Note that the type of spices and herbs, and the amounts, are all left up to the discretion of the baker. Journey Bread is flexible, a light version in summer and a meatier version in winter. It is limited by your tastes and budgets. Spices alone, or fruits alone, or both together are OK.
1 qt. warm milk
2 T. yeast
13 c. flour – can be a blend of wheat, rye, and unbleached
2 Tbs. salt
1/4 c. butter
1 c. honey
2 eggs
Fruits and nuts – as much as can be fit into the bread, and as much as can be afforded by the cook.
Spices – such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, anise, allspice, basil, caraway, poppy, cardamom, clove, rosemary, tarragon, chervil, chives, bell pepper, cilantro, sesame seeds, cubeb, mint, thyme, etc. Use 1 Tbs. for very fresh spices, increased for older spices.
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Melt the honey and the butter in the milk. Mix all the dry ingredients, including yeast and spices. Beat the eggs together. Add the milk and eggs to the dry ingredients (make sure the milk is lukewarm before adding it to the yeast). When the batter is too thick to mix with a spoon, plop it onto a lightly floured board and knead it until it is smooth and elastic. Let the bread rise until doubled in a warm, draft free place. Punch it down and
knead again, adding any fruits, nuts, and seeds. The dough should be greased lightly for both risings to prevent cracking and drying. Let it double, then punch down and knead a third time. Shape into small loaves, size depending on purpose. Place on a greased and floured baking sheet; biscuits and rolls may touch, manchets and trenchers should be well separated to give an even crust. Let rise a fourth time. Do not punch down; place into a 350 F oven.
Let bake for 1/2 – 1 hour, time will depend on circumstances, until the crust is golden brown. Halfway along the baking, brush the tops with a salt water mixture. The loaves will keep about 2 weeks in the open, indefinitely in the freezer.
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