Best Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe

This sourdough sandwich bread is light and fluffy, yet sturdy enough to handle your messiest sandwich.  It’s a simple recipe for the sourdough beginner looking to branch out from traditional artisan loaves.

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I love eating a slice of crusty artisan sourdough bread with a cup of soup or to soak up the runny yolk from a fried egg.  Sometimes I find myself looking for a softer sandwich style sourdough bread. 

Since creating this recipe, I have not purchased a loaf of store-bought bread.  It’s been nearly 1 year!  Not one ounce of me misses the store-bought stuff either.  This recipe is extremely simple, and will easily fit into any routine. 

Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Simple Recipe for Sourdough Beginners – This recipe is extremely simple.  There are no stretch and folds, or schedules to follow.  Simply mix the dough, let it rise, shape, rise again, and bake.

Holds up – I love to use this bread to make an egg salad sandwich, or peanut butter and jelly for the kiddos.  This sourdough sandwich bread will hold up to pretty much anything you throw at it. 

Same day baking – This bread is one where you mix the dough in the morning, and bake in the evening.  There aren’t very many sourdough recipes that you can bake the same day, but this is one of them!

Schedule friendly – One of the things I love the most about this sourdough sandwich bread is how easily it fits into my busy schedule.  I typically make this bread on the weekend, and I’m not tied to the house for the day.  I simply mix the dough in the morning, and place the dough to rise for 6-8 hours, then shape, rise for an hour or two, and bake.  The long hands-off first rise gives me plenty of time to enjoy my day and bake healthy sourdough bread!

Fermented Food – As with all things sourdough, this sandwich bread is fermented.  Fermented foods are packed with gut friendly probiotics.  They really are a super food.

Lower Glycemic Index – Sourdough bread naturally has a lower glycemic index than their non-fermented counterparts.  While they may not be a truly low GI food, they are lower than non-fermented breads because the bacteria digests some of the sugars in the flour.  When these sugars are digested, the bacteria release air bubbles causing the bread to rise and alcohol which provides that tangy flavor.

What You’ll Need to Make This Recipe

Equipment

• Measuring cups and spoons or preferably a kitchen scale
• Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
• Large bowl
• Cling wrap
• Two 9” loaf pans – I prefer to use these pullman pans
• Parchment paper

Ingredients

• 1 cup + 2 Tbs whole milk (270g)
• 1/3 cup water (80g)
• 1 1/3 cup active sourdough starter (300g)
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar (70g)
• 1/3 cup butter (75g)
• 1 Tbs + 1 tsp salt (20g)
• 6 2/3 cups flour (800g) flour – can use all purpose or bread flour, but I prefer this artisan bread flour

How To Make Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Make the Dough

1. Add all ingredients (except flour) to a sand mixer with the dough hook attachment.
2. Slowly add flour 1 cup at a time until all flour is added.
3. Knead the dough until stretchy and smooth (about 8 minutes). You want the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl and pass the window pane test. To perform the window pane test, pull off a piece of dough and stretch it into a square. It should stretch thinly enough to see through it (kind of like a window) without the dough breaking.

First Rise

1. Transfer your dough into a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise until doubled in size. This takes about 8 hours, but depends on the strength of your starter and the warmth of your environment. You will need to keep an eye on your dough for size vs. watching the clock.

Shape

1. Transfer your dough onto a floured surface and divide in two.
2. Shape the dough into a rough rectangle shape about 1/2 inch thick.
3. Roll the dough into a log, then fold the ends over the bottom seam to meet in the middle. Pull the dough along the counter to build some tension and help it hold its shape.
4. Place into a greased or parchment lined baking pan.

Second Rise and Bake

1. Allow your dough to rise until it’s about 1 inch below the rim of the pan. This should take about 1-2 hours, but again, follow the size of the dough vs. the clock.
2. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely (about 1-2 hours) before cutting open.

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.

Tips

• Use softened butter and cube it up so it blends easier.
• Be patient with the mixing process.  When you first start mixing, the dough is going to look super wet.  It will come together though!  It needs around 8 minutes to start pulling away from the edges of the bowl. 
• Wait for your dough to pass the “window pane test”.  If you try to stretch your dough out and it breaks, it’s not kneaded well enough.  Give it another minute or two on the stand mixer
• Don’t over ferment the dough. It will turn into a wet sloppy disaster that won’t rise well. Wait for it to double in size before shaping, then rise up to about ½” below the rim of the baking pan.
• The times are estimates.  There are a lot of factors that can influence the rise time of your dough including humidity and room temperature.  Sourdough requires a lot of intuition.  It may take your dough 10+ hours to double if your house is cold.  Don’t stop at 6-8 hours because the recipe says so.  Wait for the signs that your dough is ready for the next step.

FAQ’s

How long will this sourdough sandwich bread last?

This bread will store in an air tight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.

Can I freeze this bread?

Yes! It will store in the freezer for up to 6 months. If your bread gets dried out, you can “refresh” it by placing it in the microwave with a damp paper towel for a few seconds/slice.

Why isn’t my sourdough sandwich bread rising?

There could be a few reasons for this:

• Your sourdough starter is not active enough.
• The room temperature is too cool where you are placing your dough to rise. The cooler the temperature the longer it will take. 
• Chlorine in your water (if not using filtered water) could be killing the yeasts and bacteria in the starter.