At a Glance
Kastenweißbrot is a closed-top tin loaf made with sourdough. Using a young, active starter and modest hydration yields a fine, soft crumb with mild acidity—ideal for sandwiches.[1][5][7] This recipe focuses on predictable fermentation and simple shaping for consistent slices.
Not suitable if:
- • You don't have an active starter → create a starter
- • You need a crusty artisan loaf (this is a tender sandwich loaf) → try a crusty sourdough
🛒 Recommended Products
We recommend the following tools for this recipe:
Digital Kitchen Scale
Essential for precise baker's percentages and repeatable results
Dutch Oven
Generates steam for good oven spring and crust even without professional equipment
Banneton Proofing Basket
Useful when shaping before placing dough into a tin; helps hold shape
Dough Scraper
Makes handling and shaping soft, high-hydration wheat dough easy
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Ingredients
Weigh all ingredients on a kitchen scale. Precision and temperature control are the most important variables for consistent tin loaves.[3][5]
| Ingredient | Amount | % | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread flour (strong wheat) | 700g | 100% | High-protein flour gives structure for slicing |
| Water | 500g | 71% | Room temperature; adjust ±10g to reach tacky but manageable dough |
| Active sourdough starter (100% hydration) | 200g | 29% | Ideally doubled 4–6 hours after feeding |
| Salt | 14g | 2% | |
| Butter (soft) | 25g | 3.5% | Optional—adds tenderness and shelf life (classic in Pullman) |
| Milk (optional, warm) | 30g | 4.3% | Replace equal water for richer crumb |
Schedule
Same-day (active) schedule
For a weekend morning bake with a lively starter
Overnight retard (weekday)
Mix in evening, bake next morning for convenience and flavor
💡 Tips
- If dough is proving too fast, slow it by refrigerating (cold retards yeast and bacteria activity)[2][6].
- Shaped dough can stay 24–48h refrigerated — flavor increases and final shaping tension improves sliceability.[5][7]
Step by Step
Autolyse & mix
Combine flour and water in a large mixing bowl. Autolyse 20–30 minutes to hydrate the flour and begin gluten development. Add starter and salt (dissolve salt in a little water first if preferred). Mix until cohesive using a dough scraper.
⏱ 20–30 minutes (autolyse) + 5–10 minutes mixing
Strengthen the dough
Develop gluten with 3 sets of coil folds or stretch-and-folds during the first 90 minutes of bulk fermentation. Rest between folds to relax the dough. Incorporate butter at the end of the folding sequence if using.
⏱ 1.5–3 hours (part of bulk fermentation)
Bulk fermentation
Cover the bowl and ferment at 21–24°C (70–75°F). Look for ~30–50% volume increase and bubbles at the surface. Avoid overproofing—young levain yields softer crumb and less acidity which is desirable for tin loaves.[1][4]
⏱ 3–5 hours (variable)
Shape for tin
Degas gently and pre-shape into a cylinder. Rest 15 minutes. Final shape into a tight log that fits your loaf tin (standard 30cm Pullman or 25x10cm loaf tin). Grease tin with butter or oil, or line with parchment. Transfer dough seam-side down into tin. If you used a banneton for shaping, flip the dough into the greased tin.
⏱ 10–15 minutes
Final proof
Cover the tin and proof until the dough reaches about 80–90% of the tin height. For a mild sour flavor and tender crumb, avoid long warm proofing; instead retard in the fridge for flavor if desired.[5][7]
⏱ 1–2 hours at room temp or 8–18 hours in fridge
Bake
Preheat oven to 230°C/450°F. If using a cloche or Dutch oven approach for steam, preheat with the vessel inside. Place tin in the oven; if you want a closed-top Pullman, place the lid on after a brief initial spring. Bake 30–40 minutes until crust is golden and internal temperature reaches 96–98°C (205–208°F) measured with an instant-read thermometer. For open-top tins, tent with foil if browning too quickly.
⏱ 30–45 minutes
Cool & rest
Remove loaf from tin and cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. Slicing too early gives a gummy crumb — the starches need to set.[3][5]
⏱ 2+ hours
Tips & Variations
Variations
Slightly sweeter Pullman
Add 1–2 tbsp honey or sugar to the dough
→ Softer, browner crust and milder flavor
Milk & butter enriched
Replace 30g water with milk and keep 25g butter
→ Richer crumb, stays soft longer
Whole-wheat mix
Replace up to 20% of flour with whole wheat and increase water by 5–10g
→ More flavor, slightly denser crumb
Pro Tips
- 💡 Grease tins with butter or use parchment to prevent sticking; press a little rice flour into buttered surface for extra non-stick behavior.[4]
- 💡 Use a bread lame or sharp knife to score if baking open-top; for Pullman, a straight seam is fine.
- 💡 After baking, cool completely before slicing with a serrated bread knife for clean, even slices.
Common Issues
Common problems and quick fixes:
Storage
Room temperature in bread bag or box
3–5 days
Store cut side down to slow drying
Cloth-wrapped
3 days
Wrap in linen to maintain crust softness
Freezing
3 months
Slice and freeze; reheat slices directly from frozen
⚠️ Avoid refrigeration — it accelerates staling through starch retrogradation.[3]
Sources
-
[1]
reddit r/Breadit community – Weizen-Sauerteig-Brot | Backen macht glücklich (de) – Link
-
[2]
Backstübchen (YouTube) – Weizenbrot mit Sauerteig – Anfänger-Rezept — Backstübchen (de) – Link
-
[3]
Hefe und mehr – Brotbacken lernen für Anfänger ❤ Sauerteig-Weizenbrot - Level 1 (de) – Link
-
[4]
Backen macht glücklich / Sugar04 – Weißbrot mit Sauerteig von Sugar04 (de) – Link
-
[5]
Food.com (aggregated) – White Tin Bread | Hefe und mehr (en) – Link
-
[6]
Das Backstübchen – German Kastenweissbrot (White Loaf Bread) Recipe - Food.com (en) – Link
-
[7]
Brooot / The Perfect Loaf adaptation – Sourdough Sandwich Loaf - The Perfect Loaf (en) – Link
-
[8]
King Arthur Baking (video) – Sourdough Wheat Bread in a Tin - King Arthur Baking (en) – Link