When I first moved to the US, I struggled to find sliced bread that wasn’t sweet. Yes, for those Americans that aren’t aware, your bread is sweet compared to bread outside the US!
While I eventually did find a less-sweet but still sweeter-than-I-was-used-to loaf, nothing beats the taste and smell of homemade bread.
So, here’s a simple, homemade, whole wheat bread that’s perfect for sandwiches (grilled cheese! BLTs! BECs!).
I like to add seeds to the loaf and oats on top, but these are completely optional.
Seeded Whole Wheat Bread
A simple, homemade, whole wheat bread that’s perfect for sandwiches
Ingredients
- 550 grams whole wheat flour
- 375 milliliters warm water divided
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 10 grams (1 ½ teaspoons) unsalted butter cubed, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 100 grams mixed seeds (optional)
- 10 grams (1 ½ teaspoons) unsalted butter melted
- Handful of rolled oats or seeds to sprinkle (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 50 milliliters of water and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the water, butter, sugar, salt, and half of the flour and stir to combine.
- Gradually add the rest of the flour and the seeds (if using), and mix until the dough is soft and tacky. Knead until a soft ball forms that clears the sides of the bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1-2 hours.
- Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat it into a 9 x 12″ rectangle, removing any remaining air pockets as you go along. Starting from the short end, roll up the rectangle into a tight cylinder. Pinch the seams and the ends to seal them, and tuck the ends under the loaf. Place into a greased or lined loaf tin, cover with cling film, and leave to rise in a draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Brush the loaf with some melted butter, sprinkle with the oats and seeds (if using), and bake on a lower rack for 30-35 minutes. Rotate the loaf halfway through to ensure even cooking. When the loaf is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the center reads 195°F/91°C, it is done.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and immediately brush with more melted butter. Leave it to cool inside the tin for 10 minutes before removing and letting cool completely before slicing.
- The bread can be stored in an airtight bread bag or wrapped tightly in cling film at room temperature for about 4 days and frozen for about 1 month.