Reddit mentions of Wilton Performance Pans Long Aluminum Long Loaf Pan, 16 x 4-Inch

Honestly I didn't want the no-knead Artisan Boule stuff that NYT popularized (the 'lively crust' broke my mouthparts a few years back), I just wanted a solid sandwich loaf that didn't require a struggle. I started this year with the no-knead and twisted it left and right to improve it towards my goals.

I'm about a dozen iterations in, but currently my best version is:

• 2 heaping tsp salt
  
• 1/4c oil (absent in many recipes) (Largely controls how moist you perceive the bread to be, more than a few hours after baking; Bread without fat dries out quick in open air)
  
• 1/4c sugar (absent in many recipes) (You barely taste this in the bread as "sweetness", but there's moderate residual sugar left after the yeast have eaten it)
  
• 1/4tsp yeast
  
• 3c-3.5c-4c water (Try 3.5c, see how it turns out, then play it by eye, the mixture should be fairly moist but not flowing moist; Screw this "shaggy" stuff you see written)
  
• 6c bread flour (not AP flour. Sorry. Many of the ones with AP were alright, but nothing I've found yet matched the 100% bread flour. Texture from gluten development is a complex subject, but mostly seems to be a function of type of flour [bread flour has much more, cake flour much less], ratio of water to flour, time rising, and how much you screwed around with it physically)
  
  .
  
  
• Mix together in large bowl with ice cream scoop, cover with Saran Wrap
  
• 10 hours rise time, room temperature. Approx doubles in size.
  
• Mix together in bowl with ice cream scoop (the little bubbles pop here, shrinking the dough), pour into jumbo loaf pan, cover with Saran Wrap
  
• 2 hours rise time, room temperature, or whenever it's looking like it will overflow a jumbo loaf pan https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00024WNOU/
  
• Put in oven
  
• Set oven to 400; Wait ~40 minutes; Remove when thermometer inserted into center reads >190F. If you want, ten minutes in slash the top of the bread with the sharpest knife-tip you can find; I'm undecided on this one, but it's a Baker Thing.
  
  .
  
  I tried a lot of different recipes that called for way too much yeast or time or both. Protip: If it tastes too yeasty, cut down on the initial yeast, or cut down on the time spent rising. Yeast will double in maybe two hours; I ended up cutting it into tiny fractions of a teaspoon with some success (though 10 hours is a convenient rise time for me). When yeast runs out of easily available simple carbs (I think?), it will start to metabolize more complex carbs/proteins that cause interesting sour flavor compounds like alcohols to come out. Some people want more of these, some less; Sourdough has more than bland sandwich bread.
  
  This loaf is fairly large & long, and gives a reasonable number of slices. I'm interested in trying out a wider/taller pan, but haven't decided on one yet. I cut it with this beautiful bastard: https://www.amazon.com/Tojiro-Almighty-Knife-345mm-FG-3000/dp/B001TPDYGM/ which works great. A monster of a knife; Blade length minus depth of loaf scales with slicing ease for a given knife sharpness/design.