honey bunch bread

Ingredients

• Servings: 3
• 2 3/4 cups warm water (110 degrees f/45 degrees c)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 6 cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed

Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins Ready Time: 3 hrs 40 mins


• stir warm water and honey together in a bowl until honey dissolves. sprinkle yeast over water mixture and let stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
• stir oil and salt into yeast mixture. mix 3 cups of flour into yeast mixture until no dry spots remain. stir in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition, until dough is no longer sticky and pulls together. continue kneading for 5 minutes in a stand mixer or 10 minutes by hand.
• place dough in a large, lightly-oiled bowl and turn to coat. cover bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• punch down dough and let rise again until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.
• grease three 9x5-inch loaf pans.
• punch down dough and turn a lightly floured surface. form dough into 3 loaves and place into prepared pans. cover loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until dough is about 1 inch above the sides of the loaf pans, about 45 minutes.
• preheat oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c).
• bake in preheated oven until tops are golden brown and the bottoms of loaves sound hollow when tapped, about 40 minutes. remove loaves from pans and transfer to a cooling rack.