Step 1

Place the mixing bowl on the food scale, then add filtered warm water, olive oil, honey, and the active sourdough starter. Remove the bowl from the scale, then use a bread whisk to mix it all until the honey and the starter have dissolved. Place the bowl back on the scale, zero out the scale, and add 500 grams of unbleached flour and 10 grams of salt. Remove the bowl from the scale and mix the dough with your hand to form a shaggy dough. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl as you mix the dough. Cover the bowl with saran wrap ( I use these reusable shower caps I get from Amazon). Let the dough sit in a warm place for one hour to autolyse.

Step 2

With wet hands, you will stretch and fold the sourdough. Gluten relaxes over time, so this step will help build up the gluten and give it strength and shape, resulting in a beautiful rise when baking.Place your hands under the sourdough, and with both hands, stretch it up as far as you can. Be gentle not to rip the dough, then fold it over to the middle of the bowl. Repeat this process on all sides. Once you have stretched and folded all sides of the sourdough, cover it with the lid and let it rest for 45 minutes. Do this process 3 times.

Step 3

Cover the bowl and let it bulk rise (first rise) for 3-4 hours in a warm area. (Turn on your oven to 90 degrees. If you have the “proof” setting, use that. Sourdough loves heat, and this will make it rise quicker!) The dough should have almost doubled in size and be very bubbly. The bulk fermentation time may vary from home to home; it all depends on how cold or warm you keep your home. Thou dough should almost double in size.

Step 4

Gently take out the sourdough on a clean countertop ( You can dust a little bit of flour on the countertop if the dough is too sticky). Flip the bowl over the countertop and let gravity pull the dough out on the countertop. Cover the dough with a tea towel and rest for 10 minutes. This step will ensure that your dough relaxes, then it will be easier to stretch it for the next step. Take your dough, and stretch the sourdough out on a clean countertop with your hands to create a rectangle, like you do for a cinnamon roll. You will NOT need to wet your hands for this step. If the sourdough is too sticky to work with, use your bench scraper to help.

Step 5

Begin by folding one side of the sourdough to the center, followed by the opposite side. Once the two sides are folded, it will be shaped into a long rectagle. Next, roll the rectangle up to have one small roll. Gently start shaping it by putting both hands on one side and pushing towards you so the dough forms tension; rotate the roll to the opposite side and do the same. Pinch both ends of the roll closed. Now you can add any toppings to the bread by rolling the top side of the dough in oats, seeds, or other toppings you desire.  You can add any toppings to the bread by rolling one side of the dough in oats, seeds, or other toppings you desire.

Step 6

Oil a bread pan or place a piece of parchment paper ( to easily remove it after baking) in the pan. Place the dough into the pan. ( if you rolled your bread in a topping, place that side facing up in the bread pan ) If your bread looks uneven on top, don’t worry. Once you drop it into the bread pan, use your fingers to tuck the dough down at the sides. You want a smooth top on the dough in the pan so it rises uniformly.Finally, wrap the tin in food-safe plastic bags to continue proofing in a warm area for the final proof for one hour (second rise)  or until the dough reaches the top of the pan. You can also do a slow fermentation overnight in the fridge if desired. Keep the dough covered in the fridge to prevent a thick crust from forming, which inhibits optimal rise.

Step 7

Preheat the oven to 375 and bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 205F and the top of the dough is golden brown. ( If you did a slow fermentation in the fridge, the next day bake the loaf  cold)Take the same-day sourdough sandwich bread out of the oven using oven mitts. On top of the loaf, spread butter while it is still hot. This will help to soften the top of the same-day sourdough sandwich loaf. Plus, the butter makes it taste so delicious and buttery! Take the loaf from the bread pan, place it on a cooling rack, and let it cool off before slicing.