I also like Lyle's golden syrup as a liquid sweetener. It's a natural cane syrup - a lot of supermarkets carry it now in the International food section (it's a British product).
I find that if you want to sub honey, use a brown sugar, as bette suggests. I would like to add, that I use a very old recipe for my basic bread dough. And in my process, the "sweet" is critical for feeding the yeast. If you do substitute, watch your yeast closely to make sure it's as active as the recipe requires. You may have to make some adjustments with the second rise.
And yes, I've rescued unriz bread by working in a yeast mixture of scalded milk (cooled), a bit of sugar and yeast. Pour it in the bowl, knead it in then let it rest atop a warm oven.
If honey is used primarily for its sweetening and flavoring properties, substitute an equally flavorful sweetener such as brown sugar, maple syrup or molasses. If honey is used primarily because of its hygroscopic property--its ability to draw moisture from the air into baked goods, which affects texture--you can substitute corn syrup, simple syrup or agave syrup.
Almost any sweetener will work. I just use sugar in place of honey. (I don't reduce the liquid to compensate; adjust flour/liquid after kneading a few minutes.)
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And yes, I've rescued unriz bread by working in a yeast mixture of scalded milk (cooled), a bit of sugar and yeast. Pour it in the bowl, knead it in then let it rest atop a warm oven.