Sandwich Bread

This is why I call it sandwich bread... sandwich is organic greens, radish sprouts, tomato slices, hummus, horseradish sauce, and mustard. Paired with Potato Broccoli Soup.

Making your own bread is one of those things that seems obnoxiously hip. I mean, what’s the point? It’s just bread! However, since I started making my own bread about a year ago, I can’t bring myself to buy it from the store anymore. It is cheap, easy, and most importantly far tastier than the kind you buy at the store. Plus, as it is preservative free and fresh from your kitchen, you know that it includes only wholesome ingredients and no suspect chemicals.

Ingredients:
-2 C All-Purpose Flour
-2 C Whole Wheat (or White Whole Wheat) Flour
-1 ½ tsp salt
-2 ¼ tsp yeast
-1 ¾ C hot water
-2 tbs olive oil

No, that's not Rice Vinegar... it's olive oil. Jill and I buy it in mega-sized bottles and then fill an old smaller bottle because it's way easier to handle.

To make:

1. Mix/whisk all dry ingredients (minus the yeast) in a bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer. Make a kind of shallow well in the middle. 

2. Put the yeast in a pile in the bottom of the well. Add water. Add oil.

3. Mix well with a fork, or with the bread hook of your standing mixer on low speed, if you are fortunate enough to have one of these amazing appliances.

4. Knead a dozen times or so, or mix on low to med speed in standing mixer for 2-3 min. If it at any point it just becomes a spinning ball on the bread hook, stop the mixer and knock the ball off and start again.

5. Remove ball from mixer bowl and coat with a small amount of oil.

6. Line a bread pan with parchment paper. Press dough into the pan. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise 1 hour.

7. Pre-heat oven to 375 F. Brush bread with almond milk. Sprinkle the milk-covered bread top with the seeds of your choice. (Generally I use chia seeds, flax seeds, or some combination thereof)

Flax seeds: tastier, better for you,
and cheaper than sesame seeds!

8. Let bread rise another 15-20 min while oven is heating. Bake for 30 min or until done. Remove from pan and place on wire rack to cool at least 10 min before eating (I know, I know, 10 min is too long to wait. Just wait long enough so that you won't burn your hands, at least!)

9. Store or serve. (I would tell you how long it keeps for, but I don't think Jill and I have been ever able to hold onto it any longer than a week)