I have so many ideas of things to share, but these are odd times, aren’t they? Nothing feels right. You don’t know me well enough yet, and we haven’t reached a level of “quarantine-normal” that would let us talk about important but unrelated ideas. But we can talk about BREAD!!

My social media has been full of crafts and outside walks and funny dances and baking. Honestly, Instagram in particular has been a source of a lot of fun for me since this whole thing started. So here is something I’m more than happy to share: my sandwich bread recipe. I’ve been making it every other Monday for about 15 years. It’s been tweaked a little here and there, and now it is an important part of most sandwiches made in our house. If you thought the bread was just the boring outside of a sandwich, you are in for a treat.

A few notes about my recipe:

• I use honey from my farm (thanks, Dad!). I have used molasses and maple syrup in the same volume with great success.
• SAF Instant Yeast is the only kind I trust. I order it by the pound from Amazon and store it in mason jars in the freezer.
• I have always and only used King Arthur Flour. Other flours will give different results, but, hey, we’re all in quarantine so if it messes up, no big deal.
• A decent substitute for the coconut oil is vegetable shortening (solid Crisco). You can use butter but it will definitely change how the bread browns.
• I bake by weight and HIGHLY recommend it. A small kitchen scale will make your baking much faster and much, much more accurate. The approximate volumes are given, but I cook based on weight.

And so here we go:

• 12 oz Whole Wheat Flour (3 cups)
• 1.8 oz Coconut Oil (1/4 cup)
• 4 oz Honey (1/3 cup)
• 1 TB Salt
• 4-1/2 tsp SAF Instant Yeast (2 envelopes)

Combine the above ingredients in a stand mixer using the dough hook. Mix until ingredients are blended. Add

• 2-1/4 cups warm water (I use the hot water out of my tap, hot enough to put my hand in but not burn me)

Now mix all of these ingredients until blended and uniform. Measure

• 17 oz Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (4 cups)

And add about half of it to the mixture. Mix for 30 seconds or so, and continue to add flour while the mixer runs. I usually add all of it, but just be sure the dough doesn’t get really dry. You don’t want it to look like pie crust, but it’s not pancake batter, either.

Knead/mix with the dough hook for ten minutes. The dough should come together by the time five minutes has elapsed. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for a couple of turns. (This part isn’t necessary but is satisfying.) Turn dough into a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 40-60 minutes. Don’t clean your floured surface yet.

After 40-60 minutes, he dough is ready if you can indent the dough and your indention stays. If it’s ready, punch the dough to deflate and let it rest for five minutes. Turn it out onto the floured surface again, divide it in half, and shape in this way: pat or roll the dough into about a 8-1/2″ by 14″ rectangle. Fold into thirds in the short direction–it will be about 8-1/2″ by 4″. Starting at a short side, roll the dough into a tight cylinder and place in a greased, standard size loaf pan. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Cover lightly and let rise for 30-50 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375.

Uncover your loaves and place them on a middle rack. Back for 32 minutes, until the top crust is firm and the loaf has pulled away from the sides slightly. If it’s too brown while baking, cover lightly with foil.

After 32 minutes, pull the pans out, turn the loaves out of the pans, and place the loaves back in the oven, directly on the rack and on their sides. Bake for three additional minutes. This makes the entire crust more sturdy and the loaves will hold up better for cooling.

If you can stand it, wait until the loaves are cool to cut into them. And I’ve put a story together over on Instagram (@cldrury) so you can see a little more about how I do things. Enjoy!