Willow's Honey Bread

The little girl I babysit for got in the car one day after school carrying this bread fresh from the oven at school.  She had made it with her teacher that day as a special project.  It smelled SO GOOD I could hardly drive the 15 minutes home without tearing into it!  We ate almost the whole loaf when we got home, and it was truly the best tasting bread I've ever had.  It has a sweetness to it from the honey that is so delicious by itself or with butter on it.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups warm-hot water (microwave for 45 seconds- 1 min)
• 1/3 cup olive oil (or any oil)
• 1/3 cup honey 
• 3 1/2 tsp quick acting yeast
• 1-2 tsp salt
• 5 cups flour (any combo of all purpose or whole wheat or bread flour), plus more for work surface and hands

In a large bowl, mix together water, olive oil, honey, salt, and yeast.

TIP:  If you measure out the oil first, then use the same 1/2 cup with the oil residue in it for measuring your honey, the honey will pour out much easier into the bowl!

Add 5 cups of flour, stirring with a wooden spoon.  Dump out onto floured surface and knead until elastic and no longer sticky, adding flour if necessary.  Form into a ball and put in oiled bowl to rise. Cover with towel and set inside oven (turned off).  Allow to rise for 2 hours.

After dough has risen, punch it down to get the air out and knead for another minute to be sure there is no air still... 

Divide into 2 equal parts and put into loaf pans.  Cover and allow to rise again as your oven preheats to 350.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.