Honey Buttermilk Bread

This soft, tender, slightly sweet and tangy bread has always been one of my favorites.  Whenever we made it growing up, half the loaf usually disappeared pretty quickly with butter and jam.  It makes wonderful toast and sandwiches.  This is the kind of loaf that needs to cool completely before slicing.  Which is rough because it is quite delicious.  The dough will also make dinner rolls that are delightfully soft and fluffy, though we always made bread out of it.  Recently, I tried it with greek style, honey flavored yogurt instead of buttermilk, since I tend to have that on hand more often.  It was fabulous that way!  Feel free to try it with either one.  If you are afraid of the crumb being too delicate, use bread flour or a high gluten flour instead of the all purpose flour.  My King Arthur all purpose and white whole wheat worked just fine in the loaf you see above.  I do recall using lots of "Better for Bread" flour years ago when we used to make this back in high school. 

Honey Buttermilk Bread
makes 1 loaf

2 tsp Instant Yeast
1½ cups white whole wheat flour
1½-2 cups all purpose flour
1½ tsp sea salt
¾ cup buttermilk OR 1 (6 oz.) carton honey flavored greek yogurt
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp butter, softened
½ cup warm water

Bring all ingredients together into a soft dough.  Depending on whether you are using buttermilk or yogurt, the amount of flour you need for an elastic, soft dough will vary.  Yogurt requires less flour, buttermilk more.  Knead until smooth and slightly elastic.  This will remain a fairly soft dough.  Alternately, use a stand mixer or bread machine to knead.  Allow to raise in a covered bowl until doubled in size, about an hour.  Turn out dough onto a lightly flour board or cloth and form into a loaf.  Place in a greased 9x5" loaf pan and allow to rise until loaf has crested about an inch over the lip of the pan, 45 minutes to an hour.  Bake at 350º for 30 - 45 minutes until golden brown and hollow sounding when thumped on the bottom.  Cool completely before slicing.

This is adapted from another one of those good old DAK recipes

This makes the most fabulous french toast.  It freezes wonderfully and reheats in the toaster for mornings on the run.  One of my daughter's new favorite breakfasts.


This will go up for yeastspotting!