Light & Airy Sandwich Bread

This lovely recipe is for Light & Airy Sandwich Bread, which is simply wonderful.

I typically use wholemeal bread for my sandwiches. However, occasionally I enjoy white bread as well.. Recently, I bought some white bread from a Turkish shop. It had a remarkable lightness and airiness. That prompted me to attempt to replicate it. The bread from the shop featured a topping of sesame seeds. That gave a wonderful flaour to the crust.

Ingredients

Over time a did some tests to arrive at a recipe that would work. Only Basic ingredients bread flour, water, yeast, and salt are required for the bread. However a small quantity of egg for brushing, along with sesame seeds for the top give that extra flavour.

Loaf Form

For my version of the breadI used a 900g/2lb loaf tin. But a freeform load might work too. The ingredient volume is less than the norm for a 900g loaf tin. Yet the bread’s innate lightness causes it to expand above the rim of the tin.

The Recipe

The recipe is very simple, especially with the aid of a stand mixer. However, time is a requisite factor. That is because the recipe uses a starter dough. That needs to be made the night before, or at least 8 hours in advance. Leaving the starter dough on the counter for that time allows it to rise well and become very airy. It is then amalgamated with the remaining ingredients to form the dough. The dough is kneaded for about 8 minutes, achieving a soft and smooth consistency.

The dough is then left to proof for 90 minutes. But halfway through that time the dough is gently deflated and turned over. Afterward, the dough is gently shaped, placed in the loaf tin. It is covered and allowed to proof again. This time, until it has risen well above the rim of the tin. When the dough has risen and appears puffy it is ready to bake.

Baking

The dough goes into a pre-heated oven for 25 minutes. In that time the internal temperature should reach at least 88C/190F. That will ensure the bread is fully baked. Baking for longer, until the temperature reaches around 99C/210F, will yield a denser crust. That will be fine, though the loaf will not be quite so moist.

My Loaf

In fact my loaf reached a temperature of about 90C/194F within the 25-minute period. It rose very well and coloured nicely on the top. After releasing the loaf from the tin I left it to cool completely. Then I sliced it open to reveal a light and airy crumb. It was ideal for sandwiches. The loaf, as with the aforementioned shop-bought bread, was very good indeed. The texture was perfect. The flavour, too, was very good indeed. The sesame seeds certainly added to that flavour.

Another lovely sandwich bread is Soft White Sandwich Bread – Tangzhong Method.

Light & Airy Sandwich Bread

Recipe by geoffcooCourse: BreadDifficulty: Medium

Servings

16

slices

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Ingredients

• Starter Dough

• 90g(2/3 cup minus1 tbsp, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup) bread flour

• 113ml(1/2 cup minus 1 1/2 tbsp) lukewarm water

• .4g(1/8 tsp) instant yeast

• Dough

• Starter dough from above

• 326g(2 cups+3 tbsp, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup) bread flour

• 170ml(3/4 cup minus 2 tsp) lukewarm water

• 6.2g(2 tsp) instant yeast

• 8g(1 1/4 tsp) salt

• Sesame Seeds for sprinkling

• Beaten egg for brushing

Directions

• Place the 90g of flour into a bowl with the yeast and water to make the starter.
• Mix that together until fully combined, then cover and leave on the counter overnight(or at least 8 hours).
• Place the starter into the bowl of a stand mixer and add the water and yeast, then mix them together.
• Add half the flour.
• Then add the salt and mix until combined.
• Add the remaining flour and mix until a shaggy dough is formed.
• Knead the dough until it is soft and smooth, about 8 minutes.
• Cover the dough(you can place it in a lightly greased bowl for ease), and leave it for 90 minutes.
• After 45 minutes gently deflate the dough and turn it over, then cover again.
• Tip the dough out onto a lightly greased surface and, without deflating, form it into a log about the length of a 900g/2lb loaf tin.
• Place the dough into a lightly greased loaf tin and cover with a clean towel or greased plastic wrap.
• Allow the dough to rise until is it at least an inch above the top of the tin (between 60 & 90 minutes).
• Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/425F.
• When the dough has risen and looks very puffy carefully brush the top with beaten egg and sprinkle sesame seeds onto the surface.
• Bake the loaf for 25 minutes, until the internal temperature has reached at least 88C/190F.
• Remove the loaf from the oven and turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.