Fresh Milled Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Best with: White Sonora Wheat and Turkey Red Wheat
Fresh milled heritage grains make an incredible sandwich loaf, and this version blends White Sonora and Turkey Red for wonderful flavor, softness, and wholesome texture. One of the most important steps in this recipe is to autolyse, which gives the fresh milled whole grain flour time to fully absorb the liquid and helps create a softer, lighter loaf. This recipe has been adapted but was originally based on Robin on the Farm’s “Fresh Milled Flour Soft Fluffy Sandwich Bread Recipe Honey Wheat” recipe. Be sure to watch the video to learn why autolyzing matters so much in whole grain baking and how it can improve your bread every time.
Ingredients
240 g warm water
50 g oil
85 g honey
1 egg
225 g White Sonora flour (freshly milled)
225 g Turkey Red flour (freshly milled)
9 g salt
Optional, if needed for dough balance:
1-3 Tbsp extra water, added gradually
Method
Mill your grains finely. Combine 225 g White Sonora flour and 225 g Turkey Red flour.
Add the warm water, oil, honey, egg, both flours, and salt to the bread machine pan in that order. Do not add the yeast yet.
Run the dough cycle for about 5 minutes, just until everything is well mixed. The dough should look slightly wet at this stage.
Turn off the machine and let the dough rest for 45-60 minutes. Closer to 60 minutes is especially helpful with fresh milled flour. This autolyse helps the bran hydrate and improves softness.
After the rest, add the instant yeast and start a fresh dough cycle.
Check the dough a few minutes into mixing. You want a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides but may still lightly touch the bottom. Because Turkey Red absorbs more water, you may need 1 to 3 Tbsp of additional water. Add only 1 Tbsp at a time. Try not to add much extra flour unless the dough is truly sticky.
Let the dough cycle finish, about 1.5 to 2 hours depending on your machine.
Remove the dough, gently punch it down, and shape into a loaf.
Place it in a well-oiled loaf pan. Let it rise while the oven preheats, until the dough crowns a bit over the sides of the pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes, or at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes for a darker crust.
Remove from the pan immediately, brush or slather with butter, cover with a tea towel, and let cool before slicing.
Notes
You could also substitute the Turkey Red Wheat for Amber Eden™ Wheat
Discover how the right home mill can help you enjoy fresher, more flavorful flour at home by checking out our blog post to find the best one to buy for your kitchen.
