Add the ingredients in the order that they are listed.
When it has risen near the top of the mixing pan, I put my cast iron bread pan in the oven and set it for 350 degrees. When the oven is preheated, I take the bread pan out of the oven, spray it with a vegetable spray, and transfer the dough to the pan.
With wet hands, I smooth out the top. I have learned that if I put the bread in the oven at this point, it will split and not in the way I would like it to. To control the split, I take a sharp knife and make a split lengthwise in the top of the dough and insert thin pats of butter into the groove.
I then put it in the oven and bake it for 40 minutes. When it is done, I take it out and turn the bread out onto a bread board. I will usually take a test slice off the end, but then I will cover it with a dish towel and let it cool.
This is a loaf of Type II Sourdough Bread. When it is cool, I will slice it and put it in the freezer. I will take it out and toast it or warm it in the microwave. It will keep for at least a week and it will taste as fresh as the day I baked it.