Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (2024)

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This Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread is an easy, low maintenance sourdough bread recipe that yields the best loaves of soft sourdough. All you need is a few simple ingredients like all purpose flour, butter and a bubbly and active sourdough starter and you’ll have delicious, fluffy bread that everyone will love.

Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (1)

There are a few sourdough recipes that I make weekly – Sourdough Dutch Oven Bread, Sourdough Pancakes, and this Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread. Of the two bread recipes, this is the one my kids prefer. They love the soft crust and fluffy inside of this sandwich bread over the crusty crust and chewy interior of the artisan style sourdough bread. Both are so delicious, but this one is the best for a basic weekday breakfast or lunch. We love it toasted with a fried egg in the morning or made into a hearty sandwich for lunch. It is also so delicious with a bowl of homemade soup, or just eaten with butter right out of the oven. Ask me how I know. 🙂

If you’re still buying store-bought bread, this might be the sourdough recipe that changes your mind. It comes together easily in a stand mixer and doesn’t require very much hands on time at all. And maybe the best part about making it yourself? It doesn’t contain any of the junk found in the long list of unpronounceables found on the side of the bread bag at the store. Only real ingredients and natural leavening here!

In this post, you’ll find step-by-step instructions to make the perfect sandwich bread.

what is sourdough?

Let’s start at the very beginning. What is sourdough bread? Great question! Sourdough bread is bread that has been leavened naturally, by naturally occurring yeast in the form of a sourdough starter as opposed to using commercial yeast or a chemical leavening agent such as baking powder or baking soda.

what is a sourdough starter?

A sourdough starter is a live fermented culture of fresh flour and water. Once combined, the culture will begin to ferment and cultivate the natural yeasts found in our environment. A small portion is added to your bread dough to make it rise, assuming you are using a healthy and active starter. Commercial yeast is not required.

This makes sense when you understand that natural “wild” yeast is all around us. It can be found in a bag of flour, in the air, on your hands etc. When we are able to capture that yeast and nurture it enough to grow and strengthen, we can add it to many different kinds of recipes. You can make your own sourdough starter at home by followingthese instructions: HERE…. or you could purchase a starter that has been dehydrated at it’s strongest state and rehydrate it at home. This is the method I recommend.

Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (2)
Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (3)

I highly suggest starting with a dehydrated sourdough starter that you rehydrate and activate in your own kitchen. This way, you are guaranteed to have a strong and active starter from the start. This will give you the confidence to begin sourdough baking right away. Once you have the hang of sourdough baking and know what to expect, then you can attempt to create your own starter. This way, you will be well acquainted with a healthy starter and know how to troubleshoot if issues arise.

Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (4)

You can purchase the exact same sourdough starter that I use in my kitchen every single day from my Etsy shop HERE.

Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread:

ingredients you’ll need-

equipment you’ll need-

What if I don’t have a stand mixer?You can easily make this recipe without a stand mixer. After mixing and resting the dough, knead by hand on a lightly floured work surface for 8-10 minutes, or until the dough has become glossy and smooth and passes the windowpane test.

What size loaf pans should I use?I recommend 9×5 inch loaf pans. 8.5×4 inch work well too, but they will produce a taller loaf of bread.

Do I have to use bread flour?You do not have to use bread flour, you can sub the same amount of all purpose flour instead. Bread flour produces a softer, fluffier texture, but all purpose flour is a very comparable and usually less expensive.

Is there any way to make this bread faster?Remember that temperature controls the time when it comes to sourdough. A warmer environment will help speed up the process if you’re hoping for a same-day bread. I include more details about how to do this later in the post.

how to make homemade sourdough sandwich bread

mix the dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add melted butter, warm water, active sourdough starter. honey/maple syrup, salt and half of the flour. Mix with the paddle attachment until all of the ingredients are well combined. Add the rest of the flour and switch to the dough hook. Knead on low speed for 7-8 minutes, or until the dough is glossy and smooth and passes the windowpane test. The dough should feel soft and slightly sticky, but not too sticky to handle. It will be quite sticky when you first begin kneading, but will become less sticky as it comes together. After 7-8 minutes of kneading, if it is too sticky to handle, add some more flour (just a little bit at a time).

Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (5)
Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (6)

bulk rise

This is the first rise or the “bulk fermentation.” Bulk fermentation is the longest period of time during the fermentation process. Put all of the dough into a buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Leave the dough at room temperature overnight or for 10-12 hours. The dough is ready when it has doubled in size.

shape the dough

The next morning, spread melted butter into two loaf pans. Divide the dough in half and shape. To shape the dough, roll it out into a large rectangle. Stretch the sides as far as you can without breaking or tearing, and press down gently on the dough to release any of the large bubbles. Using the short sides, fold the dough into thirds, like a letter. Then starting at the short end, roll the dough up into a log. Tuck the ends underneath so only the smooth, round top is exposed. Repeat for the other piece of dough. Place each one into a buttered loaf pan seam side down. Cover with a damp towel and let the dough rise again.

Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (7)
Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (8)
Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (9)
Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (10)
Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (11)

second rise

Now the dough needs to rise again. The second rise can take anywhere from 3-6 hours depending on the temperature of your house. If it’s warm, it will rise more quickly. The dough is ready to bake when it is about 1 inch above the rim of the pan. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (12)
Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (13)

bake

Place the loaf pans side by side on the center rack. Bake for 40 minutes. The crust will be golden brown. When the bread is done, turn the loaves out of the loaf pans onto a wire cooling rack. If you want the crust to soften, rub butter onto the crust. For best results, let it cool for at least one hour before slicing.

Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (14)
Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (15)

sample baking schedule:

Day 1-

Morning: Feed your sourdough starter a 1:1:1 ratio so that it is active and bubbly by evening.

6-8 PM: Mix dough and start the overnight rise.

Day 2-

8 AM: Divide dough into two loaves and shape, let rise.

12-2 PM: Bake!

how to speed up the fermentation process –

It is possible to make same day sourdough sandwich bread using this recipe. In order to do this, you need to have active and bubbly sourdough starter first thing in the morning. This will only work if your starter is very active. The night before, feed your starter a 1:4:4 ratio (1 part starter, 4 parts flour, 4 parts water). First thing in the morning, mix the dough and start the bulk fermentation. Then, find a warm place for the dough to rise. A great way to do this would be to use a heating pad underneath your bowl. This will warm the dough without making it too hot. 80 degrees F is ideal. Early afternoon, divide the dough into two loaf pans and rise again, using something to keep the dough warm. Bake in the evening after the dough has risen about 1 inch over the rim of the pans.

Because temperature is so influential in the sourdough process, the weather can play a big part. If you are baking on a hot summer day with no A/C, you could easily follow this schedule without adding supplemental heat. But if the average temperature of your kitchen is 68-70ish degrees, then the standard baking schedule will work well.

Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (16)

how to store leftover bread

The best way to store your homemade bread is in a plastic bag with a zipper or twist tie. Only slice what you need so that the rest doesn’t dry out. This homemade sourdough white bread is best within the first few days of baking. Leftovers can be frozen fresh as well!

how to freeze sourdough sandwich bread

If you will not use two loaves of bread in the first few days after baking, I highly recommend freezing one of them whole right away in a plastic bag. If you prefer, you could slice it up so you’re able to just take out one or two slices at a time, as needed.

check out these other sourdough recipes!

  • Sourdough Dutch Oven Bread
  • Sourdough Buttermilk Biscuits
  • Sourdough Discard Scones
  • Sourdough Discard Crackers
  • Sourdough Pancakes or Waffles
  • Sourdough Pie Crust

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Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (17)

Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Yield: 2 loaves sandwich bread

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Additional Time: 1 day

Total Time: 1 day 55 minutes

This Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread is an easy, low maintenance sourdough bread recipe that yields the best loaves of soft sourdough. All you need is a few simple ingredients all purpose flour, butter and a bubbly and active sourdough starter and you'll have delicious, fluffy bread that everyone will love.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup softened or melted butter
  • 2 1/2 cups warm water
  • 1 1/2 cups bubbly and active sourdough starter
  • 2 T honey or maple syrup
  • 1 T salt
  • 8 cups bread flour

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add melted butter, warm water, active sourdough starter. honey, salt and half of the flour. Mix with the paddle attachment until all of the ingredients are well combined. Add the rest of the flour and switch to the dough hook. Knead on low speed for 7-8 minutes, or until the dough is glossy and smooth and passes the windowpane test. The dough should feel soft and slightly sticky, but not too sticky to handle. It will be quite sticky when you first begin kneading, but will become less sticky as it comes together. After 7-8 minutes of kneading, if it is too sticky to handle, add some more flour (just a little bit at a time).
  2. Put all of the dough into a buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Leave the dough at room temperature overnight or for 10-12 hours. The dough is ready when it has doubled in size.
  3. The next morning, spread melted butter into two loaf pans. Divide the dough in half and shape. To shape the dough, roll it out into a large rectangle. Stretch the sides as far as you can without breaking or tearing, and press down gently on the dough to release any of the large bubbles. Using the short sides, fold the dough into thirds, like a letter. Then starting at the short end, roll the dough up into a log. Tuck the ends underneath so only the smooth, round top is exposed. Repeat for the other piece of dough. Place each one into a buttered loaf pan seam side down. Cover with a damp towel and let the dough rise again.
  4. Now the dough needs to rise again. The second rise can take anywhere from 3-6 hours depending on the temperature of your house. If it's warm, it will rise more quickly. The dough is ready to bake when it is about 1 inch above the rim of the pan. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  5. Place the loaf pans side by side on the center rack. Bake for 40 minutes. The crust will be golden brown. When the bread is done, turn the loaves out of the loaf pans onto a wire cooling rack. If you want the crust to soften, rub butter onto the crust. For best results, let it cool for at least one hour before slicing.

Notes

The best way to store your homemade bread is in a plastic bag with a zipper or twist tie. Only slice what you need so that the rest doesn't dry out. This homemade sourdough white bread is best within the first few days of baking. Leftovers can be frozen fresh as well!

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Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (21)
Easy Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make sourdough bread softer? ›

12- Once the dough is out of the oven, remove from the pans quickly and place on a wire rack to cool, and brush with melted butter. This will help the crust to be soft. Wait at least 20 minutes before cutting. For best results, wait until loaves are completely cool.

What is the secret to good sourdough bread? ›

Top 10 Tips & Tricks for Making Sourdough
  • Use your sourdough starter at its peak. ...
  • Moisten the surface of the dough before baking for more rise. ...
  • Handle with care: be gentle with your dough. ...
  • Use sifted flour to make your sourdough less dense. ...
  • Soak your flour beforehand for a lighter loaf. ...
  • Just add water for softer sourdough.

How do you make sourdough bread lighter and fluffier? ›

There are several ways to make sourdough bread lighter and less dense, such as: Increasing the hydration level of your dough, which means adding more water or using less flour. This will create more open spaces in the crumb and a softer texture.

What temperature do you cook sourdough sandwiches? ›

Bake Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Bake sandwich loaves at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. Top the hot loaves with melted butter. After about 5 minutes, gently release them from the pans. Allow the loaves to cool completely before slicing and enjoy!

Why is my sourdough bread so hard? ›

It might be cold dough. One of the most common mistakes is having a dough temperature that's too low for the starter to feed on all the flour in the dough, resulting in a crumb that's dense, with fewer openings. "Starter is happiest and most active at around 75 degrees.

How do you make sourdough more firm? ›

If the dough isn't mixed or kneaded to full development (e.g., full windowpane), adding in sets of stretch and folds during bulk fermentation will help continue its progress toward a firmer, more cohesive dough that's able to trap gas and hold its shape all the way to bake time.

What is the best flour for sourdough bread? ›

Whole wheat flour is an excellent choice for creating a sourdough starter due to its nutrient-rich composition and potential for fostering a robust microbial community. However, it's important to note that the quality of whole wheat flour can vary between brands.

Should you add yeast to sourdough bread? ›

Proper fermentation of bread dough requires robust yeast activity, especially if you want good oven spring and an open crumb. Adding small amounts of instant yeast to a sourdough is an easy and effective way to get there, and a practice any baker might want to add to their bread baking toolkit.

Why do you put baking soda in sourdough bread? ›

Baking soda or bicarbonate of soda can be used in sourdough bread to create a less sour loaf. Added after bulk fermentation, but before shaping, it can help to create a lighter, more fluffy loaf of sourdough.

Why is my homemade sourdough bread so dense? ›

Inactive or weak sourdough starter: A sourdough starter needs to be active and healthy in order to produce enough gas to leaven the bread. If your starter is not active, the bread will be dense.

What is the perfect sourdough crumb? ›

Sourdough crumb should be even, meaning there won't be any areas that are super tight or with giant tunnels. The crumb should be light and fluffy - not wet and gummy. The holes inside the sourdough may seem shiny. This is a sign that the gluten is very well developed.

How can I make my bread fluffier instead of dense? ›

Add Sugar

Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.

Can you eat sourdough bread as a sandwich? ›

Aside from slathering a slice of your freshly-baked sourdough in butter and calling it a day, there is a whole world of sourdough serving ideas out there for bakers to try. One way is to make your sourdough bread into a humble sandwich, which in my opinion, is completely underrated.

How do you cut sourdough for a sandwich? ›

To cut sourdough bread, use a sharp serrated knife and employ a gentle sawing motion without pressing down hard on the loaf. This technique helps preserve the bread's structure and texture.

Do you need to score sourdough sandwich bread? ›

When the oven is at temperature, take your loaf of sourdough out of the fridge and score it (you don't have to score it if you don't want to). Lightly spray the top of the dough with water. Place it into the hot oven.

What to do if sourdough is too stiff? ›

I feel like, more often than not, the issue is under-hydrated—meaning you didn't put enough water into the dough. If your dough is too stiff, basically that means it's resistant to being blown up by the yeast. DOGU: If your hydration is low, increase it.

Why is my sourdough not soft? ›

If your bread is very compact and the crumb is super tight, it can mean that the hydration level was not enough for amount of flour used. Increasing the water content will help to alleviate this issue. If you're working with higher hydration dough, consider lamination for superior dough strength.

How do you fix chewy sourdough bread? ›

Try less water with your flour. Uneven heat in your oven can be the culprit – if you loaf is nicely golden on the outside but gummy or moist in the inside, it's baking too quickly on the outside. Trying reducing the temperature you're baking at and bake for a bit longer.

How do you feed stiff sourdough? ›

Ingredients to feed your Stiff Sourdough Starter

In other words, in the feeding phase, we are taking exactly one part of Sourdough and will add there two times of Flour. At the same time we keep using 44% of water on the new flour. At the end we will have a Stiff Sourdough with hydration at 44%.

References

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