The Bread Bible’s Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

After a failed attempt at a whole wheat recipe I found online I began to research bread books in the hopes that one would give me the tools I needed to actually bake a good tasting, moist and airy (well at least not dense) loaf of whole wheat sandwich bread. My first bread book loaf came from “The Bread Bible”, which utilized a “sponge” method that, in its description promised for a moister, airier loaf. Unfortunately, as had happened on my first failed attempt, my loaf collapsed in the oven. At this point I researched possible culprits and discovered that the most likely cause was the oven not actually reaching the temperatures on the little dial in front. Now, that should have been obvious… an old oven would most likely not be perfectly calibrated for any number of reasons (loosing heat more readily, not sealing as well, the sensors are old…). Once I was given an oven thermometer I tested this hypothesis and found that yes, the oven was cooler (I am guessing about 25 degrees C) than I had expected, and the most likely culprit for the collapse. Aside from the collapse this recipe did not take too long mixing/kneading/baking, though it did have a few long resting periods.

As far as the final loaf is concerned I felt that, though it was good when toasted with butter or peanut butter, it wasn’t a good all around sandwich bread. It was generally tastier and moister than the previous failed attempt, but at the same time it was still somewhat mealy and just as dense. Now, I am not sure if the density was due to the collapse or the recipe/technique in itself but it was enough to make me want to search elsewhere for a new technique…

From: The Bread Bible: 300 Favorite Recipes

Difficulty: easy/average

Tips:
1) Make sure you know the temperature of your oven accurately. An oven thermometer is an excellent investment considering it costs about $8 at target and will make sure that you will bake your bread properly.
2) If you plan on letting your dough rise in the refrigerator overnight, make sure you give it ample time to warm the next day before you begin working with it. I have found it can take as long as 1-2 hours to reach room temperature.
3) I found it best to let dough rise in a lightly greased bowl with plastic wrap covering it in order to fend off an outer skin on the top of the dough which can disrupt it’s rising.
4)A good way to tell that the water is the right temperature for the yeast is to test it with your finger... if you don't feel the water (neither hot nor cold) then it is about 98 degrees... a good temperature for yeast.