At the state fair, this gorgeous yeast bread placed second. It is unusual and wonderful, with dried blueberries, lemon, and cardamom. Take a shot and see!
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 45 mins |
| Additional Time: | 2 hrs 25 mins |
| Total Time: | 3 hrs 40 mins |
| Servings: | 24 |
| Yield: | 2 loaves |
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk, scalded
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
- ½ cup warm water (100 degrees F (38 degrees C))
- 7 ½ cups unsifted white bread flour, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons grated orange zest
- 1 ½ teaspoons crushed fennel seeds
- ¼ cup butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm
- 1 egg white, slightly beaten
Instructions
- Pour scalded milk over honey, maple syrup, and salt in a large bowl. Let cool to lukewarm, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Soften yeast in warm water in a bowl until frothy, about 5 minutes. Combine with milk mixture. Beat in 2 cups flour, orange zest, and fennel seeds using an electric mixer. Blend in butter. Stir in 5 cups flour to make a soft dough.
- Sprinkle last 1/2 cup flour on a board; turn dough onto floured board and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl; turn dough over to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Punch dough down and divide in half. Shape loaves. Place in 2 lightly greased bread pans. Cover and let rise until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brush tops of loaves with egg white.
- Bake loaves in the preheated oven until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 184 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 34 g |
| Cholesterol | 7 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Sodium | 171 mg |
| Sugars | 6 g |
| Fat | 3 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |