Easy Sandwich Bread

Easy Sandwich Bread, America’s Test Kitchen

Description

Based on the recipe by Andrea Geary at America’s Test Kitchen. A soft, well-risen, even-crumbed sandwich loaf made without kneading or shaping — start to finish in under 2 hours. High-protein bread flour builds gluten structure, salt is held back until the second mix for better spring and lift, and a stand mixer paddle (instead of a dough hook) at medium speed shortens the mixing time while still giving the dough enough structure to dome nicely.

Yield: 1 loaf · Total time: 1¾ hours, plus 20 minutes resting and 2 hours cooling

Vegetarian Eggs Dairy Gluten

Ingredients

Item	Amount	Notes
bread flour	312g (2 cups)
whole-wheat flour	57g (6 tbsp)	or spelt flour — see note
instant or rapid-rise yeast	7g (2¼ tsp)
warm water (120°F / 49°C)	330g (1¼ cups + 2 tbsp)	divided: 300g + 30g
unsalted butter, melted	42g (3 tbsp)	divided: 28g + 14g
honey	21g (1 tbsp)
table salt	4.5g (¾ tsp)
large egg	x1	beaten with 1 tsp water and a pinch of salt
vegetable oil spray	as needed	for the pan

Tools

Items
stand mixer with paddle attachment
rubber spatula
plastic wrap
8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan
pastry brush
instant-read thermometer
wire rack
dish towels

Recipe

1. Mix the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the bread flour, whole-wheat flour, and yeast. Add the 300g of warm water, 28g of the melted butter, and the honey. Fit the mixer with the paddle and mix on low for 1 minute, then on medium for 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle with a greased rubber spatula, then mix 2 minutes longer.

2. First rise: Remove the bowl and paddle from the mixer and scrape down again, leaving the paddle in the batter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 20 minutes.

3. Prep the oven and pan: Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray the loaf pan with vegetable oil spray.

4. Add the salt: Dissolve the salt in the remaining 30g of warm water. Once the batter has doubled, reattach the bowl and paddle. Add the salt water and mix on low until mostly incorporated, about 40 seconds, then on medium until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute, scraping the paddle if needed.

5. Second rise: Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a greased spatula. Cover and let rise in a warm place until the batter is ½ inch below the edge of the pan, 15–20 minutes. Uncover and let rise until the center is level with the edge of the pan, 5–10 minutes longer.

6. Bake: Gently brush the top with the egg mixture. Bake until deep golden brown and the loaf registers 208–210°F (98–99°C) inside, 40–45 minutes. In a 9 x 5-inch pan, start checking 5 minutes early.

7. Butter and cool: Using dish towels, carefully turn the bread out onto a wire rack, then flip it upright. Brush the top and sides with the remaining 14g of melted butter. Let cool completely before slicing.

Caution

Don’t let the batter touch the plastic wrap while it rises, or it can deflate.

Tip

Best eaten the day it’s made. Leftovers keep wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 1 month.

Note

Notes from Andrea Geary:

• Spelt swap: You can substitute spelt flour for the whole-wheat flour, but not for more than the 57g. Spelt’s protein isn’t as gluten-forming, and this loaf’s structure is already delicate without kneading or shaping.
• Cinnamon raisin (untested): The dough is too wet to shape into a swirl loaf, but try adding 1–2 extra tbsp of sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon in step 1, plus about ½ cup of raisins folded in right before removing the dough from the mixer.

Nutrition Facts 12 servings · 1 slice each

Calories 150

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 3.8g 5%

Saturated Fat 2g 10%

Cholesterol 15mg 5%

Sodium 160mg 7%

Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%

Dietary Fiber 1.3g 5%

Total Sugars 1.5g

Includes 1.4g Added Sugars 3%

Protein 4g

Vitamin D 0.1mcg 0% Calcium 8mg 1% Iron 1.4mg 8% Potassium 53mg 1%

* % Daily Value based on a 2,000 calorie diet · Estimated values

Note

Estimated nutrition: Calculated from the ingredients using USDA FoodData Central values, for 12 slices. Assumes about half the egg wash ends up on the loaf.