White Sandwich Bread. Vegan Recipe

Another few days of digging through the drafts and editing pictures.. It seems like my props and camera will be unpacked after everything else:).

We hardly ever eat any White bread. Hubbs and me both like hearty whole grain breads. The closest we come to one is a sourdough. I had not posted a vegan White bread recipe yet, so decided to add one. The bread can be used as a base recipe and changed up to include other flours or cracked grains or seeds. 

This Sandwich bread is easy, soft and delicious. It doesn't contain any eggs or milk powder or preservatives or dough conditioners(derived from bird feathers) etc like the usual White Breads found in stores. The almond milk and oil are enough to add the moist softness to the bread. 
The key to a nicely formed dome and airy crumb is kneading. If you can, knead the dough for 8-10 minutes. The bread will bake great without that much kneading too, but the kneading helps with good gluten formation which helps hold the bread with all that air in it. 

The bread keeps well on the counter for a few days. For longer life, refrigerate it in a zip-lock/air tight container for upto 7 days. You can eat it as is, toast it, make sandwiches, use it wherever you want, savory or sweet.





Makes amazing Grilled Sandwiches. like this Buffalo Millet Sandwich. Millet cooked in Buffalo sauce, peppers and creamy ranch, grilled up between 2 slices. 

You can also make burger buns with the dough. Make 6-8 balls of the dough. Shape, spray water on top, let rise for 20-30 minutes, then bake for 25-30 minutes. Perfect for any grilled up burgers to serve this summer. 

For more Loafs see the Bread collection here.



Did I mention that as kids we used to love to eat the crumb and leave out the crust.(nope, bread wasnt available at homeeveryday. We would get one loaf a week.). To get us to finish our bread, mom made up a theory that all the good nutrients of the bread are actually in the crust, just like an apple . ;)

It is getting warm finally in Seattle and that means some amazing fruits showing up in the market. Fresh and room temperature fruits are something I miss the most from back home. India being a tropical country has an abundant supply of local fruits all year round. And not just a few, there are several families of fruits that are available. Snacking between meals would be grabbing a couple of fruits. Things come full circle dont they. Eating more fresh fruits and veggies again now, after all the meaty and processed snack diet we had settled into after moving to the US. 

In other news.
Elephants continue to be exploited on the streets of India where they are forced to beg on the streets, in temples and perform in marriages or circuses. Bijlee, the elephant, who hasd been worked for 50 years, who collapsed on the road recently, was left to die on the street. Even with efforts from rescue orgs, she passed away and her plight is now drawing national and international attention to the unfortunate lives of abuse, limited unhealthy food, no rest days of begging elephants in India. I hope, this movement keeps going just like the movement that was ignited by the beating video of Anne, the circus elephant, that led to a ban of the use of wild animals in circuses in the UK. 
You can read more about elephants use in India here. and sign the petition here.

Steps:

Proof the yeast. Add dry ingredients and knead into a soft non sticky dough.



Spray water on top and let rise in a warm place until doubled. 



Punch down and shape in to a loaf. Spray water on top, cover lightly with a towel and let rise until doubled.



Bake in pre-heated 370 degrees F for 35 minutes or until the top sounds hollow.






White Sandwich Bread
Allergen Information: Free of Dairy, egg, corn, soy. can be made nut-free with coconut/soy/hemp milk.
Makes 1 bread pan. I used 8.5 by 4.5 inch

Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water
1 Tablespoon raw sugar or 2 Tablespoons maple/agave
1 Tablespoon active yeast
1/2 cup warm almond milk
2 Tablespoons oil

3 cups organic bread flour/ or all purpose flour or unbleached white flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:
In a bowl, proof the yeast by mixing warm water, sugar and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes or until frothy.
In another bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix well.
Add the yeast mixture, oil and warm almond milk and knead for 8 minutes into a soft smooth non sticky dough.
Use more water or flour if needed. I added another Tablespoon water. It will depend on the consistency of the non dairy milk and if you used sugar or maple syrup.
Spray water on top. 
Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise for 1.5 hours or until doubled.
Take the dough out, punch it down and shape into a loaf, by rolling into a jelly roll or pulling on all sides.
Place in a greased or parchment lined bread pan. Spray water on top and then spray oil or dust with flour.
Cover lightly with a towel and let rise until doubled. 30-40 minutes. 
Bake in pre-heated 370 degrees F for 35-40 minutes.
Remove the bread from pan. Cool completely before slicing. 

Notes: I use a bowl which can accommodate upto 3 times the size of the dough, so the dough never touches the towel covering the bowl. If it rises and touches it, it can stick to the towel.
Spray oil on top or dust enough flour to keep from sticking.



This bread is being shared at Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.