Sourdough sandwich loaf

Jonathan Surratt

This is a soft sandwich loaf with extra flavor from the sourdough starter. You must have a starter prior to starting this recipe and all of the measurements are in grams. There are resources and links about sourdough starters in the notes section at the bottom of this recipe.

YIELD
1 loaf

PREP TIME
schedule 25 minutes

COOK TIME
schedule 35 minutes

TOTAL TIME
schedule 5 hours and 30 minutes

Ingredients:

325 grams bread flour
28 grams special dry milk or non-fat dry milk powder (3 tablespoons)
3 grams instant dry yeast (1 teaspoon)
25 grams granulated sugar (2 tablespoons)
9 grams salt (1 1/2 teaspoons)
57 grams softened butter (4 tablespoons)
150 grams sourdough starter, ripe
152 grams warm water

Egg wash

1 large whole egg
1 tablespoon water

Check below recipe directions
for additional notes.

Related blog post: The French Toastwich

Directions:

Recipe start: 8:00 am

Recipe end: 1:35 pm

Note: there are variables that will make time longer or shorter for baking recipes. One important factor is temperature. If your kitchen is really cold, dough will not rise as quickly. Use this as an estimated prediction of time.

8:00 amWeigh and add all of your ingredients to a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. If you are kneading with a mixer, mix on medium speed for 8 minutes. If you are kneading by hand, you will need to knead it for around 15 minutes to get a smooth dough.

Add dough to a lightly oiled bowl and place it in a warm spot in your kitchen. Allow the dough to rise for 2 hours.

10:15 amAfter two hours, place your dough on a lightly floured surface and deflate all the bubbles/gas. Shape the dough into a rough rectangle about the length of your 4x8 inch loaf pan OR a 4x9 inch pullman shaped pan.

Lightly grease your pan with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray.

Roll the dough rectangle up reasonably tightly into a rough cylinder about 8 to 9 inches long. Pinch the seam tight and roll the cylinder several times to smooth it out a little. Place the cylinder seam side down in the pan. Press it around with your fingers a little to make sure it fits properly into the corners.

Cover the pan/dough with a lightly greased piece of plastic wrap.

Allow the dough to rise in a warm spot for 1.5 to 2 hours or until the dough has risen about an inch above the top of the pan (or in the case of the 4x9 inch pullman shaped pan - one inch below the top of the pan.

11:55 amNear the end of the final rise time, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).

Add a whole egg and 1 tablespoon of water to a small bowl. Whisk to fully combine. Carefully paint the top of your loaf with egg wash. This will help the loaf get great color and shine.

12:05 pmBake bread for 28 to 30 minutes and remove from pan to a cooling rack to fully cool before slicing. The bread should be at 190 degrees F internal temperature.

12:35 pmDo not slice for at least an hour because the bread is technically still cooking.

1:35 pmSlice and sandwich.

Notes:

Here's King Arthur Baking's recipe for making a sourdough starter. You can also buy a live starter from King Arthur and I have tested this method and it works great. If you're buying it, I would suggest paying extra for shipping to get going with the starter sooner.