Basic Soft White Sandwich Loaf Recipes

SOFT WHITE BREAD

Steps:

• Place the warm water and sugar in a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to proof.
• Add the butter and 2 cups of the flour, and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
• Stir in an additional 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 cups of flour, along with the salt, mixing until the dough gathers itself into a ball and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
• Continue to knead, adding an additional 1/2 to 3/4 cup flour, until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).
• Place the dough in a large greased bowl, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (30 to 45 minutes).
• Lightly mist a 5 cup loaf pan with non-stick spray.
• Punch down the dough and shape it into a loaf.
• Place the dough in the prepared pan, cover it loosely with greased plastic wrap, and allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (30 to 45 minutes).
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Uncover the dough and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when lightly tapped.

BASIC SOFT WHITE SANDWICH LOAF

Steps:

• 1. Make the sponge. In a mixer bowl or other large bowl, combine the flour, water, honey, and instant yeast. Whisk until very smooth, to incorporate air, about 2 minutes. The sponge will be the consistency of a thick batter, Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.
• 2. Make the flour mixture and add to the sponge. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour (reserve 1/4 cup if mixing by hand), dry milk, and instant yeast. Sprinkle this on top of the sponge and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow it to ferment for 1 to 4 hours at room temperature. (During this time, the sponge will bubble through the flour blanket in places: this is fine.)
• 3. Mix the dough.
• Mixer Method Add the butter to the bowl and mix with the dough hook on low speed (#2 if using a KitchenAid) for 1 minute or until the flour is moistened enough to form a rough dough. Scrape down any bits of dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle on the salt and knead the dough on medium speed (#4 KitchenAid) for 7 to 10 minutes. It will not come away from the bowl until the last minute or so of kneading; it will be smooth and shiny and stick to your fingers. With an oiled spatula, scrape down any dough clinging to the sides of the bowl. If the dough is not stiff, knead in a little flour. If it is not at all sticky, spray it with a little water and knead it in. (The dough will weigh about 44.25 ounces/1258 grams.)
• Hand Method Add the salt and butter to the bowl and, with a wooden spoon or your hand, stir until all the flour is moistened. Knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together, then scrape it onto a lightly floured counter. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, enough to develop the gluten structure a little, adding as little of the reserved flour as possible to keep the dough from sticking. Use a bench scraper to scrape the dough and gather it together as you knead it. At this point, it will be very sticky. Cover it with the inverted bowl and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. (This resting time will make the dough less sticky and easier to work with.)
• Knead the dough for another 5 minutes or until it is very smooth and elastic. It should still be tacky (sticky) enough to cling slightly to your fingers a little. If the dough is still very sticky, however, add some of the remaining reserved flour, or a little extra. (The dough will weigh about 44.25 ounces/1258 grams.)
• Both Methods 4. Let the dough rise. Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough into a 4-quart dough-rising container or bowl, lightly oiled with cooking spray or oil. Push down the dough and lightly spray or oil the surface. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap. With a piece of tape, mark the side of the container at approximately where double the height of the dough would be. Allow the dough to rise (ideally at 75°to 80°F) until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough onto a floured counter and press down on it gently to form a rectangle. It will be full of air and resilient. Try to maintain as many of the air bubbles as possible. Pull out and fold the dough over from all four sides into a tight package, or give it 2 business letter turns and set it back in the container. Again oil the surface, cover, and mark where double the height would now be. (It will fill the container fuller than before because it is puffier with air.) Allow the dough to rise for 1 to 2 hours or until it reaches the mark.
• 5. Shape the dough and let it rise. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and cut it in half. Shape each piece into a loaf: begin by gently pressing the dough (or lightly rolling it with a rolling pin) into a wide rectangle; the exact size is not important at this point. (A long side of the dough should be facing toward you.) Dimple the dough with your fingertips to deflate any large bubbles. Fold over the right side of the dough to a little past the center. Fold over the left side of the dough to overlap it slightly. Press the center overlap section with the side of your hand to seal the dough. (If you have a lot of experience shaping, you may prefer at this point to rotate the dough 90 degrees-a quarter turn.) Starting at the top edge of the dough, roll it over three or four times, until it reaches the bottom edge of the dough: with each roll, press with your thumbs to seal it and at the same time push it away from you slightly to tighten the outer skin. As you roll and press, the dough will become wider. If it is not as long as the pan, place both hands close together on top of the dough and, rolling back and forth, gradually work your way toward the ends, gently stretching the dough. For the most even shape, it is important to keep a tight skin on the surface of the dough and not to tear it. If you want the edges of the loaf to be smooth, tuck the sides under.
• Place the loaves in the prepared loaf pans; the dough will be about 1/2 inch from the top of the pans. Cover them with a large container, or cover them loosely with oiled plastic wrap, and allow to rise until the center is about 1 inch above the sides of the pan, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. When the dough is pressed with a fingertip, the depression will very slowly fill in.
• 6. Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F 45 minutes before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it, and a cast-iron skillet or sheet pan on the floor of the oven, before preheating.
• 7. Bake the bread. Quickly but gently set the pans on the hot baking stone or hot baking sheet. Toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath and immediately shut the door. Bake for 50 minutes or until medium golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 210°F). Halfway through baking, turn the pans around for even baking.
• 8. Glaze and cool the bread. Remove the bread from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Brush the top of the bread with the optional melted butter. Unmold and cool top side up on a wire rack until barely warm, about 1 hour.
• ULTIMATE FULL FLAVOR VARIATION
• For the best flavor development, in Step 2, allow the sponge to ferment for 1 hour at room temperature and then refrigerate it for 8 to 24 hours. If using the hand mixing method, remove it from the refrigerator about 1 hour before mixing the dough.
• POINTERS FOR SUCCESS
• • If not using the dry milk, you can replace 1 cup of the water with 1 cup milk, preferably nonfat, scalded (brought to the boiling point) and cooled to lukewarm.
• UNDERSTANDING
• A greater amount of sponge dough starter (pre-ferment) offers a fuller flavor in this "plain" bread, so almost 50 percent of total amount of flour is used in the sponge, compared to the usual 30 percent of hearth breads.
• If using liquid milk, it is scalded to deactivate the enzyme in it that could make the dough sticky.
• Baking the bread at too high a temperature, would result in too thin a crust, which would cause keyholing, or caving in at the sides of the loaf. Therefore, this bread is baked at 350°F. It is also important for the bread to be thoroughly baked so that the crust is firm enough to prevent it from compressing. The loaves should not be cut until completely cool for the same reason.
• THE DOUGH PERCENTAGE
• Flour: 100% Water: 66.3% (includes the water in the butter and honey) Yeast: 0.74% Salt: 2.3% Butterfat: 15.9%

BASIC SOFT WHITE SANDWICH LOAF BREAD

Steps:

• Make the sponge. In a mixer bowl or other large bowl, combine the flour, water, honey, and instant yeast. Whisk until very smooth, to incorporate air, about 2 minutes. The sponge will be the consistency of a thick batter, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.
• Make the flour mixture and add to the sponge. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour (reserve 1/4 cup if mixing by hand), dry milk, and instant yeast. Sprinkle this on top of the sponge and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow it to ferment for 1 to 4 hours at room temperature. (During this time, the sponge will bubble through the flour blanket in places: this is fine).
• Mix the dough.
• HAND METHOD.
• Add the salt and butter to the bowl and, with a wooden spoon or with your hand, stir until all the flour is moistened. Knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together, then scrape it onto a lightly floured counter. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, enough to develop the gluten structure a little, adding as little of the reserved flour as possible to keep the dough from sticking. Use a bench scraper to scrape the dough and gather it together as you knead it. At this point, it will be very sticky. Cover it with an inverted bowl and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. (This resting time will make the dough less sticky and easier to work with).
• Knead the dough for another 5 minutes or until it is very smooth and elastic. It should still be tacky enough to cling slightly to your fingers a little. If the dough is still very sticky, however, add some of the remaining reserved flour, or a little extra.
• Shape the dough and let it rise. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and cut it in half. Shape each piece into a loaf; the exact size is not important at this point. (A long side of the dough should be facing toward you). Dimple the dough with your fingers to deflate any large bubbles. Fold over the right side of the dough to a little past the center. Fold over hte left side of the dough to overlap it slightly. Press the center overlap section with the side of your hand to seal the dough. (If you have a lot of experiance shaping, you may prefer at this point to rotate the dough 90 degrees- a quarter turn). Starting at the top end of the dough, roll it over three or four times, until it reaches the bottom edge of the dough: with each roll, press with your thumbs to seal it and at the same time push it away from you slightly to tighten the outer skin. As you roll and press, the dough will become wider. If it is not as long as the pan, place both hands close together on top of the dough and, rolling back and fourth, gradually work your way towards the ends, gently stretching the dough. For the most even shape, it is important to keep a tight skin on the surface of the dough and not to tear it. If you want the edges of the loaf to be smooth, tuck the sides under. Place the loaves in the prepared loaf pans; the dough will be about 1/2 inch from the top of the pans. Cover them with a large container, or cover them loosely with oiled plastic wrap, and allow to rise until the center is about 1 inch above the sides of the pan, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. When the dough is pressed with a fingertip, the depression will very slowly fill inches.
• Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F 45 minutes before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking stone or a baking sheet on it, and a cast-iron skillet or sheet pan on the floor of the oven, before preheating.
• Bake the bread. Quickly but gently set the pans on the hot baking stone or hot baking sheet. Toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath and immediately shut the door. Bake for 50 minutes or until medium golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 210°F). Halfway through baking, turn the pans around for even baking.
• Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

CLASSIC WHITE LOAF

Steps:

• Make the dough by tipping the flour, yeast and salt into a large bowl and making a well in the middle. Pour in most of the water and use your fingers or a wooden spoon to mix the flour and water together until combined to a slightly wet, pillowy, workable dough - add a splash more water if necessary. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for at least 10 mins until smooth and elastic. This can also be done in a tabletop mixer with a dough hook. Place the dough in a clean oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise until doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Knock back the dough by tipping it back onto a floured surface and pushing the air out. Mould the dough into a rugby ball shape that will fit a 900g loaf tin and place in the tin. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove for 30 mins. Dust the top of the loaf with a little more flour and slash the top with a sharp knife if you want. Bake the bread for 15 mins, then reduce the heat to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and continue to bake for 30 mins until the loaf sounds hollow when removed from the tin and tapped on the base. Leave the bread on a wire rack to cool completely. The loaf will stay fresh in an airtight container for 3 days or can be frozen for 1 month.

EASY WHITE SANDWICH LOAF

Steps:

• For sandwich loaf tin: 807g strong white flour 11g instant yeast 16g salt 565ml water
• You will need: 2 x large mixing bowls, Digital weighing scales, Cling film, Spatula or wooden spoon, Sunflower oil for greasing tin, Olive oil for greasing mixing bowls, Rolling pin, Jug to measure water, Dough scraper, Dough lame, Loaf tin, Tin for putting water into to create steam, And plastic spray bottle (optional)
• A very important point regarding loaf tins, a lot of tins say they are 2lb, but actually aren't and this can lead to the dough collapsing because it isn't properly supported or the dough's oven spring going over the sides because the tin is too low. The best way to work out the size of your tin is to put it empty on weighing scales, fill it with water to the top and work out how many ml there are for example 1300ml is 1300g. You want a dough that is 60% volume of the tin for white flour or 70% for wholegrain of the tins volume for a loaf that will fill the tin well. So based on the 1300ml we would need a white dough that is 780 (to work this out I divided 1300 by 100 x 60 to work out 60 percent which gave me 780, this is weight of the dough before baking). The best tin in my opinion is an 800g sandwich loaf tin (23cm long, 12cm wide and 12cm tall) which needs more than 800g of dough, so don't be confused by tin size labels. To adjust recipes to suit tin volumes, here is a website with a dough converter: http://bakerybits.co.uk/dough-calculator-bakerybits
• Measure out the flour, and put yeast and salt on opposite sides of the bowl. A good way to measure water is on the weighing scales using a jug as 1ml of water weights the same as 1g so 350ml is 350g. Make a well in the middle add the water a bit at a time, using a spatula or a spoon continuing mixing until all water has been added. You will notice that it becomes difficult to mix the dough with just the spatula, so use your hands instead to fold the dough over on itself inside the bowl until it feels firm and comes together.
• Lightly flour the work surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes, use a bit more flour if you need to, a dough scraper is very useful at this stage. Divide the dough into two and oil 2 mixing bowls with olive oil, put each ball into 2 separate glass bowls, the bowls should be big enough to allow the dough to at least double in size. Move the balls around so they are covered in the oil. Cover with Clingfilm and leave for a 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Just before 1 hour and 30 minutes is up, turn on the oven to 220 conventional, 200 fan and Gas mark 7, make sure the shelves are arranged so a tin can fit in and the dough has enough room to rise 2-3 inches above the top of the tin, also you need to be able to have a empty tin (I use a 20cm or 8 inch sandwich cake tin) which will be later filled with boiling water to create steam. I have two shelves, one right at the bottom for the empty tin and one on the next level where the loaf tin will go. To test if your dough has risen, use to wet fingers to gently press about 1 inch into and poke two holes into the dough, if the holes stay then the dough has risen enough as it doesn't have any more energy to fill the holes, if it fills in then it needs more time, so keep checking and testing every 5 minutes. If the holes collapse then it has over risen, no need to panic as we just take time off the proofing time. For example if it has over risen by 10 minutes, we reduce time that the dough proofs in tin by 10 minutes and put it into the oven.
• Next, lightly flour the work surface, make sure you have lightly oiled the tin with sunflower oil (not olive or vegetable as they vaporize) and you have a rolling pin. Punch both dough's down removing the air, join both together and knead for 30-60 seconds. Then fold the edges of the dough into the centre, moving the dough round as you do, you should end up with a tight ball; this creates tension on the surface of the loaf and helps give the loaf structure. Place the ball on the work surface and using both hands slightly underneath, continue until all the dough is rolled up and sealed. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a large rectangle, the width should be no wider than the tin. When you have done this, start with one end and fold over the dough about a good inch or two from the bottom, using the heel of your hand press firmly on the seal, roll the roll of dough forward and seal again, remember to press firmly as you do. Keep going until all the dough has been rolled and sealed, put the dough into the tin with the seal at the bottom and gently flatten the dough roll in the tin. This video will help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx5I5O_RoeI
• Cover the tin with a tea towel and leave to rise for 30-35 minutes, less if it has over risen. Fill the empty tin that is in the oven with hot/warm water. You can also use the spray bottle to create more steam. To check if the dough has proven enough using your small finger gently poke the dough in the corner, if it fills back then it needs another 5 minutes and then check again in another corner, if it doesn't fill back in then it is ready for the oven. Use a dough lame to score the bread before going into the oven. This controls the oven spring and stood the crust from tearing open. You can cut straight down the middle or a few diagonal cuts across the width of the dough.
• The oven should be at the right temperature, steamy and ready for the tin. You can sprinkle water on top and dust with flour and gently rub to give a stone baked affect, you can also spray (using a plastic spray bottle) the top of the dough as this will keep the crust softer for longer and allow for more oven spring. You can also spray the oven before and after the loaf goes into the oven but once the oven door is closed do not open the door for the first 5-10 minutes as this is when the oven spring happens and the crust forms. I would also recommend that you slash the top of the dough with a very sharp serrated knife or dough lame, you can do a long vertical slash all the way down the middle of the loaf, but my personal favorite is 3-4 equally spaced diagonal cuts, make sure that they are quite deep.
• Bake at 220 conventional, 200 fan and Gas mark 7 for 20 minutes, remembering to turn the loaf every 10 minutes for an even bake. Turn down to 200 conventional, 180 fan and gas mark 5-6, for 35 minutes, then remove from the loaf from the tin and put back on the shelf for 5 minutes, the loaf if ready when removed from the tin it sounds hollow like a drum. For extra crispiness, you can remove the loaf from the tin and place back in the oven for a further 5 minutes. Let the loaf cool down on a wire rack.