HBinFive: Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread, Apple Strudel Bread, and Hamburger Buns

I am really enjoying participating in the Healthy Bread in Five baking group. I love bread and being able to make my own and still have it be healthy is a great thing. The differences in store bought and homemade are even more noticeable than when I was just using my bread machine. The crust is soft and slightly chewy...in a good way! And my apartment smells amazing while the bread is baking! That is a big, big plus!

On our schedule this time was the soft whole wheat sandwich bread on Pgs 92-93, Hamburger or Hotdog Buns on Pgs 94-95, and Apple Strudel Bread on Pgs 277-278. After the success I had with the master recipe, I was eager to try the soft whole wheat bread. As before, this was pretty easy and quick to prepare. Unlike last time though, I did make the dough ahead of time and allowed it to rest in the fridge for 24 hours before baking.

The first thing I made was the regular sandwich loaf. As I said last time, I love a good sandwich and am always looking for a good sandwich bread. The whole wheat master recipe made a really good sandwich but this soft whole wheat was even better. It wasn't so intensely whole wheat. It stood up better to my favorite quick work lunch sandwich...the PB&J wonderfully. Plus this bread was sweeter than the master recipe. But it wasn't too sweet. Perfect for the PB&J.

The next one I made was the Apple Strudel bread. I love apple strudel so it was a no brainer that this was getting made! For the filling I used some wonderful Jonagold apples and dried cranberries in place of the raisins.

I think I rolled it a little to big because there was about a 2 inch border around the filling. After I rolled it up, I just tucked the extra under the rest and it was just fine.

I used turbinado sugar as the topping. I am in love with this sugar! It has been going in just about everything.

The smell of the sandwich loaf baking was amazing but this was just out of this world. Even Charlie was making trips into the kitchen to get a good whiff every now and then!

When I pulled it out of the oven, I noticed a slight crack on the edge where the filling had spilled out a little. It wasn't too bad but I let the bread cool slightly in the pan before I took it out. When I came back to check the bread later after I had taken it out to cool the rest of the way, it had sunk in the middle a bit. I was worried then that I had taken it out of the oven too soon. However, when I cut into it I was happy to find that it had cooked all the way through.

oh my goodness. Delicious doesn't even being to describe this. The filling was tender and juicy. The bread was soft and perfectly cooked. I love that this was made with whole wheat. You could taste it but it didn't take away from the dessert feel of the bread.  It just made you feel not so bad when you cut a big slice!  And it also puts it into acceptable breakfast food (at least in my head!).

Next up was the hamburger buns.  I almost didn't get these made but I had just enough dough leftover from the sandwich loaf and the apple strudel bread to make 4 buns.  The rest time after shaping was shorter than the loaf and apple strudel bread so I was able to make these in time for dinner (though I didn't let them cool as long as I probably should!).

They looked more like big rolls than hamburger buns but when you think about it, a bun is essentially just a big roll anyway.  My only issue with the buns was that my sesame seeds fell off when I sliced the buns.  That was probably more my fault than anything.  I used melted butter instead of the egg wash.

I used some of my homemade barbecue sauce I made with my Memaw recently and mixed it with some shredded chicken to make a barbecue chicken sandwich.  The sweet tanginess of the sauce paired wonderfully with the slight sweetness of the bun.  The buns made excellent 'sauce soppers'.  They sucked up the delicious sauce but didn't get soggy.

I definitely will be making all the breads again.  The sandwich loaf was just perfect for my sandwich eating and the apple strudel bread was just amazing.  And the hamburger buns were light years above store bought.  I keep saying it but I may not buy ready made again!

Check out the blogroll here to see a member list for HBinFive and for more delicious bread.  If you would like more information on HBinFive, visit our founder Michelle at Big Black Dog.  You can purchase the book here.  And you should definitely buy it!  I've loved every recipe that I've made so far.  But don't just take my word for it.  Try some for yourself!