HONEY I’M HOME!

I told you there was to be a honey posting in light of our busy little bees being so busy and all! They are such clever little buzzers that to ignore their hard work would be shameful…There was so many things I could have posted with honey, but as I have been getting into bread baking lately, I thought a honey based loaf would be a good idea. So may I present “Whole Wheat, Honey, Almond, Linseed and Cardamom Bread…(or WHALC Bread for short!)

NEED:
100g wheat kernels
4 tsp granulated yeast
50 grams warm water
160 grams whole milk
130 grams honey
generous pinch sea salt
2 tsp ground cardomom
1 egg
40 grams butter
450 grams bakers flour
50 grams linseed
150 grams flaked almonds (plus extra for topping)
granulated sugar or raw sugar for topping

DO:
Grind wheat in TM bowl for 30 seconds on speed 9. Set aside.
Place yeast, warm water, milk in TM bowl and heat for 2 minutes at 50 degrees C on speed 1.
Add honey, salt, cardamom, egg and butter.
Process on speed 8 for a few seconds until blended.
Add flour, linseed and almond flakes.
Knead with lid in closed position for 3 minutes.
Add more flour if too sticky.
Wrap in plastic and allow to prove until doubled.
Make into loaf or rolls.
Brush with water, sprinkle with sugar and flaked almonds.
Allow to rise again.
(In cold weather this may take a long time, but the rise is worth the wait.)
Bake in hot oven (200 degrees C) for around 20-40 minutes, (depending on whether loaf or rolls) or until bottom sounds hollow when tapped.

We have just had some slices of this (were waiting for the photo to be taken before eating it of course!!) and it was FANTASTIC, with fresh butter and naturally, our own honey. It was terrific without the honey, but with…ohhhh….!!! Actually a little tip I have for you is to make honey butter with 125 grams of unsalted butter aerated in the TM bowl with butterfly attachment until light and fluffy, then add up to 400 grams of honey in a thin stream while beating. Keep in the fridge and use on hot toast, pancakes, fresh rolls, ice cream, WHALC loaf…the mind boggles. Really, what would we do without those bees??