The Humble Sandwich Loaf

It has been said that bread is the food of life, and few things from the kitchen taste as good as a fresh warm loaf of bread. Making your own bread at home is actually quite satisfying, and can be cathartic. Nothing like kneading some bread by hand to work out your frustrations [Grin]. Anyway, I make a lot of rustic style European loaves here on the homestead, but the most versatile loaf of bread that I make is the humble sandwich or “Pullman” loaf (named because it is made in a “Pullman” loaf pan). Now a true “Pullman” loaf pan has a lid which goes on top to create a square versus a round crust on the top of the bread. My pans do not have a lid, they are just cheap old teflon coated loaf pans purchased from Walmart many years ago.

This style of bread has become the standard for making sandwich's here in the United States, and every home baker should know how to make a good sandwich loaf at home. Homemade breads have no artificial flavors or preservatives so they are not as soft of texture and have a shorter shelf life than commercially baked breads, but the flavor and freshness of a loaf straight form the oven cannot be beat.

If you and your family prefer a whole wheat sandwich bread instead of white, then substitute 1/2 to 3/4 of the all-purpose (AP) flour with whole wheat. Experiment a little until you get the taste and texture you desire. You could substitute all of the AP flour with whole wheat, but I suggest you read my article 'All About Flour' before doing so.

I have included instructions for making this loaf either by hand or in a stand mixer. I have never made bread in a bread machine or used my food processor to knead the dough so I have not included any directions for making dough via these methods in this article. I could have probably copied some from the internet and included them, but I do not wish to add instructions or recipes for anything that I have not personally tried or made before as I cannot verify their their contents or instructions.

Sandwich Loaf (One Loaf)

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast

1 ½ teaspoons salt

In a small bowl, add the 1 cup of warm water, sugar and yeast and mix together and allow it to sit for about 10 minutes. Adding the sugar to the yeast and water helps it to bloom quicker. While your yeast is activating heat the butter in the microwave just until melted and set it aside.

Combine the flour and salt together in the bowl of your mixer and stir to combine. After the yeast has bloomed, add it and the melted butter to your mixing bowl and mix on low (the stir setting on KitchenAid mixers) until the dough just begins to come together. Then increase the speed of your mixer to low (3 or 4 on KitchenAid mixers) and mix for 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Chef's Note: Depending on the time of year and the humidity of the day, you may need to add some additional flour to the mixing bowl if you notice that the dough I excessively wet or sticky. Add flour to the mixing bowl one tablespoon at a time until you are satisfied with the doughs texture.

When the dough is ready, spray a medium sized bowl with non-stick cooking spray and then remove the dough from the mixing bowl and shape into a ball. Place the dough ball in the bowl and lightly spray the top with the non-stick spray. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean cloth and allow to proof until it is doubled in size (about 1 to 2 hours depending on time of year).

Once the dough has doubled in size, spray your loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Then lightly dust the counter with AP flour and empty the dough onto the counter. Punch down the dough to deflate it and shape in into an 8” x 10” rectangle. Then fold the dough into thirds like you are folding a letter to go into an envelope and place the dough seam down into the loaf pan. Lightly spray the top of the dough again with non-stick cooking spray and reuse the plastic wrap to cover the loaf pan and allow the dough to rise for a second time until it has doubled in size (about 1 hour). About 15 minutes before the end of the second rise preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Once the dough in the loaf pan is ready, place it in your preheated oven and bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until the bread is firm and golden brown. Check the loaf to see if it is done by removing it from the loaf pan tapping the bottom, it should sound hollow. Place the bread onto a wire rack and allow to cool before cutting.

Chef's Note: One thing that I like to do while the bread is cooling on the wire rack is take my stick of butter and run it all along the top and upper sides of the loaf to add a little moisture and additional flavor to the loaf. You could melt some butter in a small bowl and brush it on if you like, but folding back the paper on the stick of butter is easier and leaves you with less utensils to clean up.

If your family eats a lot of bread, you may want to make 2 sandwich loaves instead of one. It takes the same amount of time, and the additional cost is minimal. If need be, you could wrap the second loaf in plastic wrap then place it in a zip lock bag and freeze it for a short period (about 3 to 4 weeks). Take it out of the freezer the night before you need it.

Sandwich Loaf (Two Loaves)

5 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees)

1 packet or 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon salt

Follow the same procedure for making a single loaf, however after the first (initial) proof divide the dough into two equal parts and then shape each and place into two loaf pans as you would a single loaf.

Hand Kneading Method

Like every student baker I had to learn how to make bread by hand just like grandma did back on the farm (without the use of a mixer) just to know how to do it even though there are few modern bakeries that do not use commercial mixers. Occasionally I do this just to keep my skills up, but most often I use my mixer. If you do not have a mixer or just want to experiment with how to make a simple loaf of bread by hand then follow these instructions.

Combine the flour and salt together in a large bowl, then add the yeast mixture and the butter, then using a large spoon stir the dough vigorously to combine. The dough will be quite sticky (wet) and messy. Lightly flour the surface of your counter with AP flour and dump the dough out of the bowl onto the floured surface. Flour your hands and knead the dough for about 8 to 10 minutes until it becomes smooth, shiny and elastic. If while kneading the dough it is excessively sticky, then add flour to your counter 1 tablespoon at a time.

Cost Breakdown

Ok, so what does it actually cost to make your own bread at home opposed to buying a loaf from your local grocery store. In our area, we can be a cheap store brand (Great Value) loaf of sandwich white or wheat for about $1.00. Probably not the most nutritious, but when we run low on bread this is what we buy. I just cannot see paying more than $3.00 for a loaf of bread. Anyway here is the cost breakdown for making this loaf of sandwich bread at home.

AP flour 2 1/2 cups (20 ounces) = $0.40, granulated sugar 1 tablespoon (0.4 ounces) =  $0.02, iodized salt 1 1/2 teaspoons (0.4 ounces) = $0.01, 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast (0.15 ounces) = $0.17, 1 tablespoon butter (0.5 ounces) = $0.09. Total cost to make a loaf of sandwich bread at home $0.69. So making your own bread at home is not only more nutritious, but 41% cheaper than buying the cheapest bread you could find at your local Walmart or dollar store.

Prices for ingredients change over time, as I have been writing this blog I keep a database of what my ingredients cost and I update it when necessary, this is how I am able to breakdown the cost of each individual recipe. Prices may not be the exact same in your area, but I try and make sure they are as accurate as possible. In case your wondering, yes I get out my digital scale and weigh all my ingredients just to make sure the costs that I quote in my articles are as factual as I can make them. In the restaurant business you learn to be a little OCD about food costs if you want your restaurant to make a profit. Those lessons have really benefited our ability to successfully live on on a food budget.

Conclusion

Of all the breads I make at home, the sandwich loaf is the most versatile. It not only makes great fresh sandwiches (not cooked), but is great for grilled cheese, Monte Cristo's, and making French toast among other things. Bread made at home has a whole different texture and flavor profile. Unlike commercially prepared breads it does not have all the extra preservatives, it is simply a combination of flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Very Basic, but very easy to make and it tastes wonderful. If you are living on a budget like many of us are, you have all the ingredients necessary to make this recipe if you stocked your pantry using our 'minimalist pantry' guidelines. Just in case you missed it earlier, it is indeed cheaper to make your own bread at home, 41% cheaper to be precise.

Please give this recipe a try if you have never made your own fresh bread. Once you have made it I am sure you will continue to do so on a regular basis. As always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't forget to send us on friend request on Facebook and Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.

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