Honey bread

Ingredients:

• 0.5 cup warm water (43°C)
• 2 packets (14 g / 4.5 tsp) dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1.5 cups warm whole milk (43°C)
• 80 g butter, melted and cooled
• 1.5 tbsp. honey
• 2 large egg yolks
• 5-6 cups of flour
• 1 tbsp coarse salt
• White of 1 egg, lightly beaten

Preparation:

1. Pour water into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. If the bowl is cold, keep an eye on the water to ensure it stays warm. Add the yeast and sugar; stir and let dissolve for 5 minutes.
2. Add the milk and honey. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Add the egg yolks, 3 cups of flour, and salt. Knead the dough on low speed for about 5 minutes. Without stopping the mixer, add another 2 cups of flour. Increase the mixer speed to medium and gradually add enough of the remaining flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the bowl. Add the flour gradually; you can always add more, but you can't subtract any more. Knead on medium speed for about 8 minutes, adding more flour as needed.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for about a minute, until smooth and elastic. Grease a bowl, place the dough in it, and turn it over to coat the entire surface. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rise for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size.
4. Grease two 22x12 cm loaf pans with butter. Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a loaf shape, and place them in the prepared pans. Cover again with a damp towel and let rise for another hour, until the dough has doubled in size.
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 175°C. When the dough is ready, brush the top with egg white and bake the bread for 40-45 minutes. The bread should sound hollow when tapped on the crust. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.