Soft Honey White Sandwich Bread

This bread is so soft and fluffy with just a hint of honey. It makes for the perfect sandwich bread. If you have not seen my video for this bread you can find it on my channel. I had just got back from a one day road trip to the pan handle of Florida to see our new little grandson. I am not over the age of 40 and my husbands daughter ( my step-daughter) just had her son two months ago. He is absolutely adorable. I was super tired and wanted to make something to show appreciation because our neighbor took care of our pup while we were gone. This bread is a great treat for gift giving so, why not right?

So here we go..

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup water – warm
2 pkg yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups milk – warm
6 tbsp butter – room temp
2 tbsp honey
2 egg yolks – room temp
1 egg white – room temp
5 cups all purpose flour – lightly packed ( do not scoop in to the cup but rather spoon it in the cup for accurate measurment)
1/2 tsp fine salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Let all of your ingredients come to room temp before you start this process. This will help everything come together better and make for a lighter and fluffier bread. Slightly warm the water and milk just slightly above room temp but not scorching hot. it should be slightly above (warmer) than room temp.
2. In a bowl or measuring cup add your warm water, sugar, and yeast. Stir to combine well. Set aside for about 5 minutes to get frothy/foamy.
3. In a large bowl combine the flour and the salt. Stir together very well. Set aside.
4. In a stand mixer combine the warm milk, egg yolks, butter, and honey. Stir together using the dough hook until just combined. It will look like a lumpy mess. That is perfectly fine.
5. Add in the yeast mixture and mix again.
6. When combined, add in just over half of the flour and mix together. It will have a runny consistency. let it mix for about 2 minutes. Add the remaining flour and mix together on low until the flour is incorporated then turn the speed to about 4 or 5 and let this mix for about 5 to 8 minutes. The mixture should be slightly runny but it will not stick to your fingers when touched. (see video for accuracy in texture) If you need more flour to reach this texture add more flour 1 tbsp at a time until the texture is reached. This really depends on the moisture in your home. It varies every time I make it. Check the texture first before adding more flour, just in case. The batter should pull away from the bowl ( a few bits will be stuck to the side of the bowl) It may be slightly tacky on the very bottom of the bowl as well. This is fine.
7. Once the consistency is reached, oil a large bowl and add the dough to the bowl. Turn the dough over to coat the entire ball of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and place it in a warm dry area. I usually put mine in the oven or in my laundry room because it is always warm in there. It should take between 45 minutes to 1 hour to rise to doubled in size.
8. Once the dough has doubled in size, press down on the dough to remove air pockets and remove from the bowl and cut the dough in half. Place each section in a buttered (not oiled) loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm dry area for a second rise. Let this rise again for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 425*.
9. Remove the plastic wrap carefully and gently brush the tops with the egg white to completely coat the top of the dough.
10. Place in the hot oven and bake for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Turn the temp down to 400* and let the bread cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until the bread is completely cooked through. The internal temp of the bread should be 190 to 200 degrees.
11. Remove and let the bread cool for about 30 minutes in the loaf pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting.

• If you are unsure of the consistency of the dough that you are looking for, you can check out my video just to be sure. here is the link – Just go to my playlist for breads and doughs. If you are pretty good with the directions then that is good.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDSUFjaH0te3bKg28zUblCQ?sub_confirmation=1

• I also love adding additional things to this bread as well. Sometimes I add things like sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoni, salami, bacon, cheddar cheese, mozzarella, black olives, etc. It really depends on what flavor I am going for when I make it. It is absolutely delicious.
• Let this bread cool completely before cutting so it doesn’t crumble to much when cutting it. Always use a bread knife to cut any bread. This keeps it from smushing down when cutting into it.
• If you don’t want to make both then it freezes really well. Just pop it in a freezer safe bag and put it in the freezer for up to 6 months. So you can make one loaf of bread and freeze the other half for another day.
• If you want to make rolls with this dough you can! just butter a muffin tin and after the first rise, cut into equal pieces and place in the buttered tin and cover with a cloth or plastic wrap and let it do the second rise. Follow remaining directions and bake for about 20 minutes or until the tops are golden and the bread is cooked through. Remove and serve warm with dinner.
• Please do not oil the loaf pans this will make the bread hard and super crispy. This bread is supposed to be soft and fluffy with that buttery outer layer. I find the oil just makes the outer layer way to hard (for me). You should be able to press down slightly on the bread and it gives and quickly reshapes to it’s original shape.
• Store in an air tight bag or container for up to 4 to 5 days. Make sure it is completely cool before storing.
• You can certainly make this by hand. Just mix the sugar, yeast, and water. Let stand for 5 minutes. Combine the milk, egg yolks, butter, and honey. Combine the yeast mixture to the milk mixture and stir to combine. Mix the flour and salt well. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the milk mixture. Stir to combine well with a wooden spoon. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until it is no longer sticking to your hands but still has a slightly runny consistency. If you need more flour, add more 1 tbsp at a time until desired consistency is reached. The consistency should be the same as stated above for the stand mixer. Place in a oiled bowl and let rise. Follow remaining directions. ( you can do this in a large bowl or on the counter)