Every home baker needs a foolproof recipe for soft, fluffy sourdough sandwich bread in their recipe box and here's one that will reward you with amazing bread each time. My easy sourdough sandwich loaf recipe doesn't need any added yeast; it uses an active, bubbling sourdough starter to create buttery, tangy flavor and a light, airy crumb. It slices beautifully too!
A fantastic same-day sourdough sandwich bread
Many sourdough breads need to be started the night before, but this sourdough sandwich loaf can easily be made in about eight hours from start to finish. So if you start the bread in the morning, you can have it baked and ready in time for dinner.
The recipe makes two sandwich loaves, which last us all week long. I use it to make all of my sandwiches even more delicious, and it's wonderful with peanut butter and jelly. You can even dunk it into soups and stews! But my hands-down favorite way to eat it is to toast it lightly - especially when it's a couple of days old - and slather it with vegan butter.
This recipe uses mostly white flour but I don't feel too bad about that because research shows that sourdough-based baked goods - even white sourdough bread - are healthier. Sourdough starter is full of healthy bacteria that are probiotic and extremely beneficial to the gut microbiome. These bacteria help partially break down gluten in the dough and make the bread easier to digest (they also improve the texture of the crumb, rewarding you with that soft sourdough bread you love).
Sourdough bread also has a lower glycemic index, which means it releases glucose into the blood more slowly. This recipe is vegan so it uses no eggs or milk, and consequently has no cholesterol and no natural sugars.
Even if all of that doesn't sway you, don't you know at least that one person who refuses to eat wholegrain bread? This bread would be perfect for them! If you still prefer a wholegrain version, I have a fantastic whole wheat sourdough sandwich bread recipe on the blog.
I made this bread a few weeks ago and it's AMAZING. Super easy and just perfect. I have made SD sandwich bread a few times and this is by far the best! Thank you!!! - Ryan
Sample schedule for baking sourdough sandwich bread
This is the timetable I follow when I make this sandwich bread for dinner:
- 8 a.m.: Make the first starter and set it aside to rise four hours.
- 12 noon: Make the dough and let it rise two hours.
- 2:30 p.m.: Shape the loaves and set aside to rise two more hours.
- 4: 45 p.m.: Bake bread for 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack before serving.
Recipe card
Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups sourdough starter (bubbling and active)
- 1½ cups lukewarm water
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 4-5 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or any neutral oil of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (or any salt of your choice)
Instructions
First starter and rise
- 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.
- After four hours the starter should be quite fluffy and bubbly.
Make sourdough sandwich bread dough
- 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. You can do this by hand or in the stand mixer, using the dough hook attachment, on medium-low speed.
- 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 barely sticks to the platform.
Second rise
- 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.
Shape loaves
- Punch down the dough and divide into two. Roll out each half into a rectangle, about seven by 10 inches, and roll it up like a jelly roll. With the seam side down, tuck in the ends to form a loaf.
Third rise
- Prepare two loaf pans by spraying or brushing lightly with oil and then sprinkling on some cornmeal or semolina on the bottom and sides. Place the loaves into the prepared loaf pans.
- Cover the loaves with a kitchen towel and let them stand in a warm place for at least two more hours or until the dough domes above the top of the loaf pans.
Bake bread
- About half an hour before baking, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/220 degrees Celsius. 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.
Notes
- Increase salt by up to one teaspoon if you like a saltier loaf.
- For a gluten-free version, try my gluten-free sourdough sandwich bread.
- Refrigerate: The bread can be stored at room temperature for four days and in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- Freeze: Freeze the bread for up to three months in a freezer-safe bag, whole or sliced.
Nutrition Information
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Top tip
How much water you need for the bread could vary depending on the hydration of your sourdough starter and the weather where you live. If you find that adding two cups of water results in a very sticky dough, reduce the amount of water next time to 1 cup and trickle in the remaining water while kneading the dough, if needed.
Sourdough sandwich bread FAQs
Yes, just halve the amount of ingredients and you are all set!
The culprit here is your sourdough starter. If it is not active and fed recently (as in eight hours to 24 hours before use) you simply won't have enough natural yeast in the starter for the dough to rise.
To create a softer crust for the sourdough sandwich bread, replace half the water with soy milk.
Bread flour will give you a slightly crustier loaf. Use it if you like a crustier bread, it will be fantastic.
If you have some experience baking bread, but are new to sourdough baking, you should have no trouble making this easy sourdough sandwich bread. If you are new to both bread making and sourdough bread making, you might have a learning curve.
You can use sourdough discard but make sure it's no more than two to three days old and comes from a very active, bubbly sourdough starter. I did use sourdough discard in the past for this recipe, but I find an active starter gives a better rise and therefore a fluffier loaf.
This happens to me too, especially when I get busy and don't knead the dough long enough or let the loaves proof too long after shaping. Next time knead the dough longer until it is very supple and smooth, and make sure you don't overproof the loaves, i.e. don't let them rise for longer than the recommended time.
Javier Marquez says
Can I use the same amount of AP flour in place of wheat flour?
Rae says
So pleased with the results of this recipe. The aroma in the house is wonderful and the bread a success. Its a wintry cold day in Cape Town and I simply left the dough through its different proving stages until I was able to attend to it. First mix was 10:00 and baked the loaves at 18:30. Thank you for sharing your recipes and for the clear instructions.
Caren Kelly says
What weight in grams is your starter for this recipe. Also my starter is 100% hydration. How do I adjust my starter for this recipe?
Brittany says
I make this recipe gluten free all the time. Thanks so much, delicious bread. I just use 3.5 cups brown rice flour, 1/2 cup psyllium husk powder and 1 cup tapioca starch in place of the flour, double the water and mix it all at once and put into bread pans, let rise overnight and then bake as directed with a pan of water on the rack below. Delicious.
Nancy says
I am new to sourdough baking so my question may be obvious to the experienced sourdough baker. I am using starter from my fridge. I assume that I need to feed my starter and get it active again before adding in into the first step, correct?
K says
HI Vaishali. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I have a starter ready and raring to go. Can this recipe be halved? I have only 1 bread tin than I can use currently. Thanks. K
Vaishali says
Yes!
Joy says
My 10 yr old is learning how to bake. She knows I usually leave bread to rise overnight so she started this recipe at 8 at night. I don’t want to be up all hours finishing it. Can I leave it in the fridge at any point in the recipe?
Vaishali says
You could do the long rise in the refrigerator. So awesome your daughter is interested in baking at 10. I've been trying to get Jay into it but it's not sticking. 🙁
Sue says
I’ve only been baking with sourdough starter about a month and this was my first real successful attempt. I’ve had multiple flops and was about to give up. I followed the directions exactly. Took out my sourdough starter from the fridge the night before and fed it. It was ready in the morning to bake with and the timing of your recipe at 4 hours + 2 + 2 worked perfectly to be able to bake during the day without overnight rises. Used half white whole wheat and bread flour. Also used 8 x 4 pan and 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 and the 8x4 pan definitely had a much nicer rise. Thank you for sharing. This is now my go-to recipe!
Ann says
I just printed and followed this recipe but have decided that I did not understand the language accurately. I used my discard from two days ago directly from the refrigerator. I had to use King Arthur Bread Four since I cannot get anything else. I added it to the discard along with the AP flour and water. I realize it may not work properly. Is there a way to correct the mixture? I just finished it at 11:20 EDT. Thank you!
Ann says
Another question: I have two 9 x 5 pans and one 51/2 x 10/12 loaf pan. I was not sure what size pans are needed for this recipe. I measured pans with water and if I use two small pans, I have 1 cup of water remaining that would not fill the larger pan. That is OK if the small pans are proper for the recipe.
Petr says
Is this recipe using fed or unfed stater? Thank you
Vaishali says
Fed please!
Pammer Kidani says
I made this 2x and love it. I have a lot of bread flour. Can I use bread flour instead of all purpose flour in this recipe?
Caren Kelly says
Did you trý this with bread flour? As I'm about to do the same. Also how much flour did you use in the end. My starter also is 100% hydration, was yours?
Pammer Kidani says
My starter is 100% I had to add a bit more flour I’m in Hawaii and it humid. I followed the recipe the 2x’s I made the bread. I haven’t tried it with bread flour. I might try it next time I make this bread.
Jen says
I made this for the first time yesterday and it turned out good for a first attempt. Do you have any suggestions for a less crispy crust? It would have been amazing with soup but it was a little too crispy for sandwiches. Any advice is welcomed and appreciated.
Jennifer says
After letting it sit covered overnight it was soft and perfect. I was just too impatient. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Kathy says
Brush with butter when you take it out of the oven.
Jodie says
Could you make this in a bread machine?
Anna says
I used my bread machine for bake only for 1 loaf and made rolls with the other 1/2 of dough, worked!
Erica T. says
I had this same wish! After looking online, I decided to try a few suggestions and the result was perfect. After the part where you add the remaining ingredients and mix and knead--I put the oiled ball of dough in a covered container to rise slowly overnight in the fridge. When it came time to bake them, I preheated my oven to 500° with a pan of water placed on the rack below the one where I would be putting the loaves. Then, I brushed the tops of the loaves of dough with melted butter *before* putting them in the oven (and again after they came out.) After putting them in, I immediately turned the temperature down to 425°.
The slow overnight rise in the refrigerator creates a dough that will have a thinner crust. The higher heat at the beginning helps the bread to bake more quickly, so there is less time where the crust is begging developed. And the pan of water provides moisture to help keep the crust from becoming as dry.
Just remember that the bread will bake more quickly this way!
Michelle says
Should you leave your starter on the counter to get to room temperature before mixing anything? I have a starter in the fridge from making sourdough bread the other day.
Valerie says
This looks great, thank you. What size are you're loaf pans?
Mandy says
Made a delicious (2!) loaves of bread! I dumped all the ingredients in the breadmaker (once my starter was ready) and let the machine do the mixing & the first rise. I baked it at 375 though as I was too afraid to try it at 425!! It turned out wonderfully!! Thanks for the recipe - this one is a keeper ?
Hiba says
Hi thanks for replying! In your instructions you said to leave it for 4 hours after mixing the water starter and the 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of ap flour. At this point it was like a batter when I did that rather tan a shaggy dough. So I guess to rephrase my question, since this happened should I have went to step 2 and added 2 cups of flour and more if needed and then let it sit for 4 hours? Thanks! I hope I succeed even slightly
Mandy says
I find many recipes are a bit unclear re starter. Take your starter (which is usually only about 1/4-1/2 cup), add 1 cup of flour & 1 cup water, mix well and let it sit on the counter for approx 4 hours. Until it has slightly risen and is a bit bubbly. Then remove a small amount (approx 1/4-1/2 cup) And place in the fridge - this will be your starter again for the next time you make bread. The remaining 1/2cups approx will be your ‘yeast’. Continue with the recipe as written (flour, oil, salt etc)
Hope that helps! And good luck ?
Hiba says
Hi I've made my starter and it looks ready. This is the first bread I'm making because we eat alot of sandwich bread. I added the starter (I used the metric units) and I added all the water and the 2 cups of flour but it turned into a batter ? Is that what's supposed to happen ? I've just left it hoping the flour would soak all the water . The water looked like it was alot. I'm hoping after these 4 hours when I add the rest of the flour itll be a dough I can work with? Clearly I'm terrible at understanding baking directions! Thanks for the help!
Vaishali says
Follow instructions please. You have to knead in more flour until it becomes a dough.
NewRunner09 says
I had to add less water since I’m in a cooler climate. About 1 1/2 cups was the right amount for me. It is still very watery but comes together nicely in the next step.
Linda says
Thanks for sharing and looking forward to trying this recipe. Your ingredients list 1 cup whole wheat & 4-5 cups all purpose flour. However, step 1 calls for 1 cup all purpose flour and Step 2 adds an additional 2 cups all purpose flour. This is only 3 cups all purpose flour not 4-5 cups as listed in the ingredients. Thanks for the clarification.
Vaishali says
Yes it's in the instructions-- knead in more flour as needed.
Penny H says
I don’t have whole wheat flour can I just use all purpose flour only? Thanks
Joyce says
Did you make it with all purpose flour and how did it turn out? I would love to try the recipe but I only buy all purpose flour.
Valerie says
Once the dough is in the oiled bowl, can I put it in the fridge overnight and proceed with the recipe in the morning? Or should I put the dough into the loaf pans and put them into the fridge overnight?
My starter is named Yumi. I developed her in the beginning of April and sourdough baking has turned into my new favorite hobby.
Rebecca says
I find that different starters have different density, particularly at different stages of the rise. When you call for 1.5 cups of starter, can you provide a weight?
maria says
Hi, right below the ingredients if your press metric it will convert all the measurements 🙂
Kat says
I love this recipe! I've never made bread before, but after learning I could make a sourdough starter with the milk kefir I've been brewing, I figured I'd give it a shot since it really just takes time and flour and I have plenty of both at the present moment.
My first batch turned out so well, we had bread for lunch until it was gone. I followed others advice of the pan of water and melted butter for softer crust, but I really missed that chewy crust that makes sourdough so good. I've got my second batch on the counter doing it's thing now and I think I'll skip the water/butter extra steps this time around.
Thanks for making this so easy!
Tiffany says
Just made this sandwich bread and it is lovely! My toddler, husband and I have all had a slice and love the lightly sour flavour, and soft, airy texture. Will definitely add it into my baking routine.
Pia says
I followed the instructions & used my own starter. The bread came out perfect!
Tiana says
After feeding your starter how long do you usually wait to use it and what exactly makes it the correct hydration?
Vaishali says
I'd wait at least three to four hours. And there's no correct hydration--different hydrations would just mean you have to change the amount of liquid you use in your recipe when you actually bake with the starter.
Christina Corporon says
Ok.... so quarantine being what it is. Will a foil bread pan work? Is it the same size will the heat distribution be off?
Vaishali says
Should be fine. Keep it on a baking sheet if possible.
Rajalakshmy Varadarajan says
I dont want my bread to be sour. It should have the usual bread taste. Will this recipe give me sich a bread. Asking because the proofing time is more in this bread. But I loved this recipe bcoz its very easy to follow and would like to make one. Please advise. Thank you
Vaishali says
A mature starter will have a tangier taste, but if you want a milder flavored bread you might want to try feeding your starter just a few hours prior to making the dough.
Christian King says
Just wondering what size loaf pan to use? I’m new to baking and a few loaves have risen to agonizingly low levels and I’ve found out it’s the size of my tins. I haven’t named my starter yet but it’s a toss up between Arnie ( Arnold Schwarzenegger) or Elvis ( Elvis).
Norma says
Totally new to having s starter and bread baking but this turned out amazing yesterday!! Love it, thank you so much!!
Janice says
Couple questions. I feed my starter 50 grams starter, 100 grams water and 100 grams water. For this bread how would I adjust for 75% hydration? Also, can the last rise been delayed by putting the loaves in the fridge overnight and allowed to rise in the morning before baking?
My starter is called My Corona. I’ll always know when I received it. Absolutely loving it.
Janice says
Revised. Couple questions. I feed my starter 50 grams starter, 100 grams water and 100 grams flour. For this bread how would I adjust for 75% hydration? Also, can the last rise been delayed by putting the loaves in the fridge overnight and allowed to rise in the morning before baking?
My starter is called My Corona. I’ll always know when I received it. Absolutely loving it.
Erin says
I am assuming you mean just fed starter and not the discard starter
Amy G says
I made this recipe last week and my husband just loves it. We went through one of the loaves last week. I actually allowed the first step to sit overnight. I'm pretty new to baking homemade sourdough and I have to say, I'm having great luck with it. So tasty too. This recipe was easy to follow and we had perfect sandwich bread.
Thank you for such a great recipe.
Julie Friend says
Trying to get my kids of store bought white bread, hoping this will do it. My starter is named Marv after the robber in Home Alone (clearly my kids named it)
Marcie says
I look forward to trying this! My starter is called Leviathan, and my sister named hers Audrey. 😉