Basic Sourdough Sandwich Loaf

When I started making sourdough bread I did not know what I was in for and we definitely did not know anything about sourdough. Our very first loaf of sourdough bread is definitely remembered in our family. One day mom brought home a bowl of sourdough starter, that a friend gave her, and a very complicated looking recipe and said “we are going to learn to make sourdough bread”. Since my family has lived off of whole wheat store-bought bread, making homemade white bread sounded like a wonderful idea. The first loaf turned out to be a brick of concrete and if you threw it at the wall it would not break. It was that bad. Several months later we ended up getting sourdough lessons from a friend and still the loaves were a bit weird. I remember thinking “there has to be a better recipe out there that tastes like store bought white bread”. Sure enough there was and I just needed to create it or find it…

Pretty bad, right? The first photo, on the left, is actually the first time making this recipe and after some time of trial and error I realized that the recipe works best in a loaf pan. So I gave it a try and I made my first perfect loaf of bread that turns out almost every time. The other two loaves of bread, in the last two pictures, are what our very first loaves of bread looked like.

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Instructions:

Step One:

First mix the flour and salt together using dough spoon.

Then add water, activated sourdough starter, honey, and butter.

Step Two:

Mix together until roughly combined.

Then knead into a smooth ball, cover, and let ferment overnight.

Step Three:

Divide the dough in half and shape into a loaf shape. Place it into a greased loaf pan.

Rise it in a warm place until the dough is 1-2 inches above the rim of the pan.

Step Four:

Bake at 400° F, for 30 min.

Basic Sourdough Sandwich Loaf

This recipe is wonderful for making sandwiches and grilled cheese. It can be also made into garlic bread or just about anything.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Overnight 12 hours hrs

Total Time 12 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Servings 2 Loafs

Equipment

• 2 loaf pans glass

Ingredients

  

• 5 cups unbleached white flour
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup sourdough starter activate
• 1 1/2 cup water cold
• 3 Tbsp butter soften
• 3 Tbsp honey (optional)

Instructions

 

• Start(activate) your starter at 12:00
• At 6:00 P.M. mix together, in a large bowl, the flour and the salt with a dough spoon or a large medal spoon.
• Then add the activated sourdough starter, honey, butter, and water. Mix together with your spoon. Once it starts to come together kneed with your hands until a smooth ball forms.

  Cover, with a light cloth, place in a warm spot, and ferment over night.
• In the morning grease two loaf pans thickly with butter or lard. Divide the dough in half and fold the dough into a long log shape. Place into pans and set into a warm place to rise until 1-2 inches above pan level.

  Bake at 400° Fahrenheit. For 28-30 min.

  Once done remove from pan and place on cooling rack.

  Freeze up to 4 months, refrigerate up to a week, and keep at room temp for 4-5 days.

Notes

For a mixing bowl I use a metal one.

Placing your dough in a warm place overnight is not mandatory. I just leave mine on the counter overnight. 

I rise my dough, in the loaf pans, in a slightly heated oven but if you have your ovens too hot it will cook your dough rather than rise it.

Keyword bread, Sourdough, sourdough bread, sourdough starter

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