Organic Honey-Red Wheat Sandwich Loaf
A wholesome, delicious staple—and easy enough to bake each and every week.
Recipe
(recipe makes two large, approx. 12”, loaves)
9 cups Organic Hard Red Wheat Flour, whole grain/unsifted
3 ¾ cup warm water
2 ¼ TBSP rapid rise yeast
½ cup organic honey
½ cup organic oil (neutral flavor)
3 ¼ tsp sea salt
Instructions
Proof: In a large mixing bowl, add 3 cups of the flour, the warm water, and the yeast. Stir together, then let it sit until very bubbly, about 15-20 minutes.
Mix: Once the mixture is ‘active’, add the rest of the flour, honey, oil, and salt. Mix together well.
Divide the Dough: Divide the dough equally, as best you can, and set one half aside in a bowl to wait/rest.
Knead: Take one of the halves and place it inside a stand mixer, with dough hook attachment. Knead on low-medium speed (3-4) for 10 minutes, monitoring the dough so it doesn't spill over the edges of the mixer, just keep pushing it back down. (If you don’t have a stand mixer/dough hook you can knead the dough by hand, but it will take longer, about 15 or so minutes.) Texture you’re looking for is soft and stretchy, not too sticky.
Repeat this process with the 2nd dough while the other is placed into the loaf pan to rise.
Preheat oven to 350.
Shape and Rise: Once the dough is kneaded, place it in a prepared Pullman Loaf style pan (very large, and high, generally 9”x5” or the larger 13”x4”x5”), and shape it somewhat to fill inside the pan, though once it rises it will fill it out more, cover loosely with saran wrap while it sits. (If you don’t have an extra large loaf pan, you can use 2 regular sized ones, and divide the dough.)
Repeat this process with the 2nd dough once it’s been kneaded.
Before baking, each loaf should be given about 30 minutes to rise.
Bake: At this point the first loaf will have sat for about 30 minutes, and have risen some. Remove the saran wrap and bake the loaf for 35-40 minutes, or until a deep warm brown color. Repeat with the second loaf once the first is done (I suggest baking in two batches, as baking both loaves at once can alter the temperature of your oven, thus affecting the end result).
Cool: Let the loaves rest in the pan for about 15 minutes before carefully removing them to a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing for toast or sandwiches.
This recipe makes two very large loaves, so you can always freeze the second one until you’re ready to eat it! Let it cool fully, then wrap it tightly with saran wrap, then freeze (or cut loaf in half and fit it into gallon size freezer-ziplock bags).
