Easy Soft & Fluffy High Altitude Sandwich Bread
Wild Flour Recipes | Baking at 8,000 ft
www.wildflourrecipes.com
This high-altitude sandwich bread recipe is soft, fluffy, and just sturdy enough to hold your favorite sandwich fixings.
Yield: 3 loaves
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- 3 bread pan
- Plastic wrap
- Instant read thermometer optional
Ingredients
- 4 tsp instant yeast or active dry yeast
- ¾ cup water warmed to 100-110° F
- 2 cups milk warmed to 100-110° F
- 4 tbsp white sugar
- 3 tbsp butter softened
- 2 tbsp kosher salt or 1 tbsp table salt
- 7-8 cups all purpose flour
Instructions
Mix the water and yeast
- Mix the warm water and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes or until a foamy layer appears on top of the water.
Mix the bread dough
- Add the warmed milk, softened butter, salt, sugar, and 4 cups of flour to the yeast mixture.
- Mix the mixture with a fork until smooth. The dough will be very wet and shiny.
Add in enough flour and knead
- Add in 2 cups of flour to the bread dough mixture and dump it out on a lightly floured clean surface.
- Slowly add in 1/2 cup of flour at a time while you knead.
- Knead the bread dough until the dough forms into a ball that is no longer sticky, begins to smooth out, and feels softer. Typically this takes about 3-4 minutes with this recipe. Poke a finger into the dough ball and the dough should bounce back when it has been kneaded enough.
- NOTE: the amount of flour needed will slightly change every time you bake this recipe. The time of year, moisture in the air, and temperature in your kitchen will affect how much flour is needed.
Initial rise until doubled in size
- Place the dough ball in a greased large mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
- Let the dough rise until doubled in size. Typically it will take about an hour to rise but the rise time will depend on the temperature in your kitchen.
Form into 3 loaves
- Punch the dough down with your fist to knock the air out of the dough.
- Separate the dough into 3 equal pieces with a serrated knife or by pulling it apart.
- Flattened each piece of dough into a rectangle. The short side should be the length of your bread pan. The dough should be flattened till about 1/2 inch thick.
- Roll the dough into a loaf by carefully rolling up the dough starting with the short side. Wrap the top layer on the ends underneath the roll.
- Place the rolled loaf of dough into a greased bread pan.
Second rise until double in size
- Cover the bread pans loosely with plastic wrap to keep the moisture in.
- Let the dough rise until doubled in size. Again, typically it will take about an hour to rise but the time will depend on the temperature in your kitchen.
Bake for 20 minutes
- Preheat oven to 425° F when the loaves of dough are close to doubled in size during the second rise time.
- Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 20 minutes or until the side and top of the loaf are dark golden brown.
- Remove the bread from the pans immediately and place the bread on wire cooling racks.
- Brush the top of the loaves with butter for an extra shine.
- NOTE: allow the bread to cool before slicing it. Slicing warm bread causes the bread to release moisture and can lead to dry bread.
Notes
Make this recipe at sea level: increase the amount of yeast to 5 teaspoons or 2 packet of yeast
How to store the bread: store in an airtight bag or container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze the bread in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw the bread at room temperature overnight.