Honey White Bread is luxuriously soft and fluffy—perfectly happy slathered with butter and served with a meal as it is as a canvas for building a really great sandwich.
I really hope y’all haven’t given up carbs lately because this is one loaf of bread that everybody needs to have in their lives. Nothing beats the permeating aroma of fresh bread baking in the house–it’s destined to draw everyone in close proximity into the kitchen by their noses. Whenever I make bread, I have to hide the bread knife and stand watch in front of the cooling racks, else my family tear into the piping hot loaves before it’s time. Upon first bite, Bacon Slayer will invariably and audibly wonder why we ever buy bread from the store when homemade is just so much better. We’re bread people. I hope that you are too.
I realize that the idea of baking yeast bread at home can be a little intimidating. I’m here to assure you that yeast bread doesn’t have to be complicated or scary. Understand a little about yeast as a leavening agent, and you’ll be ready to start practicing with bread. Usually when I’m baking bread I gravitate toward whole grain varieties like Honey Oatmeal Bread or 60 Minute Dill Potato Bread. Most of the time, I really want freshly baked bread but I don’t feel like fussing much with kneading and such, so I’ll whip up a batch of batter bread like Cheesy Beer Bread, No Knead Artisan Cheddar Bread, or No Knead Cinnamon Swirl Bread. You can do it, too. Start with no knead batter breads, and work your way up. I have faith in you!
I grew up eating whole wheat bread, so white bread was a treat reserved for eating at a friends or at holiday feasts. I love a good slice of soft white bread. You know, the soft slices that you can squeeze into a ball with little effort because the texture is so pillowy. Did you ever squish a slice of Wonder Bread into a ball in your hands as a kid? Then munch on that compressed ball of bread before repeating the process all over again? Yeah, me too.
I still get a hankering for a slice or two of soft white bread. However as an adult, the preferred brand of childhood tastes less like the forbidden luxury that it once was, and more like a chemical storm magically suspended in flour. The ingredients list is a mile long! It’s silly really, considering an basic white bread can be made with as little as four ingredients: flour, water, yeast, and salt.
My Honey White Bread has just one more ingredient with the addition of honey to give the yeast something to munch on and add just the barest hint of sweetness. Honey White Bread is luxuriously soft and fluffy—perfectly happy slathered with butter and served with a meal as it is as a canvas for building a really great sandwich.
Honey White Bread certainly has an airy enough texture to squeeze into a ball like you did as a kid, but I recommend a more mature approach. Slice into one loaf while warm, spread on a thick layer of butter, and savor it over the sink to save getting crumbs on the floor. Repeat as required. Save the other loaf to make a simple grilled cheese to dunk in 10 Minute Tomato Soup to further experience that warm feeling of childhood.
Kirsten Kubert
Yields 2
Honey White Bread is luxuriously soft and fluffy—perfectly happy slathered with butter and served with a meal as it is as a canvas for building a really great sandwich.
2 hr, 20 Prep Time
35 minCook Time
2 hr, 55 Total Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 1/2 C. 2% milk
- 2 1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 2 Tbs. instant (rapid rise) yeast
- 1 Tbs. honey
- 1 Tbs. kosher salt
- 6 1/2 to 6 3/4 C. all purpose flour, divided
- 1 tsp. canola oil (for oiling the bowl used for rising)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 Tbs. cold water (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Melt the butter and let cool until just warm (not hot) to the touch and still fluid. Heat the milk with the honey to lukewarm temperature (about 70 degrees F). Sprinkle the yeast over top, letting stand until moistened. Slowly pour the butter into the milk mixture, stirring constantly; briefly set aside.
- Whisk 6 cups of the flour in a large bowl together with the salt. Gradually pour the milk mixture into the flour, stirring constantly and scraping the sides of the bowl until combined. Be sure to also scrape the sides of the milk vessel to get all the yeast into worked into the dough. At this point, the dough should be very wet. Work the remaining flour into to the dough, 1/4 cup at a time, until smooth dough is formed. When using a stand mixer with dough hook attachment, the dough will be soft and clean the sides of the bowl. When mixing by hand, the dough will be soft and no longer sticky to handle.
- Knead on Speed 2 of an artisan stand mixer fitted with a dough hook for 2 minutes or until smooth and elastic. If kneading by hand, repeatedly knead the dough by making folds in thirds (envelope style) for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Be cautious of kneading in too much flour when kneading by hand. The dough should be just beyond the sticky phase but still soft and easy to manipulate.
- Form the dough into a ball by cupping the top while gently pulling the dough underneath and meeting in the center. Turn the dough one quarter of a turn and repeat until a smooth ball is formed.
- Rub the canola oil around the interior of another large bowl. Transfer the dough ball to the oiled bowl, turning it to barely coat the surface with oil. Place a layer of plastic wrap over the top of the bowl and then cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Let dough rise in a warm, draft free area for one hour or until doubled in bulk.
- While the dough is rising, lightly spray two 8 x 9 x 4 inch loaf pans with cooking spray. Whisk the egg with cold water to make an egg wash. Set both aside.
- Once doubled, divide the dough in half and roll each into a rectangle that is roughly 1-inch longer than and twice as wide as the loaf pans. Roll the dough jelly roll style to form a loaf, pinching the seams to seal. Place the loaves seam side down into the prepared loaf pans, tucking the very ends under. Spray the plastic wrap with cooking spray, and then cover the loaves with the greased wrap and the towel. Let stand in a warm, draft free area for between 60 to 90 minutes or until the loaves have risen to about 1/2-inch above the rim of the loaf pans.
- About 30 minutes into the second rise time, position the oven rack in the very center of the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Once the loaves have sufficiently risen, lightly brush the tops with the egg wash. Use a wet serrated knife or sharp razor (a.k.a. baker’s lame) to slash the tops at least four times along the length of the loaves to give the dough room to expand while baking. Bake the loaves in the center of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes or until they are a richly golden brown in color.
- Remove the bread from the oven and immediately turn the loaves out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Honey White Bread is best enjoyed within three days.
Notes
Since Honey White Bread is very soft, the bottom of the bread may compress a bit if cooled while resting on the bottom of the loaves. To keep the bread from compressing while cooling, rest loaves on one side for 30 minutes, and then turn to the other side to finish cooling.
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