I haven’t been getting a lot of baking done in the last few weeks… The hot weather itself is enough to keep me from wanting to heat up the kitchen. And, life at my house has been rather interesting, as well. Between the joys of being close to the end of my pregnancy, our doggy who hurt her knee last week and needs surgery to repair it, and the other assorted things around the house that have called it quits in the last week or so, I have to admit that baking has been pretty far from my mind.
Even when I’m not in the mood to bake, though, I find it hard to buy bread at the store. There are a few quality options for store bought bread, but I always find myself so reluctant to just pick up a loaf of bread at the store. So, I did find a few moments to mix up a batch of sandwich bread so I could enjoy some PB&J sandwiches during the week. I also opted to make panini with some leftover grilled chicken one afternoon, as well.
The thing about baking bread (for me, at least), is that the hardest part is often getting myself motivated in the kitchen. Once I get started, it’s really quite simple. I made this molasses wheat sandwich bread quickly one morning in the midst of all of the other things that needed to get done around the house. Mixing it up took less than 20 minutes, and then it just sat on the counter doing its thing while I did my thing and took care of some chores.
So, while it’s not likely that I’ll be running to the store to pick up bread any time soon, I’m hoping that I can keep myself motivated to mix up a batch of sandwich bread each week. I know that life isn’t going to be slowing down any time soon!
Molasses Wheat Sandwich Bread
Makes 1 Loaf
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup dark molasses
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 – 3 cups whole wheat flour
Combine the water, yogurt, molasses, butter, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine and dissolve the yeast in the liquid (as much as you can). Add the bread flour and 1 teaspoon of salt. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon or a dough whisk to develop the gluten and incorporate the flour into the wet mixture.
Gradually add the whole wheat flour, stirring until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball. Then, knead the dough (in the bowl, or transfer to a floured surface) with your hands, adding just enough additional whole wheat flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. Knead for approximately 5 – 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise until it has just about doubled in volume and the imprint of two fingers remains. Punch down the dough and shape it into a loaf. Transfer the loaf to a lightly greased loaf pan. Cover with a damp towel and allow the dough to rise again until it is puffy and sticks up above the loaf pan.
During the final rise, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the loaf for about 35 minutes. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Mmmm…I so want a slice of this!!! Hope that you’re doing well as your due date draws near. :) So exciting!!
I love the color and it looks like the perfect bread for a nice hearty sandwich.
Yes! you are so right. The hardest part is just getting motivated to do it! This bread is beautiful!
Homemade bread elevates any sandwich. And this bread here looks just perfect.
Oooh, this bread looks like the perfect sandwich loaf. I can just imagine how great it tastes!
Hi,
I saw this bread recipe today, I have been using your other recipe for over a year now and love it. But I thought I’d try this one. Do you think I could substitute almond milk for the yogurt? I’m trying to make a go at a vegan diet. Think any adjustments should be made?
Thanks,
Erika
Hi, Erika – I’m not sure how the almond milk would substitute for the yogurt. It’s worth a try! You might need to add some extra flour. Unfortunately, I do not typically develop vegan recipes, so I’m not real familiar with the best substitutions. Let me know how it works out.
It looks great
Andreja
I love when I get into that baking zone. So much hope and possibility. That bread would make a nice bread pudding I’m sure.
This looks delicious! Do you think it’s possible to make this in the bread machine? At least to get the dough started? I love making bread, but have trouble finding the time to get through the first steps.
Hi, Carissa – Yes, I’m sure you could make it in a bread machine. I’ve never used one before, though, so I can’t really give good advice on the process. To start, I would recommend following the bread machine instructions on an existing recipe like this Whole Wheat Honey Bread from Red Star Yeast. That should give you a good starting point.
This bread looks great Jen! I’m going to try it. I love that you used yogurt and molasses. Thank you
Gorgeous bread, Jen! And I love that it doesn’t have any hard-to-find ingredients like dry milk or anything like that. I’ll definitely be trying this very soon!!
The bread looks wonderful.
Beautiful loaf Jen!