Basic Soft White Sandwich Loaf
Serves: 4
Dallas Effertz
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
50
Spice
55
Sweetness
51
Sourness
37
mins
Prep time (avg)
5.3
Difficulty
Ingredients:
Directions:
1
Make the sponge
2
In a mixer bowl or other large bowl, combine the flour, water, honey, and instant yeast
3
Whisk until very smooth, to incorporate air, about 2 minutes
4
The sponge will be the consistency of a thick batter, Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap
5
Make the sponge
6
In a mixer bowl or other large bowl, combine the flour, water, honey, and instant yeast
7
Whisk until very smooth, to incorporate air, about 2 minutes
8
The sponge will be the consistency of a thick batter, Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap
9
Make the flour mixture and add to the sponge
10
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour (reserve 1/4 cup if mixing by hand), dry milk, and instant yeast
11
Sprinkle this on top of the sponge and cover tightly with plastic wrap
12
Allow it to ferment for 1 to 4 hours at room temperature
13
(During this time, the sponge will bubble through the flour blanket in places: this is fine
14
) 2
15
Make the flour mixture and add to the sponge
16
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour (reserve 1/4 cup if mixing by hand), dry milk, and instant yeast
17
Sprinkle this on top of the sponge and cover tightly with plastic wrap
18
Allow it to ferment for 1 to 4 hours at room temperature
19
Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap
20
(During this time, the sponge will bubble through the flour blanket in places: this is fine
21
) 3
22
Mix the dough
23
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
24
Scrape down any bits of dough
25
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes
26
Sprinkle on the salt and knead the dough on medium speed (#4 KitchenAid) for 7 to 10 minutes
27
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
28
With an oiled spatula, scrape down any dough clinging to the sides of the bowl
29
If the dough is not stiff, knead in a little flour
30
If it is not at all sticky, spray it with a little water and knead it in
31
(The dough will weigh about 44
32
25 ounces/1258 grams
33
) 3
34
Mix the dough
35
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
36
Scrape down any bits of dough
37
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes
38
Sprinkle on the salt and knead the dough on medium speed (#4 KitchenAid) for 7 to 10 minutes
39
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
40
With an oiled spatula, scrape down any dough clinging to the sides of the bowl
41
If the dough is not stiff, knead in a little flour
42
If it is not at all sticky, spray it with a little water and knead it in
43
(The dough will weigh about 44
44
25 ounces/1258 grams
45
) 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
46
Knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together, then scrape it onto a lightly floured counter
47
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
48
Use a bench scraper to scrape the dough and gather it together as you knead it
49
At this point, it will be very sticky
50
Cover it with the inverted bowl and allow it to rest for 20 minutes
51
(This resting time will make the dough less sticky and easier to work with
52
) Knead the dough for another 5 minutes or until it is very smooth and elastic
53
It should still be tacky (sticky) enough to cling slightly to your fingers a little
54
If the dough is still very sticky, however, add some of the remaining reserved flour, or a little extra
55
(The dough will weigh about 44
56
25 ounces/1258 grams
57
) 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
58
Knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together, then scrape it onto a lightly floured counter
59
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
60
Use a bench scraper to scrape the dough and gather it together as you knead it
61
At this point, it will be very sticky
62
Cover it with the inverted bowl and allow it to rest for 20 minutes
63
(This resting time will make the dough less sticky and easier to work with
64
) Knead the dough for another 5 minutes or until it is very smooth and elastic
65
It should still be tacky (sticky) enough to cling slightly to your fingers a little
66
If the dough is still very sticky, however, add some of the remaining reserved flour, or a little extra
67
(The dough will weigh about 44
68
25 ounces/1258 grams
69
) Both Methods 4
70
Let the dough rise
71
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
72
Push down the dough and lightly spray or oil the surface
73
Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap
74
With a piece of tape, mark the side of the container at approximately where double the height of the dough would be
75
Allow the dough to rise (ideally at 75°to 80°F) until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours
76
Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough onto a floured counter and press down on it gently to form a rectangle
77
It will be full of air and resilient
78
Try to maintain as many of the air bubbles as possible
79
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
80
Again oil the surface, cover, and mark where double the height would now be
81
(It will fill the container fuller than before because it is puffier with air
82
) Allow the dough to rise for 1 to 2 hours or until it reaches the mark
83
Both Methods 4
84
Let the dough rise
85
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
86
Push down the dough and lightly spray or oil the surface
87
With a piece of tape, mark the side of the container at approximately where double the height of the dough would be
88
Allow the dough to rise (ideally at 75°to 80°F) until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours
89
Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough onto a floured counter and press down on it gently to form a rectangle
90
It will be full of air and resilient
91
Try to maintain as many of the air bubbles as possible
92
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
93
Again oil the surface, cover, and mark where double the height would now be
94
(It will fill the container fuller than before because it is puffier with air
95
) Allow the dough to rise for 1 to 2 hours or until it reaches the mark
96
Shape the dough and let it rise
97
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and cut it in half
98
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
99
(A long side of the dough should be facing toward you
100
) Dimple the dough with your fingertips to deflate any large bubbles
101
Fold over the right side of the dough to a little past the center
102
Fold over the left side of the dough to overlap it slightly
103
Press the center overlap section with the side of your hand to seal the dough
104
(If you have a lot of experience shaping, you may prefer at this point to rotate the dough 90 degrees-a quarter turn
105
) 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
106
As you roll and press, the dough will become wider
107
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
108
For the most even shape, it is important to keep a tight skin on the surface of the dough and not to tear it
109
If you want the edges of the loaf to be smooth, tuck the sides under
110
Place the loaves in the prepared loaf pans; the dough will be about 1/2 inch from the top of the pans
111
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
112
When the dough is pressed with a fingertip, the depression will very slowly fill in
113
Shape the dough and let it rise
114
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and cut it in half
115
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
116
(A long side of the dough should be facing toward you
117
) Dimple the dough with your fingertips to deflate any large bubbles
118
Fold over the right side of the dough to a little past the center
119
Fold over the left side of the dough to overlap it slightly
120
Press the center overlap section with the side of your hand to seal the dough
121
(If you have a lot of experience shaping, you may prefer at this point to rotate the dough 90 degrees-a quarter turn
122
) 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
123
As you roll and press, the dough will become wider
124
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
125
For the most even shape, it is important to keep a tight skin on the surface of the dough and not to tear it
126
If you want the edges of the loaf to be smooth, tuck the sides under
127
Place the loaves in the prepared loaf pans; the dough will be about 1/2 inch from the top of the pans
128
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
129
When the dough is pressed with a fingertip, the depression will very slowly fill in
130
Preheat the oven
131
Preheat the oven to 350°F 45 minutes before baking
132
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
133
Preheat the oven
134
Preheat the oven to 350°F 45 minutes before baking
135
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
136
Bake the bread
137
Quickly but gently set the pans on the hot baking stone or hot baking sheet
138
Toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath and immediately shut the door
139
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)
140
Halfway through baking, turn the pans around for even baking
141
Bake the bread
142
Quickly but gently set the pans on the hot baking stone or hot baking sheet
143
Toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath and immediately shut the door
144
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)
145
Halfway through baking, turn the pans around for even baking
146
Glaze and cool the bread
147
Remove the bread from the oven and set it on a wire rack
148
Brush the top of the bread with the optional melted butter
149
Unmold and cool top side up on a wire rack until barely warm, about 1 hour
150
Glaze and cool the bread
151
Remove the bread from the oven and set it on a wire rack
152
Brush the top of the bread with the optional melted butter
153
Unmold and cool top side up on a wire rack until barely warm, about 1 hour
154
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
155
If using the hand mixing method, remove it from the refrigerator about 1 hour before mixing the dough
156
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
157
If using the hand mixing method, remove it from the refrigerator about 1 hour before mixing the dough
158
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
159
• 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
160
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
161
If using liquid milk, it is scalded to deactivate the enzyme in it that could make the dough sticky
162
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
163
Therefore, this bread is baked at 350°F
164
It is also important for the bread to be thoroughly baked so that the crust is firm enough to prevent it from compressing
165
The loaves should not be cut until completely cool for the same reason
166
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
167
If using liquid milk, it is scalded to deactivate the enzyme in it that could make the dough sticky
168
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
169
Therefore, this bread is baked at 350°F
170
It is also important for the bread to be thoroughly baked so that the crust is firm enough to prevent it from compressing
171
The loaves should not be cut until completely cool for the same reason
172
THE DOUGH PERCENTAGE Flour: 100% Water: 66
173
3% (includes the water in the butter and honey) Yeast: 0
174
74% Salt: 2
175
3% Butterfat: 15
176
9% Flour: 100% Water: 66
177
3% (includes the water in the butter and honey) Yeast: 0
178
74% Salt: 2
179
3% Butterfat: 15
180
9%