Honey Wheat Sandwich Bread

Fawn

My favorite recipe for sandwich bread. Adapted from an old bread machine recipe.

Course Breads/Pastries

4 eggs (in a large liquid measuring cup covered with warm water until it reaches 4 cups)
¾ cup honey
½ cup olive oil
2 tbsp salt
8 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for kneading)
4 cups whole wheat flour (white whole wheat has a mild flavor and works well)
2 tbsp instant yeast

1 egg (in a liquid measuring cup covered with warm water until it reaches 1 cup)
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil
1½ tsp salt
2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for kneading)
1 cup whole wheat flour (white whole wheat has a mild flavor and works well)
1½ tsp instant yeast

Mix all ingredients (in largest bowl you have if making 4 loaves) and knead on floured surface for 10 minutes.
Cover and let rise in greased bowl for 1 to 2 hours until doubled in size.
Move to floured surface. Punch down. Divide into 4 portions with a serrated knife (if making 4 loaves), otherwise move to the next step.
Roll out your dough with a rolling pin to make a rectangle. (Approx. 10 x 12 inch, doesn't have to be perfect.) If making 4, roll each portion one at a time.
Roll the dough up tightly by hand (like you would for cinnamon rolls) starting on the shorter end to form a loaf.
Seal the seam with your fingers by pressing the dough together. Tuck the ends, again sealing them by pressing the dough together.
Place in greased loaf pan seam side down. (You will have four to grease if making 4 loaves.)
Cover and allow to rise again for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes or until they have reached the desired level of browning. I bake 2 loaves at a time.
Remove from pans when still hot (I put mine on cooling racks) and allow to cool COMPLETELY before cutting. As hard as this may be, the bread tends to fall apart and the texture is a little off if it’s not totally cooled down. Trust me.

Use as much or as little whole wheat flour as you like for this.
Rise time may significantly increase the more whole wheat flour you use. Also, the texture may come out slightly denser.
I would highly recommend using white whole wheat flour for the pleasant mild flavor.
Wrap fresh bread in plastic wrap once it is completely cooled to help keep it fresh.
If making 4 loaves, store 3 in the freezer. Fresh bread is best used in the first couple days of baking.
Tip: Slice all 4 loaves (after they've cooled) and freeze them. This way you can take out whatever you need to use for the day in the morning (or night before) and you won't have to worry about them getting stale. If you do this, be sure to wrap them in plastic wrap so they don't dry out.
If you end up with stale bread, use it for bread crumbs, croutons, or french toast.