My Current Favorite Sandwich Bread Recipe

I've been experimenting with different recipes for sandwich bread. I'd been using an "Amish Sandwich Loaf" recipe, but it called for 3/4 cup sugar (for two loaves). It was good, but a little on the sweet side. I tried reducing the sugar and while the bread was less sweet, it was also more dense (because the yeast didn't have the sugar to react with & create those lovely CO2 bubbles).

So I started my search for better sandwich bread recipes.


My current favorite recipe is from the Cook's Country Baking book. It uses honey instead of sugar and combines warm milk and melted butter for a satisfying slightly buttery taste.

American Sandwich Bread

Modified from Cook's Country Baking book. Yields 10 servings / 1 loaf of bread.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup warm whole milk 

• 1/3 cup warm water 

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 3 tablespoons honey

• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 envelope)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions

1. Combine flour, yeast, and salt in bowl of stand mixer & mix to combine. (Use the dough hook attachment if you have one.)
2. Measure milk, water, honey, and butter in the microwave safe bowl or mixing cup, then warm 30 seconds at a time until the butter is melted.
3. Lower the wrack to the lowest setting in your oven, the heat to 200 degrees. After 10 minutes, turn the heat off.
4. With your mixer on low, gradually add milk mixture to flour. Mix until the dough starts to come together (About 2 minutes).
5. Increase mixer speed to medium, mix for 10 minutes, until dough is smooth. (If you don't have a mixer, then knead for 10 minutes.)
6. Turn dough out onto floured surface, knead for 15 seconds to form a small, round ball.
7. Place dough in an oven-proof, oiled bowl. Turn the dough to lightly coat it in the vegetable oil, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
8. To Proof:  Place the covered bowl in the warmed oven.  Let the dough rise 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.
9. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and gently roll or press it into a rectangle, then jellyroll the dough into a cylinder. Pinch the seams and ends closed. Place the seam-side down in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan.
10. Let the dough rise another 30 minutes.
11. In the mean time, preheat oven to 350. 
12. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until top is brown and the loaf sounds hollow when you thump the top.
13. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool on a cooling wrack. 

Makes 1 loaf of bread.