The addition of ricotta cheese to this beautiful yeast bread makes a soft and fluffy yet firm loaf that’s perfect for toast and sandwiches.
If you’re looking for the perfect bread for making sturdy sandwiches or thick slabs of toast with jam, look no further that this Soft Ricotta Sandwich Bread.
If you’ve ever used ricotta cheese in pancakes, cookies, or other baked goods, you know that it results in a wonderful soft and fluffy texture. So naturally it yields the same results with homemade bread.
Honestly, I don’t know why this never occurred to me before, but when I saw a recipe for Ricotta Loaf in The Bread Bible, I instantly knew it was a brilliant idea!
I made a few minor adaptations–after all, who am I to make changes to the “Bible”–mainly to account for the type of yeast I had handy, and the fact that I’d be using a stand mixer.
Just as I suspected, the idea of adding ricotta to yeast bread is, in fact, brilliant, and may be the best loaf of “plain white bread” I’ve ever made.
Tips for making this recipe
- Don’t add too much flour! The dough should be very soft, and even slightly tacky before the first rise.
- A temperature between 105° and 115°F is ideal for proofing dry yeast. To make sure you get the temperature just right, use a digital kitchen thermometer.
I’m not sure how a bread can be incredibly soft, but sturdy at the same time, but that’s exactly what this bread is–soft yet dense. Which makes it perfect for cutting into thick slices to smother with butter or jam.
It probably goes without saying that this bread makes pretty epic French toast, and can be loaded with plenty of your favorite sandwich fixings.
If you prefer, you can cut thinner slices, which will hold up equally well to any number of toppings and fillings. Thin slices of this bread are perfect for making things like Cucumber Tea Sandwiches.
Just be careful not to mix in too much flour. The bread should be soft to the touch, and even a tiny bit tacky, before you set it aside to rise.
If you’ve always wondered what the secret ingredient is for making a soft, fluffy, delicious loaf of bread, then you need to give this Soft Ricotta Sandwich Bread a try. Happy baking!
What should I serve with soft ricottta sandwich bread?
As the name suggests, this bread is perfect for all kinds of sandwiches–not to mention hearty slices of thick French toast. But my favorite way to eat this bread is warm from the oven, slathered in jam or butter.
Here are some of my favorite things to spread over this delightful homemade bread:
FAQS
Do I need a stand mixer to make this recipe?
No. A stand mixer is the quickest, easiest way to make this recipe, but you can definitely mix and knead the dough by hand.
What if my bread is getting too brown on top before it’s done in the middle?
If your bread is getting to brown on top before it’s done baking, simply place a sheet of aluminum foil over the bread for the remainder of the cooking time.
How should I store homemade bread?
Store bread wrapped in paper, or a linen bread bag in a cool, dry place. Never store bread in a plastic bag as this promotes moisture and encourage mold. Keep wrapped bread in a bread box, or on the counter top.
How long will homemade bread last?
Homemade bread is best eaten within 2-3 days.
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what do I need to make this recipe?
- Flour – all-purpose flour is fine in this recipe, but feel free to substitute in some bread flour if you prefer
- Sugar
- Yeast – this recipe uses active-dry yeast
- Ricotta cheese – I prefer whole milk ricotta
- Butter – I use unsalted butter
- Eggs
- Salt – I use kosher salt. If you use regular table salt you may want to decrease the amount by half
Be sure to save this Soft Ricotta Sandwich Bread recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Soft Ricotta Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup butter very soft
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Add 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast and 2 tablespoons sugar to 1/2 cup warm water and stir to combine. Let stand 5 minutes or until yeast is frothy.
- Combine 3 cups of the flour and the 1 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the 1 cup ricotta cheese, 1 egg and 1/2 cup butter and mix until just combined. With the mixer on low, gradually add the yeast mixture.
- Continue to mix on medium-low speed until the dough comes together. Add the last 1/2 cup of flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough is shaggy and just pulls away from the side of the bowl. The dough should be quite soft.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a clean towel. Allow to rise until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees 30 minutes before baking the bread. Before preheating, place a cast iron skillet or baking pan on the lowest rack (or on the floor of the oven). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan; set aside.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a loaf. Place in the prepared pan. Cover loosely and allow to rise until doubled, 40-60 minutes.
- With a sharp knife, make a 1/2 inch deep slash down the center of the loaf. Place the pan in the oven and quickly toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath and close the door.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover with foil part-way through baking, if needed, to avoid over browning.
- Remove the bread from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan to cool completely.
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Nutrition
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Who Dished It Up First: Adapted from The Bread Bible
1 comment
Colleen
This worked exactly as written, thanks!