100% Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf with Roux and SD

When I began baking a couple of years ago I soon found out that my family all loved freshly baked bread.  It was a rewarding feeling to be able to bake something fresh and wholesome for them.

Within a short period of time I discovered that each had a preference for a particular type of bread.  In other words, one loaf did not fit all.  My journey began to find the ONE loaf that would satisfy them all.

It has been about 3 years and I have finally found that loaf.

The first book I fell in love with when my baking odyssey began was Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads. I mentioned that I was baking to a friend and she knew I baked with whole wheat that I ground myself so she sent me a book titled Whole Grain Breads by Machine or Hand written by Beatrice Ojakangas.  I was excited to expand my baking repertoire but I soon found out that Beatrice's book did not use 100% whole grains and that the book was written with volume measurements rather than by metric weights…..

Somewhere between WGB and her book I had learned all about baking math. but was not skilled as yet at converting recipes to metrics.  The book sat on a shelf while I baked through WGB.  

While baking my way through WGB I found TFL and suddenly my baking world expanded by ten fold.  In no time at all I learned how to convert just about any formula I happened across.  I also learned how to convert from using IY to SD.  Beatrice's book was retrieved and I began trying her recipes.  (They are great.)

Things began to change after I read about Syd's Asian Style Pan de Mie about a year or so ago.  In following his formula I found out about using a roux in a loaf to soften the texture.  I began experimenting and found the texture that worked for my son and daughter but the method was still a bit drawn out for a regular loaf and flavor wasn't there yet…

Somehow I hitched the roux up with Beatrice's Honey Whole Wheat and I hit upon a loaf that my son said was his favorite….My daughter was home for Christmas break and she concurred  with him.  Husband vote was not far behind.  Texture and flavor pleasing to them all and it is a loaf the I like to bake.

OVERALL FORMULA

Flour  100%

Milk      62%

YW       10%

Salt      2.3%

Butter   5.4%

Honey   10%

Egg       10%

ND Malt   1%

IY            .2%

ROUX

Milk          18%

Butter      5.4%

Honey      1.2%

Malt             1%

Flour         13%

Leaven contains 15% prefermented flour and 10% YW.

• Build leaven using YW in the morning and feed again 4 hours later when it has ripened.
• Make roux in the morning.  Boil milk with butter and honey added.  Add flour and malt. Stir until mixed and firm.  Cover and let it cool until ready to use.
• In the evening combine flour, egg, honey, milk and leaven in mixing bowl.  Mix into a shaggy mass.  Let it rest for 1 hour for the gluten to begin to develop.
• Add remaining ingredients in stages while mixing.  
• Knead until a strong windowpane develops.
• Place dough in bowl and let it sit at room temp. for 1 hour.
• Place in refrig. for overnight bulk fermentation.
• In the morning, remove dough from the refrig and allow it to come to room temp. and to finish expanding.
• Shape into a loaf and place in pan.
• Bake at 350° for about 30-40 minutes when internal temp reaches 200°

I do steam my sandwich loaves too but some bakers do not find that necessary with loaves containing enrichments.  

So there you have it.  Three years of work in the making and I know that as soon as I post this here….something or someone will change…

…..and the challenge of trying to bake the 'perfect' loaf for all will continue to confound me….

                                                                 HAPPY BAKING