If I could give this bread 10 stars, I would! This sourdough discard sandwich bread is truly fabulous — boasting a pillowy soft texture, impressive rise, and incredible staying power. Thanks to the addition of sourdough discard, it stays fresh for days. It’s everything you want in a homemade loaf: beautiful, delicious, and surprisingly easy to make. A pro tip for slicing this loaf — don’t slice from the top down. Turn the bread on its slide and slice — you’ll have nice even slices.
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup warm water (about 110° )
1 tablespoon granulated sugar or honey
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons dry milk powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sourdough discard (unfed, room temperature)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons butter, melted
METHOD:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the warm water, sugar, yeast, and dry milk powder. Let sit for 5–10 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy.
Add 1 cup of the flour, the sourdough discard, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the melted butter. Mix until a rough dough forms, then increase the speed and beat for 5 minutes.
Add another cup of flour and mix until fully incorporated. Remove the paddle and switch to the dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the final cup of flour. Mix until the dough starts to clean the sides of the bowl, stopping as needed to scrape down the bowl and dough hook. Once the dough wraps around the hook and pulls away from the bowl, knead on medium-low speed for 5–7 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 1½–2 hours, or until doubled in size. Note: In a warm kitchen (over 75 degrees), the rise may take a shorter time — don’t let your dough over proof. On the other hand, if you have a very cool kitchen (under 65 degrees), it may take the full 2 hours.
Grease a 9 x 5-inch Pullman loaf pan* and set aside.
Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a 9 x 18-inch rectangle, matching the width of your loaf pan. Starting from a short end, roll the dough tightly into a log and pinch the seam to seal. Place the log seam-side down into the prepared pan.
Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap or a clean towel. Let rise for about 1 hour, or until the dough rises 1 inch above the top edge of the pan.
About 45 minutes into the rise, preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the lower third of the oven.
Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190°F.
If desired, rub a pat of butter over the warm crust. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
*A pullman loaf pan is a straight sided loaf pan and generally used for sandwich breads. Here’s an example of the pan I use.
