Sourdough Sandwich Bread

I usually only write about recipes that I have changed a little, or that needed some tweaking in the procedures category, but this is the exception. The recipe is great as is, it’s from King Arthur Baking (artist formerly known as King Arthur Flour), and it’s one I will definitely be making again and again.

The bread comes out light and fluffy but is definitely worthy to hold whatever it is you fancy in a sandwich, and it has the slight tang from the starter. It uses a bit of active dry yeast as well so not as nerve wracking as other sourdough recipes can be sometimes, but do make sure to use your starter when it’s at its peak.

Recipe from King Arthur Baking

Adapted by Tierney Larson (just put it in my own words that’s it!)

Ingredients:

Levain:

1 cup + 1 tbl (128g) All Purpose Flour (I use King Arthur)

1/2 cup + 1 tbl (128g) cool water 60-70F

3 tbl (44g) ripe (fed) sourdough starter

Dough:

1 1/2 cups (340g) of water 70-80F

all of the ripe levain

5 1/4 cups (631g) Bread Flour (you can also use All Purpose-the dough will be a little stickier)

6 tbl (42g) Nonfat dry milk or bakers special dry milk

1/4 cup (50g) Sugar

2 1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp instant yeast

4 tbl (57g) unsalted butter, at room temp

Make the Levain the night before: In a medium-large sized bowl, break up the ripe starter into the water and mix until combined. Add the flour and mix until combined, cover and let sit at room temperature to double in size for 12 hours. It will look all bubbly the next morning.

Make the Dough: In a medium bowl, mix together the water and levain, breaking it apart to combine it into the water and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients and add the butter breaking it up into the mixture a little bit. Then pour in the levain and water mixture and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until a smooth and supple dough has formed, this takes me 8-10 minutes. Shape into a ball and place into a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let the dough proof at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.

Grease 2- 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 bread pans. Gently degas the dough and divide it into two equal sized pieces. Form each into a log by gently flattening out to a rectangle shape, then tucking in the upper corners and then folding the dough over the tucked corners (or in thirds). Repeat this until the dough is in a log shape then press the dough on the seam to seal. Place the logs into the greased bread pans, cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and let proof for another 1-2 hours or until the dough has risen about 1 inch over the rim of the pan. After about 1 hour or proofing preheat your oven to 375F.

Bake the loaves for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread is 190F or above. It should look golden on top and feel firm around the sides. Release from the pans onto a rack to cool completely before digging in!!