Inside the Formula: Honey Wheat Bread with…

Adding protein to a traditional pan bread formula poses countless challenges. Everything from hydration to crumb structure to baking performance to flavor and aroma is impacted by the simple addition of plant or dairy proteins.

However, protein is what consumers want, so the National Honey Board set about creating a pan bread formula that delivered 8 grams of protein per slice. As part of the process, we also wanted to analyze the functional role honey plays in added protein dough systems.

This blog post gives insight into the ideation, protein strategy and final functionality of a clean-label bread designed for commercial bakeries looking to increase protein without sacrificing texture, volume or flavor. If you would like a copy of the formula and processing notes, email [email protected].

The Ideation of a High-Protein Bread with Honey
Protein continues to dominate innovation across the baking category. Consumers want more protein, but they also expect bread to taste like bread. That’s a challenge, as increasing protein content fundamentally changes dough behavior. Add too much plant protein and the loaf becomes dense or dry. Rely too heavily on dairy protein and flavor balance shifts. Remove too much wheat and the structure collapses.

That’s a lot of challenges. And we added more by requiring the formula to hit these nutritional and sensory attributes:

• Contain at least 8 grams of protein per slice

• Use honey as the only sweetener

• Maintain a desirable loaf volume and crumb softness

• Preserve clean-label simplicity

Flour and Protein Strategy
Rather than rely on a single protein type, this formula combines wheat, plant and dairy proteins to create a more balanced nutritional and functional system. The base of the formula is wheat flour, which provides starch for crumb structure and gluten-forming proteins that create elasticity and gas retention.

Unfortunately, wheat flour alone doesn’t hit our target of 8 grams of protein per slice, so we supplemented with fava flour to add protein and fiber from a clean label source. This addition adds protein and body to the bread but also introduces subtle bitterness or grassy notes.

With the flour base settled, we were confident in our structure but still needed to add more concentrated protein sources to hit our target. We tried many options and found the combination of brown rice protein and whey protein worked best. Brown rice protein is relatively neutral in flavor and color but can create a firm and chalky texture as it aggressively binds water. More on how we overcame this later.

The whey protein serves multiple purposes in a dough system. Nutritionally, it’s a complete protein with a strong quality perception. From a formulation standpoint, whey improves browning because it enhances Maillard reaction potential. It also contributes structure, and, when combined with brown rice protein, the whey protein doesn’t overwhelm a product with dairy flavors. Together, the two proteins allowed us to hit our targets while making the sensory attributes of the bread more manageable.

Honey as a Functional Star in Added Protein Products
Notice how we said “manageable” sensory attributes. At this point, we have an added protein bread, but there were some big challenges with flavor, texture and aroma. This is where honey comes in, performing the following roles:

• Water Management: Honey contributes dissolved solids that help manage water distribution in a multi-protein dough system. In formulations combining wheat gluten, plant proteins and whey, water competition can lead to stiffness, density and dryness. Honey helps moderate this by binding moisture and improving crumb structure.

• Flavor Masking: Adding plant proteins can also add beany, grassy or bitter notes. As a multi-carbohydrate sweetener, honey provides a rounded sweetness that helps mask flavors throughout the entire eating experience. Honey also has floral aromatics and natural acids that brighten the overall flavor of the bread.

• Fermentation: Honey has readily fermentable sugars that provide immediate substrate for yeast activity. In a high-protein dough that may resist expansion, this early fermentation support helps maintain loaf volume and cell structure.

• Browning: Honey’s reducing sugars (fructose and glucose) support the Maillard reaction and ensure a golden-brown crust development. This is essential in fortified breads, which can appear pale.

Dinner Rolls and Seeded Breads
We tried countless variations of this recipe and found success with many alternative protein sources and flours. We also created dinner rolls with the dough as well as a seeded version. And, although we developed the bread for commercial bakeries, the formula is adaptable for retail bakeries and foodservice operations.

Although there are many ways to adapt this formula, there is one consistent ingredient: honey. This natural sweetener allows bread bakers to increase protein while maintaining softness and flavor. Want the formula? Email [email protected].