Fresh and irresistible, my Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread recipe features fluffy sourdough starter, olive oil for softness and a touch of earthy maple syrup for interest and golden color. This bread is soft yet sturdy enough for sandwiches and toast. You can make it the same day in about 7 hours (without added commercial yeast) or overnight and bake the next morning, ready in about 14 hours. It’s baked in a loaf pan until golden brown and fragrant. This recipe is vegetarian and vegan.
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An Everyday Sourdough Sandwich Loaf
If you’re a sourdough baker, put this recipe on your baking list! This homemade sourdough loaf is soft and fluffy, yet has a toothsome chewy texture, thanks to bread flour, with that sourdough flavor we crave. You’ll love that it can be made the same day or overnight!
Since sharing other sandwich breads like thisSourdough Multigrain Sandwich Bread and, now a reader favorite, Maple Oat Sourdough Sandwich Bread, I wanted to add a simpler 5 ingredient white sourdough bread loaf to the V&B sourdough collection.
When testing this recipe, I began by making the bread from start to finish as an overnight recipe, but then started testing a same day version — and, it works beautifully!
This Recipe Is
- soft and fragrant
- simple to shape
- made with 5 basic ingredients
If you enjoy making homemade sourdough bread recipes, you’ll appreciate the flexibility of this irresistibly easy sourdough sandwich loaf.
About the Key Ingredients
- Active Sourdough Starter– use a 100% hydration, previously fed, bubbly and doubled in size sourdough bread starter. This is the natural, wild yeast, leavener that will flavor and raise your bread.
- Unbleached Bread Flour– bread flour creates a lofty rise and sturdy structure with a soft chewy texture. I tested this recipe with all purpose flour, and the crumb was a little too tender for my taste. Also, it didn’t quite have the oven spring I was looking for. I use Organic King Arthur Bread Flour.
- Maple Syrup– this bread isn’t sweet, but adding a touch of maple syrup adds complex flavor with underlying interest. It also aids in giving this bread its rich golden-brown color while also softening the texture.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil —adds earthy flavor, interest and warmth. It also aids in softening the crumb.
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How to Make Homemade Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Step by Step
Bulk Fermentation (first rise)
The first rise, orbulk ferment,time depends on several factors: ambient temperature, specific ingredients like whole wheat and sugar or maple syrup, and how active your starter is can impact timing and it can vary from season to recipe. A firmer dough will take longer to rise than a well hydrated dough for example.
For this recipe, I include two bulk options:
- For Overnight: using the overnight baking schedule you’ll bulk until the dough doubles in size, about 10-11 hours at 68 Fahrenheit (20 Celsius).
- For Same Day:to make this quicker sourdough loaf, we need a warmer ambient temperature and shorter bulk, only allowing the dough to rise to between 20-30%. To achieve this warmer temperature in a chilly kitchen, I put the dough in a turned off oven with the light on which creates an environment for the dough develop quickly. This can be done in about 3 hours at 80 Fahrenheit (27 Celsius).
Once bulk is complete, it’s time to preshape the dough, rest again, shape, then pan. Once the dough is in the pan, you can move on to proofing.
Great sourdough bread starts with a strong sourdough starter. If you’re just getting started, check out my step by step How to Make a Sourdough Starter guide.
Proof the Dough (second rise)
Baking in a loaf pan makes it easy to tell when the dough is done proofing and is ready to bake. Allow the dough to rise until its about 1 1/4 inch (3.15cm) above the lip of the pan at the center of the dough for both same day and overnight. If it goes over a bit, that’s fine (pictures below for comparison).
The amount of time to proof this dough will vary depending on method:
- Overnight: in a chilly kitchen of 68 Fahrenheit (20 Celsius), proof takes about 1 hour*.
- Same Day: at 80 Fahrenheit (27 Celsius) in a turned off oven with light on, proof takes about 1 1/2 – 2 hours*.
*Note proof time is longer with the same day method even with a warmer ambient temperature. This is because we’re only bulk fermenting to 20-30% (for same day) in size which is another variable in the sourdough lexicon! The dough needs that extra proof time to develop further.
How to Store Your Sourdough Sandwich Loaf
Properlystoring homemade bread is essential to keeping it soft and delicious. Sourdough bread is best enjoyed the day it’s made. However, it can be stored for several days at room temperature or in the freezer for longer storage.
- Room Temperature:store sourdough bread at room temperature on a cutting board or counter, cut side down. Although freshest the day made, it will store this way for 3-4 days. If you need to cover the bread, place it in a paper bag.
- PRO TIP: refrigerating bread dries it out and will ruin its texture.
- Freezer Storage: to keep your bread at its freshest, transfer sliced bread to a freezer bag and freeze for up to two weeks. Your bread can go from freezer to toaster oven for the tastiest toast. Alternatively, gently thaw by partially toasting the bread, or at set the bread out room temperature in a covered container.
Traci’s Tips
- Let the dough guide you through your process and not the clock. It’s ready when it’s ready.
- Kitchen Tools: I recommend a digitaloven thermometerwith anair probefor monitoring accurate oven temperature and weighing your ingredients using adigital kitchen scalefor best outcome (affiliate links).
Fresh Sourdough Sandwich Bread (Same Day Recipe or Overnight)
Servings:1 loaf
Calories:2143kcal
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Serving: 1loaf | Calories: 2143kcal | Carbohydrates: 357g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 33g | Sodium: 3514mg | Potassium: 493mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 4mg
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