Hi Selina, your thinking is along the right lines. All of the changes you described are things you can expect if you reduce or eliminate the sugar in a bread recipe. We don't typically recommend adjusting any of the other ingredients to compensate for a reduction in sugar. The exception is if you're reducing the sugar by a notable amount (more than just a few tablespoons), you may consider adding additional liquid to the dough. (Sugar liquifies during baking and can add moistness.) If the dough feels stiff or dry, add a few tablespoons of liquid to the dough. You may also consider increasing the amount of salt slightly to give the loaf more flavor in the absence of the sugar.

As for using honey, the opposite will be true: You may need to hold back some of the liquid or add more flour to make the dough the right consistency. The loaf will also brown faster if you use honey, so keep an eye on it while it's baking and be prepared to tent the loaf with foil if it's browning too quickly. (Check out our full post about baking with liquid sweeteners here for more details.) Happy baking! Kye@KAF

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