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    Home > Vegan Bread Recipes > Vegan Sourdough Bread Recipes

    The Best Sourdough Sandwich Bread, yeast-free

    Posted: Sep 28, 2016 ยท Updated: Sep 30, 2021

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

    First let me clarify that when I say this sourdough sandwich bread is yeast-free, I mean it's free of any added yeast. There is yeast in this loaf, but it's the wild kind, seduced from the air around your kitchen by the flour and the water and by the potent chemistry they create together.

    Photo of a sliced Vegan Sourdough Sandwich Bread on a chopping board.

    This is the most perfect sandwich bread I've ever baked, and yes, it's mostly white flour, but I don't feel like the devilย about it. Research shows that the healthiness of white sourdough bread far exceeds that of wholegrain and multigrain breads.

    That's because sourdough has a powerful effect on blood sugar: when left to work its fermenting magic, it breaks down the starches in the foodsย it's added to, making them easier to digest. Sourdough is also probiotic, which means it is packed with healthy gut bacteria, so you can feel truly holier-than-thou when you smear this bread with some peanut butter or use it to cradleย a delicious vegan burger.

    Many sourdough breads need to be started a day before, but this one can easily be made in about eight hours from start to finish, including three rise times. So if you start your bread late in the morning, you can easily have some in time for dinner.

    Photo of a loaf of Vegan Sourdough Sandwich Bread on a cooling rack with another loaf in background.

    I understand that most of you probably aren't sourdough nuts and don't have a jar of bubbly starterย sitting on your kitchen table or in the refrigerator, but that doesn't mean I won't try to convert you. Making sourdough starter is one of the easiest things you can do-- all you need to do isย stir flour and water with a spoon. Nature takes care of the rest. I used aย recipe from the King Arthur Flour website to make my starter and it's excellent.

    I did change the hydration -- the ratio of water to flour -- ofย the starter. The King Arthur recipe has 50 percent hydration, which means it has ยฝ cup of water for each 1 cup of flour used to make and feed the sourdough. My sourdough has 75ย percent hydration, meaning I add ยพ cup ofย water for each cup ofย flour when I feed my sourdough. I find the 50 percent hydration starter just a tad too firm for my baking.

    I am in love with my starter. I've been using it almost every weekend to make my whole-wheat sourdough waffles and they are such a hit that Jay and Desi demand them every week. This bread is our new favorite way to use it. All I need now is to name my starter-- I read somewhere that sourdough aficionados do that, and my friend Margo told me the other day that her mother, who kept hers alive for more than 30 years, called him "Herman."

    Any suggestions?

    Vegan Sourdough Sandwich Bread loaves on a cooling rack.

    More sourdough recipes:

    • Sourdough Pretzels
    • Whole Wheat Sourdough Ciabatta
    • All Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

    Sourdough Sandwich Bread, yeast-free recipe:

    Photo of a single slice of sourdough sandwich bread on a chopping board
    Vegan Sourdough Sandwich Bread

    The Best Sourdough Sandwich Bread, yeast-free

    A wonderful, homemade sourdough sandwich bread with five ingredients and no added yeast. It's the perfect loaf -- fluffy and fresh and it slices -- and toasts -- beautifully.
    5 from 311 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Review Recipe
    Course: Bread
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: Sourdough Sandwich Bread
    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Cook Time: 40 mins
    Total Time: 55 mins
    Servings: 24 slices (2 loaves)
    Calories: 112kcal
    Author: Vaishali ยท Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes

    Ingredients 
    US Customary - Metric

    • 1 ยฝ cups sourdough starter
    • 2 cups lukewarm water
    • 1 cup whole wheat flour
    • 4-5 cups all purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 teaspoon salt
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    Instructions

    • Place the sourdough starter in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add to it the wholewheat flour, 1 cup of all-purpose flour, and water. Mix well and set it aside, covered, in a warm place for four hours.
    • Add 2 cups of all-purpose flour, olive oil and salt and mix. Add more flour as you knead until the dough becomes quite firm but still feels a little sticky to your fingers.
    • Turn out the dough on the kitchen platform or any flat surface and knead by hand for 4-5 minutes or until the dough feels smooth and springy to your fingers and it barely sticks to the platform.
    • Shape into a ball and place in an oiled bowl, turning the ball of dough around once to coat the top with oil.
    • Cover tightly and place in a warm spot (like an oven with the light turned on) for at least two hours or until the dough has doubled.
    • Punch down the dough and divide into two. Prep two standard loaf pans by spraying lightly with oil and then sprinkling on some cornmeal or semolina.
    • Shape each portion of the dough into an oval. The dough should be very pliable and should shape easily.
    • Place each loaf into the prepared loaf pans. Cover with a kitchen towel and let them stand in a warm place for at least two more hours or until the dough rises above the top of the loaf pans.
    • About half an hour before baking, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
    • Place the loaves in the oven and bake 40 minutes.
    • Remove the loaves from the oven, turn them out on a rack, and let them cool thoroughly before slicing.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 112kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 195mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment and recipe rating below!
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    About Vaishali


    Hi! I am so happy you're here. I'm Vaishali, and I've been sharing recipes for delicious vegan food at Holy Cow Vegan since 2007. Every one of the more than 1,000 recipes on this blog has been tried and tested -- and loved -- by my family and I. I hope you will find something here to share with your loved ones. Thanks for stopping by!
    Read more about me here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sara

      April 20, 2022 at 2:12 pm

      5 stars
      I am always looking for new things to make with my sourdough starter, this bread is particularly useful since it can be used to replace something I would already buy from the store! I was looking for a no yeast recipe and this one was pretty good. It is definitely a slow rise so follow the times listed and be patient. Remember it could take longer if your house is chilly. Also, I had to add significantly more flour than stated and the dough was still much more soft and sticky than your typical bread. But it turned out so I guess it was alright.

      Reply
    2. Jo

      February 05, 2022 at 8:07 pm

      Can the discard starter loaf be made using a lid on bread tin to get square sandwich bread?

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        April 16, 2022 at 10:35 am

        Hi Jo, I suppose so, although I haven't tried this.

        Reply
    3. LDFT

      November 01, 2021 at 7:00 am

      5 stars
      Tried this recipe for the first time yesterday. House is kinda chilly right now and my first rise (after all ingredients added) was taking forever. I had to call it a night, so I put dough in my sealed proofing container into refrigerator. This morning I pulled it out to find the fridge worked its magic and dough was doubled. Now loaves are in pans doing final bench rise before baking off. My starter, Ned, is 2 years old and hasn't failed no matter what I do to it. Cannot wait to see final results, but recipe was very simple...which I prefer.

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        November 01, 2021 at 1:11 pm

        So happy to hear! Hope you love the bread.

        Reply
    4. Andrea Lowe

      September 26, 2021 at 5:15 pm

      5 stars
      I made my starter following your recipe and made the no knead bread successfully. I love making crackers out of the discard adding thyme and black pepper....YUM. I am making the sourdough sandwhich bread right now and can't wait to see how it turns out. I named my starter Spark.

      Reply
    5. Kristina Johnson

      July 30, 2021 at 8:14 pm

      Does this sourdough starter need to be fed and active or can you use the โ€œdiscardโ€ for this recipe?

      Reply
    6. Paul Lane

      March 11, 2021 at 5:18 pm

      5 stars
      This also makes a fantastic boule.

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        March 12, 2021 at 9:41 am

        Thanks for the tip, Paul!

        Reply
    7. Heather Honto

      February 19, 2021 at 9:01 am

      I named my starter Magnolia ?

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        February 19, 2021 at 12:32 pm

        What a beautiful name for a starter! โค๏ธ

        Reply
      • Cassandra

        March 14, 2021 at 8:14 pm

        5 stars
        My daughter named our starter "Souron" (like Sauron from Lord of the Rings) ?
        Love this recipe! I use it all the time. Thanks for sharing ?

        Reply
    8. Cassidy

      December 31, 2020 at 10:29 pm

      Mine never rose correctly. What are some common troubleshooting?

      Reply
      • Meredith DeVoe

        August 07, 2021 at 1:10 am

        5 stars
        Mine took much longer to rise than the stated time. It also rises considerably in the oven. I also used this recipe for pizza dough, it was fantastic!

        Reply
        • Vaishali

          August 07, 2021 at 9:41 am

          That's the oven spring. ๐Ÿ™‚ It's one of the best things about making sourdough bread--always a nice surprise. As for the rising time, it can take longer if your home is cool.

          Reply
    9. Rachel B

      November 26, 2020 at 10:21 am

      After mixing the starter, water, and flour for the first rise should the dough be really watery? Will it work out once I add the flour for the second rise? Hoping it turns out because the bread looks delicious and I dont eat anything with added yeast!

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        November 26, 2020 at 1:41 pm

        Not watery but loose. It will get firmer after adding the other two cups of flour but will be a bit sticky still.

        Reply
      • James Wilson

        January 01, 2021 at 12:36 am

        Can I put this in a bread maker? All the ingredients at same time or? It sounds amazing, but I donโ€™t have a mixer and use a bread maker. Thank you!

        Reply
    10. Thabit

      November 15, 2020 at 2:40 pm

      How do i get a bread that has no sour after taste?

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        November 15, 2020 at 5:42 pm

        Hi, the charm of sourdough for many is the wonderful flavor. But if you want minimal sourdough flavor, use a freshly fed starter. Or you can just try making a regular sandwich bread, instead of sourdough.

        Reply
      • S. K. Mitra

        December 13, 2020 at 10:00 pm

        5 stars
        I made this sandwich bread in a Pullman tin and came out pretty good excepting there was hardly any browning on any side. What do I have to do to bring that nice uniform browning all over?

        Reply
        • Tom

          December 17, 2020 at 4:15 am

          5 stars
          The key to browning is to provide humidity in the first 10-15 minutes of baking at a high temperature, then finishing off at medium temperature for the rest.
          This is done by either adding a tray of boiling water along with the bread, or covering the bread with a lid (such as the one your tin has) which entraps any humidity already in the bread. If your oven has a humidity function, all the better for you - you can use that instead.
          During the first 10-15 minutes, bake at ~240C, and keep humid. Afterwards, remove the lid/tray and lower temperature to ~180C.
          Keep baking for about 30 minutes, or until the temperature inside the bread is ~90C.

          Reply
          • Barb Mueller

            April 23, 2022 at 8:35 am

            Can I use my mixer with dough hook to knead the dough?

            Reply
            • Vaishali

              April 23, 2022 at 11:04 am

              Yes, absolutely!

              Reply
    11. Veronica

      November 06, 2020 at 1:13 am

      Great recipe! But just so you know: hydration of starter would be calculated by weight of its components not by volume. So if you use 100g flour and 75g of water then thatโ€™s a 75% hydration. But using 1cup of flour and 3/4cup water is NOT 75% hydration because the weight of the two are entirely different and weight of flour measured within volume varies greatly baker to baker depending on how you scoop your flour in

      Reply
      • Lili

        December 28, 2020 at 2:36 pm

        Hei. What is the hydration of the starter in this recipe? 75%??.

        Thanks.

        Reply
      • Kathryn Clark

        March 12, 2021 at 10:39 pm

        The ingredients for this recipe are also given in grams.

        Reply
        • Margaret

          March 29, 2022 at 9:09 pm

          Where? I can't find it in grams.

          Reply
          • Vaishali

            March 29, 2022 at 10:47 pm

            Click on "metric" in recipe box.

            Reply
    12. Donna

      October 24, 2020 at 10:25 pm

      5 stars
      I would love to try your SOURDOUGH SANDWICH BREAD recipe but I am not sure what is all purpose flour called in Australia? We have plain, bread and self rising flour here . What is the all purpose flour's protein content in US please? Thank you.

      Reply
      • Thu Hong Peck

        November 01, 2020 at 9:21 am

        If the 3 flours you mentioned APF is equivalent to your plain flour.

        Reply
      • Vaishali

        November 01, 2020 at 9:30 am

        13 grams of protein in 1 cup (or 125 grams) of APF.

        Reply
      • Sue

        December 21, 2020 at 12:42 pm

        All purpose is just plain flour

        Reply
    13. Pat Watt

      October 23, 2020 at 5:56 pm

      At what stage is your starter? Full and fed at the top of its rise? or flat and hungry? That makes a difference - either that or please give the weight of starter. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        October 23, 2020 at 7:22 pm

        About five days after the last feeding! It isn't puffy at that stage.

        Reply
        • kur

          December 20, 2020 at 6:55 pm

          hello ma'am! I'm new at this sourdough and so far have only made the artisan bread and pretzels but wanna make this loaf bread! when you said it hasn't been fed 5 days, is it basically a discard then? :O

          Reply
        • Gwyn

          February 15, 2021 at 7:15 pm

          Five days in the fridge or on the counter? So you are really using that first step as a feeding then? Iโ€™m interested for a few reasons, I have made bread with out of the fridge week or so old starter and I have seen recipes that start with feeding the starter to make a certain amount for the bread making and state that you need to use it at the height of activity before it deflates. Iโ€™m curious about the reasons for one or the other and why you do it the way you do with this recipe.

          Reply
          • Vaishali

            February 15, 2021 at 10:25 pm

            Always refrigerate your starter (except during the first seven days of making a new starter). And yes, that first step is like a feeding. You want to get the starter back to a stage where it is active and will help the bread rise.

            Reply
      • Karen

        February 21, 2022 at 9:18 am

        Can you use all white bread flour for this recipe or must you use the whole wheat flour for it to be successful?

        Reply
        • Vaishali

          February 21, 2022 at 9:37 am

          White flour would be fine!

          Reply
    14. Sara

      October 19, 2020 at 2:08 pm

      I received a great starter from my daughter-in-law a few months ago and she uses this recipe. I made it with her the first time and it worked well. Now that I am home I cannot get it to work as well. The starter is active and I am in good shape with that. The first two risings are great! The 4 hour one and the first 2 hour one. The third and last does not rise very much at all. Is it OK to let rise for the 4 hours, then punch down and shape loaves and put in baking bowl or loaf then, let rise 2 hours only and then bake? My loaves are dense and pretty flat at the end of the third rise.

      Reply
      • Jenny

        November 28, 2020 at 10:28 am

        5 stars
        I had this same trouble!! The bread taste good but I know is much denser than the recipe intends. Hoping to get some guidance!

        Reply
        • Aletha

          January 03, 2021 at 9:27 am

          In my limited sourdough experience, this has happened to me a few times. I think its caused by over proofing where the yeast gets exhausted and also maybe not enough air bubbles in the dough to make a lofty crumb. Could also be hydration. Just my thoughts. I think it's hard to follow a recipe for sourdough when so much depends on environment and condition of the starter.

          Reply
      • Gwyn

        February 15, 2021 at 10:07 pm

        Iโ€™m not sure the first step is considered a rising, I think itโ€™s more of a feeding or a feeding/ autolysis combo since you add the bulk of the flour along with salt and oil after it but your question confuses me a little because you need to add the rest of the ingredients after that first four hour ferment. The second 2 hour rise is actually the bulk rise I think as it is the first one with all the four and ingredients so probably necessary and the one where it rises most, doubles in size, mine wasnโ€™t really punchable until after that rise anyway. Maybe the temperature was higher so 4 hours was too long or maybe it was over proofed during the first or second rise? Mine didnโ€™t rise quite as high as I was thinking it would in the bread pan but it had great rise in the oven and came out looking perfect if that helps at all.

        Reply
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    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

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    Vaishali Honawar, Holy Cow Vegan author, profile photo

    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

    More about me โ†’

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