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.
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 minutes… Just mix, rise, shape, rise again, and bake.
Let it cool, slice and slather it with butter. It’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 it’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.
Tips:
- Use really soft butter and cube it up so it blends easier.
- Don’t over ferment the dough. It will turn into a wet sloppy disaster that won’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.
- If you are new to sourdough, you can check out how to make a sourdough starter here, find my sourdough conversion chart, and baking glossary of terms.
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Tools you may need:
Measuring cups and spoons. You could also use a kitchen scale
FAQ:
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.
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.
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.
Ingredients:
Butter (softened) or coconut oil – 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 – I like to use honey since it is a natural sweetener.
Salt – This gives the bread so much flavor and skipping it will leave you with a tasteless loaf.
Sourdough starter – You want a nice active and bubbly starter to make bread. Starter that isn’t ripe won’t produce nice fluffy bread.
Water – Room temperature.
All-purpose flour – The best part of this recipe is that it uses good ol’ plain all-purpose flour. Nothing fancy.
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 – 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 isn’t a super hydrated dough and won’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.
Shape The Loaves And Rise
Grease two loaf pans or add parchment paper.
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. 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.
Bake
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.
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:
- Sourdough Zucchini Bread
- Easy Homemade Sourdough Pasta Recipe
- Sourdough Coffee Cake
- The Best Soft Sourdough Pretzels
- Sourdough Brioche
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
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened or coconut oil (113 g)
- 2 tablespoons honey or sugar, 42 g for honey or 24 g for sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt, 17 g
- 1 cup starter, active and bubbly (227 g)
- 2 1/2 cups water, 590 g
- 8 cups all purpose flour, 1120 g*
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 – 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.
- Don’t over ferment the dough. It will turn into a wet sloppy disaster that won’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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I am curious if I make this recipe, if it will fit in a 13″ Pullman loaf pan. If so, would I not cut it in half? I appreciate any insight on this!
Yes, it should fit in the 13″ Pullman loaf pan and create a nice loaf.
Hey! Is it possible to make the dough one night and then put it in the fridge to let ferment if I won’t have time the next morning to do the process of letting it rise for a few hours then baking it? I’m wondering if I could make the dough one night and then put it in the fridge with the intent of baking it the following night? What would that process look like after pulling it out of the fridge?
Yes! You can keep the dough in the fridge for up to five days before baking. Pull it out and let it come to room temp before baking again!
I love this recipe but lately it’s been more dense and not rising very well. What am I doing wrong?
I’m wondering if it could be the colder temps affecting your rising! Are you using a different type of flour or any other variable that would cause you to have a denser bread?
It’s actually very warm where I live all year round. Quite humid at the moment. And am using the same flour. I’m not super what’s changed and why it’s not working for me anymore
Between steps 8 and 9 – Do I allow it to cool in the bread pan? Or do I take it out of the bread pan while hot and allow to cool on the counter?
Let it cool for a few minutes in the loaf pan and then take it out and let it cool on a wire rack. It will continue to cook in the hot pan, so you don’t want to leave it in there very long.
Lisa! This bread is amazing. I made it for the first time today and I know it will become a staple in our home. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for the kind words! So glad you enjoy it!
I love this recipe, but wondered do you have a version where one can use a mix of all purpose flour with a whole grain flour like wheat? And still get a soft sourdough sandwich bread.
Yes! https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/whole-wheat-sourdough-sandwich-bread
This is the second time I’ve used this receipe. I think its really good. I’ve cut the recipe in half this time. I’m also adding raisens that I soaked in water to plump them up and added them to my second rise. I’m flattering it out and
combining cinnamon and brown sugar to spread on it and roll it up. I probably don’t need to let it rise again but its just chilling out in the loft pan.
Yum! Hope it turns out great!
This is a wonderful recipe. Thank you. I was wondering if I can add inclusions such as seeds, and if so, when should I add them?
I’m a beginner, but I use this recipe and when I roll the dough flat I sprinkle on add ins (cheese, cinnamon, etc), and then roll them up! I’ve only done it once (well my second effort is baking as we speak) but it worked well and that’s what I’ve seen others do as well!
My dough overproofed! How can I salvage it??
There isn’t really anything you can do if your dough overproofs. I would still bake it and use it for bread crumbs or croutons! I have recipes for both on the blog.
Hi! I made this recipe last night and allowed it to rise overnight. The problem I had is the dough developed a crust on the top and it didn’t appear to rise much if at all. For context, I covered it with a tea towel and my house is sitting at about 67 degrees, but i figured it would still rise if given enough time. I feel like I should’ve covered it with plastic wrap instead of just the towel. What else should I have done differently?
It will get a crust on top if it dries out slightly. It’s not a deal breaker, but it’s not desirable either. You can use plastic wrap. Sometimes I even put my bowl in a grocery bag and then tie it closed. I’m thinking your house may be a little cold for your bread and it could need a longer rise time or a warmer environment. You can try putting it in your oven over night with JUST the light on. That usually gives it enough warmth to help it rise during the colder months.
Hi! I used your kefir water instructions and they are great. Very helpful. I’ve started making sourdough and have a 13 inch Pullman pan. Will this recipe work for 13 inch pan? My first go at a recipe ended up tasting good but very small loaf (as in height). I think it was meant for a 9 inch pan. Thanks for your advice 🙂
Yes, it should!
Thank you Lisa ! You’re now my kitchen copilot!