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

4.62 from 1663 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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Recipe Rating




1,814 Comments

  1. Ghamit says:

    5 stars
    Turned out perfect. Two loaves with a great soft crumb and sourdough flavor. Love it. I used my wife’s einkorn starter to make this with regular AP flour. Followed the recipe exactly. This will be a regular in our home.

  2. DAVE STANAT says:

    5 stars
    I thought it would have be dense, 8 cp flour and all. I was wrong, beautiful loaves. Fluffy and soft..

    1. Shawn says:

      5 stars
      I love this recipe! I only make loaf bread, I haven’t got up the courage to make round loaves. I’m wondering if you can add inclusions in this recipe?

  3. Heather Lirette says:

    Before I get to baking, I have 3 hungry teenagers. My loaf pans are 13×5. How would I adjust your recipe for that size pan?

    I have made several things from your recipes and they have been amazing!
    We have adapted your scones to more flavors than I can count!!

    I would really like to start making our bread instead of buying it, but the 8×4 arenโ€™t going to last long enough around here.

    Please help, thank you!

    1. Kate says:

      Yep, same!

  4. Eric kreeger says:

    Well Iโ€™m making it once agin when dough came out of bowl it was wet had to use some flour to work it itโ€™s strichy got it in pans

  5. DeAnn Gamblin says:

    5 stars
    Thank you for sharing this recipe and making sour dough bread easy to understand. The bread bakes up perfectly and the taste is so delicious. I did use bread flour to give it a little extra chew. This is tbe best sour dough recipe Iโ€™ve tried.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Is it recommended to score this sandwich bread? Love how easy this recipe looks!

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      No need to score this bread!

  7. Mckenzie says:

    5 stars
    I make this recipe atleast once a week. You quite literally donโ€™t ever need another bread recipe lol itโ€™s so good!!

    Question- have you ever tried freezing after the bulk ferment and then thawing/second rise/bake?

    Just wondering if that would work for this recipe! Thanks!

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      I’ve not personally tried this with bread dough!

  8. Beck says:

    My daughter is on a medical diet where she isn’t allowed butter or coconut oil. Do you think this will turn out well using olive oil or canola oil??

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Yes, any oil or fat will work!

      1. Cheryl Fromm says:

        Olive oil is one of the most health oils

  9. Heather says:

    Can a pullman loaf pan be used to bake these loaves?

  10. Taylor says:

    Can I use wheat flour in this recipe?

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Yes.

      1. Kate says:

        5 stars
        Amazing, it’s amazing!
        I have had my sourdough starter alive for 18 months now and I have been having problems getting light and fluffy loafs of sourdough bread that also rise , I made this recipe and I changed the fermenting and rising time a bit, I : let it ferment in the fridge for 8 hours , then I pulled it out put them in the pans , then I let them rise overnight, and they doubled in size I am so amazed !!
        Thank you so much you’ve changed my hard rocky bread into a bakers masterpiece !!!!!!