Plant-Powered Sandwich Bread
Whether enjoyed fresh out of the oven with a dollop of vegan butter or transformed into a gourmet sandwich piled high with crisp veggies and creamy avocado, this plant-powered sandwich bread loaf is a testament to the beauty of simplicity in cooking. It's a reminder that sometimes, the most satisfying culinary experiences come from the humblest of ingredients and the simplest of techniques.
Ingredients
- 500 g bread flour or all-purpose flour (about 4 cups)
- 350 g warm water (a little less than 1 1/2 cups)
- 11 g salt (about 2 tsp)
- 3 g active dry yeast (about 1 tsp)
Instructions
- Add the flour to a stand mixer and all but 1/4 cup of the water. Mix on low speed until combined. Cover and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
- While the flour rests, mix the active yeast and the 1/4 cup reserved warm water in a small bowl until foamy. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Add the salt and yeast mix to the stand mixer. Using a bread hook, knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is elastic and a little tacky.
- Lightly grease a bowl and transfer the dough. Cover and let rise for about two hours or until doubled in size. This will depend on how warm the room is. If it's too cold, you can place it in the oven and turn the oven light on.
- If you want your bread extra fluffy you can fold the bread after rising for 30 minutes. Do this by taking wet hands and pull up on one side of the dough. Fold it over to the opposite side. Turn 90 degrees and repeat. Do this two more times until the bread has been folded. Recover and let rise the remaining 1 and 1/2 hours.
- Punch down the dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Knead dough for another 1-3 minutes. Flatten out the dough and gently roll it into a loaf shape. It doesn't need to be perfect, it will fill out the pan as it rises.
- Lightly grease a loaf pan and place the shaped dough seam side down. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let it rise a second time until the dough is about an inch over the pan or about another 1-2 hours.
- When your dough is getting close to the 1-inch mark, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Lightly spray the top of the bread dough with water if you want an extra crispy crust. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until the top of the bread is golden brown.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack. Let it cool for another 20-30 minutes before slicing.
- Slice your sandwich bread and place it in a plastic bag, aluminum foil, or covered container. Store on the counter for 2-3 days or in the fridge for 5-7 days. You can also wrap this bread in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter or fridge.