Olga Bread

Bread machine recipes don’t get simpler than this. A cup of milk, a quarter cup of warm water, honey, one egg, flour, salt, yeast, margarine, and a teaspoon of sugar all go into the pan in the order your machine prefers, and the start button does the rest.

What makes Olga bread different from a basic white loaf is the ratio. Honey instead of plain sugar gives the crumb a faint caramel note, the egg adds richness and color, and the milk turns the texture pillowy soft. The result slices clean for sandwiches and toasts beautifully without crumbling.

Pro Tips

• Add ingredients in your machine’s recommended order. Most call for liquids first, dry ingredients next, and yeast last (kept separate from the salt and liquids until mixing starts).
• Warm the milk to lukewarm, not hot. Hot liquids kill the yeast before it can activate, and cold liquids slow the rise to a crawl.
• Use the basic or sweet bread setting depending on your machine. Honey breads brown faster, so a lighter crust setting prevents over-darkening.
• Cool the loaf on a wire rack out of the pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Cutting hot bread compresses the crumb and turns slices gummy.

Variations

• Swap margarine for unsalted butter for a richer flavor and slightly tighter crumb.
• Add 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds or sesame seeds with the flour for textural contrast.
• Replace 1 cup of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat for a nuttier loaf (you may need a tablespoon more water).