Homemade Sandwich Bread

Who doesn't love fresh homemade bread?  All too often though those homemade loafs just do not make a good sandwich.  I found this recipe for sandwich bread years ago in my copy of "The Joy of Cooking".  My husband recently asked me to start making this bread again as he prefers this to any store bought bread.

As you can see this part of my cookbook is very well loved.

The directions are as follows

Combine in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer and let stand until the yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes:
  4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  1/4 cup warm (105-115 degrees F) Water

I always use my kitchen aid mixer

Warm to 105 to 115 degrees F:
  1 cup milk
Add to the milk and stir to dissolve the sugar:
  1 cup warm water
  2 tablespoons (1/4) stick butter or shortening, softened ( I love to use coconut oil for this)
  2 tablespoons sugar or honey
  1 tablespoon salt

This is what the yeast mixture will look like after 5 minutes

Stir the milk mixture into the yeast.

dough hook

Have ready 4.5 to 5 cups bread flour ( I use half white flour half whole wheat flour to make brown bread)

Add 3 cups o the flour to the yeast mixture and mix by hand or on low speed for 1 minute.  Gradually add the remaining flour until the dough is moist but not sticky.  Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or with the dough hook on low to medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Transfer to an oiled bowl and turn it over once to coat with oil.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (75 to 80 degrees F) until doubled in volume, 1 to 1.5 hours. 

I usually let the bread rise in the mixer bowl

I tried to make a double batch on this baking, clearly my mixer can not hold raised dough for 4 loafs of bread :)

Knead the dough briefly, return it to the bowl, and let rise again until doubled, about 1 hour.  (you can skip this step if you are short on time but the bread is MUCH better when you rise it twice)

I did the second rise in two bowls much less mess potential

Grease two 8.5x4.5 inch (6cup) loaf pans.  Punch the dough down, divide it in half, and form into 2 loaves.  Place seam side down in the pans.  Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the loaves crest above the pan, making a nice dome, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Bake the loaves for 10 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake until the bottom of the loaves sound hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes more.  Remove the loaves from the pans to a rack and let cool completely.

Slice and enjoy!