Anyone have hot turkey sandwiches on the menu next week? Looking for the perfect bread to serve it on? This recipe is a must try, it is a hybrid between a sourdough sandwich bread and brioche loaf, full of buttery goodness without being overwhelming. Let me warn you though, it can go fast, I often will double the recipe and slice and freeze the second loaf for quick and easy sandwich prep.
How Do I Make Sourdough Sandwich Bread?
I have a technique I use with all my enriched sourdough breads, it is basically an extended autolyse, or preferment. I came to the concept when I was struggling with getting my Ontbijtkoek sourdough bread to rise. This bread was so heavy with molasses, honey, sugar and spices, that half the time it came out of the oven a flat mess with a gummy center. Once I introduced the preferment, it was a game changer. By giving the flour, water, and starter in the recipe 4-6 hours to rise on its own, it turned into the lightest, bread with the perfect crust and open crumb. Now I use it in all my sourdough bread recipes that have added oil, butter, eggs, spices, or sugar.
To be honest initially, I was so naive, I actually thought I came up with the idea. Then I used this amazing tool called google. Turns out the concept has been around almost as long as sourdough bread. King Arthur Baking Company writes a brilliant piece on it here. It really is a great article if your new to sourdough baking; It give a short history on the topic, and clears a lot of confusion around what is a levain, preferment, and sourdough starter.
For this recipe I start with a preferment, a stiff dough of flour, water, and sourdough starter. A standard mixer with dough hook really comes in handy for this. The dough will take a bit of labored kneading, if doing it by hand. I let this dough sit for around 6 hours on the counter, or 3-4 hours on the counter, and in the fridge over night. If refrigerated, let it come to room temperature for about 1-2 hours before mixing the additional ingredients. I know what your thinking, really? One more step to sourdough baking? But honestly it really doesn’t feel like that much more work, because in the end it takes less time for the dough to rise.
Do You Have a Sourdough Starter?
Like all the recipes featured on Bubbling Starter, this bread is made with a sourdough starter. To learn how to make your own; check out Beginners Guide to Creating a Bubbling Starter.
How to Make Super Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread
12
servings40
minutesIngredients
Preferment
425 g bread flour
150 g sourdough starter
225 g water
Remaining Ingredients
3 egg yolks (you can always save the whites for an omelette or meringue)
40 g sugar
10 g salt
115 g butter (room temperature)
2-3 tbsp. bread flour (enough to bring the dough together)
1 egg yolk and a tablespoon milk mixed together for brushing loaf, prior to baking
Directions
- Mix the pre-ferment. Combine flour, water, and sourdough starter, in a standard mixer, with the dough hook attachment for around 5 minutes on medium low. If you don’t have a standard mixer you can also combine by hand, it will be a little work, and require some kneading by hand, this is a stiff dough. Transfer to oiled glass bowl and allow to rise for 4-6 hours, or until doubled in volume.
- Combine sugar, salt, and egg yolks. Transfer dough back into mixing bowl. Attach dough hook, and mix on medium low for 5 minutes.
- Add butter in slices and mix for another 5 minutes. If dough is quite wet at this point add a tablespoon at a time of bread flour. Add slowly and do not exceed 3-4 tablespoons.
- Oil glass bowl, and transfer dough to rise for another 2-4 hours, or in the fridge overnight.
- Butter bread tin generously. Flour work surface, and stretch dough out into a large rectangle. Begin rolling the dough into a log, tucking the ends underneath.
- Transfer seem side down to buttered bread tin. Allow to rise again until bread just reaches the top of the tin.
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Brush top of loaf with milk and egg yolk mixture. Place bread in oven and immediately drop to 375 degrees F. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Check with thermometer for doneness, it should be 205-210 degrees F. in the center of the loaf.
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