Perfect Light Wheat Bread #3 [sourdough]

Name: Perfect Light Wheat Bread #3 [sourdough]
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 18 h
Total time: 18 h 40 min
Yield: 2 loaves, 20 serving(s)
Ingredients: 2 cups bread flour; 2 cups whole wheat flour; 1 1/3 cups flour; 1 3/4 cups filter water, warmed if refrigerated; 2 1/2 tablespoons active sourdough starter; 2 2/3 cups flour; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 2 tablespoons honey; 2 teaspoons salt

Submitted by dividend

"Attempt #3 at a nice everyday wheat bread. This is a modification of my recipe #133450 to use a sourdough starter, thanks to the advice and support of the folks over in the Breads and Baking subforum. Making this bread as sourdough instead of using commercial yeast adds a depth and complexity of flavor that I really like. I think it keeps the intense wheatiness of the recipe from being overwhelming."

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Ready In:: 18hrs 40mins
Ingredients:: 9
Yields:: 2 loaves
Serves:: 20

ingredients

FLOUR MIX
2 cups bread flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
SPONGE
1 ¹⁄₃ cups flour
1 ³⁄₄ cups filter water, warmed if refrigerated
2 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons active sourdough starter
BLANKET
2 ²⁄₃ cups flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons salt

directions

The night before you plan to bake, make the sponge.
Feed your sourdough starter to activate it, and let it sit until it's nice and bubbly. I found this takes around an hour.
Mix together the 2 flours in a bowl. (I use a whisk to get them nicely integrated.).
In a mixing bowl, (I use my KitchenAid stand mixer), add the sponge ingredients and whisk for 2 minutes, until the sponge is the consistency of a thin batter.
Pour the remaining flour mix blanket over the top.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let sit overnight, 12 - 14 hours.
Cut the butter into small bits for easier integration, and let it soften at room temperature.
Mix the dough together for about 1 minute (on speed 2 if using a KitchenAid), until it comes together into a rough ball.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
Add the butter, honey, and salt, and knead for about 6 minutes (on speed 4 if using a KitchenAid). Properly kneaded, it will be just the slightest bit sticky.
Scrape the dough into an oiled container, cover, and let rise until doubled. (About 3 hours, but you really just have to watch it).
Oil 2 loaf pans (mine are 9x5). Divide the dough into halves with a bench scraper. Shape each half into a loaf, and place in the pans.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise until puffed up over the tops of the pans. (About 1 1/2 hours, but again, watch it.).
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and have a baking stone or tiles on the lowest shelf.
Bake the loaves for 35-40 minutes. Remove from the pans immediately and cool on a wire rack. Let them cool completely before storing or slicing.

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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

dividend

I'm a programmer by day, bread baker by night. To make a living, I do process automation for management at an inbound call center. (It's really not as exciting as it sounds.) Actually, I enjoy my job. There are worse things I could be doing to finance my cooking / baking habits. I never really knew how to cook growing up. Some of you in the Breads and Baking forum have heard my disastrous story about making Nestle Toll House cookies... When I went to college and moved out of the dorms, I started to become interested in actually learning how to cook. I had a lactose intolerant boyfriend, and a limited budget, so it made sense to stop eating take-out pizza and Taco Bell every day. I have to credit The Dairy Free Cookbook by Jane Zukin as my first real guide. (I still cook out of it , even though the boyfriend is long gone!) With that as a start, I set about systematically teaching myself how to cook. Five years later, I'm getting a reputation from friends and family as being a good cook. I love baking bread from scratch (I could really become a sourdough freak - thanks Donna!) - I can't seem to make enough cinnamon raisin swirl to keep my mom and grandmother happy. I'm enjoying getting back to eating seasonally, eschewing over - processed prepared food in favor of simpler, healthier, better tasting, cheaper meals I make myself. When I set out to learn, I never imagined I'd be making stock, roasting whole chickens, baking bread, or shopping at our local farmer's market. Now I can't imagine going back to the way I used to eat. I hope someday to learn enough about bread baking to open a local bakery/cafe, somewhere in Westport or Downtown Kansas City. I love my city, and the kind of place I have in mind will be a place that gives back to the community. I want to leave this city a better place for my having been here. Here's my standard metric for how I review recipes here, because I want my reviews to be helpful and consistent: ***** Fantastic as is. Wouldn't change a thing and will make it often. 0**** Fantastic tweaked a little to suit my tastes. Will make it often. 00*** Had to tweak it alot to get something I would make again. 000** Not very good. May try tweaking it again at some point. 0000* Not good. Probably won't try making again, even with tweaks. <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/adopted_1_1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting">

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