Perfect Light Wheat Bread #3 [sourdough]

Total Time: 18 hrs 40 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 18 hrs

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

Recipe

• 1 the night before you plan to bake, make the sponge.
• 2 feed your sourdough starter to activate it, and let it sit until it's nice and bubbly. i found this takes around an hour.
• 3 mix together the 2 flours in a bowl. (i use a whisk to get them nicely integrated.).
• 4 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.
• 5 pour the remaining flour mix blanket over the top.
• 6 cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let sit overnight, 12 - 14 hours.
• 7 cut the butter into small bits for easier integration, and let it soften at room temperature.
• 8 mix the dough together for about 1 minute (on speed 2 if using a kitchenaid), until it comes together into a rough ball.
• 9 cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
• 10 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.
• 11 scrape the dough into an oiled container, cover, and let rise until doubled. (about 3 hours, but you really just have to watch it).
• 12 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.
• 13 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.).
• 14 meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and have a baking stone or tiles on the lowest shelf.
• 15 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.