I finally found a great sandwich bread recipe! My hunt began a few years ago and has ended now that I found this wonderful recipe. The biggest problem in my quest for the perfect loaf was finding a recipe that resulted in a tall enough bread for a suitable sandwich. Got it! Bonus, it’s tasty with a thick crust on the outside and a fluffy interior.

I’ve made this bread 3 times now and it has come out a little different each time. The first time I totally screwed up and put in 1 cup of water instead of 1/3 cup… whoopsie! I had to add close to a cup more in flour to get my dough to come together properly. However, this mistake lead to the perfect sized loaf! The second time I made the bread, I followed the recipe and was pleased with the loaf, it was less dense but a little bit shorter. Today when I made the bread the third time, I purposefully made it the way I did the first time but I used skim milk instead of whole milk. I ended up with a slightly shorter loaf than the first time, but the taste is still great! So follow the recipe below or follow my screwed up version. Either way, I think you will be quite pleased with your loaf of bread!

*Also makes GREAT french toast!

Sandwich Bread Print Recipe

From: browneyedbaker

Makes one 9-inch loaf

Ingredients

3¾ cups (18¾ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup warm whole milk (about 110 degrees)
1/3 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons honey
1 envelope (about 2¼ teaspoons) instant yeast

Directions

Place oven rack in the lowest position in oven. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. After the oven has preheated, set a timer for 10 minutes and then turn the oven off. You will let the dough rise in the oven, so this step warms the oven just enough.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together 3 1/2 cups of flour and salt with a dough hook. In a bowl, mix together the milk, water, butter, honey, and yeast. Slowly pour this liquid mixture into the mixing bowl, with the mixer on low. As the dough comes together, increase the mixer to medium-speed. Keep mixing for about 10 minutes, stopping a few times to scrape the sides. The dough should be smooth and satiny. Halfway through the mixing process, if the dough is too wet, add an additional tablespoon of flour (up to 1/4 cup, if needed) until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.

Lightly flour a clean work surface and place the dough on it. Knead for about 15 seconds, forming a smooth round ball. Oil a large bowl and place the dough ball in it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and place in the warmed oven. Allow the dough to rise for for 40-50 minutes, until doubled in size.

Remove the dough from the bowl and form into a rectangle, 1-inch thick and no longer than 9 inches. Roll the dough from the long side into a tight cylinder, making the dough stick to itself as it is being rolled. Pinch together the seam and place the dough log, seam-side down in a greased 9×5″ loaf pan. Make sure the sides of the dough tough all sides of the pans. Cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap and set it in a warm spot for 20-30 minutes, until nearly doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and make sure two oven racks are positioned in the bottom and middle of the oven. Place a baking pan on the bottom rack and pour in 2 cups of boiling water. Now place the loaf pan on the middle rack and insert an instant-read thermometer in the dough (slightly angled) and bake for 40-50 minutes, until the thermometer reads 195 degrees. Slice, serve, & enjoy!