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](https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/sourdough-sandwich-bread-14-1024x683.jpg)
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 minutesโฆ Just mix, rise, shape, rise again, and bake.
Let it cool, slice and slather it with butter. Itโs 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 itโs 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.
- Donโt over ferment the dough. It will turn into a wet sloppy disaster that wonโt 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 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 isnโt ripe wonโt 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.
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 isnโt a super hydrated dough and wonโt 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 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.
- Donโt over ferment the dough. It will turn into a wet sloppy disaster that wonโt 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.
Iesha McLean says
Sifting through comments in hopes Iโll see one asking about adjusting cook time for inclusions? Tried cinnamon raisin today and it was dense and undercooked at 375 for 45. Any suggestions?
Lisa Bass says
I actually have a cinnamon raisin sandwich loaf recipe. Here’s the link!
Reagan Foga says
As a fairly new “baker” this recipe has been nice and easy to follow!
This is, I believe, the third time I’ve made it and since I do not have a stand mixer, I was trying to knead it by hand and could never achieve windowpane dough. I had really dense spots at the bottom of my loaf and the bread was kind of crumbly. This time I decided to skip the kneading and opted for stretch and folds. This loaf is still in the oven as I type it but I already have a better rise this time. I think my starter was healthier and more active this time around too.
Can’t wait to get it out of the oven and get it cooling!
Cami says
I have made this recipe twice now and both times the loaves have turned out great!
I have been using all purpose white flour. I am wondering if I can use other ancient grains instead though? Does anyone know how that works?
Lisa Bass says
I would use my einkorn recipe if you would like to use ancient grains!
Heidi Hittle says
Can this recipe be used in a Pullman pan?
Lisa Bass says
Yes, you can! It may not make a full two loaves if you’re using the big pullman pans.
Jenn says
Love this recipe! I make it weekly for my family and sometimes make the second loaf into cinnamon raisin bread. I will also do my second rise in the fridge when I need more flexibility and it still works well.
Deanna says
Hi Jen! Do you let it come to room temp and rise after you take it out of the fridge before you put it in the oven? Iโm making for the first time and after I shaped and put in a loaf pan I popped it in the fridge cuz I couldnโt stay up another 2-4 hours! Just wondering what your method is?
Elizabeth says
The best bread ever! Looks amazing and tastes amazing!
Iesha M says
Thank you so much for providing a recipe that my toddlers absolutely adore. No more complaining of crispy crusts.
Kathy says
So yummy! Now one of my favorite recipes
Sarah says
Easy to come together! Love that it is a simply recipe. My kids are new to sourdough and are complaining that it is too sour. What can I do? Less ferment time??
Lisa Bass says
Less fermenting time and also, they will adjust. ๐
Wendy Shine says
Do you cover this during the bulk rise? And with plastic or wet towel?
Lisa Bass says
Yes. You can cover it with either. I have done it both ways.
Chandler says
Love this for sandwich bread! Wondering if you can make one large Dutch oven loaf though, I don’t have 2 bread pans yet. Going to be trying it tomorrow!
Lisa Bass says
I would use a dutch oven recipe instead!