by: easyfoodsmithPosted on:

BASIC WHOLE WHEAT SANDWICH BREAD LOAF

Two months back I purchased wholemeal bread flour, promising my husband, who is trying to cut down on extra calories and avoiding refined food, that he will soon be hit by the amazing waft of freshly baked whole wheat bread straight out of our kitchen. Poor guy kept waiting for that promise to be fulfilled. The various steps of kneading, proving, shaping the dough, waiting for it to rise, again knocking it back, shaping, proving…gosh the endless process freaked me out. But, the thought of a soft textured crumbed centre and a beautiful crusted outside was too tempting and I gave in to that thought eventually.
Despite my apprehensions, i was adventurous enough for wanting to bake bread the professional way; not the no knead types. I began reading books on baking bread, visiting websites, making mental notes, seeking inspiration, and gaining some confidence to start the process. And here I am, post two months, having conquered my fear for yeast…actually baking a bread would be more appropriate. 
I wouldn’t say that I am totally satisfied with the result of this loaf. Or perhaps, one can’t expect and compare the textures of the loaf made with bread flour and that made from a coarse textured wholemeal. However, I loved the taste of this whole wheat bread. Since baking bread is all about making it often and making lots of it, I am definitely going to keep this recipe and improvise it and include some add-ons each time I bake it in future. 
 
I have to admit that it definitely was fun baking with yeast. The processes and steps that were intimidating me before, well, I actually enjoyed them! It was absolutely joy to see the bread dough rising and then turning into a beautiful and healthy loaf. 
You will need the following for this loaf, 
 
(Note: everything in this recipe is measured in grams)
 
170 gm – Whole Meal Bread Flour
170 gm – All Purpose Flour
200-215 gm – Water
14 gm – Honey
20gm – Oil
7 gm – Yeast
5-7 gm – Salt
 
8.5′ X 4.5′ Pan
 
Mix together honey and oil. Keep aside.
Mix half the water (warm) with yeast. Keep it aside for 10 minutes approx. 
Add the honey oil mix to the remaining water (warm). Mix well
In a mixing bowl, mix the flours and salt, add the honey water mix along with yeast. 
 

 

Make a dough and knead for no more than 5 minutes. 
Keep aside the dough for 5 minutes.
Fold the dough once every 5 minutes for the first 15 minutes. (three folds each time)
Grease a large bowl with oil and transfer the dough for fermentation for approximately an hour. Cover the bowl with a cling wrap. 
Since the whole wheat flour ferments faster, the fermentation process may take lesser time. A lot will depend on climatic conditions. 
Pre shape the dough and allow it to rest for 25 minutes.
Shape the dough as a sandwich loaf and place it in a greased tin (in which it will eventually bake).
You may want to cover it with a plastic wrap. Keep it aside and let it proof for one and a half hour to two hours. 
Switch on your oven an hour or so before the bread is likely to go in. Pre-heat it at 190 C or 375 F. 
The dough is likely to rise faster than the white loaf. So keep an eye on it. It should double or triple in size. 
Once the dough has proofed, transfer the loaf pan in the oven. Quickly close the oven door to  keep all the heat in. 
Throw a handful of ice in the drip tray inside the oven. The ice produces steam which gives a nice crust to the bread. 
Quickly close the oven door and do not be tempted to open the oven door for at least the first 20 minutes of baking. 
When the bread is done, remove it from the pan and let it cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing it. 
Yield- 1 loaf (12 slices)
 

 Note: For a detailed tutorial on baking this bread visit here. 

 
Thanks for visiting. See you again! 

Post linked to Yeast Spotting
IT IS ALWAYS ENCOURAGING TO HEAR FROM FRIENDS AND READERS. I CAN ALSO BE REACHED AT: easyfoodsmith@gmail.com

54 thoughts on “BASIC WHOLE WHEAT SANDWICH BREAD LOAF”

  1. what a gorgeous sandwich bread! I think so this is the most perfect whole wheat sandwich bread ever, I am not kidding! You are so much better in this then I am. I ll try your folding technique too, sounds quite promising! thank you =)

  2. You took the words out of my mouth about baking. Yep, its all about over and over and making lots of it. How I wish I have the time to bake so that I can bake such a lovely loaf for him. Poor guy usually end up eating the store bought loaves. For me, basically again, its time factor.

    The loaf is simply stunning and great job!!!

  6. Thank you so much I have been hunting for such a recipe since long.As u say climatic conditions are a big issue here.The recipe tells me I can go on without a kitchen aid and not much of elbow grease!

  14. I think your bread looks wonderful, and I bet the aroma was intoxicating. We love whole wheat breads these days, but the texture does take some getting used to at first.

  18. This is a sheer coincidence that I baked the very same loaf today, sans any seeds. Yours is just so perfect and looks so professional. Will try the ice tips !

    Sukanya

  20. Your whole wheat bread looks terrific!! This is a staple of my diet…and I need to take your lead and bake a few loaves 🙂

  23. What a beautiful and healthy bread. We mostly eat whole wheat bread in our family so this is a winner in our books. 🙂

  24. Hi EFS, the bread looks well baked even though you say you are not perfectly satisfied.

    PS. Can you put a subscribe by email to your blog because I am no longer on BlogSpot and can not see your updates? And you can also subscribe to my posts thru email so that we do not miss each other’s posts.

    1. The bread did bake well Balvinder but just as I said in my post, I believe i need to get used to the texture of a whole wheat bread which is so different and robust unlike the store bought one.

      I have put up a subscribe by post so you can now subscribe to the updates at EFS 🙂

  26. The final shape and look of the texture seems perfect :).
    It would be nice if everyone could replace white bread with wholemeal more and more often. Maybe this kind of picture-perfect bread is the way to start.

    P.S: I love working with yeast.

  41. Nice looking bread!
    You can prevent those big holes on top by pricking the top of the loaf several times with a tooth pick or skewer before baking it. I do that with some rye breads that are not slashed, either.

  42. A beautiful loaf of bread! It looks ever so tempting. Perfect with cheese or any kind of sweet or savory spread, but great for making sandwiches too.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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