Full Proof Baking - Sourdough Sandwich Bread

By Kristen Dennis

This bread is soft and lightly sweet and buttery. See videos showcasing each part of the method here. You can use a mixer to knead the dough, or you can knead by hand if you’re feeling truly 1950’s. Briefly: the recipe involves building levain overnight, and then mixing your dough the following morning. Let the dough rest several hours until it becomes slightly puffed, then shape and let it final proof! Bake, cool, slice, and enjoy!

Your recipe will depend on your pan size.

Make 1X the recipe for one 13x4x4” Pullman pan.

Make 0.87X the recipe for one 9x5x5” pan.

Make 0.74X the recipe for one 8.5x4.5x4.5” pan.

Sourdough starter: Be sure to fully activate your starter ahead of time so that it isn’t carrying a lot of acid or sour tanginess. I build mine the night before at a ratio of 1:5:5 (14g active starter + 70g flour + 70g water), and let it rest all night around 75-78F ~10 hours until fully peaked. You can alternatively build your levain in the early morning (recommended 1:1:1), and wait the 4-6 hours until it peaks and begin mixing the sandwich dough early afternoon.

Water: Regular tap water is fine. Try to make sure the water isn’t super cold or super hot.

Flour: You can actually use your favorite flour mix, but I personally love a mix of King Arthur all-purpose flour and bolted wheat flour by Meadowlark Organics.

Sugar: You can use granulated sugar, brown sugar, or caster sugar - they all work interchangeably for this recipe, though I personally prefer brown sugar.

Milk Powder: I use non-fat milk powder by Carnation brand. You can omit the milk powder, or substitute ⅓ of the water called for in the recipe for skim milk.

Salt: I use Real Sea Salt (by Redmond).

Butter: I use room temperature, softened unsalted butter - and it really doesn’t matter what brand you go with. The Organic Valley Cultured butter is going to taste the best… but I tend to use Land O Lakes (it’s much less expensive and easier to find).

Weight (grams)

150g

360g

575g (375g all purpose flour + 200g bolted wheat flour)

50g

25g

12.5g

55g

Ingredients

Sourdough starter

Water

Flour

Sugar

Milk Powder (optional)

Salt

Butter

Method:

Before bed:

  1. Prepare levain by mixing 14g active starter + 70g flour + 70g water, and let it rest overnight around 75-78F ~10 hours until fully peaked.

Next day:

  1. Measure out the butter and allow to come to room temperature out on the counter (takes approximately 45 minutes).

  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine peaked levain, water, and flour.

  3. Knead with the dough hook for 5-8 minutes until thoroughly mixed. Cover and let rest in the mixer bowl about 30-45 minutes, covered. 

  4. Add to the bowl the salt, sugar, and milk powder, and knead with the dough hook another 5-8 minutes until well-mixed.

  5. A pat at a time, add the softened butter while the dough hook kneads the dough. Continue kneading a total of about 8 minutes until all the butter is incorporated.

  6. Tip the dough out of the bowl and into a clean bowl or flat Pyrex 8x8” dish. Cover and let rest 1 hour around 78F.

  7. Perform a coil fold on the dough to add strength and redistribute the heat. Cover and let rest another 3 hours around 78F.

  8. Liberally flour your countertop and tip the dough out. Lightly degas and shape as an elongated batard and transfer to your parchment-lined sandwich tin. Cover, and proof until the dough has risen just above the rim of the tin (at 78F, this takes me around 5 hours).

  9. Preheat the oven for 30 minutes to 425F.

Used with permission by Kristen Dennis. January 28th, 2021.