Today’s Bake…White Sandwich Bread Continued

Part two, when we left off I was about to have some coffee. I am certain I didn't finish it before it got cold, but nonetheless I was able to work in my other household chores in-between my proofing. The first proof of the day was from 8:30am to about 11:40pm. My starter dough at this point was covered with the remaining flour yeast mixture. When I checked on it, the flour layer had cracked like an arid landscape. It showed me the starter dough was still fermenting. I think next time, I will do the starter dough right away in the morning, let it proof for two hours, then add this layer instead of letting it sit in the fridge overnight to see how that changes my schedule a bit. I found as a result, the dough was cooler than what I am used to working with. Maybe that's good because before I mixed the flour, yeast and honey and milk, I added softened butter and salt. Then got to combining and the first knead as you can see it come together here.

The second proof didn't take as long, only 20 minutes or so. Back to re-knead and shape. Another proof for 2 hours. 

Here they are in the oven. I have two different bread loaves. For sandwich bread I was using the Le Creuset loaf pan, which gave me the shape I wanted. Seen here on the left. The right pan is a kitchen aid brand, worked great, but didn't give me that comforting bread shape we're used to from the supermarket loaves. In the oven at 350 for 50 minutes. I used some ice to help produce steam. 

Here they are fresh out of the oven, after a glaze of melted butter. My house smelled so good! Notice the improvised cooling rack! My other one was in the dishwasher! Hey, whatever works! 

Here is the final crumb. It was exactly what I have been working for since I started baking breads. Soft, light, flavorful! I am looking forward to having this toasted with jam, making PB and Js for the kiddos, grilled cheese, and turkey sandwiches!

 I found this bake to be difficult for two reasons, it was my first time, and it was an all day bake. In this case, overnight. I am hoping that after a few more tries, it will become more natural and I can better anticipate the proofing times. This will no doubt become my new Sunday bake for my family-no more buying sandwich bread at the grocery store!

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Thanks for reading!