This sandwich bread can be made entirely with whole wheat flour, but I like using a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flours, which produce a soft, light, and sturdy loaf, one that appeals, most importantly, to both toddlers and adults alike. // alexandracooks.com

Last weekend, halfway through our drive along the Mohawk Trail en route to a campsite in the Berkshires, we came to a roundabout, which sent us off into a village of green sweeping lawns dotted with stone steeples, brick chapels, farmers’ market signage, and students tossing frisbees. We slowed to take it all in, the utopia that is a college campus.

The following afternoon we returned to Williamstown and guided by an encouraging Yelp review, stopped into Pappa Charlie’s for lunch. We ordered as we always do when we find ourselves in these sorts of spots: anything with tuna for Ben; anything with avocado for me. In a patch of grass just outside the deli, we tucked into our four-inch thick sandwiches teeming with sprouts, dripping with mayonnaise and tomato juices. And although we have eaten this meal countless times in countless places, we relished this lunch, the soft, thick bread, the creamy avocado, the salty chips, the crunchy pickle.

I returned home with classic sandwich bread on the brain, thinking about many a summer meal ahead. This recipe comes from The King Arthur Flour Cookbook and my friend Katie who made beautiful whole wheat loaves after returning from a King Arthur baking seminar last fall.

According to the cookbook, this is the bread Walter Sands, President of Sands, Taylor and Wood Co. (distributor of King Arthur Flour) from 1941 to 1968, made faithfully once a week for years. Because of his arthritic hands, he used a bread bucket with a crank, which over the years kneaded hundreds of loaves of this classic sandwich bread. The bread can be made entirely with whole wheat flour, but I like using a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flours, which produce a soft, light, and sturdy loaf, one that appeals, most importantly, to both toddlers and adults alike.

Have a great weekend, Everyone.

bacon avo sandwich

When the dough pulls from the sides of the bowl and clings to the hook, it’s ready:
dough around hook

dough, risen
dough rising
ready for the oven
freshly baked loaves
loaf
sliced bread
ingredients
bacon
This sandwich bread can be made entirely with whole wheat flour, but I like using a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flours, which produce a soft, light, and sturdy loaf, one that appeals, most importantly, to both toddlers and adults alike. // alexandracooks.com
family lunch
avo, sprouts, bacon sandie
graham eating lunch
crusts
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This sandwich bread can be made entirely with whole wheat flour, but I like using a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flours, which produce a soft, light, and sturdy loaf, one that appeals, most importantly, to both toddlers and adults alike. // alexandracooks.com

Walter Sands’ Soft Sandwich Bread

★★★★★

4.3 from 4 reviews
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Description

Adapted from the King Arthur Flour Cookbook 

After attending a King Arthur Flour baking tour last fall, my friend Katie posted detailed notes on what she learned along with the recipe for Walter Sands’ Basic White (or Whole Wheat) Bread. She also explains how to do a “head-and-shoulders” shaping technique, which helps prevent air pockets from forming in the finished loaves.

Ingredients

  • 2.25 cups (508 g) lukewarm water
  • 2 tablespoons (26 g) sugar
  • 2 teaspoons (7 g) instant yeast or active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup (65 g) powdered buttermilk or nonfat dry milk
  • 2 tablespoons (30 g) soft butter
  • 6 cups (765 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 5 teaspoons (17 g) kosher salt

Instructions

  1. (Note: I do this in my stand mixer.) Pour the warm water into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and then the yeast.
  2. When the yeast is bubbling, add the butter, the dry milk, the salt, and the flour. Using the dough hook, knead the dough until it begins pulling away from the sides of the bowl and clings to the hook, about 8 minutes total. 
  3. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turn it over to coat all sides, and cover the bowl. Let it rise in a draft-free place until doubled, 1 to 2 hours. Deflate the dough, and divide it in half. Form into loaves and place in well-greased 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pans. Let rise until the dough domes an inch above the rim of the pans, another hour or so.
  4. After the dough has been rising for 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 350°F. When the loaves are sufficiently risen, bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until nicely browned. Remove from the oven and tip the breads out of their pans. Place on a rack to cool completely before slicing.

Bacon, Avocado, Sprouts

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place bacon on a sheetpan and cook for 15 minutes or until bacon is crispy and evenly cooked. Transfer to plate to cool. Spread mayonnaise to taste on one slice of sandwich bread. Top with sliced tomato. Top with bacon. Top with sliced avocado. Top with sprouts. Top with remaining slice of bread. Eat.

Tuna, Salmon or Smoked Trout Salad

Note: Tuna is overfished. American Tuna is one brand that is certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. If you can’t find American Tuna (or another brand of sustainably fished tuna), canned wild Salmon (also look for the MSC label) is a good option and so is canned smoked trout. Seafood Watch considers U.S. farm-raised trout to be a “Best Choice” option. I love smoked trout in this very simple salad:

Place tuna, salmon or smoked trout in a bowl. Add finely diced red onion (about 1/2 of a small onion), a spoonful or two of mayonnaise, and a spoonful of relish. Mix, taste, adjust, etc. Spread mayonnaise to taste on one slice of sandwich bread. Top with tuna salad. Top with sprouts. Top with remaining slice of bread. Eat.

Peanut Butter and Jelly

I think you’ve got this one.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes

PS: Tarragon Tuna Melt.

A few snapshots from our first camping trip of the season: Wren testing the waters:
wren in water

graham and ben
wren

Cousin Liam, Graham and Ella ready for a hike:
thumper mt trail

peak

Back home, driveway fun:
kiddos