Foolproof 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread (with hamburger bun option)

They say nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool. Feel free to challenge how foolproof this recipe is, but I can attest that it’s never failed for sandwich bread and hamburger buns*, even when I get kinda sloppy with the measuring. I've used all kinds of whole wheat flour, from store-bought "regular" whole wheat flour to freshly ground flours from both hard red and hard white wheat berries. This recipe has worked each time.

Also, if you’re intimidated by yeasted breads (like I was for so long!), think of this as just a quick recipe with several “sitting out” times. I like to mix the dough around when I wake up (which is sometimes pretty late!), forget about it while it rises, shape it after lunch, then bake it in the late afternoon or for dinner. Having a mixer with a dough hook is nice; otherwise, you have to knead it by hand. Feel free to look up a YouTube tutorial on kneading bread. It's not as hard as it sounds!

This is a pretty versatile dough that I also use for pizza dough (4 medium pizzas), cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, garlic knots, etc. I just follow the shaping and cooking instructions from whatever recipe I find online.

*Okay, there was that one time I flattened the buns in the middle immediately before baking. They kept that exact shape and looked pretty dumb. Even then, it made us laugh pretty hard, so I regret nothing. See the shaping and baking section for burger bun-specific instructions.

I N G R E D I E N T S

Makes 1 loaf of bread or ~16 burger buns

1 egg

1 1/4 cup water

3 tablespoons honey

3 cups whole wheat flour (plus some more)

2 1/2 teaspoons yeast (or one packet)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons oil (plus some more later)

I N S T R U C T I O N S

-Set the egg out so it’s not cold.

-Whisk the water and honey in a saucepan. Warm it up until the honey’s dissolved. Let it cool to around 120°F, or lukewarm*.

-While the water cools, stir the flour, yeast, and salt in a mixing bowl.

-Stir the honey-water into the flour mixture.

-Whisk the oil and egg together in a small bowl. Add this to the rest of the ingredients.

Optional: let the dough rest for about 30 minutes before kneading. This makes for an easier knead and softer bread!

-Knead on the counter or using your mixer with the dough hook attachment. It usually takes me 5-10 minutes. You’re going for a smooth, stretchy ball of dough that passes the windowpane test or poke test**. I usually add some flour if the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl.

-Put a little oil in the bowl and push the dough around so it’s a ball of dough covered in a light layer of oil. Cover the bowl with a towel and set it out at room temperature. Let rise for 1-2 hours, or until noticeably puffy.

-Shape the dough!

• For bread: Oil a bread pan, shape the dough into a log, and place it in the bread pan.

• For buns: Divide dough into 16 balls and flatten them on a cookie sheet. They should rise a bit during the next hour, and then when they bake, so don't worry if they look too flat.

-Rise 1 hour, then bake.

• Bake bread at 350°F for 30-45 minutes, until browned on top and a toothpick comes out clean. I like to insert a meat thermometer and aim for 190°F. When done, take the loaf out of the pan and let cool on a wire rack. After baking, I spread some butter on the top of the loaf for a softer crust.

• Bake burger buns at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, watching carefully that it doesn't burn.

-Try to let the bread cool completely before cutting so it can set. I understand if it's too hard to wait. :)

* If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast. If it's too cold, the dough will just take a little longer to rise.

**The windowpane test: take a piece of dough and stretch it, holding it up to the light. Does it get thin enough to see the light through it, or does it break first? Or you can poke it and see if it comes back a little.