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
To print recipe card without images, uncheck "instruction images" after clicking the "print recipe" button.
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.
Anonymous says
Look up Herman sourdough starter. It is actually a sourdough recipe, supposedly from the Amish. It made the rounds here in the Midwest in the 70s. Every cook had a pot of sourdough in the refrigerator. It made a really great coffee cake. You were supposed to pass some on to your friends along with the recipe for Friendship bread.
Debra Gomes says
I’m new to sourdough. Just removed my loaves from the oven and they look good! But I wish they had a little more lift. They crested the pan, but not as lofty as in Vaishali‘s pics. Is there a phase where I’m not being patient? I added a lot of flour during kneading- is that it? Thanks in advance for any advise?
Barbara says
Could you please give me a weight for the starter? That is how I measure for sourdough. Thank you!
Debra Gomes says
Yes! I was about to request the same. Weighted measurements please!!
Kathryn Clark says
Look right under the ingredients. It says “uS standard and Metric”. Click on Metric! It will give you the weight.in grams.
Deanna warner says
Want to ask will this bread raise my blood insulin level or does the sour dough starter prevent that?
Thank you
Deanna says
I meant blood glucose or insulin level...sorry
Vaishali says
Hi Deanna, There is some research online that shows sourdough can have benefits for diabetics, but I am not a medical doctor and can't advise you. You should definitely check with your doctor to find out how it will affect your insulin levels.
Deanna says
Thank you!
Barbara says
Do you have weights for these measurements? I'm never certain how to measure the starter. Thank you!
Vaishali Honawar says
Yes, click on "metric" in recipe card.
Jeannie says
Hi, I have to say that I totally screwed up the process of this recipe!!...but it still turned out great!! Wow!!
I forgot, because I had read through the recipe, but when I went back to it a day later I just looked at the ingredients and threw them all in the bowl and then went back to look at the directions and realized that I wasn’t supposed to start with everything, but anyway I I went ahead and turned on the mixer, knowing I couldn’t go backwards, and got it all mixed up and let it rise a for four hours, then I put it in the loaf pans and did the second rise, it still turned out perfect! The next time I did it according to the directions and got the same results. Who knew?!! Thanks for a great recipe!!
MJ Callahan says
Can you refrigerate overnight and then bake it in the morning?
Jill says
I put it in the fridge overnight after step 1 and let it warm up on the counter for an hour. Came out good
Liz says
I did and it was perfect
Jill says
I was wondering can you proof this bread overnight?
E says
Awesome recipe but I find I need a couple extra cups of flour to get it to turn into the dough needed. I wonder why such a big difference for me...
Janice Murray says
I’m wondering the same thing we had to continue to add flour to get it to come together and it was very dense-I would love to make this recipe work I did make another sourdough sandwich bread that have one cup of milk 2 tablespoons of butter and a tablespoon of sugar and it was very light and fluffy so I’m not sure I’m so new to this I really want to understand are usually try to be very specific in the amounts of water and flour are you so this recipe kind of confuses me please help
Pat Andrews says
Hi. I have been basking breads for only a few months-- something I took up during this time of the coronavirus. I have learned there is no exactness; the amount of water and flour vary depend on the humidity of the air. In Florida, it is usually damp, and it has been unusually damp and soggy this summer, with storms nearly every day. The air in the house is humid, despite the air conditioner's valiant efforts to dehumidify the air. The result is that my flour has already absorbed moisture and can't absorb as much from the water I mix into the recipe. I have to use less water/more flour. I used 1/3 less water than the recipe called for, and still used a good bit of flour. We'll see what it's like in the winter, with drier air. I hope this helps. This recipe is great.
Anonymous says
Hi! What happens if I add all the all purpose flour at once by accident? Will it still turn out alright? (So I guess I’m also asking, what’s the purpose of adding only one cup of flour at the beginning?)
Mark says
I am enjoying this recipe, however I find that I would like more of the sour taste. Any hints for how to do this? I was thinking maybe I could use less water and flour? Or just more starter?
Vaishali says
Hi Mark, the maturity of your sourdough--and how hot it is where you are--will make a difference to how sour the recipe ends up. With a very new sourdough you might not get a very tangy bread, but be patient. 🙂 Or you could place your starter in a warm spot to help it mature quickly and become sour.
Mark says
Thanks! The 2nd time I made it was perfect, but then I started refridgerating my starter in between batches, so that must be why. Though I do take it out of the fridge a couple days before making it - guess I'll just leave it out or take it out even sooner.
stephanie says
Can you use discard for this or must it be fed starter?
Sherry Davis-Ellis says
You can use your discard I do.
Tiffany says
Hello! I’m eager to try your recipe as I am a newish sourdough junkie: at least a year of regular baking. I’ve got a good thing going with my artisan loaves. I see you have a 75% hydration starter. Mine is a 100% hydration. It’s been quite humid here lately (60-70% humidity) and my bread doughs have definitely noticed. I feel like I should decrease the water amount, and was looking for some direction/suggestion. Thank you!
Christyl says
Not the author of the recipe, but my starter is 100% hydration and I reduce the water by 1/4 cup.
Linda MacDonald says
I had great success for about 3 months with this recipe but since summer hit I can’t make a loaf to save my life. Takes 4 hours for first rise no issue, but 2 bf rise takes minimum 4 hours and 3rd rise never really happens. I end up with dense small loaves every time. I’ve tried additional food (thinking the starter is hungry) and same issue. Starter is as strong as ever, but epic bread fails every time lately. Please help!
Kathie says
I would shorten the first rise time by half
Jay says
Can you freeze half of the dough? I only have one loaf pan and would not be able to finish two loaves before they go bad!
Sandy says
I hope it’s ok to answer, I’m not the author but It should freeze fine or you could leave in the refrigerator overnight, or halve the recipe which is what I did. Good bread breaking.
Jo Malsom says
Actually if you freeze dough that has not fully proofed, it won’t proof again. As I once heard it explained the science behind it is that if you freeze most doughs or sourdough starter once the yeast molecules reach their freezing temp they actually have a tendency to burst and (much like an over filled water bottle or soda can that has been put in the freezer) and then upon thawing they no longer have the ability to rise or proof properly. So if the dough is too much I would suggest either halving the recipe and using only 170gm of starter instead of 340 with half the amounts of flour and everything else or making the whole amount and then freeze one of the two baked loaves. I hope this helped!
Sruthi Muralidharan says
I subbed half the water for aquafaba and the bread came out super soft! I have made the original recipe multiple times too.
Martha says
Can I just cut the recipe in half if I don’t want to make 2 loaves? Cheers.
Ryan Price says
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!!!
If I skip the whole wheat and just use white bread flour do I need to change any of the measurements or timing?
Donna says
My pans are 9x5. Will these work or too big?
Lea says
That is the standard size, and the same size as I just made my loaves in, using this recipe. Should be perfect.
Lauren says
Any thoughts on adding seeds to this recipes? Thinking sesame seeds, chai seed or linseeds!
Thank you!
Krithika says
I plan to feed my starter today and use a 3/4 cup from the fridge tomorrow. Will that work?
Sam says
Thanks for the recipe, followed your starter recipe and since made this bread twice successfully. I'm no baker so it's pretty remarkable and I'm putting it down to your recipe 🙂
I prefer bread fresh for lunch so have been doing the main mix in the evening and then leaving in the fridge overnight. Doing the knead in the morning when I get up and then 2 rises and it's ready for lunch.
Cheers
Janice says
Do you do the four hour rise before refrigerating?
Ella says
Thank you for posting your sourdough recipes! Following your guidance, I successfully made my own sourdough starter named Fluffy, and the name definitely fits! This bread was my first official loaf (not counting things I made with the discards). The dough was incredibly light and fluffy, very easy to work with, and the bread has a lovely texture. I started the dough a bit too late in the day, so I let it do the 2nd rise in the refrigerator overnight, and this worked great. I am looking forward to experimenting with this recipe some more, to use a bit more of the whole wheat flour, and possibly add some pureed beans for additional protein. Thanks again for posting! 🙂 Ella
Caroline says
Hi do you put any water into the oven to steam ?
Ella says
I did add water for steam - not sure if it was necessary, but it certainly didn't hurt!
Laning says
Hi .. loaf looks very good. Interesting that this particular sandwich loaf only uses tiny amount of oil and high % SD starter. Interested in giving it a go. May i know whats your loaf pan measurement? Thank you.
Ayumi says
Love this recipe!!! Nice and fluffy.
Thank you !
Ashley says
Does the starter need to be active and bubbly, or is that the point of letting it sit for four hours?
Susan says
Hi. I did not feed my starter before mixing ingredients as I just fed it Sunday and I feed it every week and have been for over 2 years so thought it would be active enough. My dough raised a tiny bit in 4 hours. Any suggestions to salvage it?
Susan says
I just re-read the instructions and it doesn’t say it was suppose to rise so I am going to proceed & hope for the best!
Ella says
Wait longer, the dough will rise eventually. If it is early in the day, you can put it in a warmer spot to rise more quickly, or if it is getting later and you don't need the bread today, you can let it rise in the refrigerator overnight. Good luck!
Anastasiia says
Great recipe but really misleading about timing. Sorry, but Prep time is not nearly like 15 minutes. It’s like 8 hours and so, I don’t know. Hope people like me will read really carefully before begging for the process. I’m gonna throw away my leaven because I don’t have a time now to stretch and fold and then leave again for 4 hours and bake it ( I began my leaven at 19:00 and it was a mistake because I mistakenly simply misread and then began my process). Hm... next time will try this recipe 🙂
Sumaya says
Hi there! I cannot speak for the author or this recipe, but often times, if you run out of time, you can leave your dough covered in the fridge and pick up the day after where you left off. Hope that helps!
Dominic Mokgakala says
Hi Vaishali,
Could I substitute the flour for Gluten Free flour? I love that it is dairy and yeast free also. I will try to make today.
Vaishali says
Here's my recipe for gf sourdough sandwich bread. You can use gf all purpose to replace the different flours here. https://holycowvegan.net/gluten-free-multigrain-sourdough-sandwich-bread/
Kanan says
Hi Vaishali,
One more question, can I use 24 Mantra organic Chapati flour in place of whole wheat flour for sourdough sandwich bread? Thanks
Vaishali says
I haven't used that specific one, but atta flour should be a fine replacement for whole wheat flour in this bread.
Daphne says
Hi Can i use organic rue flour to replace ww flour? Thanks
Daphne says
*Rye