Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Sometimes you just want soft white bread for egg salad or peanut butter and jelly. Or for the honey - hazelnut - pistachio - apricot kernel - peanut spread you found. Makes two loaves.

1C active starter

2-6 T sugar

1 1/2 C milk

3 T butter, melted

2 eggs

Unbleached all purpose flour

1 T coarse salt

Combine starter, sugar, milk, eggs and some flour to make a thick batter.  Let stand in a warm place until it looks puffed and alive. Stir in salt and enough flour to create a soft dough.  Place in an oiled bowl and let rise until doubled (@ 70° ambient temperature- approximately 10 hours).  

Turn dough onto floured board, knead, divide in two and shape into loaves, place in bread pans.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until dough reaches top of pans (8 hours @ 70°).  

Preheat oven to 400°. Brush loaves with butter.  Bake 10 minutes.  Lower oven to 350°. Bake for 20-30 minutes (or internal temperature of 200°. 

Cool 10 minutes, remove from pans to wire racks. Let cool completely before cutting with a serrated knife. 

Chianti Braised Beef

Dust beef with flour salt and pepper.  Brown in olive oil. 

Remove meat to a plate.

Cook coarsely chopped celery, carrots, and onion until softened.  Deglaze the pan with a little wine or water. 

Add the browned beef, rosemary, bay leaf, thyme and one bottle of chianti.

Cover and braise at 425° for two hours.