Classic White Sandwich Bread
Classic White Sandwich Bread
With several posts on Baker’s percentages over the past several days, I decided to make two loaves of Classic White Sandwich Bread.
One was baked in an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2", standard loaf pan, and one was baked in a 9 x 5 (9.25 x 5.25 x 2.75), 2-pound loaf pan.
Both use the following recipe:
100% AP flour, 31% milk, 37% water, 16% melted butter, 7% sugar, 2% salt, and 2.5% instant yeast.
Questions that I had to answer:
  1. What is the hydration?
Hydration comes from the liquid, so 31% milk + 37% water = 68% hydration
  1. What ‘Total Dough weight’ do I use in these two pans?
  • In the 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" standard loaf pan I use 750 grams total dough
  • In the 9 x 5 (9.25 x 5.25 x 2.75), 2-pound loaf pan,I  use 1,000 grams total dough.
  1. What is the sum of ALL of the ingredient Baker’s percentages?
100% AP flour + 31% milk + 37% water + 16% melted butter + 7% sugar + 2% salt + 2.5% instant yeast = 195.5% or 195.5 / 100 = 1.96 (rounded off)
  1. What is the ‘Total flour weight’ that I need for each size pan?
  • Total flour wt. = (Total Dough wt) / (Sum of ALL Baker’s %’s)
  • For the 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" pan: 750 / 1.96 = 383 grams ‘Total flour’
  • For the 9.25 x 5.25 x 2.75 pan: 1,000 / 1.96 = 510 grams ‘Total flour’
  1. What is the recipe in grams for each size pan?
Given that (Total flour wt.) x (Ingredient Baker’s %) = Ingredient wt.
  • For the 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" pan:
  1. 100% AP flour = 1 x 383 = 383 grams
  2. 31% milk = 0.31 x 383 = 119 grams
  3. 37% water = 0.37 x 383 = 142 grams
  4. 16% melted butter = 0.16 x 383 = 61 grams
  5. 7% sugar = 0.07 x 383 = 27 grams
  6. 2% salt = 0.02 x 383 = 8 grams
  7. 2.5% instant yeast = 0.025 x 383 = 10 grams
  8. Total Weight = 750 grams (rounded off)
  9. Hydration = (119 g milk + 142 g water) / 383 g flour = 68%
  • For the 9.25 x 5.25 x 2.75 pan: 
  1. 100% AP flour = 1 x 510 = 510 grams
  2. 31% milk = 0.31 x 510 = 158 grams
  3. 37% water = 0.37 x 510 = 189 grams
  4. 16% melted butter = 0.16 x 510 = 82 grams
  5. 7% sugar = 0.07 x 510 = 36 grams
  6. 2% salt = 0.02 x 510 = 10 grams
  7. 2.5% instant yeast = 0.025 x 510 = 13 grams
  8. Total Weight = 1,000 grams (rounded off)
  9. Hydration = (158 g milk + 189 g water) / 510 g flour = 68%
The method is the same for both:
  1. Mix and knead everything together in a stand mixer for 8 to 10 minutes at medium-low speed
  2. Proof until doubled in size, about 1 hour
  3. Shape the dough into a log to fit the length of the pan
  4. Place the log in a lightly greased loaf pan, allow the bread to rise for about 60 minutes, until it's domed about 1" above the edge of the pan
  5. Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes at 350°F. For a largerloaf, it will take 5-10 minutes longer. Check the internal temperature. Aim for 200°F.
If using the following size pans, I use these ‘Total Dough weights.’
  • 7.5 x 3.5 x 2.5 inch, 1-pound pan, use a ‘Total dough weight’ of 500 grams.
  • 9 x 4 x 4 inch, small Pullman without a cover, use a ‘Total dough weight’ of 1,000 grams. This pan is considered a 2-pound pan, as are the classic 9 x 5 pan and the 1.5 L Zyliss pan.
  • 12 x 4.5 x 3.125 inch, 2.5-pound pan, use a ‘Total dough weight’ of 1,250 grams.
  • 13 x 4 x 4 inch, large Pullman without a cover, a 3-pound pan, use a ‘Total dough weight’ of 1,500 grams.
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13 comments
Timothy McQuaid
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Classic White Sandwich Bread
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