VEGAN SOURDOUGH SPELT SANDWICH LOAF

Steps:

• Warm up your oat milk from refrigerator temperature to 80-90F.
• If you're using cow's milk, warm it up to 180F to denature the proteins that slow fermentation, then transfer the milk to a cool container and chill it down to 80-90F in the refrigerator. This should take about 15-20 minutes
• Combine all of the ingredients in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes. The dough will be soft but should come together quickly and wrap around the hook.
• Place in a bowl and cover. Use a straight-walled container if you have one and mark the starting height of the dough.
• Let the dough rise 8-12 hours at room temperature until it has more than doubled. (See photo gallery.)
• Lightly flour your countertop and scrape the dough out onto it.
• Flatten the dough into a rectangle that's about 7x10 inches.
• Starting on one of the short sides, roll the dough into a tube, and let it rest on the seam. It should be a little shorter than your pan.
• Lightly oil your loaf pan and place the dough inside it, seam down.
• Cover and proof for 2-5 hours, depending on your room temperature. You can also retard the dough in the refrigerator. The dough is ready to bake when it has doubled, or crested over the lip of a medium loaf pan (9 x 5 x 2.75 inches).
• Put your oven shelf on the second-from-the-bottom position and preheat your oven to 350F for about 15 minutes. Placing the pan on a lower shelf will help the base of the bread cook efficiently and not be dense.
• Brush the top of the loaf with (oat) milk and put the pan in the oven.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the interior of the loaf is over 190F. (A glass loaf pan may result in different cook times.) You can rotate the pan halfway through the bake if one side is browning more than the other.
• Immediately remove the bread from the pan and cool it on a rack for at least an hour before slicing.
• Once completely cooled, store the bread in a plastic bag or beeswax wrap to keep it soft.