Best of the Best, Day Ten: Whole-Wheat Sandwich Bread

In honor of the Olympics, we’ll be sharing the keys to one of our gold-medal worthy recipes every weekday until the closing ceremonies on August 12th.
 

Most recipes for whole-wheat sandwich bread fall into one of two extremes. Either they aren’t whole-wheat in anything but name, or they include so much of the whole-wheat stuff that they bake up coarse, dense, and bitter. Our version has a full-blown nutty—but not bitter—taste and a hearty yet soft, sliceable crumb.

WHAT MAKES THIS RECIPE A WINNER

• We discovered that the higher the percentage of whole-wheat flour, the squatter the loaf and the denser the crumb. We found the highest percentage of whole-wheat flour that we could use before the texture began to suffer, and then we found a few ways to sneak in some nutty, wheaty flavor.
• Instead of using all-purpose flour, we opted for protein-rich bread flour. We also created a “soaker” by soaking the grains overnight in a combination of milk and wheat germ. This softened the grain’s fiber, kept the dough moist, and coaxed out sweetness.
• Finally, to give our bread well-developed flavor, we turned to a sponge. When left to sit overnight, this mixture of flour, water, and yeast develops a full range of unique flavors that gives bread even more character.

Want to try it out for yourself? Here’s our recipe for Whole-Wheat Sandwich Bread for free until August 17.