Lavender Honey Bread

I came across this recipe the other day in the Skyrim cookbook, and just by the name I was intrigued. I had to make it, but I made it slightly different. The first one I made my yeast was bad, so the middle of the bread just remained doughy. It was still good, but turned to dough texture when eaten.

(The picture used below of the bread when covered is from this batch.)

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Ingredients:

- 4 cups all purpose flour*

- 1/4 cup melted butter*

- 1 1/4 cup warm milk*

- 1/3 cup honey*

- 1 tablespoon lavender, crushed in a mortar and pestle

- 2 teaspoons instant yeast

- 1 1/4 teaspoon salt

*For any substitutions you may need, click here!

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Recipe:

- Preheat oven to 400F and grease or line a bread pan. Set this aside for later.

- Melt the butter, then mix the butter, milk, and honey together in a large bowl.

- Add the lavender to the mortar and pestle and crush. This is not necessary, but it will help release more of the flavor and will be less of a texture in the bread.

- Add the lavender, salt, yeast, and flour into the wet mixture, and combine.

- Knead the dough thoroughly and set in the bread pan to rise for one hour, or until your dough has doubled in size. This takes longer in cooler houses. Cover the pan loosely with Saran wrap.

- Put the pan in the oven for 25 minutes after the bread has doubled in size.

- When the time is up, check for doneness with a toothpick, or an internal temperature of 200F at the thickest point of the bread.

- Remove from the bread pan and set on a wire rack to cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

- Slice, serve with whatever you'd like, and you're done!

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Notes and things I learned along the way:

This is a savory bread, rather than a dessert type bread like the name may suggest! When making it, I almost added a sweet glaze to the top and I'm so glad I didn't!

This bread pairs really well with a garlic butter or other herby butters.

The original recipe calls for 2 cups all purpose flour and 2 cups wheat flour, but 4 cups of either work just the same, it just depends on if you want a wheat bread or not! I personally do not prefer wheat breads, so I made it without.

I got my lavender off Amazon, but you can find it many other places. Just make sure the lavender is culinary safe!

You can use any shape pan you want, it does not have to be a bread pan, just one that can handle bread.

If you do not want the lavender buds in the bread, you can boil the milk with the lavender buds, then strain the buds out, leaving a lavender infused milk.