Substituting honey for sugar in bread
I want to make one of my favorite white bread sandwich loaves, but I'm out of sugar. What I do have is honey. How much honey should I use to replace 3 Tbs of granulated sugar? How much should I reduce the water in the recipe to compensate?
Best Answer
I've never tried this in baking before, so I did some poking around. Here are a couple of the more helpful articles:
Ask the Experts...About Baking with Honey
These and others seem to agree on a couple major points:
- For larger quantities (not applicable here) you'll want to add only about 3/4 the volume of honey in place of sugar. You'll also need to reduce the water in the recipe to compensate.
- Lower the baking temp by about 25 degrees; honey seems to accelerate browning.
- Add a very small amount of baking soda (1/4 tsp per cup of honey) to compensate for the honey's natural acidity.
Since you have such a small amount, probably only #2 applies here, but you may want to exercise some caution if making a larger batch.
Pictures about "Substituting honey for sugar in bread"
How much honey do I substitute for sugar in bread?
Up to one cup, honey can be substituted for sugar in equal amounts. For example, you can substitute 1/2 cup of honey for 1/2 cup of sugar called for in a recipe.Can you use honey instead of sugar to activate yeast?
And don't worry\u2014a teaspoon of sugar won't impact the overall taste of the bread. Test Kitchen tip: Feel free to substitute a bit of honey or agave syrup for the sugar\u2014even a tablespoon of flour will do. These ingredients all serve as food for the yeast.What does honey do to bread baking?
Honey has been used in baking and bread baking for centuries, as it adds moisture to the dough or batter. Because of its sugars, it can help the yeast grow when used adequately.What can I substitute for sugar in a bread recipe?
6 Sweet Sugar Substitutes for BakingSubstitute Honey for Sugar in Your Favorite Recipes
More answers regarding substituting honey for sugar in bread
Answer 2
If it's real honey, not adulterated with corn syrup or anything, then you can probably substitute it 1:1 for sugar- I usually do so with my go-to white bread recipe. It does change the flavor somewhat, but it's an improvement in my taste.
Answer 3
I bake breads that are usually a 50/50 mix of unbleached bread flour and spelt, rye, oat or kamut whole grain flours. I may have to adjust the whole grain flour amounts (especially kamut) and add gluten, but I always use honey in place of sugar on a 1:1 basis. I never reduce the temperature. The same 1:1 substitution applies on the occasions that I do make white bread. I have never noticed a change in rise or color. Bread-making is a weekly or bi-weekly event at our house.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Tony Flood, Vinícius Caricatte, Nataliya Vaitkevich, Nataliya Vaitkevich