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Easy Sour Dough Sandwich Bread

Here’s my easy sour dough sandwich bread recipe. You won’t even be forced to read a dissertation to get it. You’re welcome.

Easy Sour Dough Sandwich Bread

Tools needed:

Ingredients:

  • 100-110 grams of starter
  • 11 grams of salt
  • 425 grams of water
  • 512 grams of flour

Steps:

  • Combine starter, salt, and water using the spatula
  • Add flour to the mixture, and stir with a spatula or your hands.
  • Once the dough is mixed, cover it and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  • Pull and fold the dough by pulling the dough from one corner and folding it over the center, turn and repeat until you are back at your starting point. Repeat this process 2-3x more times. Then cover and let rest 30 minutes. Repeat this cycle 3 more times. This helps build gluten and improve the bread’s elasticity
The dough before the folds
After the 1st fold
After the 3rd fold
After the 4th fold
The folding process
  • After the last set of stretches and folds, place the dough in the clear cylinder. Measure on the side where the dough comes up. Depending on the time of day, you can place the dough in the refrigerator to rest overnight or leave on the counter until it doubles. If you’re resting the dough in the fridge, take it out the next morning and let the dough prove until it’s doubled. I use measuring tape to confirm when my dough doubles. This can take anywhere from 4-18 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
  • As soon as the dough has doubled empty onto a lightly floured surface and divide into two even pieces. I use the kitchen scale here.
  • On the lightly floured surface, shape each piece into a rectangle by folding the top corners like a business envelope and using the pastry scraper to pull the bottom up into the middle. Transfer to prepared loaf pan and shape into a loaf. Rub or drizzle the top of each loaf with olive oil.
  • Set the loaf pans on a baking sheet and slip the baking sheet into a baking bag to keep the loaves from drying out. At this point, you can put it in the refrigerator overnight or you can let the loaves prove on the counter until they hit the top of the pan. (I only use the baking sheet to help easily transport the loaves between the garage fridge and the kitchen. You won’t bake on the sheet.). The second proof can take anywhere from 4-6 hours depending on where you live.
  • Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place the loaves pans on the top rack and back for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, turn down the oven to 375 and back for another 20-25 minutes. You want to bake until the bread is golden brown and has an internal temperature of 206-210

  • Let cool on a wire rack for an hour before serving

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into February and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading  The Eagle and The Hart by Helen Castor.
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

The most important invention in your lifetime is…

There are so many incredible inventions that have happened during my lifetime. I would say the internet is probably the biggest. It’s changed the world completely for better and for worse.

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First World Problems

In today’s edition of First World Problems, I present to you my Roomba I3+ EVO and Braava wet jet combo. I upgraded my Roomba after Lord Vader died an unceremonious death after driving through a large puddle the Piggie had left on the floor. This combo represented a big upgrade from my original duo: the Roomba 960 vacuum and the Braava jet 200 mop. Well, at least it was supposed to be an upgrade.

Lord Vader was not a self-emptying Roomba, but he was reliable. You put him on the charger, he charged and at the appointed time he vacuumed. With my new combo Pinky and The Brain, it’s not so simple—neither of the new combo charges with any reliability. I have to double-check that they’re on the charger properly and charging. Sometimes Pinky goes to the dock and its brushes keep spinning making a mess of the docking station.

Perhaps they should ponder cleaning my floors

Now poor Brain can’t seem to find its way off the docking station. Recently, whenever I’ve gone to start the Brain, it says it’s stuck on a cliff and can’t move. If only Pinky was a little more fearless, he would overcome that cliff. This defeats the purpose of having a vacuum and mop that can run daily simultaneously. I could go on and on about this subject, but I won’t bore you with my First World Problems.

The most important invention in your lifetime is…

Oh boy, this is not an easy one. There have been so many things invented in my life that it is hard to nail down. I think I’d have to go with the internet. For better or worse, it has put information at our fingertips and let us become connected to people around the globe.