If you’re a fan of sourdough baking, you might be familiar with the dilemma of what to do with all that sourdough discard. Luckily, there are many delicious recipes out there that put that discard to good use. One of my family’s favorites is a sourdough discard sandwich loaf. This recipe is easy to make and can be customized to your taste and nutritional preferences.

Process

To begin you will mix together the sourdough starter, flour, and water or milk and let it autolyze. Autolyzing is simply a resting period where the flour is allowed to hydrate and the gluten begins to bond. This can also help to enhance the flavor as it slows down the fermentation process.

Next, you will add the rest of your ingredients and knead for 5-7 minutes. You’ll know you are done kneading when the dough is no longer sticking to the bowl and it passes the windowpane test. To do this, take a golf ball-sized piece of the dough and slowly stretch it out. If you can stretch it to the point where you can almost see through it you are ready to proceed.

Cover the dough and allow it to proof until it has doubled in size. The amount of time it may take will vary depending on the temperature in your home. The warmer it is, the faster it will rise. You can also use the Proof setting on your oven if it has that option.

Time to shape the dough! Punch it down to deflate and release the gasses that have formed. Pour your dough onto a clean surface and gently stretch it out to a rough square that is about as wide as your loaf pan but no larger. Fold the dough diagonally to create a triangle and orientate it so that the tip of the triangle is closest to you. Next, you’ll want to tightly roll into a loaf shape while tucking in the sides. Pull towards you in quick tight movements to ensure a good seal on the bottom of the loaf.

Now it’s time for the final rise. This should not take nearly as long as your first proof. You will want the dough to have risen to at least within an inch of the top of the pan. If you let it rise too much higher than your pan, while your bread will be taller, it will also lose some of its structure.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes. The top of the bread should be golden brown and should sound hollow when you tap on the top. I highly suggest rubbing a thin coat of butter on the top while it is still warm. Leave the bread in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack for at least 30 mins. Then Enjoy!

Customizations

Flour

You could use almost any flour or combinations of flour for this recipe, just know that different flours will produce different textures. All-purpose flour is going to make the fluffiest version of this bread while bread flour will give the bread more structure. Mixing in whole wheat or ancient grains such as spelt is a great way to add more nutritional value but it may be more dense. My favorite combination is 250 grams of all-purpose flour, 200 grams of bread flour, and 50 grams of spelt.

Liquids

Water, milk, or a combination of the two can be used to make this bread. I find that adding milk helps to create a softer and slightly more savory bread. If using milk, you can use any percentage you have but you won’t get quite as much richness if using skim milk. I like to use 150 grams of milk and 100 grams of water.

Fats

Butter, olive oil, or lard could be used in this recipe. Olive oil, however, has the potential to make the crust a bit tougher. I like to use organic grass-fed butter as it provides such a rich flavor.

Sugar

There are various options for sweeteners available, including sugar, honey, maple syrup, or agave. Although I have also used coconut sugar due to its lower glycemic index, it does alter the taste somewhat, so take that into consideration when making your selection. Personally, I tend to use honey most frequently, followed by regular old sugar.

Optional Add-ins

You can really customize here with the add-ins from enhancing flavor with herbs and spices to increasing the nutrition and texture with nuts and seeds. Pick one or a few of these but I recommend not exceeding 2 tablespoons of total add-ins.

• Garlic or onion powder
• Italian herbs
• Cinnamon and raisins
• Nutritional yeast
• Chia seeds
• Ground flaxseed
• Oats
• Others- add any flavor or texture you enjoy

Measurements

I like to use a kitchen scale and measure my recipes in grams. If you do not have a kitchen scale or simply prefer to use cups, I have created a Metric Conversion Chart that includes all the ingredients in this recipe.

Shaping your loaf

After the initial proofing, you will punch down your dough and shape it into a sandwich loaf. There are lots of different ways to do this but my preferred method is the triangle fold and roll. Stretch your dough out into a square that is as wide as your loaf pan. Take one corner and fold it diagonally across to make a triangle. With the tip of the triangle closest to you, tightly roll the dough up while tucking in the edges. Once formed, pull towards you tightly to create a seal on the bottom.

Send me a message if you have any questions and I would love to see how your bread turns out!

Happy Baking!