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 1726 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 (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 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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2,073 Comments

  1. Tiiu Garrett says:

    Does anyone know how I woud adjust time/temp when making this recipe in mini loaf pans? I would rather make a few small loaves instead of a standard size loaf. I am planning on halving the recipe since my standard Kitchen Aid stand mixer will not like kneading this size recipe. TIA if anyone can advise. I am very eager to try this recipe.

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      I would lower the temperature by twenty-five degrees and lowering the time by half and monitoring it until they look done.

  2. Eliza McNelly says:

    One question about this recipe – Iโ€™m trying to get the max nutritional benefit from the sourdough. Could I do a longer second rise the fridge for this purpose?

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Yes, you could!

  3. Jillian Grant says:

    Last time I tried this the bread turned out dense and hard. Dough never passed the window labs test in the mixer so I went longer and it still didnโ€™t so I eventually just stopped mixing it. But Iโ€™m wondering if I over mixed it if thatโ€™s why it turned out that way? What speed on the kitchen aid do you usually use when mixing?

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      I usually use speed 2-4 on the Kitchen Aid mixer. Sometimes if you let it rest a bit, it will become more malleable.

  4. Brittany Hurley says:

    I have a pro series KitchenAid mixer and I didnt have any issues with the size of the dough. I did notice however that during the first rise (10 to 12 hours) my dough outgrew my bowl. If you have a 5qt bowl or smaller, you will likely need to transfer the dough to a larger bowl for this step.

  5. Melisa says:

    Have made and it wonderful, wondering if you could use discard? thoughts

  6. Mariah says:

    Should this be covered while fermenting and proofing? This is my first time using sourdough and I bulk fermented overnight and woke up to a hard crust formed on top of my dough.

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Yes, it should always be covered while proofing. You can use plastic wrap, a wet tea towel, or even a plastic grocery sack over the bowl!

      1. Kathy Sohn says:

        Your instructions do not indicate cover with saran wrap, or anything, oil in the bowl would be another Great suggestion!!!

  7. Candice says:

    I am a beginner in sourdough, could you please tell me if the approximate time you mix the ingredients in the mixer? Iโ€™m always confused. Is it just until it begins to pull away from the bowl or about 10 minutes? Or is the 10 minutes when kneading by hand? Iโ€™m so worried to over mix. Thank you!!!๐Ÿ˜Š

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      10 minutes in the stand mixer!

  8. Lori says:

    I’m letting mine bulk ferment overnight and I’m worried it’s going to over-ferment. Can I put it in the fridge and resume tomorrow? Or should I just see what happens? House is at 69 and it’s a fairly cool night, so should cool off. However, when I made this recipe last week (so amazing!!!) the house and outside temps were warmer and I was pretty close to over-fermenting when I got up in the morning…

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      What time did you begin letting it ferment? Usually over night is no issue, unless you started it pretty early in the day. You can always place it in the fridge and pull it out and continue lettin git ferment.

  9. Rachel Hubbard says:

    Hi Lisa! I want to make this recipe, but I do not have a stand mixer. It said in the notes that you can do it by hand. I was wondering if you had any advice about making the dough by hand (other than that it will take some elbow grease;) ). Also I want to thank you for your videos. I have been working hard at doing more from scratch and your videos are informative and encouraging.

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Just elbow grease and extra time!

  10. Dallas says:

    How do you not over ferment it?

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Just watch it. You want the dough to double in size. If it sits too long or the area is too warm (and it sits longer than needed) it will over fermented.