Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

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The past couple months I've been making all my own bread again.  I go in spurts with this, usually in the wintertime, and I finally have a system down that has worked out really well.  I love this whole wheat bread, but it can be a little dense for sandwiches, so I went on the hunt for a lighter bread.  I found this recipe on King Arthur Flour and I've been really happy with it.  Every 1.5-2 weeks I make 2 loaves of this bread and 3 loaves of the other whole wheat bread, which I use for toast or snacks or whatever (my 3 yr old loves it!).

 I slice all five loaves up after they cool and stick them in bags and pop them in the freezer.

I find the homemade bread doesn't stay fresh all that long, so if I pre-slice and keep it in the freezer I can just take it out as I need it.

I also save the bread crumbs for use in other recipes.  It tends to leave a lot of crumbs when I slice it up, so I don't want them to be wasted!

Anyway, so that's my little routine.  This bread is nice and fluffy with a great flavor.  I love that it's still 100% whole wheat, but isn't too dense for a sandwich.  Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Makes two 9"x5" loaves

3 c. lukewarm water
1/4 c. butter or vegetable oil
3 tsp. salt
1/4 c. honey
1 c. nonfat dry milk
8-10 c. whole wheat flour
4 tsp. instant yeast

Combine all ingredients, starting just with 7 cups of flour.  Knead in mixer, adding more flour as needed, to form a smooth, fairly stiff (but not dry) dough.  Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise 60 to 90 minutes, until doubled.

Lightly grease two 9x5 loaf pans.  Divide the dough in two pieces and gently shape each piece into a smooth log.  Place it in the pan, smooth side up, cover the pan, and allow to rise about 30-45 minutes, or until it crowns about 1 inch over the top of the pan.  Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, or 350 if using a dark pan.

Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes.  Remove it from the oven, turn the bread out of the pans, and allow to cool completely on a rack before slicing.

Source: Adapted from King Arthur Flour