BUTTERMILK HONEY BREAD Recipe

Today is laundry/bread making day, and I thought that since Spring is in the air, I would make a Spring type bread ;-)

So I dug around in my recipe collection and found this tasty bread. The texture is excellent, and the sweet smell of honey that greets your nose with the first cut of the knife after the bread cools will have your taste buds screaming for a bite.

I bake my bread on laundry day because after it is kneaded and placed in a bowl to rise, I put it under an overturned laundry basket atop my dryer, covered with a bath sheet towel or a small blanket. Easy-peasy-no-fail way to raise the dough.

Buttermillk Honey Bread is perfect for sandwiches. This bread also make tasty toast ;-) You can also change the flavor of this bread by using different flavored honeys.

BUTTERMILK HONEY BREAD ~Makes 2 oval loaves

1 envelope dry Yeast or 1 cake fresh Yeast * ¾  c. lukewarm Water (105-degrees F to 115-degrees F) * 1 tsp. Honey * 5-1/4 to 6-1/4 c. unbleached Flour or Bread Flour * 1-1/2 c. lukewarm Buttermilk (95-degrees F) * 3 TBS. Honey * 2 TBS. unsalted Butter (1/4 stick), melted & cooled * 1 TBS Salt (I used Pink Himalayan)

Sprinkle dry yeast over warm water in small bowl. Add 1 teaspoon honey & stir to dissolve. If using cake yeast, crumble into small bowl; stir in lukewarm water and 1 teaspoon honey: let stand until foamy – about 10 minutes.

Combine 2 cups flour, buttermilk, 3 tablespoons honey, butter, and salt in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture and beat until smooth – about 3 minutes. Mix in enough remaining flour half a cup at a time until dough is too stiff to mix. Knead on a floured surface until dough is smooth and satiny looking; kneading in more flour if sticky, about 10 minutes.

Grease a large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat entire surface. Cover bowl with plastic and let rise in a warm draft-free area until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.

Grease 2 baking sheets. Gently knead dough on a lightly floured surface until deflated. Cut dough in half. Knead each piece into a round and then pull 2 opposite sides under to form an oval shape. Place on prepared sheets, seam side down. Cover with towel; let rise in a warm draft-free area until doubled in shape – about 45 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375-degrees.

Bake loaves 45 minutes … or until brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottoms. Immediately transfer to racks to cool. Cool completely before slicing.