As you may or may not know, I love me some rustic/artisan sourdough; it makes great toast, goes well with most foods, smells great. BUT, there is one place where it falls a bit short; when I put jelly or butter or mayo or something like that it tends to fall through the holes into my lap or on my shirt. Got me to thinking there must be a way...........
After a few months I've finally achieved the ultimate sourdough sandwich bread (at least in my and my grandson's mind). It is 100% sourdough (none of that store-bought yeast in this bread), has only five ingredients, and while it does proof over night, overall it takes very little of my time.
Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread
INGREDIENTS
After a few months I've finally achieved the ultimate sourdough sandwich bread (at least in my and my grandson's mind). It is 100% sourdough (none of that store-bought yeast in this bread), has only five ingredients, and while it does proof over night, overall it takes very little of my time.
Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread
INGREDIENTS
- 500 g (4 cups) all purpose flour
- 60 g (4 tbsp.) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
- 12 g (1 tbsp.) sugar
- 9 g fine sea salt
- 50 g (1/4 cup) bubbly, active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 270 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) warm water
- In a stand mixer, add the flour, butter, sugar and salt. Mix until the butter looks like crumbs.
- Add the sourdough starter and water; mix again to combine. The dough will feel slightly sticky and elastic at this stage. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and rest for 30 minutes- the gluten needs to relax.
- Switch to the dough hook, and run the machine on medium low to knead the dough. This should take about 6-8 minutes or so. The dough should feel soft and supple, and not stick to your hands. Add a little flour or water to get the bread to the right consistency.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rise overnight at room temperature (68 F) for 10-12 hrs. The dough is ready when it has doubled in size.
- The following morning, coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan with softened butter.
- Remove the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently flatten the surface to release some of the air bubbles. Sandwich bread should not have any large holes.
- Starting at the bottom, roll the dough into a log tucking the ends underneath. Transfer to the loaf pan.
- Now the dough needs to rise again.
- The dough is ready when the center rises to about 1-inch or more above the rim. It should look nice and puffy, and no longer dense. This takes several hours in my kitchen.
- Preheat your oven to 375 F.
- Place the dough on the center rack and bake for 45-50 minutes.
- Just let it cool for at least an hour before your dive in.
