SANDRA'S SOUR DOUGH BREAD -- with wheat and herb options

A wonderful texture and tremendous flavor
you're bound to fall in love with...

Yield: 1 loaf

Bake: 35 Minutes

INGREDIENTS:

Sponge:

1/4 cup pre-fed sour dough starter (stir beforehand)

1 cup AP (All-Purpose) Flour

1 cup warm water

Mix together all the sponge ingredients in a large glass measure, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit a minimum of 12 hours before making sour dough bread.

Sponge you'll prepare 12 hours
prior to making sour dough bread
and will leave at room temperature

Replenish Starter (replenish, cover and let sit out for 12 hrs, then return to frig):

1 cup warm water

1 cup AP flour

Using a wooden spoon and a glass measuring cup, mix together replenish starter ingredients and pour into jar with sour dough starter. Cover and let stand at room temperature 12 hours before refrigerating.

Don't forget to replenish your
starter after removing
a portion for your sponge
~~~~
Sandra's Sour Dough Starter
recipe

Dough:

2-1/4 teaspoons regular yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1 tablespoon agave

2-1/3 cups AP flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or the same AP)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

--Herb Options: 2 tsp (more/less, to taste) finely chopped fresh rosemary 

   or 1 tsp dried (or any other herb you desire)

2 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing loaf halfway through baking, including when finished baking

METHOD

For the dough, in a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook, dissolve yeast and 1/2 cup warm water, add agave, stir with a spoon and allow to proof for 5-10 minutes.

Stir in sponge, add AP flour (and whole wheat flour, if using), salt (and herb option(s), if using). Turn mixer on #2 to combine, increase speed to #3 and continue mixing until dough comes away from sides of bowl to form ball (adding additional water 1 TB at a time if needed, depending upon surrounding humidity environment). Continue to knead on #3 for 8 minutes.

Place dough on oiled plastic wrap. Clean mixing bowl, then lightly spray with canola oil, place dough ball back into mixing bowl and turn over to coat in oil all around. Cover with plastic wrap. Nest bowl on kitchen towels, both underneath and around it.  Let dough rise until doubled for 1-1/2 hours.

Turn dough out onto a lightly oiled surface; knead into a rectangle shape of your loaf pan. Let rest 5 minutes, then place in a sprayed, dark loaf pan, reshaping loaf a bit if need be. Cover with a clean cloth, and allow to rise until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.

Meanwhile, allow oven to preheat to 375 degrees at end of dough rising time. Set aside an instant read thermometer.

Bake for 15 minutes, removed par-baked loaf and brush with melted butter, then return to oven and continue baking 20 minutes longer, or until internal temperature reads 192 degrees. (Note: If using a light or glass loaf pan, cooking times will vary in that it'll take longer to bake and won't brown as nicely.)

Brush loaf final time with melted butter while loaf is hot and still in pan, slide a knife around edges to loosen, then remove loaf from pan to a rack on its side. Cover loaf completely with clean kitchen towels and let cool for a minimum of 2 hours before storing in a plastic bag.

Store at room temperature for 2 days, then refrigerate to store longer. ~ Enjoy!

A loaf of
Sour Dough-Rosemary Bread
I started last night (i.e., the sponge)
and finished the actual bread-baking portion this morning