This is the second part of my step-by-step photo tutorial to making sandwich bread. If you missed Part 1, you can find it here. The recipe I’m following is for my wheat sandwich bread.
When we left off yesterday, we had just left our bread to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour.
To test to see if it’s risen enough, lightly press two fingers into the top. If the indentation remains, your bread is done rising (for now).
Punch your dough down. I actually use my fist and sort of punch it; some people press on it. The point is to release some of the air. Take the dough out of the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. I find my cutting board to be a good place for this. Divide your dough in half.
 Can you see my indentation towards the left side of the top? |
Bake your bread in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Your bread is done when it sounds hollow on the bottom. Yes, you should actually take it out of the pan and lightly tap it. Sticking a toothpick in it will not tell you anything. You can also measure by temperature, but I don’t like the hole the thermometer leaves in the bread.
Allow your loaves to cool in the pan for a few minutes and then turn out to a wire rack to cool completely.
Celebrate because you have successfully baked a loaf of sandwich bread!
If you bake some bread, tell me about it! I want to hear about your triumph! If you still have questions, leave a comment or email me at lifelovelibrarianship (at) gmail (dot) com and I’ll do my best to answer them!
This post is linked to Real Food Deals at Premeditated Leftovers.
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Yay! I need to get back to making my own bread…maybe I will try this weekend!
Also, the rolls on the end of the loaf bother me (I'm weird, I know) so I wanted to add that if you are weird like me and don't like them, you can squish them down and fold it under. That's what I typically do.
Also, I need to find a loaf pan that is the right size. Part of my bread issue is that the 9×5 loaf pan makes my bread come out funny. I didn't realize that I needed a smaller pan!
Your bread looks tasty. There is nothing as good as home baked bread!
@Megg I kind of like the swirls 🙂 It' makes my sandwich made with the end feel a little special. And yes, you do need a smaller loaf pan if the recipe is calls for an 8X4. If you don't feel like buying new pans, I've gotten one 9×5 loaf and 12 dinner rolls out of a recipe that makes two 8×4 pans. I've also doubled the recipe and put it in two 9×5 pans.
@Katie Thanks! I love homemade bread!
Both of these posts are fantastic! I would love for you to link them up to my Real Food Deals carnival! Baking your own bread is a great way to save money while eating better quality food! I often use recipes from "Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" to make artisan breads.
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