Honey Bread

As promised, the picture.
There's a pity there is no scratch 'n' sniff option with computers. This smells lovely!

No picture yet because it is still proving in my airing cupboard but this is a lovely loaf. It is very sweet for bread but not sweet enough to be called a yeasted cake. I am taking it to evening service today as it is harvest festival.

1lb of strong white flour, though I have made this with plain too, I don't think it matters that much
1 sachet of dried yeast
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons olive oil or you can rub 1.5 oz of butter into the flour before the wet ingredients are added
10 fl oz milk warmed
2 medium eggs beaten
3 tablespns organic honey (organic honey tastes better by miles)

• Plonk the dry ingredients in a very large bowl, glass for preference as it holds the warmth. Add the oil, honey, eggs and milk and mix together, first with a fork and then with your hands. Knead it for about five or ten minutes. The texture should change from sticky to pliable silkiness. Add more flour if it feels too sticky.

• Then cover it with a tea towel and leave it in a warm place for about an hour and a half until it has doubled in size. (See the need for a large bowl!) You can leave this to prove over night too, only leave it in the kitchen rather than somewhere warm like your airing cupboard otherwise it will spill over the bowl and make a mess all over your clean linen!
  

• Split the dough into three roughly equal pieces, roll into a long sausage, about the same width as...well ...as a sausage and then holding one end, plait the three sausages together in memory of the trinity.

• Place on a lightly oiled baking tray and brush the loaf with some milk. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 C for 30 minutes until it is toasty golden.
  

Really this is good enough to eat on its own but the addition of home made plum jam is just heavenly. I'll put a picture up when it is out of the oven.

Have a honey scented day won't you...