2¼teaspoons (7 grams)active dry yeast or instant yeast(1 packet of yeast)
⅓cupvegetable oil or butter (melted)
1egg, beaten
1tablespoon (14 grams)fine sea salt
3½ - 4 cups (550-625 grams)bread flour (see notes below for Kamut flour or sprouted flour)
3½ - 4cups (500 - 575 grams)whole wheat flour(We recommend white wheat flour or whole wheat Kamut)
Instructions
Combine sugar and warm water in a large bowl. If using a stand mixer, use that bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top of water and sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes while the yeast dissolves and activates. The mixture will become very foamy on top.
Add milk, oil, egg, and salt to the yeast mixture and stir with a dough whisk or wooden spoon. Mix to combine. Once mixed, cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.If using a mixer, attach the bowl to the mixer, and connect the dough hook If mixing by hand, use a dough whisk to mix the dough. Slowly add the bread flour, one cup at a time, mixing well between cups. Then the whole wheat flour, one cup at a time. The bread dough should look very shaggy and sticky. After mixing in the 3rd cup of whole wheat flour, the dough should start to come together as a ball. If not, add the last 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour.
Knead the bread dough in a stand mixer for 7 minutes or by hand for 10 minutes. If properly kneaded, the dough should be tacky but not sticky, smooth like the inside of your cheek, pliable and stretch 3"-4" without tearing. See notes below to know if your bread dough is kneaded enough.
Cover bowl with a plastic wrap or a clean, dampened kitchen towel and let rise until doubled. Let rise for about 60 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
Punch down the dough to deflate it, and pull the sides into the middle. Cover and let rise again until double, about 45 minutes. Spray bread pans with oil, even if they are nonstick pans.
Divide the sandwich bread dough. This recipe makes two regular-sized loaves of bread or three small loaves of bread. Roll out the dough to 2" thick. Starting on the narrower end, roll up the dough. Pinch the ends. Place in bread pans, seam side down. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350º F.
Bake fat 350ºF for 30-35 minutes (regular loaves) and 20-25 minutes (Small loaves). Bread is done when the crust is firm and golden brown, and the underside of the loaf is firm and makes a hollow sound when tapped. An instant-read thermometer will read about 190-195ºº F in the center when the bread is done.
After 5 minutes, remove the bread from the pan and let cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes before serving. Optional: brush the top of the loaf with melted butter.
Video
Notes
For Kamut flour or sprouted flour, reduce the total amount of flour to 3 1/2 cups. Bread pan sizes:
regular size: 9"x5"
small size: 7.5" x 3.5"
Pro Tip: If you use filtered water from the fridge for bread dough recipes, take the chill off the water by microwaving it for 30 seconds.Here are some tips to know if your bread dough is kneaded properly:Bread dough should be tacky but not sticky. A properly kneaded bread dough will be smooth like the inside of your cheek.The kneaded dough should be pliable and stretch 3"-4" without tearing. You should be able to see through it, called the windowpane test, without it tearing.To freeze the dough to bake later:
After the first rise, punch down the dough. If you are baking some and freezing some. Divide up the sandwich bread dough.
For the dough to freeze: place the loaf (or loaves) in a bread pan lined with greased plastic wrap to prevent sticking. This also allows the dough loaves to hold their shape when frozen.
Place the bread pans in the freezer and let the wheat dough freeze for about 10 hours.
Remove the frozen bread dough from the pans. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a resealable plastic freezer bag.
Date the bag(s) of dough and place it in the freezer immediately. Your dough can be frozen for up to four weeks.