Sponge ▢3 cups warm water ▢⅓ cup honey ▢4½ teaspoons rapid rise yeast (2 packets) ▢5 cups bread flour Dough ▢⅓ cup honey ▢3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, plus 2 tablespoons for brushing loaves ▢1 tablespoon salt ▢3½ cups whole wheat flour
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, stir warm water, honey and yeast together. Mix in bread flour and stir to combine. Let sponge sit for 30 minutes, until bubbly.
To make the dough, add honey, butter, salt and 2 cups of whole wheat flour to sponge and mix with a wooden spoon or the dough hook mixer attachment. Add remaining whole wheat flour ½ cup at a time until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead until smooth and pliable.
NOTE: If making in your stand mixer, use the bread hook and knead for 6–8 minutes on low speed. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Divide the dough into three equal pieces and roll each piece into a 9-x-13-inch rectangle on a silicone mat. Roll each dough rectangle up into a log starting at the short end. Place each log seam side down in a greased 5-x-9-inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
Toward the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped. Brush the loaves with melted butter and let cool completely on a cooling rack.