The Best Fresh Milled Sandwich Bread

This fresh milled sandwich bread is the only bread you need for morning toast and sandwiches. It’s soft, slightly sweet, and sturdy enough for peanut butter and jam — but my favorite way to eat it is warm from the oven with way too much butter and honey. If you’re milling your own flour, this will quickly become your go-to recipe.

Ingredients You'll Need for making Fresh Milled Sandwich Bread:

• Water
• Active Dry Yeast (also called Traditional yeast)
• Honey
• Buttermilk (can use regular milk with a tablespoon of vinegar)
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Sunflower Lecithin (can omit this ingredient for a denser loaf)
• Hard White Wheat Berries (can substitute Hard Red Wheat)

Tips For Making This Recipe:

• Temperature is surprisingly important! Start with room temperature ingredients. If you're in a hurry, you can warm the milk on the stove or microwave just to take the chill off. You don't want hot milk! Room temperature ingredients will mix better. For the water - the ideal temperature to proof yeast is around 110 degrees farenheit.
• Letting the dough rest for 20-30 minutes before kneading allows the flour to hydrate. Because it's fresh milled and includes the bran and the germ, it's typically "thirstier" than store bought flour. Which means if you let it sit to hydrate, you'll have a fluffier loaf. If you're running low on time, you can skip this and your bread will taste great but in my opinion, this step makes it a little bit better!

How to Make Fresh Milled Sandwich Bread:

Prepare The Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine:

• Room temperature buttermilk
• ¼ cup honey
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Sunflower lecithin

In a separate clear bowl or measuring cup, whisk together:

• Warm water (about 110°F / 43°C)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Active dry yeast

Let the yeast mixture sit for 5 minutes, until foamy. Using a clear container helps you see that the yeast has properly proofed.

While the yeast is proofing, mill about 5 cups of wheat berries on the finest setting. Fresh milled flour gives this sandwich bread its flavor, nutrition, and soft texture.

Add 2 cups of freshly milled flour to the milk mixture in the stand mixer. Mix with the paddle attachment for 30 seconds.

Pour in the proofed yeast mixture and add 1 more cup of flour. Mix again for 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl if needed.

With the mixer on the “stir” setting, continue adding flour ½ cup at a time every 15 seconds. The dough does not need to fully incorporate between additions—light flour streaks are fine.

Stop adding flour when the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. This will usually be around 6 to 6½ cups total. Avoid adding more flour unless the dough is very sticky. When lightly touched, the dough should feel soft and slightly tacky but should not cling to your finger.

If possible, let the dough rest for 20–30 minutes before kneading. Fresh milled flour is thirstier than store-bought flour, and this rest period allows the dough to fully hydrate, resulting in better texture.

Knead the Dough

Switch to the dough hook and knead for 6 minutes.

Lightly oil a bowl and shape the dough into a ball. Place it in the bowl, cover, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Shape the Loaves

Grease two loaf pans.

Turn the dough out onto a clean countertop and divide it evenly in half.

Working with one portion at a time:

• Gently pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick.
• Roll it tightly from the long side into a loaf shape.
• Pinch the seam and ends closed.

Place each loaf seam-side down into the prepared pans. Cover and let rise for about 35 minutes, or until puffy.

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Bake the Loaves

Bake for 35 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 200°F.

Remove the loaves from the oven and let them rest in the pans for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.

Slice and enjoy your fresh milled sandwich bread with your favorite toppings

Sandwich Bread with Fresh Milled Hard White Wheat

5 from 1 vote

The recipe for your go-to soft and fluffy sandwich bread

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Resting Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Servings: 2 Loaves

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 ½ cup Buttermilk (or plain milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar)
• ¼ cup Honey
• ¼ cup Olive Oil
• ½ tablespoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon Sunflower Lecithin (optional)
• 1 cup Warm Water (approximately 110°F)
• 1 tablespoon Honey
• 1 tablespoon Yeast (active dry or traditional)
• 6-6 ½ cups Fresh Milled Hard White Flour about 5 cups of wheat berries. Can substitute Hard Red for a different flavor)

Equipment

• 1 Stand Mixer
• 2 Loaf Pans

Method

 

Prepare the Dough

1. In a stand mixer bowl, combine buttermilk, honey, olive oil, salt, and sunflower lecithin.
   1 ½ cup Buttermilk, ¼ cup Honey, ¼ cup Olive Oil, ½ tbsp Salt, 1 tbsp Sunflower Lecithin
2. In a clear bowl, whisk warm water (110°F), 1 tablespoon honey, and yeast. Let sit 5 minutes until foamy.
   1 cup Warm Water, 1 tbsp Honey, 1 tbsp Yeast
3. Mill about 5 cups of flour on the finest setting.
   6-6 ½ cups Fresh Milled Hard White Flour
4. Add 2 cups flour to the milk mixture and mix with the paddle for 30 seconds.
5. Add the yeast mixture and 1 more cup flour. Mix 30 seconds. Scrape bowl if necessary.
6. With mixer on low, add flour ½ cup every 10 seconds or so until the dough pulls away from the bowl (about 6–6½ cups total). The dough should be soft and slightly tacky but not sticky.
7. Rest dough 20–30 minutes (optional but recommended).

Knead & First Rise

1. Switch to the dough hook and knead 6 minutes.
2. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with a warm cloth, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Shape the Dough

1. Grease two loaf pans.
2. Divide dough in half. Pat each into a rectangle and roll tightly from the long side. Pinch seams closed.
3. Place seam-side down in pans. Let rise 35 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Bake

1. Bake 35 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 200°F.
2. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.