Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Whole wheat sandwich bread – soft, chewy and it stays fresh for days thanks to the tangzhong or water roux.

Nothing beats the taste and smell of homemade freshly baked bread!

This whole wheat sandwich bread has a soft, chewy crumb and a hearty flavor thanks to the whole wheat flour. It’s perfect for sandwiches, toasted and slather with butter and jam or to use for french toast.

I experimented with various ratios of whole wheat/white flour and I’ve got the best result with a 50:50 blend of the two flours. You can try and use 100% whole wheat, just keep in mind that the bread will be denser.

The recipe uses a tangzhong (or water-roux) which gives a tender crumb and a longer shelf life. One part of flour is cooked with five parts of water at 65 degrees C or 149 degrees F to form a roux. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency and your spoon forms lines in the pan.

Store the whole wheat sandwich bread at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-4 days or slice it, wrap it well and freeze for up to 1 month.

If you try this whole wheat sandwich bread let me know what you think! Leave a comment and don’t forget to take a picture and share it on my Facebook page or tag it #aseasyasapplepie on Instagram!

Print Recipe

How To Make It: Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Prep Time: 25 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

(5 stars) 6 ratings

Whole wheat sandwich bread – soft, chewy and it stays fresh for days thanks to the tangzhong or water roux.

Prep time doesn’t include rest time

Tangzhong can be kept for a day or two in the fridge.

Ingredients

For the Tangzhong:

• ⅔ cup+1 tablespoon (175 g) water
• ¼ cup+½ tablespoon (35 g) all-purpose flour

For the Dough:

• 1¾ cup + 1½ tablespoons (225 g) all-purpose flour
• 1¾ cup + 1½ tablespoon (225 g) whole wheat flour I used Bob’s Red Mill organic whole wheat flour
• 1 cup (240 ml) lukewarm milk I used skimmed milk. You can replace the milk with water
• 1 teaspoon (3 g) active dried yeast
• 4.7 oz. (135 g) Tangzhong
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon (8 g) salt
• Optional: rolled oat

Instructions

• Make the water roux. Whisk together the flour and water until there are no lumps.
• Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture has thickened and it has a pudding-like consistency. If you have a candy thermometer check the temperature, it should be 149°F (65°C).
• 
• Remove from heat, place the tangzhong into a small bowl and cover with cling film (make sure that the cling film touches the surface of the water roux to prevent a skin from forming).
• When the water roux is cool, make the dough.
• Dissolve the yeast in half of the milk.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the tangzhong and all the other ingredients except for the extra virgin olive oil and salt.
• Start mixing and, when all the ingredients come together, add the oil and salt.
• Continue to mix until the dough becomes soft and smooth. This will take about 10/15 minutes.
• Make a ball, put it in a bowl covered with cling film and let it proof until it’s doubled in size, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• 
• After the dough has doubled in volume, oil a 9"x5" (22×12 cm) loaf pan.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, divide it into 3 equal pieces and form each piece into a tight ball.
• Put the balls seam sides down into the loaf pan.
• 
• Cover with cling film and place in a warm place to allow to rise until doubled ( about 1 hour).
• Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
• Brush the top of the whole wheat sandwich bread with water and sprinkle with rolled oat.
• Bake for about 25 minutes. If the top of the bread is browning too fast, cover it with aluminum foil.
• Let the sandwich bread cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Enjoy!

Notes

 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 140 kcal, Carbohydrates: 24.6 g, Protein: 3.4 g, Fat: 2.9 g, Sodium: 154 mg, Fiber: 0.8 g, Sugar: 2.1 g

Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment or share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #aseasyasapplepie. We’d love to see what you come up with!

Author: Elena Tomasi

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

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