Whole Wheat Honey Ricotta Bread

The texture and taste of this homemade Whole Wheat Honey Ricotta Bread is outstanding! And wait until you smell it baking in the oven!

If you're nervous about making homemade bread without the aid of a  bread machine, let me show you how easy it is to bake this deliciously easy-to-make homemade Whole Wheat Honey Ricotta Bread. 

Plus, it's one of the easiest yeast bread to make, and only requires a few standard kitchen tools and no bulky baking equipment. There, I knew that would get a RISE out of you! *bread baking humor* LOL

**Please Note - The printable recipe card with detailed instructions, complete ingredient measurements, and nutritional information for making Whole Wheat Honey Ricotta Bread is available at the end of this post. OR you can hit the "jump to recipe" button (found above) to be taken directly to the recipe. 

This recipe was originally shared in 2016. This post has been updated with additional information, including a recipe card complete with nutritional information, but the recipe itself has remained unchanged.

The ingredient list:

• active dry yeast
• warm water (110-115 degrees)
• butter
• sugar
• ricotta cheese
• honey
• whole wheat flour
• bread flour
• salt
• olive oil or olive oil spray

Kitchen tools and equipment needed:

• large mixing bowl
• small bowl
• whisk
• measuring cups and spoons
• rolling pin
• wooden spoon
• standard loaf pan
• cooking spray

Why this recipe works:

No special kitchen equipment is required.

A large bowl, wooden spoon, and some elbow grease are pretty much all you'll need to be successful with this amazing yeast bread recipe.

You have my promise that even a novice bread baker will be successful when making this easy yeast bread recipe.

Yay for homemade bread!!

I've not shared a homemade yeast bread recipe for quite some time, which makes this deliciously easy homemade bread way overdue!

But, good things come to those who wait, so today is your lucky day! 🙂

Tips and tricks for making homemade yeast bread:

If you're new to baking homemade bread, I have a few key tips for you that will ensure your success in the kitchen.

First, make sure your active dry yeast isn't too old.

Unless you bake a lot of bread year-round, it's always best to err on the side of caution and purchase new yeast during the fall when the bread baking season begins (at least here in my Kudos Kitchen).

Second, when dissolving the yeast in warm liquid (water, milk, etc.), make sure your liquids aren't too hot as that will kill the yeast, and you'll never get the rise that a healthy and well-made loaf of bread has.

The liquid temperature for yeast recipes usually varies only slightly and is usually somewhere around 110-degrees Fahrenheit.

If you're not using an instant-read thermometer, at a temperature of 110-degrees, the liquid will ideally only feel slightly warm to the touch, never hot!

And lastly, let the yeast do the work.

The majority of the time spent in making a yeast dough is in the resting and rising process (aka proofing).

This time is a non-active time for the baker (you), so when you see a bread recipe calling for three or more hours to complete, DON'T PANIC!

Remember that the majority of that time is when the yeast is busy doing its own thing, so you can be off doing your own thing!

Can all-purpose flour be used in place of bread flour for this recipe?

Yes!

You can use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour one-to-one, but your dough may be slightly wetter and not have the same strong structure as with the bread flour.

I would suggest adding a touch more all-purpose flour (if needed) to dough if it's too sticky, and hand-knead it for a longer period of time to better develop the gluten.

How to make Whole Wheat Honey Ricotta Bread:

• In a medium bowl, combine softened butter, warm water, and honey.

• To the same bowl, add ricotta cheese and sugar.
• Whisk to combine the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, add whole wheat flour, bread flour, yeast, and salt.

• Whisk the dry ingredients to combine.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir vigorously until a soft dough ball forms and comes away from the sides of the bowl. 

• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and hand-knead the dough (press, fold, turn, press, fold, turn) until the dough is smooth and elastic (approximately 7 - 10 minutes). 

• Add the dough into a clean bowl that has been coated lightly with olive oil .
• Lightly oil the top of the dough with additional olive oil, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
• Allow the dough to rise until doubled in a warm, draft-free place (approximately 60 minutes).

• Turn the dough out onto a clean counter that has been lightly dusted with flour, and use a rolling pin to roll it into an approximate 9" x 12" rectangle.
• Roll the dough (from the short side) to fit a standard loaf pan that has been sprayed with olive oil cooking spray and place the bread, seam side down, in the pan.
• Allow the bread to rest until doubled (approximately 45-50 minutes) in a warm, draft-free place.

• Preheat the oven to 350-degrees and bake until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped (approximately 40-45 minutes), and is nicely golden brown.
• Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
• When cooled, slice and serve.

Additional homemade bread recipes:

*English Muffin Bread (shown below)

English muffin bread is everything you what in an English muffin except that you make it in a loaf pan. The nooks and crannies in this bread are what dreams are made of!

*Italian Herb Quick Bread (shown below)

This Italian herb quick bread comes together in a snap with only one bowl, one spoon, and no kneading required. It’s fast, easy, and super delicious!

*Onion Rye Bread with Dill (shown below)

This Onion Rye Bread with Dill is one of the easiest homemade yeast bread recipes I’ve ever made. Since the loaves are rustic, there is no need for any fussy shaping.

*Whole Wheat Honey Ricotta Bread (shown below) THIS IS THE PLACE!!

Below is the printable recipe card along with the exact ingredient measurements and nutritional information for making today's whole wheat homemade yeast bread recipe.

Printable Recipe Card

I sincerely hope you've enjoyed today's homemade Whole Wheat Honey Ricotta Yeast Bread recipe as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you!