Sourdough Sandwich Bread:
This recipe is for one loaf of sourdough sandwich bread in a 13 in x 4 in loaf pan and is adapted from the Same-Day Sourdough Wonder Bread Copycat Recipe (No Tang) – That Sourdough Gal It is the most amazing and simple recipe I have found and used to create a soft, delicious sourdough sandwich bread my whole family enjoys.
Stiff Starter:
30g active sourdough starter
30g honey
60g room temperature water
120g fresh milled hard white wheat flour
-I use active, or fed starter for my stiff starter. This means that I first feed my discard and allow it to become active (usually 3-4 hours). Then, using the active starter, I create the stiff starter. Once all of the above ingredients are combined, I use my hands to knead the dough and really get it incorporated and soft. Then, I place the stiff starter in a covered bowl on my counter overnight. It should rise about 50% and be bubbly when you use it in the morning.
Tangzhong:
35g fresh milled hard white wheat flour
175g whole milk
-After mixing these ingredients in a microwavable bowl, I place the bowl in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until it reaches 150 degrees F. It usually takes me 6-7 separate 30 second intervals to get to 150 degrees F. The tangzhong will become thicker with each interval in the microwave. Once it has reached temperature and has thickened, I cover it and place it in the refrigerator for use in the morning’s main bread dough.
Main bread dough:
All of the stiff starter
All of the Tangzhong
240g room temperature water
40g honey
45g avocado oil
515g fresh milled hard white wheat flour
12g salt
This is a one day sourdough bread. Meaning, I make the main bread dough and cook the final product on the same day. The only caveat is that I make the stiff starter and tangzhong the night before (see above instructions). The stiff starter is left on the counter overnight to rise and the tangzhong is put directly into the refrigerator after it is made.
I use hard white wheat berries for this recipe. I weigh out the berries I will need prior to starting and grind the berries into flour right before I am going to use them. Because fresh milled flour still has germ and bran, it is more apt to become rancid and affect the taste of your products if it is milled and left out for extended periods. You can refrigerate or freeze fresh milled flour and use it as needed.
Making the bread dough:
-I start off by adding the freshly milled flour (515g) and room temperature water (240g) to my mixer. For about 10 seconds, I put the mixer on level 2 and just combine the flour and water. Then, I allow the flour and water mixture to autolyse for 30 minutes. Autolysing is a bread-making technique where flour and water are mixed and allowed to rest before adding other ingredients. This resting period allows the flour to fully hydrate, leading to improved gluten development and a more extensible dough
-After the 30 minute autolyse, I add all of the stiff starter and all of the tangzhong made the night before, honey, avocado oil, and salt to the already combined water/flour mixture.
-I start off by mixing all the ingredients on level 1 to get them combined. Then, I turn it up to level 2 for 15 minutes or until the dough passes the windowpane test. Some mixers will take longer and some will take less.
-Once your dough passes the windowpane test, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it and place it in a warm spot to bulk ferment. I like to put the dough in my oven on the “proof” setting. A warm microwave also works. This bulk fermentation process usually takes 3-5 hours for me.
-You’ll know your dough is ready when it has doubled in size and is bubbly. At this point, remove it from the bowl and shape it. I use a rolling pin to flatten the dough to a length and width that will fit my 13 in x 4 in loaf pan. I utilize the roll up method (think cinnamon roll) to shape my dough for cooking. Once rolled up nice and snug, I tuck the ends in and place it in the loaf pan. I then cover the dough with a tea towel, place it back in my oven using the “proof” setting and let it rise until it is about 1 inch above the rim of the pan. This takes about 3-5 hours.
-After the dough has risen to about 1 inch above the rim of the pan, it’s ready to bake. Remove the tea towel and place the pan in a 350-degree F oven for 40-45 minutes. After about 20-22 minutes, I cover the bread with aluminum foil to prevent browning.
-Remove the bread and let cool on a rack. ENJOY!
-I store my bread loaves in reusable beeswax bread bags with beeswax lining and a zipper closure. Usually, I make two loaves at a time, and they are still fresh and soft 1 week after they are baked, if they aren’t eaten before then.
-I use a NutriMill Harvest Grain Mill – Black and a Bosch Black Universal Plus with Stainless Steel Bowl mixer.
The possibilities for mills and mixers are endless, this is just what I use.
– I buy a 50lb bag of hard white wheat berries from Dave’s Farms – Dave’s Farms. The price is reasonable, the shipping is fast, and the quality is great. They are a family farm in Delta, UT that produces wheat berries that are NON-GMO, pesticide free, and Glyphosate free. I use about 50lb of hard white wheat berries every 3 months.
-I buy a 5 lb bag of soft white wheat berries on Amazon from Palouse Brand. Again, very reasonably priced, certified glyphosate residue free, 100% desiccant free, non-GMO project verified, 100% non-irradiated, Kosher, and field traced. https://www.amazon.com/stores/PalouseBrandandClearCreekFoods/page/6B199156-C553-455C-B42A-9D4FD72AE16A?is_byline_deeplink=true&deeplink=62F1BCDA-7EE5-4E4E-A0CE-7A3103C751D2&redirect_store_id=6B199156-C553-455C-B42A-9D4FD72AE16A&lp_asin=B005XDUA9K&ref_=ast_bln&store_ref=bl_ast_dp_brandLogo_sto
I use USA pans for all my baking. They are truly nonstick and just make life so much easier. This is the 13 in x 4 in pullman loaf pan I use for this recipe. https://www.amazon.com/stores/USAPan/page/D6278A43-59AD-4BF4-BB78-57B42EAC7436?is_byline_deeplink=true&deeplink=1F878F37-911C-4658-BB8F-9E1FB6F498F6&redirect_store_id=D6278A43-59AD-4BF4-BB78-57B42EAC7436&lp_asin=B07KMQT5LC&ref_=ast_bln&store_ref=bl_ast_dp_brandLogo_sto