Everyday Sourdough Sandwich Loaf

Ingredients:

Preferment:
31 grams(generous 2 tablespoons sourdough culture)
66 grams (generous 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour)
66 grams (generous 1/4 cup) cold water (55-60 degrees F.)

Dough:
345 grams (2-3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons) Unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
29 grams (2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon) sugar
7.5 grams (1-1/4 teaspoon) fine salt
3 grams (1 teaspoon) instant yeast
33 grams (2 tablespoons plus one teaspoon) unsalted butter, at room temperature
219 grams (scant 1 cup) warm whole milk ( I use between 85-95 F. temperature)

Directions:

Day 1
Make the Preferment

The evening before you want to bake , in a large bowl, mix the sourdough culture, flour, and water together with the handle of a wooden spoon until no dry patches in them your remain. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight 12 to 16 hours.

Day 2
Make the Dough

To the preferment, add the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, butter and milk and mix with a wooden spoon handle until no dry patches of flour remain. Cover and let rest 15 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and springy, 5 to 8 minutes. The dough will be sticky at first but will smooth out quickly. Scraping the work surface clean of any sticky dough will speed up the process and reduce the amount of flour required for kneading. Return the dough to the bowl, cover, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size 1-1/2-2 hours.

Alternatively, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the preferment. flour, sugar, salt, yeast, butter, and milk. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium-low speed until no dry patches of flour remain. Increase speed to medium and mix until smooth, elastic and pulling away from the sides of the bowl, 5-8 minutes. Cover and let rise until doubled in size  1-1/2-2 hours.

Shape the Dough and Let it Rise

Lightly flour a work surface, then use a plastic bowl scraper to ease the dough out of the bowl onto the work surface. Gently deflate the dough, then press it into a 12×18 rectangle. Shape the dough into a log by bringing the short sides toward the center, overlapping them slightly. Flatten the dough into an even layer, and then, starting from the top, gently roll the dough towards you into a log  and pinch the seam to seal, then place it seam side down in the prepared loaf pan (9×5). Cover and let rise at room temperature until the loaf crowns about 1-inch over the rim of the pan 1-1/2 hours.

Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Score and Bake
Just before loading the bread into the oven, use a sifter to lightly dust the top of the loaf with flour, then score. Bake the bread until the crust is golden brown, the sides of the loaf feel firm, and the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F, about 35 minutes.

Remove the loaf  from the oven and immediately turn it out of the pan and onto a rack; doing this helps the bread come out of the pan easily and preserves the crust. Let cool completely before slicing.

Recipe from King Arthur Baking