Fall is slowly easing in, and it felt like a bread making kind of day. This recipe is an easy one, with minimal hands on time. It’s a rich bread, moist with a tender crumb. Two loaves: eat one and slice up and freeze the second for later on.

Honey White Sandwich Loaves

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp instant yeast
• 2½ cups warm water
• 840 grams all purpose flour plus more for kneading*
• ¼ cup neutral oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tsp fine sea salt

Directions:

Add the warm water, yeast and 240 grams (2 cups) flour to a large mixing bowl, and stir well. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Stir in oil, honey, and salt, then stir in 480 grams flour (4 cups). If you have weighed your flour, add in the remaining 120 grams (1 cup) flour. The dough will be soft and most likely sticky.

Spread more flour on a work surface, knock out the dough, and sprinkle more flour on top.

Knead for 10 minutes, adding in sprinkles of flour as needed, till the dough is smooth and easily worked.

Cut the dough in half, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Liberally oil two bread pans, form each half into a loaf (I roll up each section, and tuck under the edges), place in prepared pans. Lightly oil the plastic wrap and place over the bread pans. Let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Bake bread for about 30 minutes, until golden on top.

Knock bread out of pans immediately, loosening edges if needed. Let cool on a rack.

Makes 2 loaves.

*I weigh flour versus scooping. The equivalent is 7 cups flour. If you scoop, add less in at first, as weighed is more accurate. Better to add more as you knead, than have added far too much at the start.

~Sarah

My Mother In Law passed this recipe on to me, so I could make it for her, while she visits. It is an easy recipe, and unlike many soda bread recipes, isn’t dry or crumbly. The added fat helps considerably. It’s an hour from start to finish, making it dinner friendly.

Soda Bread

Ingredients:

• 225 grams whole wheat flour*
• 225 grams all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 400 ml buttermilk*

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425° and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add in the butter and work in with fingers till crumbled.

Whisk the egg and buttermilk together, add to flour and work in, using fingers.

Flour a work surface, knock dough out and knead a few times till not sticky, form into a ball.

Transfer to baking sheet, pat into a circle about 1½” high. Cut a deep “X” with a serrated knife on top.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Drop heat to 400°, bake for 30 minutes more.

Bread should be golden on top.

Take out, transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool before slicing.

If any leftovers, store in a plastic bread bag.

Notes:

*All purpose flour can be used for the whole wheat flour, it will be little lighter in color. I used 3% buttermilk. Normal buttermilk is usually no more than 2%, but I like the richer flavor. It is usually labeled “Bulgarian Style”. It is advisavble to let the egg and buttermilk warm up a bit at room temperature before using.

~Sarah