This recipe makes 2 loaves of sandwich bread.
Adding gluten when using whole wheat flour will make the dough more "stretchy" and the loaf lighter in texture.
Adding gluten when using whole wheat flour will make the dough more "stretchy" and the loaf lighter in texture.
If using only bread flour or only white all-purpose flour (instead of the mixture of whole wheat and white in the ingredients,) it's not necessary to add gluten.
Quantities for 1 loaf and a sweeter dough for the Raisin Bread variation follow.
In large bowl of stand mixer, mix until well-combined:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose white flour
- 1/3 cup vital wheat gluten (optional)
- 4 tsp. quick rise instant dry yeast
Heat to 120-130 degrees F (test with a thermometer) :
- 2-1/2 cups milk
When it's at the correct temperature, add the very warm milk to the flour mixture.
Mix, scraping sides of bowl, about 1 minute.
Cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel and let rest 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine:
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup sour cream OR plain Greek yogurt
- 4 tsp white vinegar
After the flour/yeast mixture has rested 10 minutes, uncover the bowl and add the sour cream/oil/salt/vinegar mixture.
Use the dough hook and mix 1 minute until combined.
Add the rest of the flour, mixing well after each addition:
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose white flour
Knead on low speed with the dough hook, stopping to push dough down if it moves up over the top of the hook. Dough will be sticky but resist adding more flour, continue to mix and dough should become smooth and pull away from the sides of the bowl. This could take 5-15 minutes. If you need to add more flour, add a tablespoon at a time.
Grease with butter:
- 2 non-stick bread loaf pans, 9 x 5 x 2" OR 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2"
Flour your hands, remove bread from the bowl, divide in two.
Shape dough into 2 loaves to fit your pans, pressing dough into corners of greased pans.
Preheat oven to warm, 100 degrees F. (You can also turn oven to 350 degrees F for just 1 minute and then turn it off, which should give you a just-warm oven.)
Turn oven OFF. Turn ON oven light.
Place loaves in warm oven to rise for 40 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
Leave the pans in the oven.
Turn the oven on to 350 degrees F.
Bake 30-40 minutes or until a digital thermometer inserted into the centre of each loaf reaches 200 degrees F.
Take baked loaves from oven and turn out of pans onto cooling rack.
Brush warm loaves with a little butter for a softer crust.
Cool before slicing. Store in a plastic bag or wrap in a dishcloth.
Use within a couple of days.
Extra loaf can be wrapped and frozen.
TO MAKE ONE LOAF OF SANDWICH BREAD:
Follow instructions as above, using the following quantities. (Abbreviated instructions included.)
Combine:
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup all-purpose white flour
- 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp vital wheat gluten
- 2-1/4 tsp instant quick-rise dry yeast
Mix in for 1 minute:
- 1-1/4 cups milk warmed to 120-130 degrees F
Cover and let rest TEN minutes.
Combine and add to "rested" flour/milk mixture:
- 1-1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp. vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp sour cream OR plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp white vinegar
Mix 1 minute with dough hook, scraping sides of bowl.
Add:
- 1-1/4 cups white all-purpose flour
Let mixture knead 5-15 minutes till you have a smooth dough.
Flour hands, remove dough from bowl, shape into loaf.
Press into greased loaf pan.
Let rise in slightly warm oven (turned off) about 40 minutes.
Leave in oven, turn oven on to 350 degrees F, bake 30-40 minutes or till done.
(Thermometer inserted into centre of baked loaf will read 200 degrees F).
Remove from plan, place on cooling rack, brush lightly with butter.
Let cool before slicing.
Whole Wheat Raisin Bread
These quantities are for two loaves of raisin bread. Halve the quantities for a single loaf.
In large bowl of stand mixer, mix until well-combined:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose white flour
- 1/3 cup vital wheat gluten
- 4 tsp. quick rise instant dry yeast
Heat to 120-130 degrees F (test with a thermometer) :
- 2-1/2 cups milk
When it's at the correct temperature, add the very warm milk to the flour mixture.
Mix, scraping sides of bowl, about 1 minute.
Cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel and let rest 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine:
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil (OR melted, cooled coconut oil)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 4 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla
After the flour/yeast mixture has rested 10 minutes, uncover the bowl and add the salt/oil/honey/lemon/vanilla mixture.
Use the dough hook and mix 1 minute until combined.
Add the rest of the flour, mixing well after each addition:
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose white flour
Knead on low speed with the dough hook.
Stop and push down down if it moves up over the top of the hook.
Dough will be sticky but resist adding more flour, continue to mix.
Dough should become smooth and pull away from the sides of the bowl in 5-15 minutes.
While dough is kneading, combine in a bowl:
- 2 cups raisins mixed with 3 tsp flour
- 1 Tbsp white granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
Add to kneaded dough and continue to knead (in stand mixer with dough hook or in bowl with floured hands if stand mixer seems overwhelmed) until mixed in.
Divide dough in two and shape into two loaves.
Press into two greased loaf pans.
Place in barely warm oven (heat turned off, oven light on).
Let rise 40 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
Leave loaves in oven but turn on heat to 350 degrees F.
Bake 30-40 minutes or until digital thermometer inserted into center of loaf reaches 200 degrees F.
Remove baked loaves from oven and then from pans.
Put loaves on wire rack to cool.
Brush lightly with butter.
Cool before slicing.
