Soft and fluffy sourdough sandwich bread is the perfect bread to have on hand. Made with all purpose flour, sourdough starter, butter and a little honey, this fermented bread has a lighter texture and tangy flavor.

loaf of sourdough sandwich bread in a stainless loaf pan on a white countertop with a white towel in the front

One of the main complaints I hear about making crusty sourdough from readers is that they miss the soft sandwich loaf style of  bread. 

Not only is this recipe absolutely delicious (making it really hard to ever go back to store-bought bread), but it is also super simple. No strange ingredients, no stretching and folding every 30 minutesโ€ฆ Just mix, rise, shape, rise again, and bake. 

Let it cool, slice and slather it with butter. Itโ€™s so yummy and it reminds me of a bread you would get on a breadboard from a restaurant. 

Let’s be honest, though, it’s way better since itโ€™s made from scratch and has that wonderful sourdough tang.

Make sure to save this sourdough loaf bread recipe for the future. It will be a go to for sure.

six slices of sourdough sandwich bread spread out on a wire rack over parchment paper

Tips:

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

sourdough sandwich loaf with a slice of bread laying in front of the loaf on payment paper. More slices are in the background

Tools you may need:

Stand mixer

Measuring cups and spoons. You could also use a kitchen scale

Loaf pans

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FAQ:

four slices of sourdough sandwich bread spread out on a wire cooling rack over parchment paper

Does sourdough bread make good sandwiches?

Yes. The delightful tanginess adds to the flavor profile of the sandwich, making it a wonderful addition. You can use crusty sourdough bread or this soft sourdough sandwich loaf.

sourdough loaf with one slice of taken off on a wood cutting board

Why is my sourdough sandwich bread not rising?

There could be a few reasons for this. The most likely one is that your sourdough starter may not be active enough or is weak. 

Another contributor could be the temperature of the room where you are placing your dough to rise. The cooler the temperature the longer it will take for bread to rise. 

Lastly, the water you use in your dough mixture could be a factor. If the water used was too hot, it may have killed the starter. Additionally, if you are using city water the chlorine could potentially kill the yeasts in the starter.

sandwich made with lettuce, tomato, turkey on freshly sliced sourdough bread on a wire rack with more bread in the background

Are sourdough sandwiches healthy?

Sourdough is one of the healthiest breads since the grains are fermented, which makes it more digestible and the nutrients more available for your body to absorb.

Top with your favorite healthy toppings and you can have a wholesome and filling meal in one sandwich.

overhead photo of slices of sourdough sandwich bread on a wood cutting board with slice cheese and a plate of butter to the back right

Ingredients:

Butter (softened) or coconut oil โ€“ I prefer using butter for that savory buttery flavor. If you are wanting to make a vegan version, you can use softened (not melted) coconut oil.

Honey or sugar โ€“ I like to use honey since it is a natural sweetener.

Salt โ€“ This gives the bread so much flavor and skipping it will leave you with a tasteless loaf.

Sourdough starter โ€“ You want a nice active and bubbly starter to make bread. Starter that isnโ€™t ripe wonโ€™t produce nice fluffy bread.

Water โ€“ Room temperature.

All-purpose flour โ€“ The best part of this recipe is that it uses good olโ€™ plain all-purpose flour. Nothing fancy.

a loaf of sourdough bread sliced on a wood cutting board

How To Make Sourdough Sandwich Bread

To a stand mixer, add all of the ingredients. I like to add the flour last, so I can add a bit less or more depending on my starter’s hydration.

Knead until dough is stretchy and smooth. You want it to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl and be smooth and elastic โ€“ about 10 minutes. It should pass the windowpane test. Grab a small ball of the dough and stretch it into a square. It should stretch thin enough to see through without breaking. 

Tip: This isnโ€™t a super hydrated dough and wonโ€™t be very wet like other doughs.

Allow to bulk rise for 10-12 hours in a warm place like on top of a stove or refrigerator. You can go longer if you want the benefit of the fermentation, but if it gets over-proofed the dough will turn into a sloppy mess! 

In the summer, I ferment mine more like 8 hours but can get away with longer in the colder months.

woman punching down sourdough bread dough in a glass bowl

Shape The Loaves And Rise

women oiling two stainless steel loaf pans

Grease two loaf pans or add parchment paper.

woman using a bench scraper to slice sourdough bread dough in half on a white countertop

Divide in two equal parts.

two pieces dough on a white countertop. One is in a rectangle and the other in a ball next to a bench scraper and a loaf pan

Shape by rolling the dough flat into a rectangle and rolling it up.

adding sourdough sandwich bread dough to a greased loaf pan on a white countertop

Add to parchment lined or buttered loaf pans.

tea towel over two loaves of sourdough sandwich bread on a white vintage stove with cast iron skillets to the left

Second rise for 2-4 hours at room temperature, or until doubled. Again this depends on the temp! It could be as little as 1 hour if the house is warm and the starter active. Do not skip this step.It adds volume and strength to the dough.

two loaves of sourdough sandwich bread risen and ready for baking

Bake

woman using a pastry brush to brush on egg wash onto a loaf of sourdough bread dough in a loaf pan

You can add an optional egg wash for more browning.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes, or until golden on top.

Allow to cool completely before slicing.

loaf of sourdough bread straight from the oven on a white countertop with a white towel in front

Storage:

Store in an air-tight container for up to five days for best results. 

You can also freeze loaves in freezer safe plastic bags for 3-6 months.

Find More Of My Sourdough Recipes:

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone .

Sourdough Sandwich Bread

4.63 from 1768 votes
Soft and fluffy sourdough sandwich bread is made with all purpose flour, sourdough starter, butter and a little honey.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Additional Time: 16 hours
Total: 17 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 24
sourdough loaf with one slice of taken off on a wood cutting board
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Ingredients 

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened or coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey or sugar, If using sugar, note that it will be 24 g
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 cup starter, active and bubbly
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 8 cups all purpose flour*

Instructions 

  • To a stand mixer, add all of the ingredients. I like to add the flour last, so I can add a bit less or more depending on my starter's hydration.
  • Knead until dough is stretchy and smooth. You want it to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl and be smooth and elastic โ€“ about 10 minutes. It should pass the windowpane test.
  • Allow to bulk rise for 10-12 hours in a warm place like on top of a stove or refrigerator.
  • Divide in two equal parts.
  • Shape by rolling the dough flat into a rectangle and rolling it up.
  • Add to parchment lined or buttered loaf pans.
  • Second rise for 2-4 hours at room temperature, or until doubled.
  • Bake at 375 for 45 minutes, or until golden on top. You can add an optional egg wash for more browning.
  • Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

  • *Some people have said making two loaves is too much for their stand mixer to handle. This depends on the type of stand mixer you have. If you have a standard KitchenAid mixer, you may want to halve the recipe and make one loaf.
  • Use really soft butter and cube it up so it blends easier.
  • Donโ€™t over ferment the dough. It will turn into a wet sloppy disaster that wonโ€™t rise well. Still edible. Maybe. It could also be turned into sourdough croutons.
  • When making the dough, using a stand mixer makes the process much easier and hands off. You can also do this with your hands.

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 323mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 118IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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2,285 Comments

  1. Amanda Cordell says:

    I appreciate your blog and utube videos very much! As far as your sandwich bread, what do you store your bread in to insure it stays soft and fresh?

    1. Lisa says:

      Typically, I will keep it in an air tight container like a large bowl with a lid, or zip-lock bag. I’ve also kept them in linen bags before.

  2. Amy says:

    Wondering if anybody has scored the tops for split top loaves?

  3. Sarah says:

    Great recipe! I just had to make a couple changes to really make it work for me.
    1. I noticed my starter didnโ€™t like the amount of salt that was added. If your dough will not rise, try 1tsp of salt instead of 1tbps.

    2. My bread was coming out very dark and dense when I pulled it out of the oven. I had to reduce the temp to 350 degrees and reduce the time to 30 mins.

    Otherwise itโ€™s the best sourdough recipe Iโ€™ve tried so far!

  4. Val says:

    Made this bread twice. Made a lot of mistakes, as long as your starter is good it works even with mistakes.
    Thank you for such a good and forgiving recipe.

    1. Lisa says:

      So glad it worked for you, even with mistakes!

  5. Mandy says:

    I just made this recipe yesterday, and it turned out amazing! It was my first time making sourdough sandwich loaves, so I followed your recipe exactly, and they baked perfectly and my whole family loved the taste!

    1. Lisa says:

      Wonderful! So glad to hear that!

  6. Danyelle says:

    Iโ€™m in the process of making this bread, and my only comment is that the bread seems to be too much volume for the stand mixer. If I could do it again, I would half the recipe so that the mixer would be able to thoroughly knead the bread. My mixer is really struggling with this much in the bowl! But Iโ€™m excited to try this!

    1. Lisa says:

      Totally understand that. It works well halved too! Enjoy.

  7. Erika says:

    I finally gave active starter and made this for the first time. My dough did rise and Iโ€™m wondering if itโ€™s cause our house temp is only about 65. We live in New England. Itโ€™s cold outside. Could that be it? My starter was definitely active. Found it be something else I messed up.

    Thank you!

    1. Lisa says:

      If the house is on the colder side it can take a lot longer for the dough to rise.

  8. Cyndee says:

    What size are your loaf pans? 1 pound or 1 1/2 pounds?
    Thanks.

  9. Kari says:

    Just tried this and my dough was far to thick. And I could not get the window painas it would just break. What do I do what did I do? To much flour? This was my first attempt.

    1. Lisa says:

      How long did you knead for? It will break until the gluten strands develop properly.

  10. Rose hedy says:

    My loaves came out smelling so buttery and amazing!!!! My poor stand mixer was hot to the touch because it required more than 30 mins of mixing before I got it just right. Iโ€™ll use bread flour next time and see if that helps with mixing time. This recipe was super easy. I keep my starter in the fridge and I used it straight out of the fridge. I woke up to the dough overflowing on the stove lol. Will definitely make this again and again!!!

    1. Lisa says:

      Wow! That is one active starter! So glad you enjoyed it.