No-Mixer Honey Bread

Ingredients

• 400 g bread flour
• 200 g milk
• 4 g yeast
• 1 egg
• 70 g caster sugar
• 2 g salt
• 30 g butter
• 20 g honey
• 20 g water
• sesame seeds

Method

Warm the milk to 40°C — this is the activation threshold for the yeast without killing it. Combine the flour, warm milk, yeast, egg, caster sugar and salt in a bowl and mix until shaggy. The sugar feeds fermentation and tenderises the crumb; the egg adds richness and colour. Add the butter in small pieces and work it in by hand with a pinching and folding motion until the dough becomes coherent. This is kneading without a machine — you're developing the gluten network by hand friction, which takes roughly 10 minutes. The dough will transition from sticky to elastic, with a slight sheen. Stop when it no longer tears easily when you stretch a small piece.

Cover and leave at room temperature for the bulk-fermentation. The dough should roughly double in volume — aim for 1–2 hours depending on ambient warmth. You'll know it's ready when poked gently, the indentation springs back halfway. If it springs back completely, it needs more time; if it doesn't spring back at all, you've overproofed.

Divide into 60 g pieces. This is where the lamination begins: roll each piece into an oblong with a rolling pin, roll it tightly, rest 10 minutes (this allows gluten relaxation), then repeat. Do this cycle again — you'll have four separate pieces from each original ball. The repeated rolling and folding creates the characteristic striped, pull-apart structure. Arrange on a lined tray with a light oil layer to prevent sticking.

For the second rise, cover with cling film. A cold overnight proof in the fridge is preferable — slow fermentation at 4°C develops flavour and makes the dough easier to handle the next morning. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking to bring it to room temperature. The dough should feel slightly puffy, not rock-hard.

Brush with beaten egg — this is the egg-wash, which gives the crust its golden-brown colour through the Maillard reaction at 180°C. Bake for 18–20 minutes. The surface should darken to a deep amber. Immediately after baking, brush with honey mixed with water (a 1:1 ratio works). The residual heat will cause the honey to caramelise slightly and seal the crust. Finish with sesame seeds while the glaze is still sticky.