Honey Milk Bread

I make bread at least every other day. My older kids prefer store bought, pre sliced bread, and when they're home, and willing to go to the supermarket to procure it, that's fine. But I always have bread in the house for sandwiches, snacking, even feeding vitamins to Thor. Often, I make French or Italian bread (minimal ingredients and fuss). Last night, I decided to try a somewhat different bread from Beth Hensperger's Bread Machine Cookbook.

Except for English Muffin Bread, which I set on a delayed timer, so it's fresh and hot for breakfast, I use my bread machine as a mixer. Really, who can fault a nice, enclosed mixer, out of which the dry ingredients can't puff and leave a delightful dusty film on the counter? All of my breads can be put in the bread machine and ignored until they're done, but I prefer to shape them into traditional loaves. Let's just say it's a small reward for my being otherwise very efficient (or lazy) and doing everything in the minimal steps possible.

HONEY MILK BREAD

2/3 cup warm milk
2/3 cup warm water
6 tsp yeast
3-3/4 cups flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp honey
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp gluten (optional)

Pour the milk and water into the bread machine's container or a mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it. Add the remaining ingredients in the order given, put the container into the bread machine, turn it on and let it knead for about 10 minutes. Or, stir half the flour into the yeast mixture, add the oil, honey and salt, and the remaining flour. Turn onto a floured counter or board, and knead for about 10 minutes, until the dough is firm and shiny. Let rise 15 minutes, then divide the dough into 2 pieces and press into 2 loaf pans. Let the loaves rise until they reach the top of the loaf pans, 30 to 45 minutes, and bake at 350F for approximately 25 minutes, or until the loaves are as dark as you would like.

This was a very soft, surprisingly light bread with a lot of flavor from the honey. The boys ate quite a bit with their chicken dinner last night, which was surprising, since the chicken came with stuffing. G, if you did get a bread machine, this is an easy experimental bread for you!