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 To Try!
- Sourdough Bread: A Beginner’s Guide
- Sourdough Focaccia Bread
- Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread
- Light Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
- 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
Laura says
Never mind on my comment….if I had read completely I would have seen the answer! Oops!
Laura says
I know there are a lot of variables to this answer….but proofing at room temp for the second rise, what is the average rise time using 50 grams starter?
Libby says
Super simple and easy recipe. Wish I doubled the recipe because I went through the loaf so quickly.
★★★★★
Rachel says
Great recipe! This came together so well! I measured the ingredients with a kitchen scale, and it turned out exactly as I wanted.
★★★★★
Alva says
Can you substitute olive oil for the butter?
Danielle says
Does this recipe double or triple well? Thanks!
Andrea says
Took me 5 tries but I figured it out! The taste was amazing each time, but other things were off, like it didn’t rise, or the texture was dense/heavy. But I kept trying because it tasted so good!! I used 100g starter to 255g water after feeding my starter twice a day for about 3 days. So so good!!
★★★★★
Rkl says
I make this about once a week – our household loves it. Thank you! I’ve had to make a few modifications for elevation and exert loads more patience for our temperatures here as the rise times take a lot lot longer even using the higher amounts of starter – but its so good its worth the wait. :)
★★★★★
Angelika says
The best sandwich bread of all times. And sooo easy. I must confess, lazy me always uses 100 g starter because it rises much faster this way. I also use my oven’s rise-program (sorry English isn’t my native language) – 30 C and steam, so the bread ist ready to bake in 6 hours. I wish I could post a photo.
Thank you ☺️
★★★★★
Christina says
Can I use bread flour instead? A friend was moving and gave me a LOT of Crown Best Baker’s Flour. Thank you!
Rkl says
I do all the time. Depending on where you live though, just keep an eye on it as the extra gluten in the bread flour will possibly impact rising
Christina says
Thank you!