Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

In this bread you get all the health benefits of a whole wheat bread without losing any of the texture of a white bread.

This is my recipe for a half~wholewheat~half~unbleached white sandwich bread which I adapted from my very own Italian Bread Recipe. I have used this same basic recipe for all sorts of breads and I just love it because it makes it easy to remember the recipe: 4 1/4 cups flour-1 1/2 cups liquid-3 tablespoons fat- 2 1/2 tsp. yeast for bread or 1 1/2 tsp. yeast for pizza- 2 tsp. salt and in some bread the addition of -1 tablespoon sweetener. At this point I really think I could make an entire cookbook based on the same basic recipe and out of it create dozens of recipes! I made this bread and then the recipe for Baker's Apprentice Light Bread and they were basically indistinguishable. So if you get this basic recipe down you can use it to create many different breads/pizzas of your own. Happy baking!
Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour (King Arthur)
2 cups unbleached bread flour (King Arthur)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 tablespoon honey
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1 1/2 cups water or milk warmed to luke warm temp
3 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
Directions
These are the directions for a food processor but here are the directions for kneading by hand or for using a mixer: Baking 101 (Kneading)
Place the dry ingredients in the food processor and mix to combine.
Add the liquids at once in a slow stream on low.
Once it turns into a ball of dough mix on low for 1 minute.
Place in an oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap and place in a warm place for 1& 1/2 -  2 hours to double in bulk.

The finger (or poke) test checks bread readiness: poke dough with a floured finger; if it springs back slowly, leaving a slight indent, it's perfectly proofed; if it springs back quickly, it needs more time (underproofed); and if the indent stays or the dough deflates, it's overproofed. 

Grease up a 9 inch loaf pan and form your dough into a tight oblong ball. Place it in the pan and cover loosely with the some oiled plastic wrap. Place in a warm place to rise about 30-35 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375.
When it is 1 inch crowned above the rim bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown top and it sounds hollow when tapped on bottom.
Place on a rack to cool and rub the top and sides with butter.
Here are some extra points for homemade breads: Baking 101!

Italian Bread

 2 different shapes same dough

This recipe has slowly evolved over the years. I wanted a Master recipe that I could easily remember for many different uses and through trial and error came up with this one which is very close to old Italian Bread recipes which just called for flour, salt, water, and yeast.  I have found that the addition of olive oil  makes this bread dough even more flavorful and give it is higher rise. With this same recipe (or a few simple adjustments) I can make Italian Breads, Big Soft Pretzels, and Italian Stuffed Bread.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (which is 12 ounces) warm-ish water 
4  cups *unbleached bread flour (which is 500 grams) (see *note)  (Break up the flour then scoop very loosely into cup with a spoon and scrape off top with flat end of knife`- you may need to add more depending on the type of flour.)  It will be scrappy dough at first but after a minute or two it should start to form a ball. You  you will know it's ready when it forms a clean ball and not sticky anymore.)

1.5  tablespoons olive oil

1.5  teaspoons sea salt OR 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

~Mixing & Kneading~

Food Processor Method: 
 Place all of the dry into the machine with the dough hook attached and mix on low for a few seconds.
While it is still running add the water and oil through the shoot.
After a ball forms allow it to mix for 1 minute longer working out all of the bumps and forming an elastic ball. Remove the dough and place in an oiled bowl covered with an oiled sheet of plastic wrap.
Rest at least until a finger indention remains ( 2 hours) but the longer the better (I let it rise until it is to the top) 
Kitchen Aid Method:
Mix water & yeast in mixer until foamy, mix 2 cups of flour, salt & oil for a minute add more flour until a dough ball forms, Mix for 10 minutes (Kitchen Aid) adding flour if it becomes too sticky, although you do want a slightly sticky dough. Oil up your hands and cover the ball of dough in oil, leave it in the Kitchen Aid bowl and cover with oiled plastic wrap.
Hand Method:
Mix the flour and salt and make a well. Add the yeast and liquid into the well. Stir the liquid and yeast together gradually adding in the flour from the edges to the middle. It will be messy at first. Eventually you will have a very sticky ball of dough, it will still be messy at this point. Using your hands and a bench scraper or spatula start scraping the dough up and slapping it back down on to the counter, do this continually for 15-20 minutes. Until it's smooth and elastic.Rest at least until a finger indention remains ( 2 hours) but the longer the better (I let it rise until it is to the top)

~Forming Loaf/Loaves: You can make 1 large or 2 medium from each dough recipe)~

Classic Italian Round Loaf:

.Punch down the dough and flour the counter. Form a ball by tucking and re-tucking the dough underneath it self. Dust very lightly with flour. If it tears then start over, you want a smooth top that is nice and compact.

Punch down & roll or pat it out to a rectangular or oblong shape about the size of a sheet of loose leaf paper for 2 loaves (Ficelle) or a large sheet pan for 1 loaf (Baguette).

~Baking & Slicing the top~

Place the loaf or loaves on  parchment on a sheet pan OR a piece of parchment on a flat pan's bottom for sliding or a paddle, cover and rise for 1 hour or until double.

Preheat the oven to 450 and place a stone on the middle or just below middle rack 

Rub olive oil on  a straight edge razor (carefully) just before using and then give it a good slit down the middle for the round loaf or 3 good slanted slits for the baguette just before baking. If you cut too deep it will flatten and look like a knee cap :) if not enough it will close back up. So about 1/4 inch at a 30 degree angle.

When the dough is ready slide the parchment sheet with the loaf in the oven on top of the stone, or place the sheet pan on the middle rack, throw 3 ice cubes in to oven close quickly OR spray water in oven and close quickly  & bake for 10 minutes.  You can also egg wash the top if you want it browner. You can add sesame seeds to the top over the egg wash as well.

Bake 10 minutes at 450. Then turn down to 375 and bake *20- 25 minutes more. You can add more ice or water spray at this point as well. 

It will sound hollow when tapped and be golden brown. *You can go for a softer bread at 20 minutes or a harder crust for the longer time. 

Cool for 2 hours on a rack.
.Place on rack to cool. Try really hard not to slice for at least 1 hour!

No Knead Bread

This is the easiest and best tasting bread I have ever made at home! I have included the recipe and a link to the video of Mark Bittman, the NY Times food writer also known as "The Minimalist" who truly believes that less is more, taking you through the steps. This bread reminds me of the artisan breads found in Europe. It is a moist and chewy loaf with lots of holes through out.

As it was baking my kitchen with filled with a nutty smell and it actually crackled as I removed it from the oven. I have tried for years to duplicate this kind of bread in my own kitchen.
No Knead Bread Video

Recipe
You will need a deep cast iron pot with a lid or a pyrex casserole with a deep lid (a cast iron dutch oven works perfect)
3 cups of any combo of flour
1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast (yes, that is all the yeast you need)
1 1/2 -2 cups water

Mix dry ingredients together including the yeast
add water and mix to from a dough (no kneading!)
Cover and let it sit over night (atleast 12 hours and up to 18 or even more!)

The next day:
Heat oven to 500
Place a cast iron or pyrex pan in oven and allow it to heat it up with the oven

Place some flour on a piece of parchment, a peel, or a cloth and dump the dough on to it and form a round shape by tucking the dough under

Sprinkle some more flour on top and allow this to rise while the pan is heating up

Open the oven door and flop the dough off of the parchment or cloth in to the pan and place a lid on top (do not worry if it is misshapen)

Bake for 30 minutes and then lower oven to 420, remove lid and bake for 20-30 minutes

Allow to cool on rack for 2 hours (good luck with that!)
This bread is tough to cut so use a very sharp bread knife