your ultimate guide.
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