Sourdough Sandwich Bread

FEED YOUR STARTER

1. Feed 60g of active starter with 60g flour and 60g lukewarm water. The starter is ready to use when it has doubled in size, bubbly and floating in water (float test).

PREPARE THE BREAD DOUGH

1. Measure your active starter into a mixing bowl. Add water and mix well. Stir in ⅔ of the flour, salt and sugar if using. Cover the bowl and rest for 30 minutes.
2. Add the remaining flour, using your hands to incorporate the flour. You aren’t kneading the dough, just making sure the ingredients are combined.. If the dough is really dry add water, a few drops at a time.
3. Grease the bowl with a little olive oil and turn the dough over so that it is oiled on all sides. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
4. Rub a little olive oil on your hands and do a series of “stretch and folds”. Grab the underside of the dough and fold over the top. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until you have completed four sets of stretching and folding. The dough should be smooth and elastic by now.

FIRST RISE

1. Transfer the dough to a greased pyrex dish, cover and leave overnight (8-10 hours) at room temperature or in the fridge for 10-12 hours if the weather is really warm. The dough should have doubled and filled your container.
2. Tip the dough onto your worktop. Gently stretch it to a rectangular shape. Fold the dough into three sections, like a letter (letter fold).
3. Roll the dough into a rough oval shape, using an oiled bench scraper to help you if needed. Transfer the dough into a greased 8.5×4 inch loaf pan (I used this Pullman Loaf Pan without the lid).

SECOND RISE

1. Cover the loaf pan with a damp towel or plastic wrap and leave it to rise once more. The dough will come to about an inch from the top of the pan. This can take 5-6 hours, depending on the ambient temperature.

BAKE YOUR SOURDOUGH LOAF

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F. Brush the loaf with the egg wash and sprinkle with the sesame seeds, if using. Score the loaf and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
2. Reduce the oven temperature to 190°C / 375°F and continue to bake for a further 30 minutes.
3. Tip the bread onto a cooling rack and allow it to cool down for at least an hour before slicing.