Go Back
–+ servings
two loaves of sourdough discard French bread

Sourdough Discard French Bread Recipe

By McKenna Pulda
Yield: 2 loaves
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Rise Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
No ratings yet
Print Pin

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 200 grams sourdough discard, room tempearture 2/3 cups
  • 430 grams water 1 3/4 cups + 1 Tablespoon
  • 50 grams olive oil scant 1/4 cup
  • 25 grams sugar 2 Tablespoons
  • 800 grams bread flour 5 3/4 cups
  • 10 grams instant yeast 1 Tablespoon
  • 18 grams salt 1 Tablespoon

Instructions

Mix Dough

  1. To the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, add the warm water, sourdough discard, olive oil and sugar. Use a Danish dough whisk to mix until you have a milky liquid.
    My water was 105 degrees F. Any hotter than 120 degrees F can kill the instant yeast. If you use cooler water, the dough will take longer to rise.
    200 grams sourdough discard, room tempearture, 430 grams water, 50 grams olive oil, 25 grams sugar
  2. Add the flour, instant yeast and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed for 2-3 minutes until the ingredients are fully combined.
    Alternatively, you can mix and knead the dough by hand. I would increase the time from 15 to 20 minutes.
    800 grams bread flour, 10 grams instant yeast, 18 grams salt
  3. Increase the speed to medium low and continue to knead for 10-15 minutes. The dough should be pulling from the sides of the bowl, be smooth and tacky to the touch - not sticking to your hand.

First Rise

  1. Remove the dough from the bowl, divide it into two even pieces (750 grams) and place the dough into two lightly greased bowls. Cover with a plastic cover and wait until they have doubled in size, typically 1-1½ hours, depending on the temperature of your dough and environment.
    I love these straight-edge bowls because it allows me to clearly see when the dough has doubled in size.

Shape

  1. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down to remove all of the air bubbles. This helps to keep a tight crumb. Then, place the dough on a clean work surface.
  2. Stretch or roll one of the dough balls into a large rectangle with a rolling pin, about 13 inch x 9 inch, doesn’t have to be exact . Starting with the longest side closest to you, roll the bread dough into a log, like you would a cinnamon roll. Curl the ends of the French bread dough under itself and pinch the seams together. Repeat with the second dough ball.

Second Rise

  1. Gently place the shaped loaves onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet with the seam sides down. With a lame or very sharp knife, cut 4-5 slashes onto each shaped dough. Cover the dough with a plastic cover or plastic wrap and allow it to rise until the dough has risen and looks puffy.
    This took 30-60 minutes in my 70 degree kitchen. It is tempting to rush this step, but don’t! If your loaf has not risen properly, it will be dense and gummy.
  2. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375 degree F. Just before placing the loaves in the oven, brush the tops of each loaf with an egg wash.

Bake

  1. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the internal temperature has reached 190 degrees F. If the tops are browning too quickly, cover it with a piece of aluminum foil and continue to bake.
  2. Remove the loaves from the hot oven and allow them to cool until room temperature before slicing. For an extra soft crust, rub butter on the top of the warm loaves. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: -4g | Calories: 1820kcal | Carbohydrates: 324g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Sodium: 3512mg | Potassium: 449mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram!