Make Ahead

Savory Cooked Rice Sandwich Bread

March 22, 2011
4.6
5 Ratings
  • Makes One Good-Sized Loaf
Author Notes

Any kind of cooked rice or whole grain can be used in this bread, though the different varieties of brown rice tend to be the most flavorful. If you don’t care for cumin or cashews, add whatever spice or herb, and whatever nut you like. Pine nuts also work well. If you don’t have barley or rye flours, whole wheat flour is a fine substitute. I hope you like this.- AntoniaJames —AntoniaJames

Test Kitchen Notes

I love homemade breads that are soft and toothsome and AntoniaJames' cooked rice bread is my new favorite. I used brown basmati rice (and took her advice to blend it with the milk), substituted whole wheat flour for the barley flour, and did not use any seeds or nuts (though I will give these a try next time, for sure). I appreciated her meticulous instructions about resting the dough and how much bread flour to add -- very helpful -- this was easy to make and tasted fantastic. My family ate most of the loaf a few minutes after it emerged from the oven (I made homemade butter for slathering) -- great recipe. - WinnieAb —WinnieAb

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Ingredients
  • 245 grams (1 cup / 236 ml) whole milk
  • 150 grams (1 cup / 236 ml) cooked brown rice or other rice
  • 7 grams (2 teaspoons /10 ml) instant yeast (also referred to as “rapid-rise”)
  • 17 grams (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon packed / 20 ml) dark brown sugar
  • 6 grams (1 teaspoon / 5 ml) kosher salt
  • 24 grams (2 tablespoons / 30 ml) olive oil + more for oiling the bowl and brushing the top of the loaf
  • 355 grams (2 3/4 cups + a heaping tablespoon / 661 ml) bread flour + up to ¼ cup additional for kneading
  • 46 grams (1/3 cup / 78 ml) barley flour
  • 13 grams (2 tablespoons / 30 ml) rye or whole wheat flour
  • 14 grams (2 tablespoons / 30 ml) toasted wheat germ
  • OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
  • A small handful of chopped toasted cashews or other nuts (optional)
  • A couple of good pinches of toasted and very lightly cracked cumin seeds (optional)
Directions
  1. Scald the milk. Let cool just until warm. Put it into the bowl of a stand mixer with the cooked rice, sugar, salt and olive oil. (If using cumin seeds or any other spice or herbs, add them now.) Stir to blend. Sprinkle on the yeast.
  2. Add the flours and wheat germ; stir to incorporate most of the dry ingredients.
  3. Put on the dough hook and run on low for about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl if necessary, until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. Let rest for at least 20 minutes.
  4. Knead with the dough hook for 12 minutes. (If using chopped cashews or other nuts, add them gradually now.) After 12 minutes, the dough may be sticky, but don’t despair. The rice and flour will continue to absorb liquid during the rise.
  5. Generously oil a good-sized bowl, shape the dough into a ball and put it in the bowl. Flip it over to ensure that the entire ball of dough is coated with oil. Cover lightly with a tea towel and let rise until doubled, which should take 60 to 90 minutes, depending largely on the ambient temperature.
  6. Gently press the dough down, shaping it into a rectangle that is as wide as your loaf pan is long. Roll it up into a loaf shape, pinch the edges to seal, and place seam-side down in a well oiled loaf pan. Brush with olive oil and let it rise until it’s about an inch above the rim of the pan. .
  7. Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. When ready to bake, slash the top and put in the oven. Check after 20 minutes and tent with foil if the crust has started to darken. Bake for a total of 40 - 45 minutes or until the internal temperature is 190- 195 degrees.
  8. When the dough has not quite doubled in size, slash the top and put it in the oven to bake.
  9. Check it after 30 minutes and tent with foil if it’s getting dark quickly. (Dough with a fair bit of milk in it tends to do that. Some people like their crust very dark, so just use your judgment here as to whether to cover the baking loaf.)
  10. Remove from the pan immediately and let cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing.
  11. I hope you like this. ;o)

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Recipe by: AntoniaJames

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10 Reviews

Sadie February 1, 2022
This is one of the best sandwich breads I've made, and I've tried dozens of recipes. The baked loaf was nicely domed, the crumb was moist, loose and soft, and it tasted great both toasted and plain. I used the metric weight measures, and other than subbing flax seeds for the nuts and using a smaller pan I followed the recipe. An 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch pan yields a well-shaped tall loaf, which I prefer. I used 145 grams of the proofed dough for a sandwich bun and shaped the remaining dough into a loaf. The dough bulk-fermented in the fridge for about 4 hours, and the final proofing in the pan was also in the fridge for about 6 hours. Excellent!
AntoniaJames February 1, 2022
Thank you, Sadie! So glad to hear that it turned out well for you. ;o)
jenncc April 22, 2020
Another wonderful bread! Thanks Antonia
Robyn C. September 7, 2015
I made this bread yesterday because I had made some leftover brown rice and needed to use some of it up. I am so so so glad that I did!! This bread is absolutely delicious. I didn't have any barley flour, so I used more rye and it still came out great. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Tanacitafolia September 16, 2012
Antonia, I was looking for a sweet to make with leftover brown rice, TruRoots sprouted brown rice, and found your recipe. I have quite a few different flours in my freezer so this recipe had another plus. I used Brazil nuts for the nuts. The bread is delicious. I haven't made bread in a while so I was concerned that I would mess it up, however it looks just like your picture. I am looking forward to trying it in sandwiches. M. James-Thibodeaux
Hilarybee September 19, 2011
AJ, I'm working on this bread today. Last night, I made the loaf as printed except without the nuts since I can't eat them. But I put in sunflower seeds instead.

It got rave reviews from my husband, who promptly ate about half the loaf on the spot.
Now I'm trying to convert it to Gluten Free. I think with the cooked rice it is almost there, so I'm going to try it with Amaranth, Teff & Buckwheat- with some potato starch and arrowroot powder to replace the gluten. I'll report back to see if I can make a go of it.
susan G. April 1, 2011
You make such wonderful breads! This reminds me of a quite different bread made by a local bakery, about 20 years ago. They called it Buddah Bread, made Macrobiotic style with cooked rice, probably unyeasted sourdough.
AntoniaJames April 5, 2011
Thank you, susan g! I appreciate the compliment. That Buddha bread sounds tasty! ;o)
thirschfeld March 23, 2011
and yet another great loaf of bread. I just made a comment on boulangere's bread that it is really great to see such wonderful loaves showing up here and of course you have several posted. I was saying I stopped making bread because we just weren't eating it but have started again. Great looking loaf.
AntoniaJames April 5, 2011
Thanks so much, Mr. Hirschfeld. ;o)