The Fresh Loaf

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Honey vs sugar

amateur4sure's picture
amateur4sure

Honey vs sugar

I would like to start using honey in place of sugar in baking, However, with the many variations in the amount to use that I have heard, what are your opinions? Opinions on organic honey or sugar are also welcome and what is raw honey?

gerhard's picture
gerhard

Raw honey hasn't been pasteurized.  In most baking recipes folks add and subtract the amount of sugar to personal taste anyway so unless the exact amount of sugar is essential to a successful outcome I would experiment.   Lot of honey out there that has never been near a bee, so I would avoid Chinese honey which often is synthesized or stretched with less expensive sweeteners and lots of honey from South America which may just be repackaged Chinese honey.

Gerhard

amateur4sure's picture
amateur4sure

Gerhard, Thanks for the useful information.

T. Fargo's picture
T. Fargo

  The best benefit from honey would be when it is sourced from a local apiary.  Especially so if you tend to have allergies.  There are natural antihistamines in honey local to you that counteract the histamines local to you (hence anti).  Honeys produced elsewhere may be cheaper, but will provide less benefit in that department - the choice is obviously up to you.  Another thing to consider when replacing dry sugar with wet honey is the amount of water used to hydrate your mixes, and the sweetness will get your yeasts revved up quicker too, as it is less complex than cane sugar.

a quick read: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/09/healthy-sugar-honey_n_5445024.html

amateur4sure's picture
amateur4sure

Thanks for the extremely useful information.

KayDee1's picture
KayDee1

You can also read the work of Dr. Robert Lustig, who describes the extreme health risks of sugar. He recommends only honey, or maple syrup. Raw, local honey, and true maple syrup. If you google him, you'll easily find his work and the results of his research. 

Maverick's picture
Maverick

I think it partly depends on how much sugar the original recipe calls for. If it is more than 200g/1 cup or so, then you might need to make adjustments the liquids as well. Maybe 60g for each 200g or so. Of course, if you are using that much sugar for bread (not a quick bread like banana bread), then you might need osmotolerant yeast anyway, and it will be very sweet. Otherwise, the liquid is probably not enough of a difference to worry about. At that point you are talking about removing like 15g/ 1 tablespoon. So you can find the actual liquid in honey and adjust from there if you want to, but I don't. As to substitution ratios, most places say it is a 1:1 ratio, but I find that I prefer to add about 20-25% extra honey by weight.

amateur4sure's picture
amateur4sure

Thanks to all.