Made with local honey and butter, this white sandwich bread is delicious! It makes awesome sandwiches, toast, breadcrumbs and croutons. This has quickly become a favorite among family members and customers!

This bread will keep in the cabinet for up to 5 days (here in California). I keep it in the cabinet for about 3 days, then transfer it to the refrigerator to get the best shelf life. Since homemade bread doesn’t have any preservatives, it can mold quickly. Freeze any portion that you won’t use within 5 days, or turn the leftovers into breadcrumbs or croutons!

The honey in this bread does not make it a sweet bread. I make this using organic milk, organic unbleached flour, and honey from Steve’s Bees in Lafayette, California.

Makes 2 loaves.

Ingredients:
1 ¾ cups warm water (about 105 degrees)
4 tablespoons honey, warmed
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
½ cup whole milk
3 tablespoons room temperature butter
6 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
6 tablespoons melted butter

Important Note:

If you have well water or unfiltered city water, I suggest using bottled water. Well water often has too many minerals, resulting in a poor dough rise. Poor quality/heavily treated city water can also cause this.

Instructions:

1. Mix warm water with warm honey in a mixer bowl using a whisk. The honey should be warm enough to mix into the water completely. Sprinkle with yeast (don’t add the yeast in one spot, sprinkle it around). Allow to stand 10 minutes, until the yeast has dissolved and the mixture begins to look bubbly.
2. Add milk and 3 tablespoons room temperature butter to the water/yeast mixture, and 3 cups of flour. Mix using the paddle attachment on your mixer, allowing to mix for 2 minutes.
3. Remove paddle attachment and put on the dough hook. Add the remaining flour, about 2/3 cup at a time, and allow dough hook to knead for about 6 minutes. The dough should be smooth, and not leave wet dough on your fingers if touched. You may need a little more flour to achieve this texture.
4. Remove dough hook. Leave dough in mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Allow to rise 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
5. Sprinkle flour over a flat rolling surface. Place dough on flour. Cut dough in half.
6. Spread melted butter in two glass loaf pans. Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough half separately. It doesn’t have to be thin, just uniform. Then roll it up into a log, and place in the buttered loaf pan.
7. Allow the loaves to rise for 20-30 minutes, then place in a 350-degree oven. Bake a total of 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown, or until an inserted thermometer reads 192° F.
   a. After the first 15 minutes of bake time, baste each loaf with melted butter.
   b. After 15 more minutes of bake time, baste each loaf with melted butter.
   c. If you have any remaining butter, baste each loaf again when removed from the oven.
8. Leave hot loaves in pans and place pans on a cooling rack. After one hour, remove the loaves from their pans, and place the loaves on a cooling rack. Allow to cool at least 15 more minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

~Amelia