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.
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.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
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.
Laura Vick says
Can I use olive oil instead of coconut or butter?
Lisa Bass says
Yes!
Kris says
If I need about 15-20 hours before I take the next step, can I start the first proof at room tempurature (10 hours) and end it in the refrigerator?
Jen says
I put all the ingredients,flour last, in my smaller 2 loaf Bosch, It worked that dough like a champ! The bread turned out perfect! So quick and easy. I did measure by weight and the water ended up being more around 3 cups. I didn’t add the whole 590g as it started to look too wet. Anyway,thank you for a great, easy recipe!
Randolph L Jongbloed says
Hi Lisa,
I am trying your recipe today, the KA recipe was far to sweet.
Can for the second rise do it in the fridge overnight?
Thanks
Lisa Bass says
No, it needs to be on the counter in the loaf pan!
Dirk says
I have used this recipe and did the 2nd rise in the loaf pans overnight in the fridge, right next to my boulettes. It turned out just fine.
amanda says
If i cut this recipe in half and am only making one loaf, should i bake it for less time? thanks!
Lisa Bass says
Same bake time.
Beth Benjamin says
Why donโt you rise this in the frig?
Lisa Bass says
It needs a counter top fermentation for the rise. After that, you can place it in the fridge for more health benefits! The warmer temperature is what helps the dough to rise.
Natalie says
My starter is ready and Iโm so anxious to give it a go, buuuut I work during the day. Bouncing off of this response, can I have someone put the dough in the fridge after the countertop rise until size has doubled? If so, would I then just take it out and bake it immediately/cold? It would likely only be in the fridge for about 3 hours.
Lisa Bass says
Yes, you can!
Hillary Cameron says
Hi! Could the second rise be done in the fridge overnight? I didnโt time my bread making right for today and now will be up until 2 am if I follow the recipe as is ๐
Thanks!
Lisa Bass says
Yes. Take a pause and put it in the fridge. Put it back out on the counter when you’re ready to use it again.
Timothy says
My first attempt made my own starter and all more tomorrow
Maila Jean says
This turned out beautifully. I did have to let it knead for closer to half an hour before it finally came together–which you say in your video (which was very helpful in keeping me from giving up too soon).
Kris says
Where is the video? I would love to watch it.
Sara Moore says
Your recipes are amazing!!!! I have a quick question. I have a ton of King Arthur bread flour. May I substitute bread flour for the all purpose flour in this recipe?
Ayla says
This was perfect! Best I’ve tried so far. Thank you
Claudia hines says
Lisa!! I was so excited everything looked beautiful, perfect. Until I tried it. So so sour! Was it my starter? It was not fed. Or maybe itโs just the taste of sourdough sandwich bread Iโm not a fan of. Is it supposed to be on the more sour side?
Lisa Bass says
It is sour tasting! It could have been your starter, maybe. You should feed it and use active starter for the recipe. ๐