December 2, 2011 - 12:04pm
Syd's White Sandwich Bread
White sandwich bread may not be as exciting as many but it sure is delicious. Especially following Syd's poolish formula. I have made this several times but never felt I had the proper pan for it. Fortunately my husband came through for my birthday. I completely stopped buying bread and bagels from the supermarket after I started baking two years ago, with the exception of sandwich bread - industrial varieties of which can be quite good. That may have to stop. This bread is bursting with flavor unknown even to Pepperidge Farm. Syd's instructions are clear and simple. Thank you Syd (wherever you are.)
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Hi Varda,
I haven't bought industrial white sandwich bread for decades!
I have made it with students many times. The only ones that shine are those made with a pre-ferment. As you have noted, the flavour is so good. And, if you get the pre-ferment just right, then the volume in the finished bread can be outstanding too...just as high as with improvers.
Yours looks lovely
Best wishes
Andy
Andy, What you are saying makes sense. Some brands of mass produced breads available in the supermarket are extremely fresh with high quality ingredients. The problem is what else they use to produce volume and shelf life, and what they give up in flavor from rapid bake schedules. Thanks so much for your comments. -Varda
we love a good old fashioned loaf of bread to slice for sandwiches..especially Mike's P&J snack. I'll have it on my soon to do bake list.
Your slice has a lovely crumb and color. What a thoughtful husband, lovely looking tall panned loaves. I don't have anything like that, what about a pic or brand?
The last store bought loaf..used to my favorite whole meal..well not anymore, it actually went into the garbage molded. We go without bread sometimes, till I can bake.
Nothing beats making your own, even a standard sandwich loaf. I've noticed some of the fancy french bakeries around here, pastries have lost flavo...I think maybe the enconomy has caused them to use infurior ingredients. There is the exception of one place.. but even a few years ago a pumpkin pie was $22. I didn't bring pies to TGiving dinner this year..instead fancy french bakery ones were purchase..dinner was last minute planned, we had planned on being out of town. I couldn't eat the pies..looked gorgeous but no flavor and terrible textured crust, they've either changed there ingredients or my taste buds have gotten very picky..probably a combination of both I think.
Sylvia
Hi Sylvia. The bread pan is USA PAN from King Arthur - I have two identical ones, and a lid for one of them. Here is the link: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/9-x-4-x-4-loaf-pan. They are really nice. As yet, I have no idea what to do with the lid, but I hope to figure it out. I have definitely gotten snobbier about what I'll eat. Some of it is a matter of skill. For years I couldn't for the life of me make a decent biscuit. So I would buy the quick bake ones which were better than what I could do. This year for Thanksgiving I made biscuits and people were fighting to get there hands on them. They were gone within a few minutes of sitting down. I still can't make matzo balls and buy ready made. Unfortunately my grandmother (whose matzo balls were lighter than feathers) is long gone and can't show me. I agree with you about pie - I can't remember the last time I bought one. Bakery pies seem to be beautiful but not worth eating. I need sandwich breads for my sons lunches, and I'm not sure I can depend on myself to keep a steady supply since I bake as the spirit moves me. But he was sure happy to see this loaf when he get home. As much as he loves my crusty bread, he often longs for something a bit less toothsome. Thanks for your comments. -Varda
Hi Varda,
I have the same pan a 'US pan' but I got mine off of Amazon....a bit less pricey. They are a dream to use as the bread simply drops out of the pan when done and there is really no clean up needed. They are also wonderful in that they are very sturdy metal - a good hefty weight....but not too heavy! In my opinion of them they are an excellent product due to their quality.
The lid is to make it a 'real' sandwich loaf - square all around. You can see how it looks on Ananda's most recent blog. His photo also shows off the 4-piecing of the dough which helps with texture and height as well. (He has a video here somewhere demonstrating how it is done. I think his pan is longer though as in my 9x4x4 I use 3 pieces only...)
Your loaf looks wonderful and the crumb very soft - shreddably soft as txfarmer would put it! Fun to have a good sandwich loaf recipe...adds to the variety of what comes out of the oven :-)
Thanks for the post and the photo!
Janet
what I'm wondering is how you keep from explosions. This bread was around the right size for the pan - with a lid it wouldn't have had room. I made 20% more than Syd's formula to make sure that I would go over the top since I think he was using a smaller pan. It seems you would have to have the quantity exactly right. I agree that it is nice to add sandwich breads to the type of breads I make. My family is extremely enthusiastic about this, which is not true for all the breads I make. This morning my husband cracked that all he was going to eat today was sandwich bread. I guess I should have made more. But I love the idea of trying to make the three in one variety, and I'll take a look at Andy's video. Thanks so much for your comments. -Varda
Varda,
This is where the math comes in handy....To get the right amount of dough without an explosion you have to adjust your recipe so that it won't rise too high. Txfarmer always lists flour amounts in the sandwich loaves she makes so you might like to check out her blog for her sourdough shreddably soft sandwich loaves.
Three of our favorites are her bulgar sandwich loaf, her oatmeal loaf and her 30% rye loaf.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/22831/sd-100-ww-sandwich-loaf-bulgur-cracked-wheat-my-sourdough-starter-declare-defeat
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/21575/sourdough-100-whole-wheat-oatmeal-sandwich-bread-whole-grain-breads-can-be-soft-too
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/24906/30-rye-sourdough-sandwich-loaf-yes-even-rye-breads-can-be-fluffy-and-soft
I love baking all of these loaves - a snap to do, but I make them as she pictures them with the rounded (mountain) tops rather than the flat tops....I prefer how they look.
My daughter prefers the sandwich type of breads so txfarmer's blogs were extremely helpful to me since I use freshly ground whole grains and I much prefer using wild yeast as opposed to IY...these loaves do not taste 'sour' at all. I do 3 leaven builds as opposed to her suggested 1 simply because I can - I am home during the day - she is at work thus schedules around her working hours. I prefer the 3 builds as it creates a more mild sour dough with my whole grains that tend to really go to town due to all the extra 'goodies' in them.
I did ask her for the formula for getting the flour amount accurate for the pullman pan I use as it falls between the 2 she lists...but now I simply can't find where I stored it....sorry. You might message her and ask her for the figures but I know she just moved so may be swamped adjusting to all of the new changes and the holidays at once....
If you can't figure out a formula then you can always fall back on the good old 'hit and miss' method :-) and actually that shouldn't be too hard because from your photo it looks like your loaf rose only about an inch or two above the top of the pan....which suggests a minor adjustment to the flour amount and then using that amount to figure out how to adjust all the rest of the ingredients as well - and that formula I do have - a simple 'f =_' formula....or you can add up all the %s and use that figure too...both ways will get you there. (Looks complicate but it isn't once you have the flour wt.)
Another bread adventure for you - expansion into new territories - always fun :-)
Have Fun,
Janet
Janet, I'll take a look at txfarmer's stuff. Thanks for the recommendation. I suspect you are right that if I were to just say decrease what I used in this loaf by 10% I'd probably be good. I have a good spreadsheet, so it's pretty straightforward for me to scale the formula any which way. I didn't realize that you used fresh ground flour. I guess you are just too busy to post with all you do, but I for one would like to see more of it. I had been using starter only for ages, but the last few breads I made have gone back to instant yeast with a preferment. I like it actually. It's good to have a variety of tricks up your sleeve. -Varda
Hi Varda/Janet,
To clarify, my sandwich loaf tin is a Pullman Pan made by Chicago Metallic, bought in England, but made in the US, obviously. It is the bigger size, so 33cm in length. Janet is right; the quality is first class!
The four-piece method is used in industry by plant bakers. If you imagine that each of those pieces is moulded the conventional way [ie folded to rectangle, then rolled up tightly towards you], but then each piece goes sideways into the tin, so it is turned through 90*.
This changes the direction of the gas bubbles which have been squashed in the final moulding process. The way the light reflects on the finished crumb has a real visual impact in terms of our appreciation of the qualities of the bread. Four-piecing produces bread of a much brighter and whiter appearance, considered essential by many who hold sway in the plant baking industry.
The link to the video is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqoYjyf4bOk
and on my blog, it is here:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/23225/three-flavoured-breads-and-few-fruit-scones
For those who haven't seen the photo Janet mentions, it is here:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/26204/gilchesters%E2%80%99-micheboules-doubleleavened-dough-made-sandwich-loaf-and-boule
Best wishes
Andy
Andy, Thanks so much for the links. I'll take a look. -Varda
Andy,
Thanks for consolidating these links...makes it a whole lot easier to have everything in ONE place....my life is already scattered enough :-0
Take Care,
Janet
And the crumb looks delicious. I can just imagine the scent! I'd love to open my lunchbag and enjoy the perfume of that bread!
I like the rectangular shape-the "shoulders" that develop on shorter pans always pose a falling apart problem-either in cutting or in packing. I have been looking at that particular pan for a while and may need to buy it for myself for Christmas.
I have been uncomfortable about the shape of the loaves I make in my low, wide (and cheap) supermarket pans. It just isn't right. Yes, definitely this is perfect for Christmas. Re Janet (see above) better deals are available than from King Arthur. Thanks for your remarks. -Varda
Hi Varda,
Great white hi-top and I love the pic with the sun coming in from the left illuminating the crumb. Glowing.
All the best, Phil
or something like that. Thanks so much for your comments. -Varda
...and so is the arrangement of greenery :^)
I love the shape of the loaf too, from using the straight sided loaf pan.
(I'd like to get ahold of one of those pans, for sandwich bread and also for nice, tall-rising quick breads).
My husband likes good sandwich bread - yours looks like just the ticket - maybe I'll get busy here and surprise him with one - thanks for the inspiration!
:^) from breadsong
I think, based on the reaction, that I can recommend this for husbands. It's just the thing. Thanks so much for noticing the arrangement. I made it with greens and seed pods from around the yard, and gave it to a friend shortly after I put it together, so I was happy to have caught a picture of it first. Hope you are doing well. -Varda
Classic loaf, Varda! Having recently begun attempting panned loaves again I appreciate how tricky it can be to make a really great one. This is the loaf my daughter dreams I will make someday. I imagine her gasping with delight and then fainting dead-away if I ever do!
Marcus
Hi Marcus, I really don't think you would have any trouble with this, based on the beautiful loaves you produce. It's funny that our kids, etc. just love this kind of bread, and we're all busy making more complicated and difficult stuff. Thanks so much for your comments. -Varda
Excellent looking loaf Varda. You got a really nice volume, an open crumb and the shaping and baking look perfect. I have never had this recipe fail on me and I make it quite often, because it is one of my daughter's favourites. She calls it 鳳梨酥 Feng Li Su http://www.google.com.tw/search?q=鳳梨酥&hl=en&client=safari&tbo=d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=MJbpTv_dJ-_CmQX5xayIBg&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=768&bih=928 (a Chinese shortbread with a pineapple filling) which she says it resembles!
Best wishes,
Syd
Syd, Your daughter is very discerning. My husband and son love also this bread. Do you think it would work as the basis for a cinnamon bread or is that just all wrong? Thanks so much for your comments. -Varda
Lovely, tall, cute sandwich white loaf, Varda! The crumb picture shows a very flavorful bread! I wish i had a pan that is has an even base all the way to the top. Mine is narrow at the base.
And thanks Syd, for the inspiration!
the sandwich loaves that you make and considered getting the type of pan you have. Thanks so much for your comments. -Varda