Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Bread machine method

Traditional method

Ingredients: yields 1 loaf

115g warm milk (98˚F/37˚C)

200g warm water (98˚F/37˚C)

20g melted unsalted butter, slightly cooled

12g salt

18g maple syrup, honey, or sugar

135g peaked sourdough starter

500g bread flour

~some additional butter (salted or unsalted) for greasing the bread pan and brushing the loaf

You can do this with a bread machine (so easy) or without. See below for both methods. I prefer the bread machine, not just because of how easy it is, but it also made a better texture. The traditional method was always really crumbly and dry, but with the bread machine, it’s got a good tight structure.

Bread machine:

In a liquid measuring cup, warm milk and water in the microwave for 1 minute. Add to bread machine bowl. Using the same measuring cup, melt butter and add to bowl. Add sweetener, salt, and starter and give it a little stir. Add flour. Select the dough cycle (I have an old Oster machine, I selected the whole wheat large dough setting and it worked fine.) let the machine do its thing. Once the cycle is complete, shape the dough into a log the same size as your bread pan. Place the dough into a greased bread pan, smooth side up, seam side down. Cover with a tea towel and let it rest somewhere warm for 2-3 hours or until nearly doubled in size. See below for baking instructions.

Traditional method:

Combine warm milk, warm water, melted butter, maple syrup, and salt in a medium bowl.
Add starter and mix until water is milky in color.
Add flour. Mix until just combined, and you cannot see any dry flour. Dump out dough onto a clean surface and perform a slap and fold mixing technique for 5 minutes until well combined. You’ll know when the slap and fold is done when the dough starts to resemble a smooth ball. The dough shouldn’t be overly sticky at the end of the slap and fold.
Place back in original bowl and let rest, covered with a damp towel or lid somewhere warm, 30 minutes.
Folds: After the 30 minutes, fold using a coil fold technique. If the dough is too tense to coil fold, lift it out of the bowl and use the tuck & rotate technique, stopping when the dough is smooth. Place the seam side down, smooth side up. 
Let rest, covered, somewhere warm, 30 minutes then repeat coil folds. Let rest another 30 minutes.
Form the dough into a log the same size as your bread pan. Place the dough into the greased bread pan, smooth side up, seam side down. Let it rest somewhere warm for 2-3 hours or until nearly doubled in size (the top of the dough should be about ¾” above the rim of the pan).

BAKE
Preheat oven to 375˚F.
Once preheated, place the pan into the oven and bake for 40 minutes, turning halfway if needed. Once baked, remove from oven and let the bread rest in the pan for a few minutes to cool slightly. Remove loaf from bread pan and brush with melted butter if desired. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before slicing.

Recipe adapted from Rosehill Sourdough and Sourdough Sparrow.