Soft, buttery sourdough bread made in a bread machine is the next best thing since, well, sliced bread. Super easy to make, you just dump the ingredients in and allow the bread machine to do all the work.
Recently, I’ve had some requests for a sourdough bread recipe in a bread machine. SoI bit the bullet and made one that is so delicious.
This bread is a take on my sourdough sandwich bread, but made to fit in the bread machine. It is super light, fluffy, buttery, and everything wonderful you want in a sourdough bread, but totally hands off.
The bread machine does all the work. After you dump in the ingredients, you push some buttons and it goes to work.
It really couldn’t be easier, and if you are wanting fresh baked bread for dinner or lunches (a great way to stretch the grocery budget if you ask me), then you have to try this recipe.
Why You Will Love This Recipe:
Hands off: This is a dump and go recipe. Add the ingredients and push the knead button. Kneading and baking all happens in the bread machine. So if you want fresh bread without yeast, but maybe don’t have the time or ability to make bread by hand, this recipe is a must.
Super simple: Goes along with the whole hands off thing. This recipe couldn’t be simpler.
Delicious: This recipe is one of my absolute favorites. It is so fluffy and buttery with a hint of sweetness. Any sandwich would be happy to have this as its main component.
Tips For Making Bread Machine Sourdough Bread:
- Although you can make this bread from start to finish without ever touching the dough, you have the option to remove the dough from the bread machine after kneading and remove the paddle. This will keep you from having to pull the kneading paddle out of the finished product.
- Though you could get away with just one knead cycle, I actually like to do it one more time. This ensures proper gluten formation for soft bread.
- Spritz the top of dough with water a few times to make sure the dough doesn’t dry out on top during rising. This is an optional step, but also helps the crust to turn golden in the baking step.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
FAQ:
Do all bread makers make sourdough?
Yes! Thought this will depend on the type of sourdough you are trying to make. It will make soft sourdough bread, but not that crusty, no-knead sourdough from start to finish. To get that crusty type boule, it will need to be baked in a dutch oven.
Can you use machine to knead sourdough?
Yes. You can definitely just use the bread machine to knead the dough, and then bake in the oven, if desired.
Is it cheaper to make your own sourdough?
Yes! Making sourdough bread is very inexpensive (about $.75-$1 a loaf by rough estimation using the cheapest organic flour I’ve seen at Costco). Buying a similar loaf at a bakery can cost you easily $7-8 or more.
Ingredients:
- Water – Preferably filtered.
- Unsalted butter – Using unsalted butter allows you to be able to control the salt in recipes.
- Bread flour – Bread flour yields a softer, fluffier bread. All-purpose can be substituted. Bread flour has a higher protein content, which allows more gluten strands to be produced giving you a fluffier bread.
- Granulated sugar – This helps feed the sourdough starter and gives it a slightly sweet flavor.
- Salt – Bread without salt is blah. I promise.
- Active sourdough starter – This is sourdough starter that has been fed within 4-12 hours and is super bubbly and active.
Tools you may need:
Measuring cups and spoons
How To Make Sourdough Bread In A Bread Machine
Add the water and melted butter to the bread machine.
On top of that, add the bread flour, sugar and salt.
Lastly, add the sourdough starter.
Use the kneading function on the bread machine (for my machine this is function 8). Mine is set to knead for 25 minutes. Though you could get away with just one knead cycle, I actually like to do it one more time.
After the first knead cycle finishes, I press the button again and let it knead the dough one more time, for an additional 25 minute cycle.
Next (optional), remove the dough from the dough machine and take out the paddles. That way you don’t have to pull them out later after baking.
Allow the dough to sit in the bread machine for about 6 hours, or until the dough nearly rises to the top of the bread pan.
I like to spritz the top with water a few times to make sure the dough doesn’t dry out. This is an optional step, but also helps the crust to turn golden in the baking step.
After the dough has risen for several hours, I go to the baking function (function 13 on my bread maker) and select the option for dark crust. This makes the bake time one hour.
Allow the bread to cool, then remove from the pan.
Storage:
Unsliced bread can be stored in a paper or linen bag. Once cut, store cut side down on a cutting board lightly covered or in a storage bag.
Baker’s Schedule:
9 PM: Feed sourdough starter so it will be nice and active the next morning.
8 AM the next day: Add ingredients to the bread machine and allow it to work its magic. Do two rounds of kneading.
9 AMish: Allow the dough to rise for about 6 hours.
3-5 PM: Bake for 1 hour. Usually it will take 6-8 hours for your bread to double to be ready to bake.
6 PM: Slice and serve.
Find More Sourdough Recipes:
- Spelt Sourdough Bread
- Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies
- Best Sourdough Banana Muffins
- Sourdough Pizza Dough
- Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars!
Sourdough Bread In A Bread Machine
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 4 cups bread flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter, bubbly and active
Instructions
- Add the water and melted butter to the bread machine.
- On top of that add the bread flour, sugar and salt.
- Lastly, add the sourdough starter.
- Use the kneading function on the bread machine. (For my machine this is function 8) Mine is set to knead for 25 minutes.
- Optional: After the first knead cycle finishes, I press the button again and let it knead the dough one more time, for an additional 25 minute cycle.
- Next, I just allow the dough to sit in the bread machine for about 6 hours, or until the dough nearly rises to the top of the bread pan. I like to spritz the top with water a few times to make sure the dough doesn't dry out on top. (Optional , but also helps the crust to turn golden in the baking step.)
- After the dough has risen for several hours, I go to the baking function (function 13 on my bread maker) and select the option for dark crust. This makes the bake time 1 hour.
- Pull the bread out of the bread maker and allow to cool.
Notes
- Although you can make this bread from start to finish without ever touching the dough, you have the option to take out the dough from the bread machine after kneading and remove the paddle. This will keep you from having to pull the kneading paddle out of the finished product.
- Though you could get away with just one knead cycle, I actually like to do it one more time. This ensures proper gluten formation for soft bread.
- Spritz the top of dough with water a few times to make sure the dough doesn’t dry out on top during rising. This is an optional step, but also helps the crust to turn golden in the baking step.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Is it a simple matter of halving the ingredients to make a smaller loaf? I want to make some loaves as gifts with home made soup.
That should work just fine. You will have to watch the baking time as it will need less.
Could I ferment overnight? Let it rise until doubled and then shape and put in the fridge overnight?
My breadmakers kneed/ dough timing is 1.5 hrs. This also includes a rise. Any idea if this is 2 cycles?
That I’m not quite sure. I wish I could be more help!
Instead of letting it sit for longer could you add vital wheat gluten to insure proper gluten formation?
I have never tried it to know fo sure.
Hello! My baking function says 10 minutes, so i just did that 5 times 🤪
That seems like really short baking function for any type of bread.
My bread machine requires that I select 1, 1.5 or 2 lb loaf if I’m going to leave it (which I intend to do while I go to work). Do you know the weight of your loaf in this recipe?
I would select 1.5lb.
This recipe works great! My question is regarding the flat top. When it rises, it is a beautiful dome shape. When it makes, it sinks to be flat across the top. Is this what is supposed to happen?
It shouldn’t sink! Is it really dense?
It’s a little dense, yes. I did not sift the flour. Maybe that will make the difference.
That helped!
I discovered your sourdough recipes last year around the holidays. I use them all the time. Our favorite is probably sourdough cinnamon rolls. My favorite go-to is your sourdough dinner rolls. I love that I can make rolls that are as delicious as my Grandma’s dinner rolls from childhood! Today, I was looking for a bread machine that works with sourdough when I came across your recipe and recommended machine. Thank you again for making my life easier and sweeter! Sincerely, a homesteading mom of 4
Thanks for the kind words! Have a great day!
As much as I love traditional sourdough, I just haven’t found the time to make it, so I keep feeding my starter and discarding every week, getting frustrated. I thought hey, I wonder if I can use my bread maker? I found your recipe and was so excited to try it. I got all the way to where I was supposed to bake it and realized my bread maker doesn’t have an option to just bake. There are several presets, and all except ‘dough’ and ‘butter’ are a full bread procedure. I scraped it all out into a bread pan, let it rise again, and baked it. It is wonderful! I’m wondering if I can use one of the presets next time, even though none have a 6 hour rise. They all have 1st knead, rest, 2nd knead, 1st rise, punch, 2nd rise, punch, 3rd rise, and bake. The longest rise periods are 1 hour. Any chance it will work?
You can try it. 🙂
Wonderful recipe with perfect results. I have a new Hamilton and was eager to find a sourdough bread recipe for it. Unfortunately I tried a few recipes without the 6 hour rise time included, and ended up with a dense, and hardened loaf. This bread is not instant and your recommendations for a long rise time was so important. I also love that you describe what the starter is supposed to look like and include a test for how ready (active) the starter is for baking. I know I will be baking with this recipe for a long time to come. Thank you and appreciate your website so much!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!