Sally Lunn Bread

Heat milk in a small saucepan to 105 degrees (between lukewarm and hot). Remove from heat and add yeast, whisking with a fork to combine. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes, until bubbles form all over the top.

With a stand mixer, cream together 7 tablespoons of the butter with the honey until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Sift together flour and salt. Add flour-salt mixture, a cup at a time, alternating with yeast-milk mixture, to the butter-egg-honey mixture, mixing after each addition. Dough will form a sticky ball.

Cover bowl with a dishtowel and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 1/2 hours. Remove to an oiled board and punch down and fold 30 times.

Butter a 9 x 5 loaf pan with the remaining tablespoon of butter, and shape dough into a loaf and place in pan. Cover with dishtowel again, and allow to rise in a warm place until even with top of pan (about an hour and a half).

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then slip a table knife around edges of pan and turn out onto rack.

Wait as long as you can stand before slicing off the end piece and buttering it to eat right then! Melt with contentment.