First, start by adding active dry yeast to a small bowl. Add a pinch of sugar and 1/4 cup of warm water, make sure that the water isn't too hot. If you can dip your figure in and it's comfortably warm, then the water is a good temperature! Then, stir the active dry yeast mixture and set aside for about 15 minutes.

While yeast is activating, measure out the flour and salt into the stand mixer bowl and set aside.

Next, add honey, the rest of the water, and melted butter to a medium mixing bowl. Stir everything together then add the sourdough discard and stir that in as well. Finally, the yeast should look frothy and bubbly at this point. Add the yeast mixture to the sourdough discard mixture and stir it all together, but be careful not to overmix.

Then, attach the stand mixer bowl to the stand mixer and attach the dough hook as well. Pour about 1/3 of the sourdough mixture into the stand mixer bowl and set the mixer to a low speed for a minute or so. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat the process two more times.

At this point, you should notice a ball of dough forming and pulling away from the sides of the bowl when the stand mixer is running. So, spread a little flour out on a clean, flat work surface and turn ball of dough out onto the work surface.

Knead the dough for about 8 minutes. You'll know you've kneaded enough when the dough is smooth, you poke the dough and the indent slowly rises back into place, and the dough passes the window pane test.

First Rise

Add a little bit of grease or oil to either the stand mixer bowl or a medium mixing bowl and place the dough ball into it to rise. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let rise for 1-1.5 hours or until dough has doubled in size.

Dough Shaping

Next, punch the dough down to release any of the excess gas.

Lightly flour a flat work surface and turn dough out onto it. Use a rolling pin or a non-textured bottle or glass to roll the dough into a rectangle. The dimensions of the dough should be about 8x4'' or an inch or so less then the dimension measurements of your loaf pan or Dutch oven.

Then, fold one of the long sides of the dough into the middle of the rectangle. Repeat on the other side so that both sides touch in the middle of the dough. Pinch the both sides together to create a seem.

Next, tightly roll the dough into a log shape from one of the shorter sides.

Place the loaf seem side down into a greased loaf pan. Let sit for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Baking

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (or 190 degrees Celsius.)

Let the bread cool for about an hour before cutting and serving it.