Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread is an easy way to bake a soft, fluffy loaf with minimal hands-on time. This recipe produces a nutritious, flavorful sandwich loaf and requires only a few minutes of active preparation.
The dough can be made and baked the same day, or prepared ahead and cold-fermented overnight for deeper flavor and easier handling.
Why You’ll Love This Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe
- Super easy: Only a few minutes of active work.
- Nutritious: Sourdough fermentation makes bread easier to digest than many commercial yeast loaves.
- Soft and versatile: Ideal for sandwiches, toast, or simply spread with butter.
- Flexible timing: Bake the same day or cold-ferment the dough overnight to bake when convenient.
Ingredients
- Flour: 357 g (2 3/4 cups)
- Water: 210 ml (1 cup + 2 tbsp)
- Salt: 1 tsp (5 g)
- Sugar or honey: 20 g (1 tbsp)
- Soft unsalted butter: 43 g (3 tbsp) — or olive oil
- Active sourdough starter: 75 g (about 3/8 cup)
How to Make Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Step 1: Prepare the Dough
In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine room-temperature water (or milk), sugar or honey, salt, and the active sourdough starter. Add softened butter (melted butter or olive oil can be used) and then add the flour. Mix until the ingredients come together into a shaggy dough.
Step 2: Knead the Dough
Knead by hand or use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Knead on low speed for about 10–12 minutes, pausing if your mixer gets warm. The dough should be smooth and elastic when ready.
Step 3: First Fermentation
Cover the dough and let it rest for 45 minutes. After the short rest perform a quick surface smooth: gently pull the dough from all sides, turn it over and drag it along the bowl to build surface tension. Let the dough continue to ferment at room temperature for about 4½ to 5 hours, until it has risen noticeably.
Alternatively, after the initial rise you can degas the dough, create a taut surface, cover it, and refrigerate overnight (cold retard) for improved flavor and easier shaping.
Step 4: Shape the Bread
If cold-fermented, remove the dough from the fridge and let it relax slightly if needed. Dust your work surface with flour and place the dough smooth side down. Gently press to degas and shape into a rectangle.
Fold the bottom third up and the top third down to create layers, then flatten into a long rectangle to expel any trapped air. Roll the dough tightly like a jelly roll and pinch the seam to seal. Place the loaf seam-side down in a greased loaf pan and cover.
Step 5: Final Rise
Allow the shaped loaf to proof in a warm spot for 4–5 hours, depending on room temperature. Ensure it has risen well before baking.
Step 6: Bake the Bread
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake the loaf for about 35 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the internal temperature reaches about 200°F (93°C). If the bread smells overly yeasty or feels gummy inside, it needs more time.
To help ensure the bottom is fully baked, place the loaf pan on the lowest oven rack. This reduces the chance of a soggy bottom while preventing the top from over-browning.
When done, remove the loaf from the oven, demold it, and brush the warm surface with butter. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing; residual steam continues to finish the crumb during cooling.
The loaf turns out soft, fluffy, and slightly tangy with a lovely swirl in the crumb. It’s perfect for toast, sandwiches, or just slathered with butter.
If you don’t have a sourdough starter, you can use commercial yeast to make a simple white sandwich loaf with a similar shaping method. To make a starter, you need only flour and water and can follow a step-by-step guide or video to cultivate one.
This soft sourdough sandwich bread is approachable for bakers of all levels and consistently outperforms store-bought loaves in texture and flavor. Whether baked fresh or after a cold ferment, you’ll end up with a delicious everyday loaf.
VIDEO: Soft sourdough sandwich bread recipe
Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe
Bincy Chris
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 210 ml Water (1 cup + 2 tbsp)
- 5 g Salt 1 tsp
- 20 g Honey or sugar (1 tbsp)
- 43 g Soft unsalted Butter or olive oil (3 tbsp)
- 75 g Active sourdough starter 3/8 cup
- 357 g Flour 2 and 3/4 cups
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
-
Add room-temperature water (or milk), honey or sugar, salt, and active starter to a mixer or bowl. Mix in softened butter, then add flour and combine until a cohesive dough forms.
Knead the Dough
-
Knead by hand or with a mixer dough hook on low for 10–12 minutes, pausing if the mixer warms. The dough should be smooth and elastic.
First Fermentation
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Cover and rest 45 minutes, then smooth the surface by stretching and turning the dough. Let ferment 4½–5 hours at room temperature until risen. For cold fermentation, degas, create a taut surface, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Shape the Bread
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Dust the work surface, place dough smooth side down and degas. Shape into a rectangle, fold bottom third up and top third down, flatten, roll tightly, seal the seam, and place in a greased loaf pan. Cover.
Final Rise
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Proof the shaped loaf in a warm place for 4–5 hours, until well risen.
Bake the Bread
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Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake the loaf about 35 minutes until golden and the internal temperature reaches 200°F (93°C). Remove from pan, brush with butter while warm, and cool completely before slicing.