Instructions
Let's hope this gets me somewhere...
Pour the warmed milk and honey into a large bowl. Stir in the yeast.
Slowly mix in the flour and salt and knead together until it becomes a rough mound. You can do this by hand or use a stand mixer.
Continue to knead the dough for 5 minutes, on a floured surface, adding more flour, as needed, until it appears smooth and well incorporated.
...just keep going...
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 40 minutes.
Put parchment paper inside 2 loaf pans. Set aside.
Separate the dough into 2 equal halves and press each loaf into the prepared pans.
Allow the bread dough to rise, uncovered, in a warm place for 40 minutes.
Focusing on each step as it comes is helpful – it’s a step in the right direction.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Brush the loaves with milk.
Drop the oven temperature to 375°F then bake the loaves for 30 minutes on the lowest rack in the oven.
The scent in the air has me feeling peaceful even though I’m still a little lost.
Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 15 minutes before moving it to a cooling rack. Wait to slice the bread until it reaches room temperature.
With a cup of hot tea, a warm slice of bread with butter before me, and the smell of freshly baked bread still in the air, I realize I’m not (magically) back on course, but I am in a place of great comfort and that feels like the beginning of something...