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.
Kristen Herbold says
Can I use bread flour instead of all purpose flour?
Lisa Bass says
Yes!
Samantha says
My bread turned out too dense, and when I pulled it out of pans after cooling it was pretty moist on the bottom and up the sides. I took it out and put on the counter and it developed little mold spots on the bottom. Next I time Iโll take out sooner from pan and let cool on baking wire. But how do I improve density?
Lisa Bass says
The density can be caused by either over kneading the dough or letting it ferment too long. It sounds like it collected moisture from being in the pans!
Kendra says
This is my go to for sandwich bread now! So simple and delicious!
P:) says
My favorite sandwich bread recipe!
Adrienne says
Hi! my kitchen runs about 77ยฐF. is that too warm to allow it to ferment 10-12 hours overnight?
my normal bulk fermentation is about 7 hrs for the artisanal sourdough loaves.
thank you ๐
Lisa Bass says
I would check it at 8-10 hours to be on the safe side!
Emily says
Just tried this for the first time and it turned out great. Good sourdough flavor, not overly dense for a sandwich. Just took some to my parents for sandwiches and we all enjoyed it.
Christy says
Hello! If Iโm halving the recipe (only making 1 loaf), do I also half the fermenting time? So, instead of 10-12 hours, itโd be 5-6 hours?
Lisa Bass says
No, same fermenting time.
Emily says
Been making this for 2 years now, the easiest and most consistent recipe I’ve found! Works well with my schedule because I can just whip it up the night before in ten minutes.
Janet Hyden says
This bread was absolutely amazing! I have been looking for a sandwich recipe which used all sourdough and no yeast. Easy to make and so delicious!
Crystal says
I absolutely love this bread! It is so easy to mix up and the measurements are spot on. It has completely replaced store bought bread for us and for some family and friends.
When I’m trying to bake multiple loaves, what should I do with the unbaked ones while waiting for the others to bake? They’ve already done their second rise. Can I pop them in the fridge until I have oven space for them? I haven’t been great at figuring out how to bake in bulk yet, but I’m definitely working on it!
Lisa Bass says
I’d keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to bake them.
Shayna L. says
Can you let it rise too much? I was wanting to start this tomorrow but work 7a-7:30p the following day. So I wouldn’t be able to bake right away. Can you make ahead of time or does the timing have to be pretty exact? How do you figure this in when making a long recipe and work/ life? Brand new to this! Just fed my starter from my hubbys aunt for the first time! I purchased a sourdough basket with all the tools, flour, recipes at a silent auction and am pumped to start baking with my 4 year old daughter!
Lisa Bass says
Yes. It can rise too much. I would put it in the fridge after the first rise, to slow down the fermentation, until you’re ready to bake!
Linda Iauch says
I made a similar bread that was discard recipe and put it in the frig after the first rise and shaping and had to bake it at 10 pm because it was fully raised, what happened? It tasted delicious and looked good.
Lisa Bass says
I’m not quite sure without knowing all of the details behind the baking process.