Honeywheat Sandwich Bread

This recipe yields the perfect, no-nonsense loaf for everyday sandwiches and toast. Honey and whole wheat flour come together for a wholesome, lightly brown bread with just a hint of sweetness. This bread can be made just as easily by hand as in the bowl of a stand mixer, although a stand mixer will speed up your kneading time. 

Yield: 1 loaf of bread in a 9 x 5 in. pan

Time: 4 - 5 hours (depending on the warmth of your kitchen)

Ingredients

• 1 ⅓ cups (302 g) lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon instant or active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons (28 g) melted butter or oil
• 2 Tablespoons (42 g) honey
• 2 cups (240 g) Janie's Mill Red Fife Flour
• 2 cups (240 g) Janie's Mill High-Protein Bread Flour

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water and let it sit for about five minutes until you see the bubbles that indicate your yeast is alive. 
2. To this bowl, add salt, melted butter or oil, and honey. Whisk lightly to combine. 
3. Add your Red Fife and High-Protein flours to the wet ingredients and begin to mix with a spoon or your hands until you have a shaggy dough. If using a stand mixer, add the flour and mix on low until the flour is almost all incorporated.
4. Knead the dough:
1. If kneading by hand: Turn your shaggy dough out of the bowl onto a clean surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and passes the "windowpane test." To check for this indicator, pinch off a small piece of dough and stretch it between your fingers until you can see light pass through it like a windowpane. If you haven't built enough gluten strength the dough will break apart before stretching thin. This means you should knead for a few more minutes before trying again. If your dough is very sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time as you knead. The dough should be tacky and may stick to your fingers a little but shouldn't feel impossible to work with. As you knead the dough and the flour hydrates, the dough will become less and less sticky. 
2. If using a stand mixer: After the flour has almost disappeared, increase your mixer speed to medium and mix for about five minutes until the dough is smooth and also passes the windowpane test (see above). 
5. Start the first rise: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover it with a damp dish towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for about one hour at 70-75° F until the dough has doubled in size. If your kitchen is on the cooler side, this may take up to 90 minutes. If your kitchen is warmer, this could take about 45 minutes. Take a before picture of your dough or mark where it starts on the side of your bowl to measure whether it has doubled in size. 
6. Punch down the gasses that have built up in the dough and let it rise again at 70-75° F for 45 minutes until doubled in size again.
7. Prep your loaf pan: Line a 9 x 5 in. loaf pan with parchment paper or butter and flour the pan to prevent sticking. 
8. Shape the dough into a log: Turn the dough out of the bowl and punch down lightly with your fingers. Stretch and fold the top quarter of the dough down onto itself, then pinch the right and left sides and draw them into the center. Roll the top of the dough down onto itself building tension as you go. Continue tucking in the right and left sides as you roll. Use your 9 x 5 in. loaf pan as a guide for the length of your loaf. Place your loaf seam side down into your prepared loaf pan.
9. Cover lightly with a damp dish towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes to an hour or until your loaf begins to peek over the edge of your pan and your finger leaves a light indentation when you poke the dough. 
10. Preheat your oven to 325° F. 
11. Bake your loaf for between 50 minutes and an hour until fragrant and deeply golden brown on top. After taking the loaf out of the oven brush the top with melted butter and let cool completely before slicing. This bread will keep at room temperature for about a week and can be frozen in slices for up to three months.