Wintertime Treat - Mixed Seed Rye Sandwich Bread

Actually, the title is a little misleading. NOT because it is some other kind of bread. It really is a sandwich bread, complete with rye flour and even caraway seeds. In fact, this bread is probably the closest I have ever made to the 'white' rye we used to get at the famous Bernie's Bakery I have talked about in past posts. The crumb is a little closer maybe. The crust just slightly less chewy. But this is the real deal. It's just that you can make it and eat it anytime. I called it a wintertime treat because I am stuck in the house from a snow storm. Hence, the wintertime treat. You can enjoy it all year.

I got the idea from a customer of mine who likes the advantage of being able to special order just about anything and get it home delivered. One of the breads she orders MUST include lots and lots of seeds and nuts chopped coarsely, and mixed into the dough. Then baked as a loaf (not free-standing but in a loaf pan so it can be sliced for a sandwich.

This dough is different from hers but the idea is similar. I have included a combination of bread flour and rye and mixed the seeds right in. It is perfect for my famous TLT (turkey lettuce and tomato) sandwich.

 The photos you see here are of the bread, of course, but also the turkey pastrami and mayo both of which are also homemade. It's not difficult, and if anyone wants the recipe for either just drop me a line. I will gladly share. For the bread...

Here's What You'll Need:

3 1/4 cups bread flour
1 1/4 cups rye flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons nonfat dry milk*
1 Tbs. light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon instant dry yeast
1 1/2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Optional topping:
1 egg white
sunflower of pumpkin seeds

* To keep my dough non-dairy, I keep a package of non-dairy baby formula on hand. It substitutes perfectly in all recipes calling for milk powder, but without the dairy.

Here's What You'll Need to Do:

1. Sift together into a large bowl, the flours, milk powder, sugar and yeast.

Then make a well in the middle, and mix in the oil, lemon juice and lukewarm water.

Add the seeds.  Mix with a spoon until it comes together to form a shaggy dough that 'cleans the bowl'.

2. Remove the dough from the bowl to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is shiny and smooth.

3. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, then cover and place in a warm spot to rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

4. Remove the dough from the bowl and deflate it. Shape it into a rough rectangle, fold it in three, like a letter fold and place it, seam-side down in a 9 X 5 in. loaf pan (23 X 13 cm.).

 Cover it with a damp dish cloth and let it rise for about 30 minutes until it reaches the level of the pan.

5. Heat the oven to 350 F (180 C) and bake for 30 minutes until it is a rich brown. Cool on a rack. If you wish, you can brush the unbaked loaf with egg white and sprinkle some seeds over the top. This is a truly delicious sandwich bread, one you will come back to again and again.

A Straightforward Bread with a Twist- Non-Dairy Sandwich Bread

OK, I admit it. There are plenty of great sandwich bread recipes, and they aren't (and don't have to be) complicated or difficult. Sometimes, however, you want a simple bread that has all the qualities of a sandwich bread: sturdy for holding the filling but not tough and dry, soft without being wet, and tasty (of course) without being too sweet. Especially if your sandwiches are on the savory side. You know, roast beef, cold cuts, smoked meat and fish, good sharp cheeses. You know. At the same time you don't want to compromise on healthy, nutritious bread. What to do? Here is a recipe that  uses some of the ingredients and techniques I have posted in my ever-growing series of basic breads, in combination. It uses soy milk instead of regular milk and 'light' whole wheat flour in combination with regular bread flour. The result is a sandwich bread that is tasty and sturdy, without the aftertaste you sometimes get with soy. The whole wheat supplies the fiber and the regular bread flour the gluten. It is soft like an egg bread (challah is the classic egg bread) but there's no egg! A great compromise that really delivers the goods. The only problem might be, that it doesn't have a long 'shelf-life'. Don't worry, it will disappear before it has time to spoil. Enjoy!

Here's what you'll need:
1 1/4 cups (about 300ml) unflavored soy milk
1 Tbs honey
1 tsp yeast
1/4 cup (about 60ml) warm water
3 cups (450g) light whole wheat flour
or
1 1/2 cups light whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp butter or oil 

Here's what you'll need to do: 
* If the soy milk is not super fresh, i.e., you bought it today or yesterday at the earliest) then bring it to a boil then let it cool completely. This will help remove the aftertaste that some people do not like from soy milk. 
1. Add the honey to the cooled soy milk, then the butter or oil. Stir to combine.
2. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. 
3. Combine the dry ingredients (flour and salt), then, making a 'well' in the middle add the soy milk mixture and the yeast mixture. Combine to make a smooth dough.

4. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes to make a dough that is slightly sticky and very smooth.
5. Place the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl and let it rise, covered with a damp towel or plastic wrap, until doubled. This will take about 1 1/2 hours at room temperature.
6. Gently de-gas the dough and shape into a loaf the length and width of a loaf pan.

Place the loaf in a lightly greased loaf pan and let it rise until it is even with the height of the pan.
7. Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C) and bake the bread for about 35 minutes until golden brown and it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. 

* Some variations:
* Add sunflower seeds to the bread dough after the first rise. Roll it out into a rectangle, sprinkle the seeds then roll it up and knead it to distribute evenly.
* Roll the loaf in poppy seeds or sesame seeds before placing in the loaf pan.
* Add raisins or dried cranberries (the same way as the sunflower seeds).