A Simple Sandwich Bread Recipe
A loaf bread recipe that will make you quit store-bought. Soft, pillowy, rich and flavorful - you can make this bread however you like - honey loaf, poppy seed, sesame, garlic and herb.
Equipment
- KitchenAid Mixer (with kneading attachment) *Optional
Ingredients
- 5-6 Cups All purpose or bread flour *Amount varies with your environment's humidity (so, for me, in the summertime with high humidity I use a touch more flour)
- 2 Cups Water or milk *Milk contains fat, which does help to make a moist, softer, more pillowy texture. BUT, water works just fine as well.
- 1/4 Cup Melted butter (unsalted) *You can also use Ghee or Coconut Oil
- 1/4 Cup Sugar or honey
- 1 Egg *Totally optional, BUT I find the egg creates a stretchy bread (less crumbly) with a rich flavor.
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Yeast *You can use the same amount for the active, quick rise yeast
Instructions
If you are using Active Yeast
- Start by adding 1 Tbsp of Active Yeast to a large mixing bowl. You can also add in your 1/4 cup of honey or sugar to the bowl at this point.
- Measure out your 2 cups of either milk or water in a separate cup and bring to around 110 degrees F. Add to your Active Yeast bowl and stir thoroughly. Then you are going to cover the bowl with a towel and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. Your yeast should be foamy at the surface (if not, your liquid was either not warm enough or too hot and it killed your yeast - start over again).
If you are using Quick Instant Yeast
- Start by adding a packet (or 1 Tbsp) of Instant Yeast into a large mixing bowl.
- Then add your 2 cups of either milk or water to the bowl with the yeast (this does not need to be warmed). Add the 1/4 cup of honey or sugar and mix together thoroughly.
Incorporating the other ingredients to the dough
- Crack in your two eggs, 1/4 cup melted butter and salt to the bowl. *The eggs are also optional, so you are welcome to do without, but I find that the eggs create a very nice, rich texture and flavor!
- Then start by adding in your flour one cup at a time. *Optional: after 2 cups, allow your dough to rest covered once you have fully incorporated the 2 cups of flour. This, I've read, allows the gluten to process. But, you're more than welcome to skip this step.
- You want to add your dough slowly after the 4 or 5-cup mark. You don't want your dough to be too sticky, but also not too, too dry. *The amount of flour for 2 loaves is an average of 5-6 cups, and this heavily depends on the time of year as well as the humidity in your environment. For instance, warmer climate for me means I use slightly more flour in the summer (~6 1/2 cups) and slightly less during the drier winter months. This is something you will have to figure out by trial and error, so the amount of flour isn't an exact.
- Knead the dough for at least 8 minutes. You can either do this by hand or in a mixer. I find its easier to do in the mixer, but if you're a newbie you really should do it by hand in order to get to know "the feel" of how your dough should be. Again, not too wet and sticky but not so dry and hard that it's impossible to knead.
- After kneading, shape dough into a round ball and place back in the original bowl. Cover with a cloth or plastic wrap and place in a lukewarm spot to proof for at least 2 hours (somewhere thats around 75-80 degrees F). A good range of places for this is in your oven, microwave (with the door cracked open so the light is on), in your garage or on your kitchen counter during warmer times of the year. Avoid places that get *too warm*, otherwise you run the risk of your dough over-proofing.
- Your dough should about double in size when it is ready to be divided and shaped into your loaf pan molds. *If your dough is flat, super bubbly and *wet* looking, you might have either 1. over-proofed, 2. proofed in a location that was too warm or 3. you might not have added enough flour to your dough mixture.
- Remove your dough from the bowl and lightly knead a few times. Then shape into a ball and divide your dough in half as best as you can.
- Butter or oil your loaf pans prior to placing your dough in the pans. With half the dough, use your fingers to flatten into a rough rectangle to fit the loaf pan. Start at one end and roll the dough so it creates a *log* shape. Pinch the crease and the edges before placing in the loaf pan. *Refer to the image below this recipe card of the loaves pre proof.
- Repeat the step above with the other half of your dough and allow loaves to rest, covered with a towel, and proof once again for at least another hour.Your loaves should not be flat or super bubbly and *wet*. If so, you might have over-proofed. *Refer to the image below this recipe card of the loaves once they are proofed.
- After your loaves have proofed and risen, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F. *My baking method: I simply add my loaf pans to the oven, then start the pre-heating process - setting the total bake timer to 30 minutes. Again, this is my method and what works for me.
- For loaves in glass pans: Bake for 30-35 minutes, turning pans half way.For loaves in dark or metal pans: Bake for 30 minutes, turning pans half way.
- Once removing your loaves from the oven, (*optional) coat the tops of your loaves with more butter. Allow to completely cool for at least 30 minutes on the counter. *You may remove your loaves from their pan immediately out of the oven, but just be careful because they're extremely hot.
- Slice, eat and enjoy! Use this bread for making top-notch grilled cheese, French toast, eggs in a basket, PBJ and of course any of your sandwich favorites!
Notes
*This bread does have a SHORTER shelf life than your standard store-bought bread - about 5-6 days before you'll start noticing small spots of mold beginning to appear (when kept at room temperature or on the counter).
*You can freeze this bread for up to a month (you can even slice the loaf prior to freezing to make it easier to thaw slices).
*Once your bread as gone "stale" (after about 4-5 days, BEFORE the appearance of any mold or signs of molding), you can store in the freezer and/or use as breadcrumbs for meatballs and meatloaf.