Sandwich Bread

Start-to-Finish: 3 hours

Recipe By: Connie Armstrong

Serves: 2 large loaves

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups hot water

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup sugar/honey

1 TBSP salt

3/4 cup flour plus 5-7 cups of flour (divided)

1 1/2 TBSP yeast (any kind)

Spray oil

Directions:

1. In a stand mixer bowl, add water, oil, sugar/honey, and salt.

2. Whisk together by hand. (You aren’t using the stand mixer yet.)

3. Add 3/4 cup flour and whisk for 30 seconds.

4. Add yeast and whisk for 30 seconds more.

5. Add 2 more cups of flour and whisk until thoroughly combined.

6. You are done using the whisk. With the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer, let the
mixer combine the rest of the flour 1 cup at a time until the dough starts to comes away from
the sides of the bowl and lump around the hook. (The total flour should amount to 5-7 cups---
this does not include the flour used in step 3.)

7. With a dough hook at low speed, knead the dough for about 5 minutes. (After kneading, the
dough should be springy and smooth. If it is still sticky, let the dough rest for 15 minutes then
try kneading it again.)

8. Let rise in a clean, greased, covered bowl for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

9. Grease the bread pans and the counter with spray oil.

10. When the dough has finished rising, dump it out onto the greased counter and divide the
dough in half.

11. Shape one ball of dough by patting it down into a rectangle.

12. Roll the rectangle into a tight cylinder, tuck the ends under, and place it in a greased
bread pan. Repeat.

13. Preheat your oven to 350°F and let the dough rise for about 45 minutes or until it has risen
to fill the pans.

14. Bake for about 45 minutes. Use a thermometer! Fully baked sandwich bread should be
between 190°F and 210°F in the middle. If you are worried that the crust is getting too brown,
cover it with a piece of foil.

15. Turn out on a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting. Smother the top of the
loaves with butter or shortening if you desire.

Notes and Tips:

If you use half all-purpose flour and half wheat flour it takes slightly longer to raise and cook. If
you use all wheat flour the rising and cooking time almost doubles.

If you can slip the loaf out of the pan and thump the bottom (not the top) a fully baked loaf will

sound hollow. If you're ever in doubt, err on the side of caution and bake your loaf 5 minutes
longer.

The cool-down period is still part of the cooking process: moisture inside the bread continues

to evaporate and the interior structure continues to firm up. Cut into the loaf too soon, and the
bread may seem soggy or under-baked in the middle, and your leftover bread will stale more
quickly. A loaf can take around two hours to fully cool. The bread should no longer feel warm
on the sides or bottom when you touch it.

Times for rising and baking are approximate. Weather, altitude, oven, and moisture content of

your flour, etc. can all affect how your dough will rise and bake. Check to see that the dough
has at least doubled for the first rise, filled the pan for the second rise, and that the you hear
the hollow sound on the bottom of the bread to know when it is done baking. All these
indicators supersede any time estimates.