Honey Bread
Hey guys, I'm new here and only recently found the site. I've only made 2 loaves of my own bread so far and both of them have turned out pretty good. Though, they are kind of thick since I can only use 1 hand to knead it (I broke my wrist in half and am in a cast for a long time); but that's ok cause I kind of like it that way.
Anyway.. I'd like to try and make a simple honey bread, but I'm not sure if I could use the most basic recipe and just throw in some honey and call it a day. I've only really used the "your first loaf" recipe from this site. I have some pure clover raw honey that I bought at my farmers market and it tastes awesome, and I feel like it could make a really good bread. Is there anywhere in particular I should start, or can I really just use the first loaf recipe and throw in the honey?
Thanks. (Also would maybe syrup work in a bread? Or even combined with the honey? I'm Canadian and love the stuff.) [Also, sorry if this topic doesn't belong in this section]
I use it in MOST of my recipes....I put about 3 tablespoons of it in a 1 1/2 to 2 pound loaf....more if I am making a sweet bread. I don't like to use sugar so I substitute the honey instead. Do you have a mixer to help you knead until your wrist heals?? I have Arthritis and Fibromyalgia so I use a bread machine to do my kneading. It does an awesome job!! Check out some of the bread recipes on www.justapinch.com or Allrecipes.com for some ideas. There are tons more recipes on this site as well!!
Enjoy!
Hi Trotski. Welcome!
Yes, you can add a bit of honey to a simple recipe to sweeten it up some.
When making a sandwich loaf, I frequently start with a "skeleton recipe" that is something like the recipe from lesson two:
3 cups flour
2 t instant yeast
1 t salt
2 T sugar
1 cup milk
2 T melted butter
Process-wise, something like 60-90 minutes to rise until closed to doubled, shape and place in a greased pan, 45 to 60 minutes until it is cresting over the pan and then bake at 375 for 45 minutes.
As I said, this is just the skeleton. Adjust any/all of these to fit your conditions and taste. Swapping out the sugar and replacing it with a couple of tablespoon of honey works great, as would maple syrup. Just be aware that the more sweetener you add, the quicker the loaf will brown and the darker it may get.
There is a good Maple Oatmeal Bread recipe here too that you might want to look at. It is quite simple to make.
Cheers,
Floyd
Alright great guys, thanks.
I'm ok to knead the dough with 1 hand, but I kind of just get my girlfriend to do the kneading and shaping haha.
I use honey a lot. Here is a quick-bread recipe. Can't remember where I got this but I remember searching online for a certain way to use a lot of honey and rye flour.
Pain d'Epices – French Honey Rye Cake
2-1/4 cups whole rye (pumpernickel) flour
1 cup honey
1/3 cup ground almonds
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Mix the rye flour and honey together and let stand overnight.
3. Add spices and other ingredients and mix thoroughly.
4. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes then spread batter into a greased loaf pan (about 8 1/2" x 4 1/2").
5. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven, cool 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool thoroughly on a cooling rack.
You will be tempted to enjoy this immediately, but the flavor improves if you can restrain yourself and wait a day or two.
Christina, thank you for sharing. What kind of honey do you use for this recipe? I generally don't buy a liquid type, and wonder if my favorite solid(semi-solid really) would incorporate or it needs to be heated first. Thank you.