Homemade Soft Sandwich Bread
Easy Home Baking! Sandwich Bread Recipe: Utilizing Bread Flour for Oven Baking
Hello everyone! This is Superpower. Today, I’m going to show you how to make bakery-quality sandwich bread right in your own home. While store-bought bread is convenient and tasty, baking your own offers a sense of accomplishment, fun, and a much richer flavor. A great advantage of this recipe is that you can create delicious bread using simple ingredients like bread flour, yeast, unsalted butter, and salt, without needing complex additions like heavy cream or cheese. The thought of making delicious sandwiches with freshly baked bread already has me excited! So, shall we start making wonderful sandwich bread right now?
Sandwich Bread Ingredients (Makes 2 loaves)
- 140g Bread Flour
- 72g Milk
- 14g Egg (approx. 1/4 of a medium egg)
- 2g Instant Yeast
- 18g Sugar (or 9g if using Stevia)
- 10g Unsalted Butter (softened at room temperature)
- 1.5g Salt
- Vegetable oil or butter (for greasing the pan)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, here are the measurements for making 2 loaves of sandwich bread. Prepare 72g of milk. (Using cold milk can affect the fermentation, so I recommend warming it slightly.)
Step 2
Crack one egg into a bowl and lightly whisk it. Mix the yolk and white until well combined.
Step 3
For today’s recipe, we’ll only be using 14g of the whisked egg. Please measure it accurately. You can use the remaining egg in other dishes.
Step 4
In a bowl, combine the 72g of milk, 14g of whisked egg, 18g of sugar (adjust to 9g if using unsweetened stevia), and 2g of instant yeast. Mix them gently with a whisk. It’s important to stir until the yeast is well incorporated into the liquid.
Step 5
Now, add the 140g of bread flour, sifting it if possible. Mix well with a spatula or your hands until no dry flour remains. Knead vigorously for about 2-3 minutes until it forms a cohesive dough.
Step 6
Once the dough comes together, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean plastic bag. Let it proof in a warm place for about 20 minutes. (Placing it in an oven or microwave that’s preheated to around 30-40°C works well.)
Step 7
While the dough is proofing, let’s prepare the ingredients that will add flavor to our bread. Get 10g of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature until pliable, and a very small amount of salt, 1.5g. The butter should be soft enough to be indented with your finger but not melted.
Step 8
After 20 minutes, check on the dough. Add the softened unsalted butter and salt to the risen dough and knead vigorously again for about 10-15 minutes. Initially, the butter and salt might seem separate, but keep kneading until everything is smoothly incorporated. It’s crucial to knead until the gluten develops and the dough becomes elastic and smooth.
Step 9
Continue kneading until the butter is fully incorporated into the dough and the surface becomes smooth and glossy. If you stretch the dough, it should form a thin, translucent membrane (windowpane test).
Step 10
Once the kneading is complete, cover the bowl again with plastic wrap or a bag. Let it undergo a second proof in a warm place for 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in volume.
Step 11
After the hour of proofing, gently punch down the dough to release the gas. Don’t press too hard; just use your fingers to lightly deflate it.
Step 12
Transfer the deflated dough to a work surface and divide it into two equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball by gently cupping your hands around it and rolling.
Step 13
Cover the shaped dough balls with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let them rest for 10 minutes. This resting period, called bench rest, helps the dough relax, making it easier to shape later.
Step 14
After the bench rest, use a rolling pin to flatten each dough ball into an elongated shape. Roll it out evenly without tearing the dough.
Step 15
Tightly roll up the flattened dough, similar to how you would roll a sushi mat. Pinch the seam to seal it as you roll to the end.
Step 16
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the rolled dough seam-side down, leaving some space between them. Cover again with plastic wrap or a damp cloth for the final proof, which should take 30 minutes to 1 hour. Allow the dough to puff up significantly again.
Step 17
After the final proof, lightly brush the tops of the loaves with vegetable oil or melted butter. Gently press down on the loaves on the baking sheet. This helps them bake flat, making them ideal for sandwiches. (Alternatively, just brushing with oil is fine.)
Step 18
Now it’s time to bake! Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C (338°F) for approximately 13 to 16 minutes. Check that the tops are golden brown and the bread is fully cooked through. Baking time may vary depending on your oven.
Step 19
Remove the beautifully baked bread from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Carefully peel off the parchment paper from the bottom and let the bread cool completely.
Step 20
Ta-da! Your delicious, soft homemade sandwich bread is ready! Now, fill it with your favorite ingredients to create your own special sandwich.
