Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Welcome to the wonderful world of homemade sourdough sandwich bread! There’s something almost magical about the process of making sourdough. It’s not just baking; it’s an age-old tradition, a craft that has been passed down through generations. Today, I want to share with you how you can start this journey in your own kitchen.
The miracle of Sourdough
Sourdough sandwich bread is unique because it doesn’t require commercial yeast. Instead, it’s made with a ‘starter’ – a fermented mix of flour and water that contains wild yeast and good bacteria. This not only leavens the bread but also gives sourdough its characteristic tangy flavor and chewy texture.
Creating Your Sourdough Starter
Embarking on the journey of creating your own sourdough starter is a fulfilling experience, one that connects you to the very essence of traditional baking. Here’s a detailed guide to getting your starter going.
The Beginning: Mixing Flour and Water
- Initial Mix: In a clean jar, mix equal parts of flour and water. A common starting point is 1/2 cup of each. Use unbleached, all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour for best results. The water should be at room temperature.
- Covering: Cover the jar loosely with a cloth or a lid that’s not tightly sealed. This allows the mixture to breathe and capture wild yeast from the air.
- Location: Place the jar in a warm spot with a stable temperature, away from direct sunlight. Consistency in temperature is key to encouraging the growth of yeast and good bacteria.
Daily Feeding: Patience and Consistency
- Feeding Schedule: Every 24 hours, feed your starter. Remove half of the mixture (you can either use it for baking projects like pancakes or discard it), then add 1/2 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of water. Stir well to incorporate.
- Observing Changes: In the first few days, you might not notice much change. However, by days 3 or 4, your starter should start showing signs of life: small bubbles, a slight rise in the mixture, and a more pronounced aroma.
- Adjusting Consistency: Your starter should have a thick, paste-like consistency. If it’s too runny, add a bit more flour. If it’s too thick, add a bit more water. Consistency influences the activity of the yeast.
Nurturing Your Starter: Signs of Maturity
- Bubbling Activity: Around day 5 or 6, you should see more bubbling, an indication that the yeast is active and fermenting.
- Smell: The starter will develop a tangy, slightly sour smell – this is a good sign. It means the natural bacteria are creating the acidic environment necessary for sourdough baking.
- Doubling in Size: A mature starter will double in size within a few hours of feeding as the yeast produces gases. This shows it’s strong enough to leaven bread.
- The Float Test: To check if your starter is ready for baking, drop a small spoonful into a bowl of water. If it floats, it’s full of gas and ready to use.
Maintaining Your Starter
Once your starter is active, you can switch to feeding it with a ratio of 1:1:1 (starter, water, flour) for maintenance. If you bake often, keep it at room temperature, feeding it daily. If you bake less frequently, store it in the fridge and feed it once a week.
More delicious sourdough recipes
- Easy Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Recipe Step by Step Guide
- Fluffy Sourdough Pancakes: A Delicious Healthy Breakfast Treat
Ingredients for Your Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Active sourdough starter: 50g
- Flour: 500g all purpose
- Water: 270g (slightly warm)
- Salt: 9g
- Honey
The Process: Patience and Care
- Mixing: Combine the flour, honey, salt and butter in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until the butter resembles breadcrumbs.
- Adding starter: Add the sourdough starter and water. Wet your hands and fold the dough over itself several times until you have a shaggy dough. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Knead: knead your dough until it is soft and elastic. It should not stick to your hands.
- Bulk Fermentation: This is where the dough develops its flavor and texture. Leave the dough in a warm place for about 12 hours over night.
- Shaping: Once fermented, gently shape the dough and roll into a loaf. Place in a loaf buttered loaf pan.
- Final Rise: Let the dough rise for another hour or so until it’s puffy but not quite doubled in size.
- Baking: Preheat your oven to 375°F. Bake for 45-50 minutes.
After hours of patience, your bread is ready. The crust should be golden and crispy, the inside soft and airy. There’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked sourdough wafting through your home.
The Tradition of Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Making sourdough bread is a rewarding experience that connects us to a time-honored tradition. It’s about slowing down, savoring the process, and enjoying the unique taste that only sourdough can offer. So, grab your ingredients, and let’s embark on this sourdough journey together!
Sourdough Sandwich Bread
This soft and fluffy sourdough sandwich bread is the perfect recipe for beginners and seasoned bakers alike. Made with a few simple ingredients, it’s naturally leavened for a mild tangy flavor and a tender crumb. Ideal for sandwiches, toast, or as a side to your favorite meals, this homemade bread will quickly become a staple in your kitchen!
Ingredients
- 4 cups (500g) all purpose flour
- 4 tbsp (60g) butter
- 1 tbsp honey or 12 g sugar
- 2 tsp (9g) sea salt
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (270g) warm water
- 1/4 cup 50g active sourdough starter (fed and bubbly)
Instructions
Mix the dough
- In a large bowl mix the flour, butter, sugar and salt
- Mix until combined and the butter looks like breadcumbs
- add active starter and warm water to the mixture
- mix until the flour is fully adsorbed, the dough will feel sticky at this stage
- cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes
- after resting, begin to knead the dough, the dough should not stick to your hand, if it does add a dusting of flour
- Note: I make this recipe by hand but you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook to knead the doughIf kneading by hand, relax into it and focus more on texture if the dough than the amount of time spent. You want the dough to be soft and elastic.
Bulk Rise
- keep dough in the mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let it rise overnight for 12 hours or until it doubles in size
Shape Dough
- Next remove the dough onto a lightly floured surface
- flatten the dough into a rectangle and release any air bubbles`
- roll the dough into a log and tuck in the ends
- let rest for 5 minutes
- while waiting butter your loaf pan
- with floured hands pull the dough toward you to tighten its shape then place in the loaf pan
Second Rise
- cover the dough
- let rest at room temperature until it has risen little above the rim of the baking panthis can take a couple hours depending on the temperature of your home
Bake
- bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes
Notes
I recommend using a scale to weigh your ingredients instead of cups.
Why? you may ask. Weight and volume measurements are not identical; they are merely approximate! This is crucial, especially for the sourdough starter. If your starter is very bubbly, 1/4 cup might only weigh 30g, which is insufficient for this recipe (you need 50g). The dough will take a very long time to rise! The same applies to the flour—4 cups might weigh significantly more than 500g depending on how tightly packed the flour is.
I used King Arthur all-purpose flour for this recipe.
**Helpful Tips:**
If the weather is cool, the second rise might take longer than expected. To expedite the rise, use an 8.5×4 inch loaf pan (instead of a 9×5 inch pan), increase the amount of starter, and decrease the amount of water. Choose one of the following adjustments while keeping the other ingredient quantities the same:- 100g starter + 255g water- 150g starter + 250g water
Additionally, since temperature affects rise time, you can increase the surrounding temperature for the bulk or second rise as needed. Preheat your oven to 75-80°F, then turn it off immediately. Place the dough inside until it rises. Do not use this method overnight as it will be too warm, this is only for the second rise.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 168Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 100mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 5g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
