Favorite Homemade Bread
Submitted by april73
Classic whole wheat sandwich bread made with active dry yeast, producing three golden loaves with a tender crumb and nutty flavor. The reliable recipe you’ll turn to for weekly bread baking.
YIELD
3 loavesPREP
20 minCOOK
25 minREADY
3 hrsThis workhorse recipe gives you three perfect sandwich loaves from one batch of dough that comes together with just a handful of pantry staples.
The combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flour creates bread that’s hearty but still soft, with enough structure to hold up to thick spreads and stacked sandwiches.
Two rises develop the flavor and texture, and your kitchen will smell like a bakery while those loaves turn golden in the oven.
Pro Tips
- Proof yeast in warm (not hot) water around 110°F; too hot kills the yeast
- This is a soft dough; resist adding too much flour during kneading or bread will be dense
- Let loaves rise until doubled; under-risen bread is heavy and compact
- Cool completely before slicing to prevent gummy texture
Variations
- Honey Wheat: Replace sugar with honey for subtle sweetness and softer crumb
- Seeded Multigrain: Add ½ cup mixed seeds (sunflower, flax, sesame) to dough
- Cinnamon Swirl: Roll out each portion, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, then roll up before placing in pans
Ingredients
Directions
Combine yeast, 1 cup of the warm water and the sugar in a large bowl; stir until the yeast is dissolved.
Let stand until mixture is foamy, about 10 min.
Stir remaining warm water, the oil and salt into yeast mixture.
Whisk together 7 cup of the all-purpose flour and the whole wheat flour in a large bowl until combined.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
Add half of the yeast liquid to the well; stir into the flour mixture to blend.
Stir in the remaining yeast liquid until a rough mass is formed.
Turn dough out on floured surface; this is a very soft dough.
Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 min, adding as much of the remaining ¼ cup all-purpose flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Place dough in lightly oiled bowl; turn dough in bowl so all sides are coated.
Cover bowl with towel or lightly greased waxed paper.
Let rise in a warm place, away from drafts, for 45 to 50 min or until dough doubles in volume.
Grease three 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pans.
Punch dough down.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
Knead lightly.
Divide into thirds.
Place one portion in each of the prepared pans.
Cover with a damp towel or lightly greased waxed paper.
Let rise in warm place, away from drafts, until doubled in volume, for 30 to 45 min.
To bake, heat oven to 400℉ (200℃).
Bake bread for 25 min or until hollow sounding when lightly tapped.
Turn loaves out onto wire racks and let cool completely.
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