Have eggs and flour at room temperature.
Combine 1 teaspoon honey with lukewarm water and sprinkle yeast on the surface.
Set aside to soften.
Combine scalded milk, currants, if desired, and butter.
Mix cinnamon and walnuts, if desired, into flour.
Using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks briefly.
Add 1/2 cup honey and beat until fluffy.
Beat in yeast and milk mixtures.
Gradually add the flour mixture and beat hard 3 minutes.
Beat egg whites until stiff.
Fold one-fourth of the egg whites thoroughly into batter, then gently fold in remaining egg whites.
Gently turn batter into 2 well-buttered bread pans or 1 well-buttered 9-inch tube pan.
Set pans or pan into a larger pan of warm water and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour.
Carefully lift pans or pan out of water and into a cold oven.
Turn oven to 400°F.
After 15 minutes, turn oven to 325°F and continue to bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of bread comes out clean.
Remove pans or pan from oven and cool 5 minutes on wire rack.
Gently loosen bread from sides of pan and then carefully turn out onto wire rack.