Sourdough bread in a mold

This sourdough bread recipe for a loaf pan is easier and simpler to bake than classic round sourdough loaves. I started experimenting with it almost by chance, and now it's one of my favorite ways to bake sourdough bread.

I placed the dough in a pan and let it rise in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, you can bake it whenever it suits you best, as the dough keeps well in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.

Baking in a pan gives the bread a unique crumb, similar to classic sandwich bread, but even more moist and fluffy than yeast bread, and its flavor is simply spectacular. This pan-baked sourdough bread is perfect for sandwiches, toast, steaks, and more. I love sourdough cakes, and this pan-baked sourdough bread is one of my favorites.

Working time: 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Quantity: 1 piece.

Freezable Yes

Sourdough bread in a mold

14 timers

1 hour and 30 minutes.

3-4 days

AND

1 piece.

while I cook

400 ml of water at room temperature

400 g of wheat flour

80g of Åland whole wheat flour

150g of sourdough starter, ready to bake.

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1 tablespoon of olive oil, for the bowl

Mix the water, wheat flour, and Öland wheat flour in a bowl until well combined. Cover and let the dough rest for 1.5 hours to allow it to self-risen.

Add the sourdough starter to the dough and knead, preferably in a mixer at medium-low speed for 10 minutes. Add the salt and knead for another 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and shiny on the surface.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it, and let it rest on the counter for 30 minutes. To fold it in the bowl, dampen your hands with cold water, hold the dough, and fold it 3 to 5 times until it compacts slightly and feels more elastic and firm. Let the dough rest for another 30 minutes and repeat the process. Repeat this until the dough has been folded a total of 3 times.

Then, let the dough rest on the kitchen counter for another hour without folding it.

Carefully pour the dough onto a floured surface and quickly shape it into a ball by running a firm, flat spatula around the edge. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes on the counter.

Turn the dough out with a spatula, without squeezing it. Fold the dough over itself towards the center and then the sides, as if opening an envelope. Close the envelope and pinch the edges together around the seam until you reach the end, so that it is well stretched. Grease a loaf pan with butter and place the dough inside seam-side down. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the bread rise for one hour on the counter.

Next, place the dough in the refrigerator, on the coldest shelf (at the bottom, just above the vegetable drawer), for 10-24 hours.

If desired, slice the bread and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 40 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan, increase the oven temperature to 230°C, and bake for a further 10 minutes. Let the bread cool on a wire rack before slicing.