How to Make a 50/50 Sandwich Bread (Much Better Than Store-bought)

Here in the UK 50/50 sandwich bread is a common sight in supermarkets. And it is quite popular among people who don’t yet know how to make bread at home. It’s made with a mix of white and whole wheat flours, and it’s supposed to give you the best of both worlds – softness from the white flour plus flavour and nutrition from wholewheat.

Calling factory mass produced bread nutritious is a bit of a stretch. Supermarket sandwich bread is boring, flimsy, flavourless, and empty when it comes to nutritional value.

In my quest to introducing as many people as possible to home baking I have tried to make the baking process as simple as it can be while achieving great results. This recipe is aimed at those who are used to store bought sandwich bread but would like to transition to home baking.

It uses the bare minimum ingredients for maximum flavour, softness, and keeping quality. There is no kneading and the whole process is very beginner friendly.

I’ve used a similar recipe in my baking schedule video. Head over there to create your baking schedule and always have fresh bread at home with little effort.

This loaf will fit in a 2lb (900g) Pullman tin. If you are using a regular 2lb loaf tin, I’d suggest decreasing the amount of all ingredients by 25%.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the scald –

100g (3.5oz) whole wheat flour

15g (0.53oz) sugar

15g (0.53oz) oil

10g (0.35oz) salt

300g (10.6oz) boiling water

For the main dough –

100g (3.5oz) milk

5g (0.17oz) instant dry yeast or 6g (0.21oz) active dry yeast or 15g (0.53oz) fresh yeast

175g (6.2oz) whole wheat flour

275g (9.7oz) white bread flour

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

Method

1. Make the scald. In a large bowl combine the whole wheat flour, salt, sugar, oil, and boiling water. Mix until smooth. Cover and leave to cool down for a couple hours.
2. Make the dough. Add the milk and yeast to the scald. Mix well. Add the whole wheat flour and mix again. Finally, add the white bread flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 27C (80F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust fermentation time accordingly.
3. Cover and ferment for 30 minutes.
4. Fold.
5. Ferment for 30 minutes.
6. Shape and place in a bread tin.
7. Final proof 45 – 60 minutes.
8. Bake at 180C (355F) fan on for 40 minutes.
9. Remove from the tin and place back into the oven to bake for 5 more minutes.
10. Leave to cool Once almost completely cooled down wrap in plastic wrap to preserve the softness of the crust.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.