The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Basic White Sandwich Bread Recipe

patman23's picture
patman23

Basic White Sandwich Bread Recipe

Howdy folks,

 

So I’ve been playing with this white bread recipe. Or trying to get consistant results using this recipe is a bit more accurate.  That said, Ive gotten it worked out pretty well at this point. It’s a great PB&J kind of bread and makes a killer grilled cheese for dipping into tomato soup. 

 

Here is the recipe I’ve been using. 

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/40523/white-sandwich-loaf-soft-fluffy-good-shelf-life

 

Its a got a bit of chew to it but I kinda like that. 

 

I was wondering if anyone else has a different recipe they are using for a daily sandwich bread. 

 

Reeni's picture
Reeni

two loaves at a time. Down to a 2-inch piece now (Tuesday evening) since Thursday's bake... on my blog

 

cjweaver13's picture
cjweaver13

This looks like an interesting recipe. Has some similarities to the one I have been using so thought I'd share to compare. I based it on Abigail's Bakery soft white bread recipe, and converted to weights as well as made a couple small modifications, but am very happy with it.  

The AP flour makes it very soft, and actually gives me enough gluten development to make a nice loaf. Last night actually, I tried it with 250g bread flour and 250g whole wheat and kicked the hydration to 70% and that worked out very well also. It's almost as soft as a commercially bought bread, but with more flavor and I can pronounce all the ingredients in it lol

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Mmri__-Bc2yaaIL_69xGY0mUjW8EEHQ6

 

Truth Serum's picture
Truth Serum

mine is a bit more involved and it s a hybrid dough

 

This is a recipe  that I have adapted from Sarah Owens book Toast and Jam. It uses a rye tangzhong and has the option of making it with a combination of sourdough starter and commercial yeast or just using starter. I have done it both ways and it always comes out great.  If you are not using commercial yeast you will need to use 150 grams of starter.

 

I have found it is best to grind your 45 grams of buckwheat flour in blender. The little bit of extra effort is worth it. I use a bullet blender.

 

 

 

For the tangzhong

45 grams

Rye flour

115 grams

milk

115 grams

water

 

 

 

In a saucepan combined these ingredients with a whisk until smooth. Then place the pan over medium low heat stirring constantly until it thickens  about 3 to 4  minutes. It might be pourable and its ok if its thickened beyond that. 

 

 

 

Put this mixture in a 6 qt kitchenaid or large bowl if hand mixing it will be hot to cool it  your milk and butter should be cold

60 grams

Buckwheat honey or wildflower honey

230 grams

Milk

85 grams

,Unsalted butter,Cut up into cubes

Stir to combined then take the temperature make sure you get this mixture  to 90 degrees F or less before adding the other ingredients.

630 grams

Bread flour

100 grams

Active starter

45 grams

Buckwheat flour

1 tsp

Active dry yeast

100 grams 

2 eggs beaten

Combined all of these ingredients until you cant see any streaks

Let the dough rest covered in the bowl for 20 -30 minutes.

Then add

15 grams of fine sea salt *

*I also add seeds at this point

Knead thoroughly until a smooth dough is achieved, Let proof  till tripled in size. 3 hours if using commercial yeast longer if using sourdough. Watch the dough not the clock

1

Grease two small pullman loaf pans . Divide dough in half . Form loaves 1  Watch dough. Anticipate when dough will  almost come to the tops of the loaf tins, so you can preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Notes * I add black sesame seeds for flavor and it also ensures that my salt has been make sure that the salt is incorporated

 

1. I  am not going to tell you how to form a loaf of bread.

 

msneuropil's picture
msneuropil

OOOOOO  AHHHHHH

I must try this...but can one really call it a "white bread" if you put black sesame seeds in it??  LOL!  

IF I am going to go with white bread experience...then I don't want no blasted seeds in it.  Just sayin...

WELL...maybe some sesame on the top...but that's it!  Otherwise...it's peasant or artisan bread.  ;-P

patman23's picture
patman23

Truth, Is buckwheat a requirement or a preference? Im a fan of whole wheat myself... If so, do I need to blenderize the whole wheat too?

Truth Serum's picture
Truth Serum

If you can buy a small amount of buckwheat kernels, you might become a convert. the small amount gives this bread an amazing flavor. But If you dont have it and dont want to buy it sure use whole wheat flour.

David R's picture
David R

As far as I know, buckwheat makes no real contribution to the structure or chemistry of a loaf of bread. I think you can consider it optional in any recipe where it's not "the star of the show".

Truth Serum's picture
Truth Serum

The subtle flavor of buckwheat is lovely but nowadays i always keep adding that small percent to my sandwich bread

Truth Serum's picture
Truth Serum

 I add the sesame seeds along with the salt so that I know the salt has been added properly because when the sesame seeds are interspersed.

Also my late great mama loved sesame seeds so it is an unspoken tribute to her whenever I use sesame seeds in my bread making.

But truly it is the bakers choice. I also add lecithin and ascorbic acid for texture and preservatives.   Very relieved to read that other folks like loaves of white bread.

msneuropil's picture
msneuropil

HEY...I am all for NOT messing with family traditions as long as they don't blister your palms...LOL!  Spring was lambsquarter picking/canning time...and grandma's traditions caused me to buck against the constant slapping and rinsing and slapping of the plants on my palms...so I decided enough was enough and put them in the wringer washing machine in the yard.  After all Delmonte probably didn't hand clean all their spinach...LOL!

She never forgot...and if she could have caught me...I'd have been whooped with some lambsquarter...no doubt.  So I had blistered palms and I sucked it up.

 SO  sesame seeds it is.  LOL!

 

 

David R's picture
David R

It does sometimes seem that on this site there's a vein of dislike for fairly-plain white bread. I'm certainly not part of it, and I don't think it's good.

Maybe it originates in the dislike for poor-quality factory-style bread, much of which is plain and is white - but to me, it would be better to focus the dislike against low quality and factory flaws, not against white bread and not against plain (good!) styles.

Also, I salute those who have nothing against plain white bread but don't bother making it themselves, because for some people all the fun is in making fancy complex (and new) creations. Knock yourself out, as they say. ☺️ But I like plain white bread when it's made well.

patman23's picture
patman23

Sounds good to me. I have to go grocery shopping today so, I’ll be getting some buckwheat flour and giving it a shot. Thanks!!

msneuropil's picture
msneuropil

HMMM...seems to me that a lot of the sourdough breads I try from this site is high in white flour with a bit of whole grain added...but mostly white.  I actually started eating more white flour in my attempts to try making some of these "newer" sourdoughs.  Otherwise...my breads are heavy with mostly whole grains...loaf breads or not. 

I 've been playing with some Tartine, FWSY, recipes...and the easier ones have perhaps only 10% whole grains (not including the starter).  

LOTS of people make sandwich breads I suspect...but the challenge seems to be making the free form high hydration breads so that is what you hear about more.  

When I was a baker in the 70's and helped make breads for rural cafes and truck stops in a 50 mile radius... and later at a bakery and a large school district you HAD to make tight grained, easy to slice, loafs of white breads cause WW was just for eating at home.  That is just what people wanted to eat in that neck of the woods.  You did NOT want a hole in your sliced bread letting mustard fall thru.

Times have changed...now people want those holey breads...and in my time...they considered such bread you fed the family but you would NOT offer it to company.  LOL!

I wrote an essay about such changes in bread culture a while back...cause I found it quite funny that it used to be unacceptable to have "holey" breads.  So I spent decades of my life trying to NOT have holes...now people scoff if you don't have holes.  As long as it feeds your family...then what difference really does it make??  

David R's picture
David R

Yes. The latest fashions are nice if you want to follow them, and those same fashions serve as something useful to kick against if you don't want to follow them, but in the end, the only valid dividing line I can see is the one between those people who make an honest effort to prepare good food and those who don't care. If you care and you try to do a decent job of it, your food is worthwhile to me. (Not beyond criticism, because honestly not everything is great, but worth respect at least.)

patman23's picture
patman23

Great responses, thanks folks. Y’all really help me be a better bread baker.