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.
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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.
I just ran out of honey. Would Panela sugar work? Thanks!
Hi Emily, I have never tried it but I’m sure any sweetener will be fine. Maybe add a titch more of oil to make up for the loss of moisture. Let us know how it goes. Happy Baking!
Can you mix up the ingredients and let it sit in the fridge( after the autolyse and stretch and folds ) for MORE THAN 24 hours? Like say, 36 ish hours ?
Hi Jen, Absolutely! Just eliminate the bulk rise after stretch and folds. Happy Baking!
Looks like a good recipe. But I don’t see in the recipe where the dough needs to be scored.
Hi DEB, Thanks so much for pointing this out. I have gone in and revised the baking instructions. Appreciate your taking the time to let us know. Happy Holidays!
What is the 1:1:1 feeding that you recommend before using. My starter won’t float even thought I have fed it twice a day for the last two days and once a day for 4 days before that
Hi Debbie, I use 100 grams of starter to 100 grams of warm water to 100 grams of flour. If your starter is a bit sleepy try using either rye or whole wheat flour for a feeding. The extra enzymes in these flours often help perk up starters. Also this time of year your room temperature in your kitchen may be cooling. This can make a starter slower to activate. Try setting it a warmer place and see if that helps. Hope this helps! Happy baking!
Can the oil be substituted with other oils like Grapeseed?
Hi Carol. Yes it can. I just love working with avocado oil. It’s a really nice general purpose oil. But grapeseed oil will work as well. Happy Baking!
Thank you for the recipe. There is no mention of “pulling” the formed dough to tighten the top prior to placing in the pan. Is this not necessary to stretch the surface?
Hi Bruce, This recipe works pretty well if you form it as the picture gallery describes. Tightening the loaf as you form it and giving it a deep scoring will possibly help with the rise. However, I worry more about tightening the surface when I bake boules. I hope this helps. Happy baking!
Thank you so much for the detailed instructions, video, and recipes. I made the sandwich loaf and cinnamon bread with the other loaf. They are delicious and the softest bread I’ve ever made. My search for a soft sourdough bread recipe is over. The recipe is easy to follow and the results are amazing.
Hi Cheryl, Thanks so much for your great review and encouragement to us on this recipe. I’m so happy it worked well for you. Enjoy!
My sour dough starter does not float. I still make it and it seems to turn out. I have started my starter twice
Hi Irene, If your starter does not float and is making good bread you need not worry about it. However, your starter might benefit from feeding it in balance 1:1:1 before baking. This will keep the flour and water in the proper balance to give you the best rise. Happy Baking!
I just realized as I was adding ingredients that I only had about 270 g of sourdough starter, not the required 300 g. Since I had already poured it in I am just continuing along with the recipe. How will this possibly affect my turnout?
Thanks!
Hi Karen, This should be fine. The dough may take a bit longer to develop. forge ahead and happy baking.
Hi Diane, I have been making this bread regularly for about a year and absolutely love it!! It turns out amazing every time! I’m sorry if this question has already been asked, but to double or triple the recipe (making 4 or 6 loaves at a time), can I just double or triple the amount of starter the same as all the ingredients and make it in one big batch of dough or would it be better to make 2 or 3 separate batches of dough? Or do I use a different proportion of starter? Thanks!
Hi Annie, Just keep the proportions of each ingredient exactly the same and it should work fine. If you have any trouble please let us know. We are happy To help. So happy you are enjoying this bread. Happy Baking!
Question, what is the the baker’s percentage for this recipe? Would it be possible to scale this recipe down to a single small loaf? (in a 8.5 x 4.5 loaf pan)
Hi Lance, You can divide the ingredients exactly in half for just one loaf. Thanks for asking and Happy Baking!
Thank you so much for this fantastic recipe. My whole family is in love. The instructions were very clear and so helpful. I did half whole wheat and it turned out delicious. I so appreciate all your hard work! We will be making this again and again!
Hi Holli, We are so glad you love this recipe. Thanks for the great feedback! Happy Baking!
Thank you for the sourdough sandwich bread recipe. My question is after I let it rise on the counter for 3 or 4 hours is it at that time do I put it in the fridge covered for an additional 2 hours or when I make my loaves in the pan?
Hi Muriel, Once the dough is risen in the bread pan, chilling the dough completely in the fridge will help give you the best oven spring. Hope this helps. Happy Baking!
I wanted to thank you for this recipe and the fool proof directions. I use this recipe every week when I bake bread and it is so good! My family members who I have given the bread to absolutely love it as well! I have made the sandwich bread and the cinnamon swirl bread, so good! The cinnamon swirl bread makes great French toast.
Hi Lisa, You’re so welcome. We are just delighted you love this sourdough bread recipe as much as we do. Thanks for stopping in to comment, review the recipe and let us know you love it. Happy Baking!
Question. You said for best oven aping to put in fridge 2 hours covered. Is that after the initial 2 to 4 hours in the pan to rise?
Yes, You rise the dough and then chill it for the best oven spring. HOWEVER, the bread will bake fine once it is risen in the pan. The additional chilling time is optional if you don’t worry about a high rise loaf. Happy Baking!
As an experiment with your recipe, I’m skipping the cold overnight step and will shape and let rise, then bake today. My family prefers a less sour flavor profile so we will see how this goes. It’s such a nice bread for sandwiches.
Hi Laura, Others have had good success with skipping the overnight long cold rise. It will affect the flavor and texture but it still makes a great sandwich bread. Please let us know how it goes for you. Which way do you like it best? Isn’t playing with recipes fun? Happy Baking!
Oh, I see, you’re including the water weight, so I see why you say two thousand gram loaves. I watched your video which is excellent. I am so used to focusing on the weight of the flour, I misread, so my earlier comment should be disregarded or deleted.
Hi Gail, I’m glad the video and recipe are working well for you. Please let us know how the bread turns out for you. Happy Baking!
Thank you for the recipe that I will try soon. The recipe states way near the top that “This Recipe makes two 1000 gram loaves of soft sandwich bread.” Again later it repeats 2 1000 gram loaves. It makes two 500 gram loaves; the doubled recipe requires a total of 1000 grams.
I did make the bread and it’s really nice! So light and soft! My only issue was the sides blew out on both loaves. I’m not quite sure what I did to cause this, maybe shaping. I’m going to make it again and hopefully I’ll do better next time. Still really yummy!
I’m glad it turned out well for you. Shaping is my guess too on the blow out.Hopefully they will still make good sandwiches for you! Thanks for the feedback too. It’s well appreciated.
@Diane, I also didn’t use the steam…. So will definitely add that into the equation this time around. It’s definitely worth another go, it’s THAT good!
The steam will help soften the crust as it bakes. This will give you a more sandwich style bread crust. I’m not sure it will help with the blow outs though. Please let us know how it goes. Happy Baking!
@Laura I am certain part of your blow out problem with your loaves is the scoring. You need to score the loaves rather deeply (down an inch or more) into the dough so it can rise through the top and not exert pressure on the sides of the loaves. Score deeply either in three parallel diagonal lines or one really deep score down the middle of the loaves. Hope this helps!
@Laura, thanks for the additional comments! They are very timely because I’m waiting for my oven to heat up right now to bake the loaves. I will score more deeply this time and add some steam. I see in the video you use an egg wash. I usually do this with my sandwich breads but I don’t think I saw that in the written recipe. Even with the blown out sides, this is by far my favorite sourdough sandwich bread I’ve made so far, and I love the fact it doesn’t include any dairy. This bread has been a wonderful discovery for a friend who has issues with both gluten and dairy. She can eat it with zero issues!
I’m so excited this recipe works well for you and your gluten sensitive friend. Most of our sourdough bread recipes use the long cold rise method and this will improve digestibility of gluten. Hope you have better baking results this time!
I started this dough today and just wanted to make the point that it might be important to watch entire video, AND read all of the written instructions, because they don’t both include the same information. The written instructions don’t mention waiting 30 minutes after last stretch and fold before refrigerating. The video doesn’t mention the part about chilling the loaves after they’ve risen for better oven spring. I’m excited to bake this bread because the dough is beautiful to work with!