This sourdough discard sandwich bread recipe is perfect for sandwiches and has that classic subtle sourdough tang while only taking a few hours to whip up rather than a day. A soft crust with a fluffy interior, this is the best and easiest recipe.

a loaf of sourdough discard sandwich bread in a white baking dish on a white countertop  with a white vintage stove in the background

Sometimes you just need a loaf of homemade bread within a few hours. 

Say company is coming over, or you didnโ€™t plan dinner or lunch very well and realize you need some bread for sandwiches. Or maybe you are just getting into sourdough bread making and your starter isnโ€™t mature enough to make bread just yetโ€ฆ 

Well this discard sourdough sandwich bread is perfect for that. It uses commercial yeast to give it rise rather than relying on the natural yeast from the sourdough starter. But the sourdough starter still gives it a slight tang.

Is that slightly cheating? Maybe, but sometimes we just need something a little quicker and easier. Plus, there is just no comparing homemade to store-bought bread.

It is soft, buttery, and fluffy with a closed crumb. Perfect for sandwiches, french toast, toast, grilled cheese, bread pudding, and more.

overhead photo of a loaf of sourdough sandwich bread with four slices off on white countertop with a towel and bread knife to the left

Why you will love this recipe:

Easy recipe: This recipe takes very little hands-on time. After activating the yeasts, you just throw all the ingredients into a stand mixer and let it work its magic.

Quicker: Similar to my soft sourdough sandwich bread recipe, but much less time. Yeast breads just don’t take nearly as long as a sourdough loaf.

Great way to use sourdough starter discard:ย If you have a new starter and are discarding and feeding a lot, this is a great way to use up that extra discard.

close up photo of a loaf of sourdough bread on a white countertop

Tips:

  • Use really soft butter so it will combine with the rest of the dough ingredients really well and without chunks.
  • Donโ€™t let the dough over ferment. It will turn into a wet sloppy disaster that wonโ€™t rise well. 
  • 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 have a Professional KitchenAid stand mixer you can double this recipe. If you have a standard mixer, I would not recommend doubling.
  • If you are new to sourdough, you can check out how to make a sourdough starter here.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

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Ingredients:

Active dry yeast โ€“ The main ingredient to give this recipe rise, it doesn’t rely on the wild yeasts and bacteria in the starter to give it rise.

Butter – Softened

Honey โ€“ Could also substitute with sugar.

Salt โ€“ This gives the bread so much flavor and skipping it will leave you with a tasteless loaf.

Sourdough discard โ€“ This is a sourdough starter that hasnโ€™t been fed in at least 12 hours. It is the portion you would typically just toss before feeding the starter. Active starter could also be used, but you will have a less tangy flavor. Find more sourdough discard recipes here.

Warm water โ€“ Room temperature. Make sure it is not too hot or you run the risk of killing the yeasts. It should be about 100 degrees F.

All-purpose flour โ€“ One of the best things about this recipe is it includes all-purpose flour, a pantry staple. If you have bread flour, that will also work.

Tools you may need:

Loaf pan

Large bowl with lid

Stand mixer with dough hook attachment

Rolling pin

Measuring cups and spoons or kitchen scale

Bench scraper: optional, but helpful.

overhead photo of four slices of soft sourdough discard sandwich bread on a white countertop with a towel and wood knife to the left

How To Make Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread

water, yeast and sugar in a stainless bowl with a whisk

Whisk together warm water, sugar, and yeast. Allow it to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. The mixture should get nice and bubbly. Make sure the water isn’t too hot or it will kill the yeast.

flour, butter, sourdough discard, water and yeast in a stand mixer bowl

To a bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment, add all of the ingredients.ย 

dough in a stainless bowl with a tan and white checked towel covering half of the bowl

Knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic – about 10 minutes or so. It may take longer. You can also do this by hand. It shouldn’t stick to the sides of the bowl. 

To check to make sure the gluten has developed enough so the bread is nice and fluffy, 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. If it breaks, it needs to be kneaded a little longer.

First Rise

towel over a stainless bowl on a white vintage stove

Place the dough in a greased bowl with a lid, towel, or plastic wrap.

Let the dough rise (also known as bulk rise) for about 1-2 hours (or until it about doubles in size) in a warm place like on top of a stove or on top of the refrigerator.

Shape And Rise

Grease a bread pan or add parchment paper.

rolling up a loaf of bread on a white quartz countertop

Roll the dough flat into a rectangle and roll it up. Pinch the ends to the rest of the loaf.

bread dough in a bread pan with a towel covering 1/4 of the loaf

Add the shaped bread dough to the parchment lined or buttered loaf pans seam side down.
Second rise for 30 minutes to an hour at room temperature, or until doubled. Covered with a towel.

Optional: whisk an egg in a small bowl. Brush on top of the dough.

Bake the sandwich loaf at 375 for about 45 minutes, or until a lovely golden brown color on top. The internal temperature should be between 195-210 degrees F.

Allow to cool completely before slicing or storing.

the side of a loaf of bread with two slices sliced off

Storage:

Store in an airtight container for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months. Check out this post all about how to store sourdough bread.

FAQ

slices of sourdough discard sandwich bread on  a white quartz countertop with a towel and wooden bread knife in the background

Can you do anything with sourdough starter discard?

Rather than throwing away your sourdough discard, you can use it for so many recipes. Especially recipes calling for other leaveners like yeast, baking soda and baking powder. 

To learn how to make any recipe in sourdough, check out this post or for all my favorite sourdough discard recipes, check out this post.

Can you use sourdough discard in sourdough?

Yes. As long as the sourdough recipe has another type of leavener like baking soda or baking powder and doesn’t require the wild yeast in an active starter to rise the recipe (like in muffins, cookies, quick breads, cakes, etc.) then you probably can use discard.

What is the difference between sourdough bread and sourdough discard bread?

Sourdough bread relies on the wild yeast in active sourdough starter to give the bread its rise, whereas sourdough discard bread uses discard and relies on commercial yeast.

Is eating sourdough discard healthy?

Sourdough discard is healthy because the grains are already fermented and broken down. It works great in recipes, and if you add it to recipes and let it ferment, it will also ferment the grains in said recipe.

Can I use active sourdough starter for this recipe?

Yes. You can use an active starter for this recipe even though it calls for discard.

Find More Discard Sourdough Recipes:

If you make this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone with your delicious creation.

Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread

4.60 from 342 votes
This sourdough discard sandwich bread recipe is perfect for sandwiches and has that classic subtle sourdough tang while only taking a few hours to whip up rather than a day. A soft crust with a fluffy interior this is best and easiest recipe.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total: 3 hours
Servings: 12
the side of a loaf of bread with two slices sliced off
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Ingredients 

  • 1 cup water, 236 grams
  • 1 tablespoon honey, 21 grams
  • 3 teaspoons active dry yeast, 9 grams
  • 4 tablespons butter, softened (57 grams)
  • 4 cups all purpose flour, 560 grams
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt, 8 grams
  • 1 cup sourdough discard, 285 grams

Instructions 

  • Whisk together warm water, honey, and yeast. Allow it to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. The mixture should get nice and bubbly.
  • To a bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment, add water yeast mixture, butter, flour, salt, and sourdough discard.
  • Knead on low speed until dough is smooth and elastic- about 10 minutes or so. It may take longer. You can also do this by hand. It shouldn't stick to the sides of the bowl.
  • To check to make sure the gluten has developed enough so the bread is nice and fluffy, 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.
  • Place the dough in a greased bowl with a lid, plastic wrap, or towel.
  • Let the dough rise (also known as bulk rise) for about 1-2 hours (or until it about doubles in size) in a warm place like on top of a stove or on top of the refrigerator.
  • Grease a bread pan or add parchment paper.
  • Roll the dough flat into a rectangle and roll it up. Pinch the ends to the rest of the loaf.
  • Add the shaped bread dough to the parchment lined or buttered loaf pans seam side down.
    Second rise for 30 minutes to an hour at room temperature, or until doubled. Covered with a towel.
  • Optional: whisk an egg in a small bowl. Brush on top of the dough.
  • Bake the sandwich loaf at 375 for about 45 minutes, or until a lovely golden brown color on top.
  • Allow to cool completely before slicing or storing.

Notes

  • The internal temperature of baked bread should be between 195-210 degrees F
  • Use really soft butter so it will combine with the rest of the dough ingredients really well and without chunks.
  • Donโ€™t over ferment the dough. It will turn into a wet sloppy disaster that wonโ€™t rise well.
  • 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: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 295mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.60 from 342 votes (212 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




502 Comments

  1. Christine says:

    Excited to try this recipe! Can I omit honey or should I replace it with something else?
    What size loaf pan do you use?

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      You can leave it out. Here’s a link to the loaf pans I use.

  2. Gail White says:

    5 stars
    Iโ€™m so excited! My first sandwich bread! Smells wonderful before cooking it

  3. Sabrina Lee says:

    5 stars
    Just fabulous!! Soft and delicious. So easy to make.

  4. Caroline says:

    5 stars
    Lisa,
    Thank you for so many great recipes! I made this one AND the Sourdough Sandwich Bread. I have so much TASTY bread now… (some of it is in the freezer for later). : )
    This Discard Bread is just delicious!

  5. NAnderson says:

    5 stars
    I used this to make homemade stuffing for Thanksgiving this year and it was FANTASTIC.
    I made x1.5 the recipe and put it into two bread pans. It was the perfect amount for 2 loaves.

  6. Cassie says:

    5 stars
    This is a perfect recipe. Bread came out beautifully!

  7. Kimberly says:

    My family LOVES this recipe. We make a loaf about every other day. Can i use this recipe to make Hamburger buns? I saw your recipe for discard hamburger buns too. Just wondering about this recipe since we seem to have it down pat!

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Yes, that should work.

  8. Jill says:

    5 stars
    So easy, and a great sandwich bread! Fluffy and light. And mine looked exactly like the photo!

  9. Misty says:

    4 stars
    Could you clarify if this is for ONE loaf or TWO? I made it in one loaf pan, but itโ€™s HUGE. I scrolled through a lotttt of comments and came to an older comment where you said it makes 2 loaves, but it doesnโ€™t say that in the recipe.

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      It makes 1 loaf. 12 slices of bread per loaf.

      1. Natalie says:

        What size loaf pan? I was going to use a 4.5×8.5, but maybe it’s supposed to be a 4×13?

    2. Jessica says:

      4 stars
      Same! Just made this and my loaf is enormous and nearly overflowing the pan. I thought the ingredients seemed a lot for one loaf pan, but I definitely couldโ€™ve done two loaves.

    3. Becky says:

      Mine came out huge both times I made this recipe and I also questioned if it was supposed to be two loaves.

  10. M. Gray says:

    5 stars
    Really good bread. Will cut the recipe to 3/4 as rose too high in my bread machine. Great texture.