Made with all purpose flour and just a touch of butter, learn how to make incredible sourdough sandwich bread from scratch. Tips shared for vegan and freeze ahead options.
One of the benefits of sourdough is flexibility. After you’ve mastered a basic sourdough bread recipe it’s exciting to branch out. Sourdough sandwich bread is a perfect example- it’s a classic household staple. From warm, grilled cheese sandwiches, to cinnamon toast, and good old PB&J its soft, sturdy slices patiently await a variety of delicious toppings!
And best part about making it yourself? It’s 100% natural. There are no chemicals or nasty preservatives in homemade sourdough sandwich bread (and it won’t stick to the roof of your mouth either!). You’ll taste hints of creamy butter with a mild, tangy flavor in every bite. But I warn you: it might be too painful to go back to store-bought again.
How To Make Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Mix the Dough
In a stand mixer, add the flour, butter, sugar and salt. Mix until the butter looks like crumbs.
Add the sourdough starter and water; mix again to combine. The dough will feel slightly sticky and elastic at this stage. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and rest for 30 minutes- the gluten needs to relax.
After the dough has rested…
Switch to the dough hook, and run the machine on medium low to knead the dough. This should take about 6-8 minutes or so. The dough should feel soft and supple, and not stick to your hands. On this particular day, my dough was a little bit stickier than usual so I added a dusting of flour to even it out.
No stand mixer? No problem! After mixing and resting for 30 minutes, knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes, or until smooth, soft and elastic. Do not worry about under/over kneading. Relax into the process and focus on the texture, not the time.
Bulk Rise
Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rise overnight at room temperature (68 F) for 10-12 hrs. The dough is ready when it has doubled in size.
Shape the Dough
The following morning, coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan with softened butter.
Remove the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently flatten the surface to release some of the air bubbles. Sandwich bread should not have any large holes (unless you like jelly in your lap).
Starting at the bottom, roll the dough into a log tucking the ends underneath. Transfer to the loaf pan.
Watch the Video!
Second Rise
Now the dough needs to rise again.
This step is important because it builds back additional strength after the bulk rise. You’ll get a nice rise when it’s done correctly.
The dough is ready when the center rises to about 1-inch or more above the rim. It should look nice and puffy, and no longer dense.
Preheat your oven to 375 F.
TIP: Lately, for sandwich bread, I’ve been preheating my oven to 500 F (instead of 375 F). Once the bread goes in, I reduce the temperature to 375 F and bake as directed. Starting the dough at a higher temperature yields better oven spring!
Bake the Dough
Place the dough on the center rack and bake for 45-50 minutes.
See? Nice and golden brown…
Just let it cool for at least an hour before your dive in.
The wait is worth it!
Additional Notes
If you have a large family, or just eat a lot of bread, I highly suggest doubling this recipe and bake the loaves side by side. This loaf can be frozen whole in plastic wrap or as individual slices.
Speaking of the freezer: this might sound weird but you can pre-assemble PB&J sandwiches and freeze until ready to use. Just wrap tightly and defrost at room temperature. I do this for my kids’ school lunch boxes (ha! remember when kids went to school?!) and they are perfect by lunchtime. This technique works with ham and butter sandwiches too, another household favorite.
FYI: This recipe is a variation of the Country Farmhouse White in my book: Artisan Sourdough Made Simple. I wanted to create a new loaf using only all purpose flour and butter for variety. To make it vegan, swap the butter for plant butter. I love Miyoko’s Organic Vegan Butter.
More Sourdough Bread Recipes
- Check out my favorite 9×5-inch loaf pan too!
Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Sourdough Bread
- Method: One-Bowl
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A simple and easy recipe for homemade sourdough sandwich bread. Made with all purpose flour and just a touch of butter. I like to make the dough at night so we can have fresh bread in the morning. This loaf freezes well (whole or sliced). I recommend this 9×5-inch loaf pan.
Notes
For best results, please weigh your ingredients instead of using measuring cups.
Here’s why: weight and volume measurements are not equal, only approximate! This is especially important regarding the sourdough starter. If your starter is very bubbly, 1/4 cup might only weigh 30 g which is too little for this recipe (you need 50 g). The dough will take forever to rise! Same goes for the flour… 4 cups might end up weighing way over 500 g depending on how tight the flour was packed into the cup. You’ll end up with dry dough.
I used Whole Foods 365 Everyday all purpose flour for this recipe. King Arthur and Trader Joe’s ap flour will work as well. If using another brand with a lower protein content (i.e. Gold Medal, Pillsbury, Heckers) consider reducing the total water amount by 15 g.
Ingredients
- 500 g (4 cups) all purpose flour
- 60 g (4 tbsp.) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
- 12 g (1 tbsp.) sugar
- 9 g fine sea salt
- 50 g (1/4 cup) bubbly, active sourdough starter (100% hydration)**
- 270 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) warm water
Helpful Tips
** If the weather is not warm enough, sometimes the second rise can take longer than expected. To speed up the rise, increase the amount of starter and decrease the amount of water for best results. Please choose one of the following adjustments below, keeping the rest of the ingredient quantities the same:
- 100 g starter + 255 g water
- 150 g starter + 250 g water
Additionally, because temperature controls time you can also increase your surrounding temperature for the bulk or second rise, as needed. Place the dough in a proofing box set to 75-80 F. Or, preheat your home oven to 75-80 F and then shut it off immediately (use an oven thermometer to make sure it’s set to exactly 80 F and not higher!). Place the covered dough inside until it bulks up. Do no use this option overnight- it will be too warm.
Instructions
Baking Schedule: this is an overnight dough which takes approximately 10-12 hrs to rise @ 68 F. Start the night before, in the evening, and plan to bake the following day. If it’s warmer than 68 F the dough will take less time to rise. Alternatively, start in the morning and bake in the afternoon or evening.
Mix the Dough
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, butter, sugar and salt. Mix on low speed until combined; the butter should look like crumbs.
Add the starter and warm water. Mix until the flour is fully absorbed (get in there with your hands to finish mixing). The dough will feel slightly sticky and elastic at this stage. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, replenish you starter with fresh flour and water.
After the dough has rested, switch to the dough hook and run the machine on medium-low (#3 on a KitchenAid) for 6-8 minutes. The dough will feel soft and supple and not stick to your hands. If it does, add a dusting of flour.
Note: If you do not have a stand mixer, the dough can be made by hand. After mixing and resting for 30 minutes, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes, or until smooth, soft and elastic. Do not worry about under/over kneading. Relax into the process and focus on the texture, not the time.
Bulk Rise
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise overnight at room temperature (68 F) until double in size, about 10-12 hrs. Please refer to the Baking Schedule above for additional rise time options.
Shape the Dough
In the morning, coat a 9×5-inch pan with butter.
Remove the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently flatten the surface to release any large air bubbles.
Roll the dough into a log tucking the ends underneath. Rest for 5-10 minutes. With floured hands, gently cup the dough and pull it toward you to tighten its shape. Using a bench knife, place the dough into the loaf pan seam side down.
Second Rise
Cover the dough with lightly oiled or buttered plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature until it has risen to about 1-inch above the rim of the pan, about 1 1/2-2 hours depending on temperature and the amount of sourdough starter used. Check the height by looking at the domed center portion of the dough.
Preheat your oven to 375 F. Note: For higher oven spring, preheat to 500 F instead. Reduce to 375 F once the dough goes into the oven and bake as directed.
Bake the Dough
Bake the dough on the center rack for about 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
This sandwich loaf will stay fresh for up to 3 days, stored in a plastic bag at room temperature.
Keywords: sandwich bread, all purpose flour, sourdough, sourdough bread, easy bread, artisan sourdough, artisan sourdough made simple
Comments
Jeannie says
Hi, I love this recipe, and I’m wondering if I could use a pullman loaf pan? It is 4 1/2“ x 8“ but it is taller than a normal oaf pan and has a lid? Thanks!
★★★★★
Anna says
Hi this recipe sounds great however one question from my side – how come you don’t need to worry about creating a moist environment for this loaf n you just bake it uncovered? I thought it was necessary to cover it or add steam for a better oven spring. How does it work then ?
Mitch says
You don’t need to cover it unless your going for block loaf shape. The moist environment is trying to create that thin crisp skin on an artisan loaf, that’s not so important with a sandwich loaf.
The extra moisture also helps gain the more open texture that you see from traditional artisan sourdough, again, not needed for a sandwich loaf.
Anna says
That makes sense, thank you for your reply !
Sarah Pow says
Oh. My. GOODNESS. I feel like I just met my long lost love! This is easy to make and so amazing. Flavor, texture, perfect!
★★★★★
Christine Williams says
I love your Artisan Sourdough book and now branching out beyond Everyday Sourdough. How would this sandwich bread recipe change if olive oil were used instead of butter?
Lauren Troyer says
Love this recipe! It is my favorite and I have to keep it on hand. I was wondering if anyone has tried to replace the sugar with honey. Did you need to cut back on water?
★★★★★
Rachel Morrison says
Followed this recipe to the T and it came out fantastic! My first time ever making bread!! Thank you so much for your tips on the starter and your explanations of what the dough should look and feel like, helped so much!! Omnomnomnom!
★★★★★
Debbie Van Horn says
This is, hands down, the best sourdough bread recipe ever. Soft and sturdy – just perfect for sandwiches. I’ve made it several times and it never disappoints. I add about 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid for a little extra sour kick and have noticed that it lasts a day or two longer with the addition (if we don’t finish the loaf straight out of the oven).
★★★★★