• Find Two Sample Baker's Schedules Below
• Feed Your Starter
• 1. Feed 25g of starter, 75g of warm water, and 75g of flour. Mix until the flour is completely incorporated and leave to rise. Allow your starter to rise and reach its peak. Let the bulk rise to least double in size, with bubbles on top of the dough and all throughout (the top of the starter will look like little craters) before using.
• In my 70 degree kitchen, this takes about 12 hours. If your kitchen is warmer, it will take less time. The opposite is true if your kitchen is cooler. Adjust the timing based on your kitchen environment.
• 2. Once your starter is ready, prepare to make the dough.

Make the Dough

• 3. In a large bowl, whisk together the starter, warm milk, melted butter, and honey. Then, add flours and salt to the wet ingredients and mix with a Danish dough whisk until all the flour is fully incorporated.
• 150g starter, 300g milk, 57g butter, 40g honey, 125g whole wheat flour, 375g bread flour, 9g salt
• 4. I also use a bowl scraper to clean the sides of the bowl and mix all the ingredients together. The dough will be sticky.
• 5. Cover the bowl with a cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Knead the Dough

• 6. After 30 minutes, wet your fingers to prevent the dough from sticking.
• 7. Take a piece of the wet dough, pull it upwards, and fold it towards the center. Push the heel of your hand into the dough.
• 8. Turn the bowl a quarter turn clockwise and repeat the same motion. Continue kneading the dough for about 20 seconds. It should become stiffer and smoother. Stop if the dough starts to tear.
• 9. Grease another bowl with butter and place the dough in it, seam side down.

Bulk Fermentation

• 10. Cover the bowl again and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size. In my 70°F kitchen, the first rise took 10-12 hours. Remember, bulk fermentation begins once the ingredients are mixed, not after you’ve kneaded.

Shape the Dough

• 11. Once the dough has doubled in size, remove the bowl cover and punch the dough. Do so by placing your fist in the center of the dough and pushing it downwards. Continue to punch the edges of the dough to remove all the air bubbles.
• 12. Punching the dough helps to create a tighter, more uniform crumb, which is what you want for sandwich bread.
• 13. Remove the dough onto a work surface—no flour needed. Stretch or roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 9 inches x 13 inches (it doesn’t have to be exact). Roll the dough into a log, similar to how you would with a cinnamon roll. Tuck the ends of the log under and pinch the seams together.
• If you have made sourdough sandwich bread before, you will notice that the dough feels more dense and stiff due to the whole wheat flour.

Second Rise

• 14. Using a bench scraper or your hands, gently lift the sourdough dough and place it into a greased 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan with the seam side down. Cover the dough and let it rise until it is 1 inch above the rim of the pan.
• 15. In my 70 degree kitchen, the second and final rise took 1-2 hours. It is tempting to rush this step, but don’t! If your loaf has not risen properly, it will be dense and gummy or bust while baking.

Bake

• 16. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
• 17. Place the pan in the hot oven on the middle rack and bake for 30-35 minutes. By now, the top of the loaf should be a beautifully dark, golden brown color. To prevent the top from burning, cover the top with a piece of aluminum foil and continue to bake for 20-25 more minutes for a total of 50-55 minutes.
• 18. The internal temperature of a properly baked loaf should be 201°F.
• 19. To prevent the sourdough sandwich bread crust from tearing, I like to place a cast iron skillet or baking sheet on the oven rack below the bread with a cup of ice cubes. This creates extra steam in the oven while the bread bakes, which keeps the surface of the dough soft allowing the bread to expand and rise without tearing.
• 20. Remove from the oven and place the bread pan on a wire rack. Keep the pan loaf in the tin pan for an extra 5 minutes before removing it to cool.
• 21. While the Sourdough Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread is still warm, spread butter all over the top of the bread for a super soft crust.
• 22. Cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.