Honey Almond Bread
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Honey Almond Bread is essentially soft fluffy sweet bread with sticky honey almond topping, which adds crunchiness and nuttiness to the plain bread.
Who does not love fresh-baked bread from the oven with its tantalizing aroma and goodness? I am not actually a bread lover, but there is simple pleasure from holding a slice of fresh and warm bread in your hand, one that you made from scratch yourself. If you have never made one yourself, maybe you can start from making this easy Honey Almond Bread. This desserts looks complicated, but trust me that it is easier to make than it looks, so definitely give it a try.
Honey Almond Bread is essentially a tender yeast sweetened bread with crunchy buttery honey almond topping. The bread actually tastes just like any other soft bread. Its texture is extremely smooth, tender, and moist, while the flavor is mild and creamy. However, the sweet sticky almond honey topping is the game changer and what makes this bread special. It adds nice crunchiness and nuttiness to the plain fluffy bread. The almond topping is so good that I could eat a bowl myself.
Tips on Making Honey Almond Bread
1. Use warm milk to activate the yeast
This recipe use yeast that will need to be mixed with warm milk. You cannot use cold water because your yeast will simply remain dormant. Meanwhile, using hot water most likely will damage or kill your yeast. To check if the water is too hot, just insert your fingers into your water. If it is warm and comfy for you, then it will no doubt great for your yeast too.
2. Don’t rush bread making
Fermentation of the yeast is the magical process that allows a dense mass of dough to become a well-risen loaf of bread. It works by consuming sugar and excreting carbon dioxide and alcohol byproducts, this is what leavens the bread. All of this will make the bread more digestible, nutritious, and tasty. Hence, good bread takes time and do not rush it.
3. Keep the dough warm
Yeast works best at warm temperature. If your house is cool in the winter, place the bowl somewhere warmer, like the top of your fridge or in a oven. The warmer it is, the dough may rise more quickly than expected.
4. Roll out the dough evenly
After the dough has gone through first rising, we need to roll it out into the prepared baking pan. If you are feeling lazy to use rolling pin just like me, you can use your hands to gently press the dough to fit the pan. Try to press the dough as evenly as you can. Any dent on the surface of the dough will gather more syrupy topping, which will prevent the dough rising.
5. Spread the topping thinly
You will need to spread the honey almond topping over the top of the dough after the second proofing. Try to spread the topping thinly and evenly. Do not add too much topping until it floods the top, especially on the center of the bread. Too much weight on the center will prevent the cake from rising.
More Bread Recipes
If you don’t know, I have tons of bread recipes on my blog.
Ingredients
Bread
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) milk
- 3 1/2 tbsp (50 gr) unsalted butter
- 3 cups (360 gr) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 1/4 cup (50 gr) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg
Honey Almond Topping
- 7 tbsp (100 gr) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup (50 gr) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 cup (100 gr) almond slices
Instructions
Bread
- In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter just until warm and the butter is melted. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a mixer mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt until well combined. Using a dough hook, gradually add egg and milk mixture on low speed until well combined. Turn on medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic for about 7-10 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky and clears the sides of the bowl.
- Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a big buttered bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 45 minutes until it has doubled in volume.
- Grease a 12-inch/30 cm square pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Deflate the dough, then roll it out and press into the pan. Cover the pan and let the dough rise until it is puffed for 30 minutes.
Honey Almond Topping
- Preheat oven to 350F/180°C.
- In a small saucepan, heat butter, sugar, and honey in medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, add heavy cream and almond slices until well combined.
- Spread the topping onto dough evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
- Place on a cooling rack, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely before slicing.
