Sourdough Discard Brown Bread Recipe (Restaurant bread)

Soft, hearty and full of that sweet molasses flavor, this brown bread is made with whole grains and sourdough discard. This tried and true family favorite is even better than anything you can buy at the grocery store or get from a popular restaurant.

Prep Time20minutes mins

Cook Time40minutes mins

Rise Time2hours hrs 30minutes mins

Total Time3hours hrs 30minutes mins

Author: Amy Coyne

Ingredients

• 450 grams water, warmed 
• 80 grams molasses-- about 1/4 cup
• 175 grams honey-- about 1/2 cup
• 9 grams instant yeast-- about 1 Tablespoon
• 200 grams sourdough discard 
• 30 grams cocoa powder --about 5 Tablespoons
• 14 grams salt -- about 2 teaspoons
• 460 grams whole wheat flour  
• 550 grams bread flour

Instructions

• Mix: To the bowl of a stand mixer add the warm water, molasses, honey and instant yeast. Look for the yeast to give off a “yeasty” smell telling you that it is active and ready. See recipe notes for using dry active yeast.

  Add the sourdough discard, cocoa powder, salt, whole wheat flour and bread flour. I like to reserve a little of the flour (a little less than a cup) and add it in as needed. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until cohesive and strong. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl or gather all together as it kneads. It will feel tacky to the touch, but should not be overly sticky. If it is very sticky, add a little bit more flour 10-20 grams at a time until it feels tacky and workable. This dough can also be kneaded about 10-20 minutes by hand.
• Bulk Rise: Transfer the dough to a large container and cover with a plastic shower cap or kitchen towel. Let rise for about an hour or two until doubled in size. The warmer you keep the dough, the faster the dough will rise.
• Separate: Once the dough has doubled in size and is light and airy, dump the dough on the countertop and separate into two equal portions. 
• Shape: Pat one of the portions out into a rectangle. Starting at the edge closest to you, roll up the dough. Take care to press in the dough at the seam after each roll and pinch the seam closed at the end. Pinch and round the ends of the dough just a bit to get a uniform loaf. Place in a greased 8.5-by-4.5 loaf pan and cover (I use a plastic shower cap or plastic wrap). Repeat with remaining portion of dough. You can watch a shaping video here.
• Rise: Let the bread rise in the pan until the dough has risen over the edge of the loaf pan. Press in gently on the dough with a finger. If the dough springs back immediately, it needs a little more time to rise. If it leaves a little indentation and springs back just a little bit, it is ready to bake.

  Note: Keeping the dough at a warm temperature will encourage this bread to rise more quickly. Do not bake the bread until it has at least doubled in size.
• Bake: Pre-heat oven to 350ºF. Bake loaves of bread for 40-45 minutes until the loaf is baked through and the internal temperature is about 200ºF. Spread melted butter on the tops of the loaves if desired. Let bread cool completely before slicing for sandwiches. Enjoy!

Notes

Sourdough Discard: I use 100% hydration sourdough discard in discard recipes. You can use fresh, bubbly sourdough starter or discard that’s been in your refrigerator for a week. The older the discard, the more sour your bread will taste.

 

Bread Flour: I use 12.5% unbleached bread flour from my local mill. If you use a flour with a lower protein content, you will need to add more flour to the recipe. If you use a bread flour with a higher protein content you’ll want to use a little less flour.

 

Dry Active Yeast: This recipe calls for instant yeast which doesn’t need to be activated. If you choose to use dry active yeast instead, you will need to activate it before adding it to the recipe. Use the same amount of yeast and activate it in some of the warm water with a little bit of the honey called for in the recipe. Once active, add to the recipe.