My Sweet Honey Bee

My best friend, Valerie, is truly amazing.

She’s astonishingly brilliant, incredibly talented, beautiful in every way, and generous beyond belief. She’s my Valerie.
And, she has bees. Yes, she has a swarm of bees in her yard.
And, chickens. A brood of hens. – She cares for them so much, her babies.
Of course she has Max and Gus and her gorgeous, bountiful garden.
And, she has me.

With that kind and generous heart, billowing over towards me, she often gifts me homemade treats, farm fresh eggs, delectable produce, and this time, raw honey.

Yes. Amber, orange, thick, unfiltered, and truly delicious.
This honey is mine.
But, not only mine. It’s really hers. So, I bake. I bake bread:
Raw Honey Blue Cheese Artisanal Bread.

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Raw Honey Blue Cheese Artisanal Bread

3 cups warm water
3 tsp. dry active yeast
3 tsp. sea salt
7 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup local, raw honey
4.5 oz. fresh blue cheese

In a large bowl, combine the water and yeast and allow to sit for 10 minutes and bloom.
Add the sea salt, flour, honey, and crumbled blue cheese.
Mix well.
Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
With well floured hands, divide the dough into thirds.
Form three loaves and bake on parchment for about 20 minutes.
This bread will “sing” to you as you crack the oven door and release all its sweet and savory glory.