Two Days Before Baking (Starter Prep)

1. Feed your sourdough starter. Ideally, feed your active, bubbly starter two days before you plan to bake. Don’t worry if it’s been a few days since the last feed (up to 4 days is usually fine); the bread will still be delicious, and the sourdough will catch up during fermentation.

One Day Before Baking (Dough Prep – Evening Start Recommended)

1. Soften Butter: Let your butter soften at room temperature until very soft but not melted. If melting, ensure it cools completely before use. Do not use hot or fridge-cold butter, as it won’t incorporate well. Set aside.
2. Blend Cottage Cheese & Protein Powder: In your blender (a Nutribullet or similar is ideal), combine ½ cup of the water from the recipe with the cottage cheese. Blend until completely smooth with no curds.
3. Add Protein & Honey: Add the protein powder and honey to the blended cottage cheese mixture. Blend again briefly until no lumps remain. Blending the cottage cheese first helps prevent the protein powder from clumping.
4. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the blended cottage cheese-protein mixture with the remaining water and the active sourdough starter. Stir well with a dough whisk, spoon, or fork until fully combined.
5. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, or directly with the wet ingredients if you’re mixing in a stand mixer, combine the bread flour, salt, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds. If using larger nuts you want to keep whole, you can hold them back and fold them in during shaping instead.
6. Mix Wet into Dry: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until roughly combined.
7. Knead: Transfer the dough to a clean surface and knead by hand for about 10 minutes, or use a stand mixer with a dough hook on low speed for about 5 minutes.
   • Assess Dough Consistency: The dough should be pliable but not mushy. If too wet, add a little flour (1 tablespoon at a time) until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If too dry, add a little water (1 tablespoon at a time) until it feels pliable.
8. Autolyse: Let the dough rest, covered, for about 20 minutes. This allows the flour to fully hydrate and gluten development to begin before the fat is added. While optional, it improves the final rise and gluten development.
9. Incorporate Butter:
   • Stand Mixer: With the mixer running on low, add the softened butter in two parts. Allow the first half to be fully incorporated into the dough before adding the second. The dough may look like just sloshing around in the bowl at first, but it will come together.
   • By Hand: Stretch the dough out a bit. Spread half of the softened butter over it, fold the dough over, and knead it in until fully incorporated. Repeat with the second half of the butter. Continue kneading until the butter is fully worked into the dough.
10. Bulk Ferment (First Rise): Shape the dough into a neat ball. Lightly spray a clean bowl with oil and place the dough inside. Cover the bowl with cling film or a lid.
11. Optional Stretch and Folds: For best gluten development and oven spring, perform 3-4 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes during the first 1.5-2 hours of bulk fermentation.
    • To do this, wet your hands. Gently lift and stretch one side of the dough up, then fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 3-4 times. Stop if the dough becomes very resistant.
12. Overnight Fermentation: Leave the covered dough in the fridge overnight (at least 6-8 hours) or until it has visibly doubled in volume. Alternatively, you can shape it in the evening and let it rise in the loaf tin overnight in the fridge.

Baking Day (Morning/Afternoon)

1. Prepare Loaf Pan: Grease your loaf pan lightly or line it with baking parchment.
2. Shape the Dough: Lightly flour your worktop (a saltshaker with flour works well for even dusting). Gently push or roll your risen dough into a rectangle about 8 inches long and as wide as your loaf pan. Pop any large bubbles in the dough; for sandwich bread, we want a tighter crumb with no large holes.
   • If seeds were not added earlier: Sprinkle them evenly over the flattened dough now. Fold the dough over and knead briefly until the seeds are evenly distributed. Then flatten it out again. You may need to let it relax for 15 minutes after kneading before reshaping.
   • If seeds were added earlier: Tightly roll up the dough from the short side, creating a cylinder. Pinch the seam firmly to seal it.
3. Optional Seed & Egg Wash Topping:
   • Whisk one egg in a small bowl for the egg wash.
   • Spread your topping seeds (hemp, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower) onto a large plate that will fit your loaf.
   • Brush the top of the shaped loaf generously with egg wash, then gently roll it in the seed mixture, pressing lightly to ensure adhesion.
4. Final Rise (Proofing): Place the shaped loaf seam-side down in your prepared loaf pan. Cover loosely with cling film or a damp kitchen towel. Allow it to rise for 1-3 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge, until it’s visibly puffed up and risen over the top of the loaf pan.
5. Pre-heat Oven: About 30 minutes before baking, pre-heat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Place a baking rack in the middle and either a baking tray or a large baking dish on the bottom rack for steam. If you have two loaf pans of the same size, you can use one as a lid for the other to create a steam trap instead of the bottom dish.
6. Score the Loaf: Just before placing the bread in the oven, use a sharp knife or lame to make a shallow cut (about 1cm deep) all the way through the middle of the dough along the top. This allows for even rising and prevents uncontrolled cracking.
7. Bake with Steam:
   • Carefully place your loaf pan in the preheated oven.
   • If using a bottom dish, pour 1.5 cups of hot water into it to create steam. If using the second loaf pan as a lid, place it over your loaf pan.
   • Immediately close the oven door and lower the temperature to 400°F (200°C).
8. First Bake Phase: Bake for 30 minutes with the steam method (lid on second pan, or water in bottom dish).
9. Second Bake Phase: After 30 minutes, remove the bottom baking dish with any remaining water (or remove the top loaf pan lid). If your oven browns unevenly, turn your bread 180 degrees.
10. Finish Baking: Continue baking for another 30 minutes. Check for browning after 15 minutes. If your crust has reached your desired color, loosely cover the loaf with aluminum foil to prevent it from getting too dark. This bread often needs a little longer to bake through the center than the top browning suggests.
11. Cooling: Take your stunning bread out of the oven. Let it cool in the loaf pan for about 15 minutes, then carefully transfer it onto a wire cooling rack.
12. The Crucial Cool Down: This step is vital! Let your bread cool for at least 2 hours, or until completely cooled through. It’s hard to resist cutting into it early because it smells so good, but the middle is still finishing cooking and firming up during this time. Cutting it too early can lead to a gummy, underbaked center or large holes. Trust the process!