Sourdough Sandwich Bread

We’re making carbs great again with one new sourdough loaf at a time.  Next in line is this sourdough sandwich bread, which is ahhhh-maze-ing!!!  Like legit the best sandwich bread, or breakfast bread/toast you’ll ever have.  Approved by the kids, no chemicals or additives, and for my vegan friends, this is guaranteed to be your favorite too!  No kneading needed!  And so soft and fluffy, it will melt in your mouth.  SERIOUSLY!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup (65 grams) sourdough starter, bubbly and active (fed within 12-24 hours)
• 1 1/3 cups (300 grams) warm water, filtered (95-100 degrees F)
• 1/4 cup (56 grams) organic granulated sugar
• 3 1/2 – 4 cups (500 grams) bread flour (I recommend weighing your flour for best results)
• 1 1/2 TBS (20 grams) extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp (9 grams) sea salt

Directions:

1. Add the starter to a large bowl. Mix in warm water and sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add bread flour, oil, and salt. Stir with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until a thick, shaggy dough forms.
2. Flour your hands, and finish mixing dough by hand until most of the flour has been absorbed. Don’t worry if there is flour on the sides or bottom of the bowl. Cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 to 45 minutes.
3. Coax the dough from the bowl and stretch and fold the dough by stretching 4 inches then pushing it down the middle and turning 1/4 until you make a circle. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise at room temperature overnight (at least 8-10 hours) until double in size. Do not refrigerate dough.
4. In the morning, lightly flour your counter top. Remove the dough from the bowl, gently stretching it into a rectangle, then your fingers to dimple the rough to release the air from the dough. Roll up dough into a log shape. Cover and let the dough rest 10 minutes.
5. Spray bread pan with cooking spray. Tighten the dough log by gently pulling it towards you along the counter top for 5-8″. Place it in your loaf pan, seam side down. Cover and let rise for 1-2 hours, until dough has doubled in size. Press the corner edge of the dough in 1/2″ and if the indentation remains, it’s ready to bake.
6. Preheat your oven to 375º. Bake in the center of the oven for 40 minutes. The top of the loaf should be golden in color. After 10 minutes, tilt the pan to remove the bread to cool on a cooling rack. Wait at least 1 hour before cutting (to prevent the loaf from deflating).