Wheat Sandwich Loaf

Christmas before last, my in-laws gave me a pain de mie pan from King Arthur flour. Somehow, I've managed to let it sit in my closet for two years before running it through its paces.

This long, heavy duty pan has a sliding lid and is specifically for making sandwich loaves. It came with a recipe for a soft white bread, but I prefer a wheat loaf. I started trying to think of the best, softest wheat bread I've ever eaten. Hands down, my raisin bread was the winner of that contest. I made a few minor adjustments and now have a wonderful, soft, delicious wheat sandwich bread.

While you can mix this by hand, it is much easier in a stand mixer. It's not the stickiest dough I've ever worked with, but it will never become completely smooth. Resist the urge to add too much flour to reduce the stickiness while kneading. Knead for 5-6 minutes and then place in a covered, oiled bowl to rise until doubled.

Oil the inside of the pan and lid, if using a 13-inch pain de mie pan, or simply oil one 5x8 loaf pans or one 4x13 pan. Spray an little oil on the counter to keep the dough from sticking while you shape it. Punch the dough down on the counter into a rectangle as long as the pan. At this point, at long as you've lubed the counter, this dough is very nice to work with.

To finish shaping the loaf, roll it up and pinch the seam together. Fold over the ends and pinch together to seal. Place seam side down in the pan.

If using the pain de mie pan, close the lid almost all the way. You want to leave yourself a little peek hole. Cover the open end with plastic wrap. Let rise until the dough is almost to the top of the pan. Close the lid and let continue rising while the oven preheats. If using standard loaf pans, cover with plastic wrap to rise until double.

If using the pain de mie pan, bake covered at 350° F for 25 minutes. Then remove the lid and continue baking for another 15-20 minutes, or until a thermometer registers 190° F. If baking in standard pans, bake at 350° F for 35-45 minutes, until the loaf if nicely browned and registers 190° F. Cool for ten minutes in the pan. Then remove from the pan to cool completely before slicing and packaging.

Wheat Sandwich Loaf

Yield: 1 13" loaf

1 TBS instant yeast

2 3/4 to 3 cups bread flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup defatted soy flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 cup warm non-fat milk

Mix all ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Knead for 5-6 minutes. Dump into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until double.

Oil a 13-inch pain de mie pan (and lid) or a 5x8 loaf pan or a 4x13 loaf pan. Lightly oil the counter and punch the dough out into a rectangle the width of the pan you are using. Roll the loaf up, pinching the seams. Fold over the ends and pinch together. Place in the pan seam side down. Place the pain de mie lid on a close so that it is only open one inch. Cover the open bit with plastic wrap to keep the loaf from drying out. If using a standard pan, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double. If using a pain de mie pan, let rise until it is just about touching the lid, close the cover, and then turn on the oven. When the oven is preheated, the loaf should be fully risen.

If using a pain de mie pan, bake, covered, 25 minutes at 350° F. Remove the lid and then bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until a thermometer registers 190° F inside. If using a standard pan, bake until nicely golden and it also registers 190° F. Let cool in the pan 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely before slicing or packaging.