The night before you mix the dough, mix together the levain. To a small bowl, mix together active starter, flour, water and sugar (optional for more mild flavor in the bread). Cover and let sit overnight for 10-12 hours in warm 78-80F place until ripe, bubbly and active. Alternatively if you prefer mixing the levain the morning of, mix: 140 grams starter, 140 grams flour, 140 grams water and 20 grams sugar - this should take about 3-4 hours to rise at 78ºF. Ripe, bubbly, active sourdough starter can also be substituted for levain if desired.

Mix: To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the ripe levain, water, honey, salt, egg, coconut oil and most of the flour. I like to reserve a little of the flour (a little less than a cup) and add it in as needed. Knead for 10-15 minutes until the dough is smooth, soft and cohesive. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl or gather all together as it kneads. It will feel tacky to the touch, but should not be overly sticky. If it is very sticky, add a little bit more flour 10-20 grams at a time until it feels tacky and workable. This dough can also be kneaded about 10-20 minutes by hand.

Begin Bulk Fermentation: Transfer the dough to a large container and cover with a plastic shower cap (the best!) or kitchen towel.

Bulk Rise: Let the dough rise until puffed up and aerated. The dough will not have doubled in size at this point but should have filled the bottom of the container and risen a small amount. If it hasn't, let it sit in a warmer place for another hour or two. At this point you can also stick the dough in the refrigerator after a couple of hours for a long cold bulk rise. See recipe notes.

Divide and Shape: Turn the dough out onto the counter. Separate into two equal portions of dough. Pat one of the portions out into a rectangle. Starting at the edge closest to you, roll up the dough. Take care to press in the dough at the seam after each roll and pinch the seam closed at the end. Pinch and round the ends of the dough just a bit to get a uniform loaf. Place in a greased 8.5-by-4.5 loaf pan and cover. Repeat with remaining portion of dough. You can watch a shaping video here.

Rise: Let the bread rise in the pan for 4-8 hours until the dough has risen up qne over the edge of the loaf pan. Depending on time of year, temperature and how active your yeast is, the rise could be shorter or much longer. If you notice no change and no rise, put the bread in a warmer place (oven with a light on or bread proofer). Press in gently on the dough with a finger. If the dough springs back immediately, it needs a little more time to rise. If it leaves a little indentation and springs back just a little bit, it is ready to bake.

Bake: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake loaves of bread for 40 minutes. Spread melted butter on the tops of the loaves if desired. Let bread cool completely before slicing for sandwiches. Enjoy!