Feb 17 2010
Honey White Bread
When you have the time, nothing beats homemade bread. I love the feeling of working the dough with my hands, the scent of the yeast as the dough first rises, then bakes. And let’s face it, a sandwich, or even toast, is infinitely better when you know the bread is homemade.
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I’ve been eyeing up this recipe for several years, simply to be able to use the bread for sandwiches. Earlier today, I enjoyed the first of many sandwiches from these loaves, and I was immediately transported to childhood. My grandma thought nothing of making fresh bread – in fact, she made so much bread that she bought 50 pounds of flour at a time!
Honey White Bread
recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home
½ cup warm water (about 105-110*F)
2 pkgs dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ½ cups warm whole milk*
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 ½ tablespoons honey
2 large egg yolks
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water
Combine water, yeast and sugar in the bowl of stand mixer; let stand for 10 minutes.
Add milk, butter, and honey. Mix on medium until blended. Add egg yolks, 3 cups of flour, and the salt. Mix on low with paddle attachment for 5 minutes. Add 2 more cups of flour. Increase speed to medium and slowly add just enough of the remaining flour so the dough doesn’t stick to the bowl. Knead on medium for 8 minutes, adding flour as necessary.
Dump the dough on a floured surface and knead by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic. Grease a bowl with butter or cooking spray; place the dough in the bowl and turn it until it’s coated with butter. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rise for one hour, until doubled in volume.
Grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans. Divide the dough in half, roll each half into a loaf shape and place in pan. Cover with damp towel and allow to rise for an hour.
Preheat oven to 350*f. Brush top of loaves with egg wash and bake for 40-45 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.
*Be careful with the temperature of the milk – slightly lukewarm is best. If the milk is too hot, it will kill the yeast and your bread won’t rise.
i have always wanted to bake a bread…but hard core baking scares me….your recipe makes it look easy..thnx for the recipe
Hi,
This recipe looks great and definitely make me want to try it however, I was wondering how it would work with wheat? Guess I need to try it. Thanks for sharing! Rosalia