Name: Buttermilk Sourdough Bread
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 300 grams sourdough starter, active or “fed”; 1 1/2 cups warm buttermilk; 2 Tablespoons honey; 2 teaspoons instant yeast; 2 teaspoons salt (I like using fine sea salt for breads); 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (or olive oil); 625 grams all purpose flour (about 5 cups)*

I didn’t think I could improve on my sourdough sandwich bread…. until I replaced the water with buttermilk. This is a very soft bread and stays fresh and soft for quite a few days. Even over a week later it’s still very tender and soft. Buttermilk adds a richness to breads and keeps them softer and fresher longer. This makes excellent toast and grilled cheese which is basically the test for bread greatness in our house. And it makes 2 loaves so the first can be destroyed immediately while still hot from the oven with your favorite jam.

I often make it with half whole wheat with great results. Pictured above is a loaf with half whole wheat and all whole wheat. While both look good (maybe slightly smaller rise compared to the regular) The all whole wheat wasn’t quite as good as my whole wheat sourdough bread recipe which is really designed to make an excellent all whole grain bread.
But if using just half whole wheat there really isn’t much difference.

Buttermilk Sourdough Bread

October 26, 2021

by Holly

Category Bread, Yeast Sourdough

Serving Size

Makes 2 loaves

Cook Time

35 minutes

Wait Time

3 hours

Total Time

35 minutes

Ingredients

300 grams sourdough starter, active or “fed”
1 1/2 cups warm buttermilk
2 Tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 teaspoons salt (I like using fine sea salt for breads)
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (or olive oil)
625 grams all purpose flour (about 5 cups)*

Instructions

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer (starting with buttermilk and sourdough starter to aid mixing).
Using a dough hook, mix until combined and then continue to mix on low to medium for 8-10 minutes to knead.
Dough should be soft and tacky but not overly sticky. Add additional flour a couple tablespoons at a time as needed.
Place dough in a lightly greased container and cover. Rise in a warm spot for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in size. You’ll know it’s ready when you poke it with your finger and it doesn’t bounce back.
Lightly grease 2 loaf pans and set aside.
Divide into 2 equal pieces and shape into tight logs. (I like to gently deflate dough into a rectangle and tightly roll up, tucking in the ends as I go, until I have a snug log shape about as long as my loaf pan.)
Place each log into a loaf pan and allow to raise for approximately 1 hour or until dough becomes a little higher than the pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for approx. 35 minutes or until bread temperature is 190 degrees.
Immediately remove from pans and cool loaves on a wire rack.

*I often make this with half white whole wheat with great results. If using all whole wheat I use my whole wheat sourdough recipe. If you don’t have buttermilk you can use 1/3 cup buttermilk powder and water.

Tags

bread,

buttermilk,

sandwich bread,

sourdough

If you are a baker chances are you’ve heard of the tangzhong method. If you haven’t heard of it, it is an Asian method where you cook a slurry of flour, milk, and water and incorporate into a yeasted bread dough.
Why should you try it?
It makes breads softer, fluffier, and also extends shelf life. Like a week later your bread will still be fluffy, soft, and tender.
I decided to put it to the test with whole wheat. Would it still be as magically pillowy soft and tender? Would it extend the shelf life? Typically I freeze whole wheat breads that won’t be eaten within 2 or 3 days max.

So what’s the verdict?
At 50% whole wheat:
Pillow soft? .. check
Tender?… check
And after a week? still?…. check!

What about at 100% whole wheat? certainly not then…
Pillow soft? .. check
Tender?… check
And after a week? still?…. check!
Much to my amazement the 100% whole wheat was still incredibly soft, tender, and fresh! I realized after I did cheat by using all purpose flour in the tangzong method but at a mere 2 tablespoons I’m not going to fret over that.

For fun I also tried some in a pullman pan (using a double batch as it is a long loaf). It made for some amazing tea sandwiches!

This bread is DEFINITELY worth the 5 minutes of extra work. You’ll be rewarded with amazing bread whether you want to use all, part, or no whole wheat. And while it is typically made with the signature look of placing 3 or 4 rolls of dough in the bread pan it won’t affect the outcome if you just make it into a regular loaf.

Soft Milk Bread – with whole wheat variation

September 16, 2020

by Holly

Category Bread, Yeast Whole Grain

Persons

Prep Time

2 hours, 45 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Total Time

3 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the Tangzhong:

1/2 cup whole milk
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour

For the dough:

300 grams (2 1/2 cups ) all purpose flour, or all or part whole wheat flour
1/2 cup whole milk
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
3 Tablespoons vital wheat gluten (if using all whole wheat flour)
2 Tablespoons dry milk (1 Tablespoon non instant milk powder)
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

Make the tangzong:

In a small saucepan over medium low heat, combine all the tangzong ingredients by whisking until well combined. Continue to whisk until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool to lukewarm.
(Sometimes I speed this up by adding the whole milk to the tangzong if the milk is cold. This evens out the temperature in both so I don’t have to wait.)

Make the bread:

In the bowl of a stand mixture, combine all bread dough ingredients and the tangzong (warm milk slightly if you haven’t added to the hot tangzong all ready).

REMEMBER, ONLY ADD VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN IF USING ALL WHOLE WHEAT.

Knead for 10 to 15 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic.
Rest in a lightly greased bowl, covered, for 60 to 90 minutes or until dough is raised (may not double, that’s okay). I usually go the full 90 minutes.
Gently deflate dough and either shape into a loaf or divide into 3 or 4 equal pieces and make each peace into a roll. Place into a lightly greased 8 1/2″ by 4 1/2″ loaf pan.
Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap or shower cap and raise for 45 minutes.
Brush the bread with whole milk if desired and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the center reads 190 degrees.
Cool in the pan for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store at room temperature for 5-7 days or freeze for longer storage.

For a pullman loaf:

Make a double batch of dough. Cover with greased lid for second proof. Bake for 45 minutes or until bread is 190 degrees.

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Buttermilk Sourdough Bread

Buttermilk Sourdough Bread

Ingredients

Instructions

*I often make this with half white whole wheat with great results. If using all whole wheat I use my whole wheat sourdough recipe. If you don’t have buttermilk you can use 1/3 cup buttermilk powder and water.

Tags

Soft Milk Bread – with whole wheat variation

Soft Milk Bread – with whole wheat variation

Ingredients

For the Tangzhong:

For the dough:

Instructions

Make the tangzong:

Make the bread:

REMEMBER, ONLY ADD VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN IF USING ALL WHOLE WHEAT.

For a pullman loaf:

Tags

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Pie Crust 101

Best Ever Peanut Butter Cookies

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Keep In Touch

Buttermilk Sourdough Bread

Buttermilk Sourdough Bread

Ingredients

Instructions

*I often make this with half white whole wheat with great results. If using all whole wheat I use my whole wheat sourdough recipe. If you don’t have buttermilk you can use 1/3 cup buttermilk powder and water.

Tags

Share this:

Soft Milk Bread – with whole wheat variation

Soft Milk Bread – with whole wheat variation

Ingredients

For the Tangzhong:

For the dough:

Instructions

Make the tangzong:

Make the bread:

REMEMBER, ONLY ADD VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN IF USING ALL WHOLE WHEAT.

For a pullman loaf:

Tags

Share this:

Search

Pie Crust 101

Best Ever Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe Categories

Posts by Month

RSS Links