Humble whole wheat sourdough sandwich bread

100% whole wheat with rye starter using Bob's Red Mill whole wheat flour 

This is a simple sandwich bread that can be done in one day. The texture is moist, but not gummy

Night before, feed your rye starter (mine is around 100% but it doesn't have to be precise) 

500g flour

500g warm tap water

Mix together with your fingers until lumpy. Let stand 10-15 minutes

Add 100g of starter and work it in with your fingers. Let stand another 15 minutes

Add 15g of salt, pinch in with your fingers

Work the dough gently just by pinching the edge with your fingertips, pulling it up and folding it back on top, all around the bowl, until the dough has lost most of its lumpiness. You may repeat this procedure 1-3 times and add a little stretch and fold if you feel like it 

Wait until you see the dough starts visibly expanding, doesn't have to double, it's enough when it goes up just some

Make one more very gentle strech and fold and slowly slide the dough into your prepared baking form. Now form a nice loaf by pulling the opposite edges of dough and kind of stitching them together on top, similar to stitching the batard dough in banneton 

Cover and let fully proof. It can be done at room temperature (I had to retard it 2 hours in the fridge because I was going to church)

To be honest, I don't know how to say whether or not it is fully proofed, especially that this is really a very wet dough. I just try to guess it 🙂

Preheat the oven to 500, put the pan in, immediately lower the temp to 450, bake 20 min, then 20 min at 425, then 10 min at 375 (this, however,  is an estimation, as all ovens  are different) 

I like to brush with cold water 10 minutes before the end of baking. This makes shiny, chewy crust. For soft crust, butter the top right after taking out from the oven

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