Milk and Honey Bread
2 hrs
Prep Time
40 min
Cook Time
2 hrs 40 min
Total Time
10
Slices
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup milk (a few extra tablespoons if the dough is dry)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- Nonstick spray, plus extra milk for brushing the loaf
Instructions
- Combine the flour, honey, milk, salt, butter, and yeast in a stand mixer with a dough hook (or put everything in a bread machine and run the dough cycle). Mix a minute and check the dough: it should form a ball and clear the sides. Add a splash of milk if it’s crumbly, or a bit of flour if it’s sticking.
- Knead until smooth, bouncy, and elastic — about 10 minutes in a mixer, with short breaks so the motor doesn’t overheat. A golf-ball piece of dough should stretch thin enough to show light through it without tearing.
- Shape into a ball, put in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel, and rise in a warm spot until doubled, 45–60 minutes.
- Pat into a rectangle whose short side matches the long side of an 8½ × 4½-inch loaf pan. Tuck the top corners in and roll into a log. Pinch the seam.
- Place in a greased loaf pan, cover with oiled plastic wrap, and rise until the dough is about 1 inch above the rim, 45–60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F near the end of this rise.
- Remove the wrap, brush the top with milk, and bake 40 minutes until deeply golden. Take it out of the pan and cool on a rack at least an hour before slicing. Brush with melted butter if you want a softer, shinier crust.
Notes
- A briefly warmed, then turned-off oven is a good rise spot. Don’t preheat with the dough still inside.
- Active dry yeast works; the rise may take a little longer. No need to proof instant yeast first.
- Wrap leftovers tightly and keep 2 days on the counter, or slice and freeze up to 3 months.