For the Love of Bread

I love sourdough bread. I love the health benefits, the versatility, and the attachment to keeping the starter alive. I love that you can make it into sandwich bread or add ingredients to make it an artisan specialty loaf.

Today I wanted to make a loaf that has the benefits of sourdough, but doesn't have the strong sour taste. This recipe is mild enough to have as a peanut butter and honey sandwich as well as the benefit of not waiting 24 hours for a fresh loaf of bread. In fact this recipe can have you eating hot bread in time for dinner.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of butter or oil

2 Tbl honey or maple syrup

1 Tbl salt

1 cup sourdough starter

2 1/2 cups water

6-8 cups of flour.

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl mix your starter with the water until it is a milky white color. I use a Danish Dough Whisk.

Mix in the honey or maple syrup. Add the oil and mix well.

Mix the salt with half the flour and add it to the liquid mixture.

Add the remaining flour. Knead your dough. At this point you will need to put the whisk away and use your hands. Make sure your hands are lightly floured so the dough doesn't stick.

When the sough is mixed completely, cover with a damp towel and let rise for about 8 hours. Divide the dough into 2 sections. Shape and place into your bread pans.

I use cast iron loaf pans that have been lightly sprayed with olive oil.

Cover with the towel and let rise for 2 hours. Remove the towel and place an additional loaf pan on top to create a more evenly baked bread. Bake at 375 deg. for about 45 minutes.

Take the bread out of the pans and lightly coat the butter. Cool completely before placing into bread bags to store.

This bread tastes amazing. I love this recipe because it makes 2 loaves. One, my family immediately eats hot with butter and honey. The other I can save for sandwiches for lunches the next day. I hope your family enjoys it as much as we do!