Trust me when I tell you, you will want to make a double batch of this bread right away. This is my kids favorite. As soon as they smell it baking they ask for bread and butter. The best part you can make it and eat it the same day. The bread is supper soft and does not require a lot of hassle. If you are just starting to experiment with sourdough this is great bread to start with. Once you bake it you won’t be buying store bread anymore.
People often get intimidated when they hear the word sourdough. I often tell everyone, it is so much easier than you think, Don’t overthink it. When I first started working with sourdough I had my share of failed attempts. I watched so many videos, tried to figure out what am I doing wrong. I thought to my self this shouldn’t be that difficult. That is when I decided to make my own recipes. My goal was to simplify the process and make it more enjoyable but also have a very tasty bread.
I came up with this recipe one day when we ran out of bread and I knew I was making soup for dinner. I already had an active sourdough starter. So I decided to try making sandwich bread and see how it will turn out if I bake it the same day (7 hours later). I used a mixer to stretch out the gluten In the dough and make it easier on my hands. Did few stretches, then placed the bread in a bread mold to rise. Once it got the risen height I wanted, I baked it with some steam in the oven. The bread was a hit. Ever since this has been one of the sourdough loafs I make regularly for our family.
You may think that any bread with the title sourdough will be sour. Not all sourdough bread is sour. Sourdough is a replacement for yeast. Sourdough relies on a mix of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria, rather than bakers yeast to leaven the dough. Its richer in nutrients, less likely to spike your blood sugar, contains lower amount of gluten and its generally easier to digest than other breads made with bakers yeast.
Sourdough Benefits for Your Health.
- Improved Digestion – Sourdough is prepared using a unique fermentation process involving wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. These yeast and bacteria vital in boosting digestive health. The fermentation breaks down gluten and reduces phytic, making breads easier to digest.
- Rich in Probiotics – Probiotics in sourdough primarily include lactic acid bacteria, such as Lactobacillus and Leuconostoc species. These beneficial bacteria are crucial for gut health as they help maintain a balanced gut microbiota. A deficiency in probiotics can disrupt the gut microbiota balance, leading to digestive issues like bloating, constipation and diarrhea. It can also impair immune functions.
- Boosts Immune System- The cuisine is packed with essential nutrients such as B vitamins, iron, zinc and magnesium, Which are vital for maintaining a healthy immune response. Likewise the probiotics from the fermentation process, particularly lactic acid bacteria, is closely linked to improved immune function.
- Better Blood Sugar control- The fermentation process slows down carbohydrate digestion, resulting in graduate release of glucose into bloodstream. This prevents from rapid spikes and crashes associated with high- Gl foods.
- Heart Health – Levain Bread positively affects cardiovascular health by offering several protective mechanisms. Its lower glycemic index helps regulate blood sugar levels. reducing risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Similarly, fermentation process increases the availability of nutrients like B vitamins and antioxidants, beneficial for heart health.
“Sourdough bread is a gift that keeps on giving – Share a loaf and watch the love spread.”
Ingredients you will need:
- Bread Flour ( I recommend Bobs Mill)
- Filtered Water
- Butter
- Sugar
- Salt
- Active Sourdough Starter.
Equipment and other items you will need:
- Stand Mixer ( you can knead by hand, but will take longer.)
- Bread Pan
- Scale
Steps how to make Sandwich bread.
- Using a scale measure portions for Flour, water, Active Starter, sugar and salt.
- In a standing mixer mix ingredients with a dough hook, after few minutes drop in butter, one table spoon at a time.
- Mix dough for 10 minutes, Turn your mixer off and leave your dough to rest for 10 more minutes. No need to remove it from the mixer.
- After ten minutes, turn your mixer on again and mix for additional five more minutes.
- After time is up. Cover your dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes you will stretch your dough from all sides and form into a ball, placing it back in the bowl and covering it. You will need to repeat this three more times every thirty minutes.
- Once you completed all three stretches. Stretch the dough onto your counter as much as your dough whiling to stretch. the fold in from each side to the center. Working your side roll the dough into a tube , to the size of your bread pan.
- Butter your bread pan and lightly dust it with flour.
- Place your rolled tube dough inside the butter pan, leaving the smooth side up.
- cover your pan with plastic wrap and set in the warmest area of your house to rise.
- this next step will depend on how warm your house is and how strong your starter is.
- Let the bread rise until it reaches the top of your pan and slightly peaks over the pan. This can take anywhere from 4-7 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On the lowest rack place a small pan filled with water, about 1 inch of water.
- Remove the plastic wrap from your dough, do this lightly not to deflate the dough. Brush the top with melted butter.
- Bake your bread on a rack above the rack that contains the tray with water. This will create steam and help the bread get nice even rise.
- Bake bread for 10 min with water tray and than remove the water tray and bake for additional 20 min.
- after removing bread from the oven, remove it from the baking pan. Brush the top of the bread with more butter and let it cool completely.
- This bread will stay soft for days and perfect for any sandwich or to eat as is.
Same Day Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Food Scale
Ingredients
- 500 grams Bread Flour I recommend Bobs Mill brand
- 100 grams Active Sourdough Starter
- 260 grams Water Filtered only. Do not use well water, sink water nor refrigerator water. This can effect results.
- 10 grams Salt
- 20 grams Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Butter Softened + more butter for brushing the bread
Instructions
- Using a food scale measure 500 grams Bread Flour and 100 grams Active Sourdough Starter
- Pour in 260 grams Water
- Now add 10 grams Salt and 20 grams Sugar
- Using a Stand mixer, mix all ingredients until combined for about one to two minutes.
- While the mixer is mixing add 2 Tbsp Butter , adding one table spoon at a time to make sure it incorporated well into the dough. Mix with dough hook for 10 minutes.
- After ten minutes turn the mixer off and let the dough rest for ten minutes. After it was rested, turn the mixer back on and mix for additional five more minutes.
- Remove the dough from the mixer, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough sit on counter for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, you will remove plastic wrap and using your hands stretch the dough from all sided, forming it into a ball and placing it back into a bowl. Covering and letting it rest.
- Repeat the stretch and fold process three more times every 30 minutes.
- After the third stretch. Stretch the dough on to your counter as much as it can stretch. Fold from right side to the center and left side to the center. Than roll it into a tube to the size of your bread pan.
- Butter each side of your bread pan and dust it lightly with flour.
- Place the dough into the bread pan, cover with plastic wrap and set it in warm area of your home to rise. Depending on the temperature of your area it can take anywhere from 4-7 hours . The dough should be slightly peaking out of your bread pan.
- Pre heat your oven to 350. Please a baking tray on the lowest rack filling it 1 inch with water.
- Remove the plastic wrap from your bread and brush the top of it with melted butter.
- Bake the bread on the rack above the tray rack for 10 minutes, than carefully remove the tray with water and bake for additional 20 minutes.
- Once your bread is baked, remove it from the baking bread pan , brush the top of it with butter again and set aside to cool.
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