Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe
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Bake this beautiful soft white sourdough sandwich bread recipe for your favorite sandwiches.
Soft Sourdough Sandwich bread is an easy sourdough bread recipe to make. This sourdough recipe is formed into soft and fluffy loaves that are perfect for sliced bread. Make this sourdough sandwich bread once a week to always have yummy sandwich bread on hand.
This dough has delicious sweet flavor and a soft and fluffy texture. We have a few tips and tricks in this post for making the best sourdough sandwich bread ever!
Sourdough artisan breads are famous for their crusty crusts and soft holy crumb. Perfect for dipping in soups and making paninis or crostinis. Who doesn’t love that shattery crust with a steak or plate of lasagna?
However, When you want a soft squishable sandwich with Mayo or a piece of buttery toast? Eat THIS sourdough sandwich bread.
More Sourdough Bread Recipes:
See our complete sourdough bread recipe tutorial and step by step guide for Beginners in our Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe. Find all of our sourdough Bread Recipes here.
How long does Homemade Sourdough Bread Last?
This bread will last about a week when stored in a proper airtight container. Homemade sandwich bread will mold quicker than store-bought bread. This is because homemade bread does not contain the preservatives that you will find in store-bought bread. Keep that in mind when making homemade sourdough bread. Store it properly to avoid a moldy and stale loaf of bread. This recipe makes two 1000 gram loaves of soft sandwich bread.
Is Sourdough Bread good for Sandwiches?
Regular Sourdough bread is great for sandwiches. Many restaurants use sourdough bread to make grilled cheese sandwiches, turkey, toasted sandwiches etc. A regular loaf of sourdough bread has a different shape than sandwich bread. It usually produces long and narrow pieces of bread. A sourdough sandwich bread will be shaped into a traditional bread loaf shape. This makes it easier to toast the sourdough bread in a toaster.
Soft sourdough sandwich bread is great for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, turkey, or traditionally shaped sandwiches. The great thing about this bread is it is really easy to work with and store.
Why is my Sourdough Sandwich Bread not Rising?
Sourdough Sandwich Bread not rising is usually due to a weak or inactive starter. Always ensure that your starter can pass the float test before using it to bake. It can be tempting to make the bread early before the starter is ready. Always wait until your starter can float in a cup of water before baking. There is no way to save a loaf of bread that turns out flat. It is worth it to properly prepare the starter for the best loaf of bread.
Do I need to score Sourdough Sandwich Bread?
There is no need to score a loaf of sourdough sandwich bread. This bread will rise and ferment without scoring it on top. If you wish to score the sourdough sandwich bread, you can do a gentle slice down the center of the loaf prior to baking. However, there is no need to score this type of sourdough bread. It will bake and rise just fine without going through the scoring process.
Watch our video tutorial to see all the techniques I use to make this bread recipe.
Sasha’s Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe:
Sasha, our master baker contributor, created this sourdough recipe for her hubby. He wanted a soft white squishable bread with a soft crust. We all agree this bread makes great sandwiches.
Sasha’s family is incredibly lucky. And so are we. She is sharing her soft sandwich bread recipe with us so we all can benefit from her expertise.
Sasha also shared her Sourdough Milk and Honey Sandwich bread with us in case you missed it. Thank you Sasha!
Tips on making the Sourdough Sandwich Loaf:
This is a white bread recipe. However, you can mix whole wheat flour up to 50-50 with your white bread flour and still get good results.
- Begin with an active fed sourdough starter for best results. You do NOT need active dry yeast for this recipe.
- WATCH our video tutorial for ALL the techniques used in this bread dough making process. If you don’t know a term or technique the video will teach you.
- Good Flour is critical to the outcome of any homemade bread recipe. Use a fresh high protein bread flour (at least 5% protein).
How to Make a Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Loaf:
Here is a quick visual walkthrough of this recipe. The complete recipe is in our Printable Recipe Card. But here are the main points.
Sometimes a picture really helps. AND don’t miss our video tutorial (playing in the sidebar) if you need further examples of the techniques.
Cinnamon Swirl Bread Variation and Soft Cinnamon Sourdough Rolls:
Look at the bread baking in the oven (pictured above). The one closest to the front sideways is This soft sourdough bread made as Cinnamon Raisin Bread.
You will find This Complete recipe post for Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin bread has LOTS of tips. A complete walkthrough and guide for incorporating the plumped raisins, layering the cinnamon filling and forming the loaves.
Soft sourdough made as cinnamon raisin swirl bread is pretty darn amazing breakfast food. Give it a try.
Also make these Soft Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls from this bread dough recipe. They are absolutely scrumptious!
How to Shape A loaf of Bread:
You can bake this recipe in boules. However it is much easier to eat as sandwiches and toast when baked in pans.
Here’s how to shape the dough for baking in bread pans. I use two 9 x 5 inch bread loaf pans for this recipe.
Prepare the dough for Shaping:
- Remove Dough From Fridge and allow to come to room temperature. This will take about 2 hours.
- Divide and shape the dough into two 1000 gram balls of dough.
- Bench Rest the balls loosely covered about 60 minutes until very elastic.
Shaping:
- Choose one dough ball. Set the other aside to be next.
- Flatten the ball on a floured board with your rolling pin to degass. This may take several passes. (You will notice my bread does still have a few small holes. It needed more degassing)
- Shape the degassed dough into a rectangle and spritz with water.
- Bring the long edges into the center and form a closed seam.
- Fold the two front corners to the middle seam as shown below.
- Roll the dough tightly. tucking it as you roll to avoid air pockets.
- Pinch the ends of the loaf and flatten the seam.
- Place the dough loaf into your OILED loaf pan.
- REPEAT with second dough ball. Continue with the recipe.
For more tips on shaping your bread read our sourdough shaping guide.
The final rise is done in the plastic bags as shown. Allow the dough to rise to the pan top or slightly above.
Now when the oven is thoroughly preheated, remove one loaf from the fridge, score it deeply and bake as directed with a water bath.
Your Printable Recipe Card:
Read the complete recipe and instructions below. If you print this recipe the pictures will not print. This is to save you ink and paper.
NEW! We now have a complete video recipe demonstration of this bread in the sidebar and the bottom of the printable recipe card.
Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe
Soft Sourdough Sandwich bread is the perfect soft squishy bread for toast and peanut butter sandwiches. You can also grill this bread for amazing grilled cheese sandwiches. The flavor is outstanding.
Ingredients
- 300 grams starter-freshly fed and active
- 650 grams warm water
- 50 grams honey
- 40 grams avocado oil
- 1000 grams White bread flour (high protein)
- 20 grams Salt
Instructions
MIXING:
- Begin with a very active recently fed starter. It should pass the float test.
- Set a large bowl on a digital food scale set to grams and press the tare button. The scale should read zero.
- Pour in the water to weight of 650 g. Press tare.
- Pour in 300 grams of starter. Press tare. The starter should form a floating mass on the water.
- Add the oil. Press tare
- Add the honey. Press tare.
- Whisk together the starter, oil, honey and water until they are mixed.
- Add the 1000 grams of flour.
- Mix the flour into the water/starter with a dough hook, spatula and your wet hands until you have a shaggy ball of dough.
AUTOLYSE: Technically our process is a fermentalyse, since we add the starter in with the flour and water initially.
- Rest dough 1 hour.
- Sprinkle salt across dough.
- spritz with water bottle and work in the salt with wet hands.
- Rest 30 mins
STRETCH AND FOLDS:
- Begin Stretch and Folds. You need 4 rounds of stretch and folds 30 mins apart. See video for technique.
LONG COLD RISE:
- Refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.
BENCH REST DOUGH:
- Remove from fridge and warm to room temperature. (ABOUT TWO HOURS)
- Divide the dough into two 1000 grams dough balls by weight.
- Bench rest 30 to 45 minutes until dough is elastic.
SHAPE AND FINAL RISE:
- Choose one dough ball. Set the other aside to be next.
- Flatten the ball on a floured board with your rolling pin to degass. This may take several passes. (You will notice my bread does still have a few small holes. It needed more degassing)
- Shape the degassed dough into a rectangle and spritz with water.
- Bring the long edges into the center and form a closed seam.
- Fold the two front corners to the middle seam as shown below.
- Roll the dough tightly. tucking it as you roll to avoid air pockets.
- Pinch the ends of the loaf and flatten the seam.
- Place the dough loaf into your OILED loaf pan.
REPEAT for second loaf.
- Let sit on counter 2 to 4 hours until the dough reaches to the top of the bread pans. For best oven spring chill two hours in the fridge covered.
BAKING PREP AND INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven and water bath(any pan half full of water. Set it on the shelf UNDER THE BREAD) to 400° F.
- Remove the loaves from the fridge and score them deeply. (I do three slashes diagonally accross the top).
- OPTIONAL: For a shiny loaf of baked bread, brush the dough with a beaten egg.
- Set the loaf pans in the middle of oven.
- Bake the loaves 15 minutes.
- Reduce the oven temp to 375 degrees F.
- Bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes.
- Using a digital thermometer check internal Temp of loaf. It is done at 200°. If you don't have a thermometer pop loaves out to test for hollow on bottom. Or thump the loaf. Does is have a hollow sound?
- Remove from oven and cool on racks to room temperature before cutting the bread.
Notes
- Measure the ingredients CAREFULLY for best results.
- THE SALT: I use Himalayan salt. All salt works. However, they have different volumes by weight. So you need to be careful. Weighing helps get it right.
- THE OIL: Avocado oil is recommended for best health. Use any neutral flavor oil you prefer.
- THE FLOUR: Use any high protein (On the label 12 % protein or 5 grams protein) organic white bread flour. You can make this loaf with 50/50 white and WHITE whole wheat.
- The loaf will stay soft and have a great nutty flavor. Using 100 percent whole wheat or Hard red whole wheat will give you a different result. The recipe may need some adjusting. I suggest you stick with 100 percent white or 50/50.
- 2 2/3 Cups -300 grams starter-freshly fed and active
- 2 3/4 Cups 650 grams warm water
- 2 3/8 Tablespoons -50 grams honey
- 3 Tablespoons- 40 grams avocado oil
- 8 Cups- 1000 grams White bread flour (high protein)
- 1 Tablespoon-20 grams Salt
Conversion CUPS to GRAMS:
I do NOT recommend volume measurements for best results with sourdough baking. There are differences in the starter and flours that make weighing by Scale a MUCH more reliable method. But if your not using a scale here are the approximate volume measurements of the ingredients.
Final NOTE:
The video in this post is for those unfamiliar with the techniques I use. It is actually demonstrating our Beginner Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe. This soft sourdough sandwich bread process uses many of the same techniques.
Recommended Products
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Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowl Set (3-Piece) -
USA Pan Bakeware Aluminized Steel Loaf Pan 1140LF 8.5 x 4.5 x 3 Inch, Small, Silver
Nutrition Information
Yield
24Serving Size
1 sliceAmount Per Serving Calories 171Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 0mgSodium 325mgCarbohydrates 32gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 5g
Sourdough Troubleshooting:
If your bread doesn’t turn out the way you expect, start with our comprehensive Sourdough Troubleshooting Guide
Or jump to the specific issue you’re seeing: Find all of our Sourdough Baking guides here.
- Bread turns out dense – Why Is My Sourdough Bread Dense?
- Dough spreads instead of rising – How to Shape Sourdough Bread
- Score won’t open – How to Score Sourdough Bread
- Crust is soft or pale – How Steam Baking Sourdough Affects Oven Spring and Crust
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Contact Sasha over on Etsy if you want to buy sourdough starter. She has a well established starter just for you. She sells all over the US.
Thank you so much for such an amazing recipe with simple ingredients! I have made this recipe successfully a handful of times in a 9×5 loaf pan. I have since switched to a 9x4x4 pullman pan with no lid and I am now faced with the sides caving in when it is cooling. I’ve tried the recipe twice since then, troubleshooting with cooling in the oven with the door slightly open, or taking them out right away. It still results in the sides sinking in, creating an hour glass shape to the bread. Taste is still as wonderful as ever! Any insight on what I can do? Some of the things I have yet to try is to to let it proof so high or reducing the hydration % but I am not sure how to do that without compromising an already perfect recipe!
Thank you!
Hi Tina, I have never made this bread in a pullman pan. I looked it up and found this article for you. I’m pretty sure it is not the hydration of the loaf. However,it may have to do with either the proofing or the condensation during baking. Have you considered taking the lid off halfway through the bake? This may allow the bread set the crumb and shape you want and then finish open air to allow steam to escape. I hope this helps!
@Diane,
Hi Diane, I actually bake without the lid to get the rise and ear on the bread. I will take a look at the article you linked and troubleshoot from there 🙂 Thank you so much for your prompt reply! I will give it another shot tomorrow, wish me luck!
Hi Tina, I do hope that article gives you some insight into this. Please let us know if you find a solution! Best of luck
After reading through the comments I guess I’m a tad confused about the final rise procedure. I think I read that if you’re making loaves you don’t stick them in the fridge? Would you be risking over proofing sticking them in fridge after they’ve already risen?
Hi Laura, Thanks for the question. It is recommended in the recipe to refrigerate your dough twice in this recipe. The long cold rise is done after the stretch and folds and bulk rise. Refrigerating the dough up to 24 hours improves both the texture and flavor of the loaf. For the final rise it really improves the rise of the final bake if you chill the dough a couple of hours. This improves the oven spring.
In the comments you will learn how flexible this dough is. Many bakers will bake this recipe according to what works for their schedules and purposes and are quite happy with the results. I hope you also find ways to adjust the methods here to work best for you and your family. Happy baking!
This bread was worth the wait. It’s the first sourdough bread that I have made that actually turned out good! Thanks for the great recipe. I used half bread flour and half spelt flour.
Hi Robyn, Your welcome! Thanks so much for letting us know this recipe turned out well with spelt flour. I’m going to give that a try. Happy baking!
With your cinnamon bread recipe, I wonder if I could replace some of the water with orange juice and substitute the raisins for dried cranberries? Thanks, great recipe!
Hi Marcia, I don’t see why not. Sound delicious. Please let us know how out works out for you. Might want to try it myself. 🙂
Would leaving out all or a portion of the honey effect the outcome other than more “sour” flavor?
Hi Karen, The honey is actually more about dough development than a noticeable sweeter flavor. You can omit it. The dough will just develop a bit more slowly. Thanks for the question!
I’ve been using this recipe consistently for about a month now and LOVE it! The egg wash is my latest addition to it, which has really upped the game. Thanks for all the details in this recipe! The only thing that I’m struggling with is that the bottom of my loaves is quite soggy. I’ve increased the timing for both segments of baking, but in the end, I just have to remove the bread from my glass pans and bake them directly on the baking tray for an additional 10 minutes. Then they are perfect. How can I get the bread to come out of the pan without the soggy bottom?
Hi Sarah, I’m happy you love this bread recipe. And thanks you sharing your experience with it. Your feedback helps us and so many other bakers.
I have made this bread for years without a soggy bottom. (probably because my oven is leaky and the steam escapes somewhat). HOWEVER, other bakers have had your experience. My guess is you are using a bit too much water spray on the top of the loaf before baking. I would eliminate a final spray of water on the dough itself and see if that helps.
Also if that is not working try a smaller water bath container so not as much steam is emitted during the bake.
Another tip: You only need to steam the loaf about 15 minutes to set the crust. So it’s ok to remove the water bath after this time. I don’t like to since the water is extremely hot. Be very careful not to get splashed with it. Otherwise your idea of baking the bread on the rack is a great fix. Thanks for sharing that.
All the best, Happy Baking!
@Diane, I will try using less water and removing the water partway through the baking. Thank you for the reply, and I will let you know how it goes!
Hi Sarah, I have never used a pullman pan to bake bread. So I can’t tell you the size you will need. However, since you have a specific size sandwich you wish to make, I suggest you make sure you buy a pan that fits that size slice for your family. THEN if the dough doesn’t all fit in the pans decide how much you need to cut down the recipe to fit. I’m sorry I cannot help you more on this. I hope it all works out well for you.
Hello, love this bread and my son takes it in his lunch everyday! However, it always rises extreme high in my pans when baking and bulges out..tastes delicious but not as pretty and hard to slice and fit into sandwich bags. Any suggestions on what I’m doing wrong? Should I make three smaller loaves? Thank you so much for this recipe!!
Hi Allison, I’m so happy you enjoy this bread. You are not doing anything wrong. The shaping might be a bit of the problem but you won’t get a sandwich bag size slice form this recipe. This is a large loaf. You can cut the recipe down by a third to keep it it the regular size pans without the high top. You could also try baking three loaves in pullman pans with lids like these.https://amzn.to/3IGZsJD (I found these on Amazon but any bread shop should have them.)That will keep the size and shape where you want it. Happy Baking!
@Diane, I’m seriously considering purchasing a Pullman pan—would LOVE for this bread to be even easier for sandwiches!! Do you have any idea which pan your recipe would fit? I was guessing the large, since yours makes two loaves.
@Sarah, a 9x4x4 Pullman Pan will work perfectly for this bread. I have used this size interchangeably with a 9×5 pan and it works out well.
@:D, do you use the lid? I have these pans and never know if I should let the dough rise with lid on or off. Will it rise up over the top? And if so, how will I get the lid back on? Maybe I’m overthinking things! Do you bake the entire bake time with lid on? Thanks!
When you say for better rise, put in fridge for 2 hours. Is this after the 2 to 4 hours on counter?
Hi Linda, Yes. Let it rise on the counter in the bread pans until the dough rises to the top of the pan. Then set it covered in the fridge until the dough is thoroughly chilled. Preheat the oven while the dough is resting the fridge. Remove the pans from the fridge. Uncover, score the tops and bake with the water bath. Thanks so much for asking. Happy Baking!
I love this bread and have gotten rave reviews from everyone who has eaten it! I’m wondering if I might take half the dough and form it into dinner rolls? If so, what temperature and for how long would I cook them? Thank you!
Hi Julie, This dough would make delicious rolls. Just follow the recipe to the forming stage. Roll the dough and cut it into 12 equal pieces. Set in an oiled 13 x 9 pan. (waterbath underneath). Bake at 400 degrees about 20 minutes. You need to check these rolls and make sure this bake instruction works well for your oven. It should but don’t remove the rolls until they are nicely brown on top and you can see them set on the side of the pan. For a final check, use your thermometer and make sure the interior rolls bake to 200 degrees F. If they over brown use a piece of tinfoil to shield them. Happy Baking!
Hi Diane! I’m so excited to try to make your bread. Thank you for the very detailed recipe and pictures.
I just have a question on the freshly fed starter that you use. Is it just fed or has it stayed at room temperature for a few hours? Most of recipes I’ve seen say to feed it and wait 6-8-10 hours.
Hi Milena, yes feed it this way. 100 grams flour to 100 grams warm water to 100 grams starter. Stir it up and let it sit overnight at room temperature. It should double in size, and float in water before baking. If you have more questions I’m happy to answer them for you. Happy Baking!
Hi, I love this recipe and have been making it every week for the last 6 months! I have also tried the Cinnamon Raisin Bread which is also delicious. I wondered if cheese and herbs could be added as an alternative to the fruit and cinnamon to make a savoury loaf. If so, how much cheese would you suggest using?
Hi Karen, It’s wonderful to hear you enjoy these recipes. I wonder if you have tried our sourdough cheesy bread?. It’s actually a batter bread made with sourdough discard in about a day with no long cold rise. I encourage you to give it a try.
However, if you want to stick with the soft sourdough recipes try adding 2 cups of cheese and (if you want peppers) about 1 Cup peppers. As for herbs…that really depends on where you want to take this recipe including your choice of cheese.
You might give our Sourdough Rosemary Garlic sourdough a peek to see if it is interesting to you too. And it may give you some ideas as to how much herb is a good place to start. It uses 1 gram fresh rosemary and a large bulb of roasted garlic for a single loaf. So good!
Please let us know what you come up with. And tag us with your Homemade food junkie recipes and breads on Instagram. We love to share them in our daily stories. Can’t wait to see what you do!
Is the chilling 2 hours in the fridge for best oven spring AFTER the bread rises for 2-4 hours at room temp, or instead of?
Hi Tracy, For the best oven spring let the dough rise to the top of the bread pan on your counter. THEN set it in the oven to chill for two hours before baking.
I absolutely LOVE this bread! Thank you for sharing your recipe. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve made this. 😋
Hi Stefanie, It’s wonderful to know this recipe is working well for you! Thanks so much for the fantastic review. We appreciate you feedback. Have a wonderful day!
For the final rise, if it takes longer than 2 hours, do you refrigerate the first 2 or last 2 hours?
Hi Judy, The purpose of the final rise is to bring the dough up to the bread pan top but also to chill the dough so you get a good oven spring. So you want to do the fridge time just prior to baking. Have a great day and thanks for the question. 🙂
Is it reasonable to use 100% whole wheat flour instead of the 50%/50% split? Being diabetic I’m concerned about the carbs. Thank you for the response.
Hi Bill, Of course you can but I think the density might be quite a bit in this loaf with stone ground hard red whole wheat flour. Worth a try. And i DO think someone else did try it with good results.
We ALSO have Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread Recipe.
It’s wonderful with 100 % WHITE whole wheat flour. Try Montana Prairie Gold Flour (usually available in Walmart or your local grocery). This is the best best whole wheat flour for giving you a good result in both of these recipes.
Please let us know if you do try them and how it goes. Happy Baking!
@Diane,
Bill, while whole wheat flour has a higher fiber count and may help to decrease a bit of the carb effect, it is still 100% carbohydrate, and as a diabetic, I find it needs no less coverage than all white.
Hi, Thank you so much for the fantastic recipe. I always wanted to make sourdough bread that soft enough to make sandwiches. After try and error with numerous other recipes, I finally found it.
I tried this recipe a few times and all turned out great. I changed to 20% wholemeal / whole wheat flour and reduce honey to 30g for my liking.
Thank you for sharing great recipe.
Hi Yumi, I’m so happy you found us! And it’s a pleasure to know this recipe works well for you. Thanks for the great review. Happy Baking!
Hi Yumi, I’m delighted you found us! It’s a pleasure to know this recipe answered a need for you. Thanks for the great review! Happy Baking.
Hello. Thank you for this recipe. My kids love this bread and I’m making about four loaves a week of it (I have six kids). One issue for me is that while the bread is baking, the crust is cracking at the sides and not forming well. Any suggestions as to how I can correct this?
Hi Andrew,
Bread forming problems during baking are common. A lot of it has to do with the way you form the loaves after the bench rest for the final rise. As you form the loaf try to experiment with how tightly you roll the dough. It will make a difference in how the bread forms as it bakes and also how it rises. Believe it or not proper scoring also helps give you a better shape and rise.
Also join the FB groupPERFECT SOURDOUGH . It has master bakers and beginners from all over the world who have tons of experience and amazing results. They love to help and chat.
The crunchiness is interesting. If you are baking with a water bath I’d slow down on the amount of water you are spraying on the loaves before baking. It’s possible there is too much hydration in the loaf and it is affecting the crust.
Consistently Perfect loaves in form and crust are a matter of learning how the dough bakes in your oven and adjusting the hydration, oven temperature and loaf form to make the most of it.
You are getting good results. I realize you are looking to up your bread baking game. This is where the experimentation really helps. Write down what you change and how it effects the finished loaf until you have it just right. Baking really is a science project. That’s what keep it so interesting and fun. Happy Baking!
Hello! Thank you for the great recipe, I can’t wait to try it out and share with family.
I do have someone that is allergic to honey. Is there an alternative I could use when baking for them?
Hi Megan, You can substitute agave or maple syrup in place of the honey. Or even just granulated sugar. Please let us know what you choose and how it comes out for you. Happy baking!
I make this several times a week for my family and friends… everyone loves it. It’s fantastic!
Hi Mai, That’s so great to hear! Thanks a bunch for sharing your love for this recipe. Happy Baking!
My soft sourdough sandwich bread top gets burnt & the bottom soft which I understand should be hollow when tap on. The inside is not fully baked especially the lower portion. Hope you can enlighten me how to get a golden brown loaf which is soft & fluffy inside. I follow the temperature accordingly but yet this is the outcome. Thanks.
Hi Alison, I wonder if this is about how your oven bakes. If you are a regular baker I may be way off base. If you are not used to your oven these tips may help.
Many occasional bakers do not realize how much of a partner your oven is in completing a good bake. Here are some ideas.
Three Things:
-If it an uneven heat I can see this happening.
-Your oven may be too hot. I know my oven runs at LEAST 25 degrees hotter than Kaytis. We often get different results using the same instructions in recipes.
-If your oven is small the bread may not have the room to rise without burning.
Solutions:
-Try making this recipe as three smaller loaves and see if the loafs bake evenly and brown correctly.
– Turn the loaves half way through the bake. This will help with uneven heating.
– reduce heat by 25 degrees F if the loaves continue to burn. It sounds like they don’t have time to properly bake and that is giving you poor results.
I hope these tips help. I’m not sure what else could be going on. This recipe is is well tested. I’m fairly sure if you follow it exactly you will get good results.
Have a wonderful day!
@Diane, putting a pizza stone on the bottom shelf of your oven (the one under the shelf you bake on) really can help with oven temperature variations.
Hi Paula, I agree and do use one. My oven runs hot and the temperature in it is uneven and the pizza stone does help protect the bottom of my loaves and distribute the heat more evenly. Thanks for bringing this up. It’s a wonderful baking tip!
@Alison Sim,
I seem to have the same problem with my tiny oven.
The bottom is partially cooked (and golden brown)
Half way the proces I turn the 2 bread pans for more even cooking/browning.
At 25 min, I place the breads up side down for 5 more minutes (without breadpan)
@Alison Sim, same!! I assumed it’s because of the water bath that is directly under the loaf pan. It prevents direct heat from reaching the bottom of the pan? I may try having the water bath beside the loaf pan. I’ll also try reducing the heat per Diane’s recommendation. But my loaf came out very dark on top and quite soft on the bottom.