HONEY BREAD

RAW HONEY

Honey bread is delicious and nutritious. As a bee-keeper of some 50 years of experience, taught by my grandfather, please indulge me. I have a passion for this subject! The difference between raw honey and the crap you buy in the supermarket (yes, I'll be crude, it's that important to me!) is absolutely vast.

An aside: Grandad, what are you teaching the little ones? Mom and dad don't have enough time, but you do! There's no greater privilege than handing on our love of carpentry, or bees, or gardening ... the list is endless.

Number one complaint of the British teenager: Life is boring.

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,

And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:

Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,

And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

- Yeats

So, it is time to arise and go now, and go find a small local bee keeper. In the season you could take your own glass bottles (if he will allow it), and buy a year's stock. Honey keeps because of a very important enzyme that releases small amounts of hydrogen peroxide, which kills any bugs. (That incidentally is why raw honey is so good for burns, wounds, scar formation and tummy troubles)

Raw, unheated honey contains live enzymes; that's one of the reasons why it is so good for indigestion lightly filtered it contains the pollen granules, and the taste is ... divine. Heat it and - kapush! - it's crap!

It will probably crystallise in time, perhaps even quite quickly. That's NOT not a sign that sugar's been added! It's a sign (if the crystals are nice and uniform, and the overall consistency is of a smooth paste, perhaps quite hard) that it's good honey, the real McCoy. Please do not put the jar into hot water or the microwave. If you want it soft, put it on a sunny windowsill with a dark cloth over it, and not too long. And don't use it for your cooking - get that honey from the supermarket.

The king was in his counting-house

Counting out his money;

The queen was in the parlour

Eating bread and honey.

INGREDIENTS for HONEY BREAD

Baking with yeast is not for the faint hearted. Having personally done it for years, I would recommend the beginner start with this easy recipe.

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup supermarket honey

INSTRUCTIONS

Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer.
Beat the eggs, then add the milk and honey to the eggs and beat them together.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Add the mixture to the dry ingredients and beat well for at least 15 minutes but preferably 30.
Butter two 8-inch loaf pans and divide the batter between them.
Bake for 40-50 minutes. The honey bread loaves will be puffed and golden when done.

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