In the bowl of a stand mixer (see notes if not using a stand mixer), whisk together the warm water, honey, and yeast. Allow it to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. The mixture will start to bubble.
3/4 cup warm water, 1 Tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
Add the flour, sourdough discard, butter, and salt to the bowl. With the dough hook, mix on low speed (I use setting 2) until combined (about 3-5 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Then continue to knead (I turn down to “stir” or 1) another 7-9 minutes for a total of about 12 minutes of combining and kneading the dough.
3 cups all purpose flour, 3/4 cup sourdough discard, 3 Tablespoons softened butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Place the dough hook in the sink and remove the dough from the bowl and set on the countertop.
Spray nonstick cooking spray into the bowl of the stand mixer and place the dough back inside. Cover the bowl with a damp towel.
Let the dough rise (also known as bulk rise) in a warm place for about 90 minutes to 2 hours or until it about doubles in size (see notes).
Grease a 9x5 or 4x8 bread pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
With a rolling pin on the countertop, roll the dough flat into a rectangle (8”x14”) and roll it up. If the roll gets wider than 8 inches you may need to pinch or fold the ends under the loaf to allow it to fit in the pan.
Add the bread dough to the prepared pan seam side down. Do the second rise for 45 minutes to an hour at room temperature, or until about doubled in size. Cover the bread pan with a dry towel - not damp or it will stick to the top of the dough.
Bake the bread at 375 for about 30-35 minutes, or until a lovely golden brown color on top and the inside of the bread reaches a temp of 190.
Allow to cool completely (about 2-3 hours) before slicing or storing. It keeps well for up to 7 days at room temperature. We prefer to slice as needed rather than slicing the entire loaf and storing it in a storage bag at room temperature.
Notes
Prep Tips - If you are not using a stand mixer, you can mix by hand. The dough shouldn't stick to the sides of the bowl and should be smooth and fairly elastic after 12 minutes. Rise Tips - If your home is below 70F, warm your oven slightly and place the covered dough bowl in the oven to rise. Or sometimes I will heat a rice pack in the microwave and set it under and around the dough bowl to help the dough rise. If your house is on the cooler side, the bulk rise can take more than 2 hours and the second rise can take over 1 hour. Storage Tips - If you are not eating the whole loaf within 5 days, cut the loaf in half and store it in the freezer in a freezer storage bag for up to 3 months. Let the loaf thaw at room temperature overnight before slicing.