Soft Grain Sandwich Loaf

Author: Marthinus Strydom
Category: Baking & Sweets
Serves/Qty: 1.00
Heidi Strydom

Whether you're assembling a nourishing sandwich, topping off a slice with creamy avocado, or transforming it into French toast, this bread is sure to elevate your culinary creations.

Marthinus Strydom

The Story

The origin of the recipe is not attributed to a specific country, but rather it draws inspiration from a global trend towards healthier, whole-grain breads that has been emerging over the past few decades. This type of bread is rooted in a general shift in eating habits towards whole foods and natural ingredients.

The inclusion of whole wheat flour and seeds like sunflower, poppy, sesame, and flaxseed is indicative of a health-conscious approach to baking, which is prevalent in many Western countries, particularly in North America and parts of Europe. Whole grain breads have ancient origins, but the specific combination of seeds and grains in this recipe reflects contemporary nutritional insights that value a diversified intake of fibers, vitamins, and healthy fats. Interest in healthy sandwich breads like the one described has increased as more people seek out nutritious alternatives to traditional white bread.

The incorporation of whole grains and seeds has been recognized for its potential benefits in improving digestion and providing essential nutrients. The touch of honey not only serves as a natural sweetener but also adds to the flavor complexity of the bread, making it a versatile base for a variety of toppings and uses, from avocado toast to French toast. This kind of recipe is particularly appealing to health-conscious consumers and those with an affinity for homemade, artisanal foods. It aligns with both the clean eating movement and the do-it-yourself (DIY) ethos that champions the creation of wholesome, homemade goods over commercially processed products.

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Ingredients
Adjust Quanities

For the bread
275 g milk (feel free to use unsweetened almond milk)
33 g old-fashioned rolled oats
½ tbsp (1.5 Teaspoons) honey
7.80 g instant yeast
28 g butter, melted
266 g white bread flour
103 g whole wheat flour, plus more if necessary
1 tbsp (3 Teaspoons) flaxseed meal (or almond flour)
1½ tsp salt
2 tbsp (6 Teaspoons) sunflower seeds
1 tbsp (3 Teaspoons) sesame seeds
1 tbsp (3 Teaspoons) poppyseeds
oil, for coating
For the egg wash
1 egg, beaten + 1 tablespoon milk
For the topping
2 tbsp (6 Teaspoons) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tbsp (3 Teaspoons) sunflower seeds
optional: extra poppyseeds and sesame seeds

Method

Recipe Instructions

  1. Heat milk in a small saucepan over low heat until milk is warm (about 115 degrees F or 46 degrees C). It should be warm to the touch like warm bathwater but not hot. Remove from heat and pour into a large bowl and stir in oats, yeast and honey. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
  2. Next, stir in melted butter into the bowl with the oats/yeast/honey mixture. Immediately add in bread flour, whole wheat flour, flaxseed meal and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon until a dough begins to form.
  3. Add in sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and poppyseeds and gently mix into the dough. At this point, I like to get the dough to come together with clean hands. Place dough onto a well-floured surface and knead the dough with your hands for 10 minutes. Another option is to use the dough hook on your electric mixer to knead the dough (I prefer this method because it's easier).
  4. Once done kneading, form dough into a ball and place in a large bowl coated with about 1 tablespoon oil, turning the dough over to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel and allow the dough to rise for about 90 minutes, or until doubled in size. This may take more or less time depending on the weather or temperature in your home.
  5. Next, grease a 8x4 inch (20x10 cm) loaf pan. After dough has risen, knead it just a few more times on a clean surface coated with whole wheat flour for about 1 min then shape dough into an 8-inch (20 cm) long log and place in prepared pan, tucking the ends underneath.
  6. Cover the loaf with plastic wrap and a warm towel and allow it to rise again for 60-90 minutes or until the loaf has risen an inch above the brim of the pan as demonstrated in the video. This may take more or less time depending on how warm it is in your home. Watch carefully because you don't want the dough to rise too much.
  7. Once dough has risen the second time, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Beat egg in a small bowl and brush over the top of the dough. (Please note that you won't need to use all of the egg wash, but only a small amount.) Sprinkle a few more oats, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and poppyseeds on top of the dough.
  8. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until loaf is slightly golden brown on top and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove bread from pan and place on wire rack to finish cooling for at least 2 hours. Do not cut the bread before it is completely cooled or the texture will change.
  9. Bread should be wrapped tightly and stored at room temperature. If it's humid/hot, store bread in the fridge. Cut into slices with a serrated knife. Makes 15 slices. Freezes very well.

FOR STEAM OVENS:

  • Preheat to 215 c
  • 10 min at 176 c with 80% steam, fan speed 1
  • 20 min at 176 c with 0% steam, fan speed 1

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