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This sourdough sandwich bread recipe is soft and chewy and incredibly easy to make! You can bake it the same day you make it, or refrigerate the dough for up to 4 days!

Overview

  • Difficulty Level: Intermediate Sourdough Recipe
  • Skills Used: Sourdough Starter, Stretch and Fold Method

When you first start learning how to make sourdough bread, a boule is the most common shape you learn. This large round shaped loaf is beautiful and impressive. However, sometimes you want something that is a bit softer for something like a BLT sandwich!

Timeline

This recipe is extremely versatile with the timeline. You can choose to make the dough and bake it all in the same day. Or you can make the dough and put it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, until you are ready to bake it.

Refrigerating the dough will increase the depth of flavor and the sourness in your bread so keep that in mind if you do choose to refrigerate it. If you like a really sour bread, plan ahead and refrigerate the dough the full 4 days!

If you want to always have fresh sandwich bread around, I suggest making the full batch of dough the first time you make it. This makes enough dough for 2 loaves of bread.

Bake one of the loaves that day and then place the other half of the dough in the refrigerator. Once you are through your loaf, you have a dough ready to go for you to bake.

You can also make another half batch of dough the day you bake the second loaf and place that in the refrigerator. This will give you a constant rotation of dough that is ready to be baked!

How to Make Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Step 1: Prepare Your Starter (Leaven)

6-10 hrs before you want to mix your dough, feed your starter to get it active for baking. If you like a more mild flavored bread, stay closer to the 6 hr mark, and if you like a more sour bread stay closer to the 10 hr mark.

A full batch of dough needs 300 gr of active starter. For this, I do my 1:3:3 feeding and feed 50 gr starter with 150 gr flour and 150 gr water. I like to do this right before bed so I can mix my dough first thing in the morning.

You can utilize whatever ratios and timing works best for you. I made a detailed video about understanding starter feedings and ratios if you are unfamiliar with how this works.

Step 2: Mix the Dough

I like to start by measuring out my water and my starter first. Then I use a spatula to break up the starter a little bit so it will be easier to evenly distribute once all of the other ingredients are added.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl. This recipe includes a few extra ingredients like oil and sugar. The oil makes the bread softer than my basic sourdough recipe, which does not have any fat in it.

The sugar, or you can use honey, is a very small amount and just adds a tiny bit of flavor. It won’t taste like a sweet bread.

Use a spatula or mixing spoon to get the dough started, then get your hands in and squeeze and massage the dough to evenly mix. This should take a full 2 minutes of mixing to make sure all of the flour is absorbed.

It will look like a pretty shaggy dough ball and won’t be super smooth right after mixing. Cover the bowl to rest before the stretch and folds. I like to use a shower cap to cover my bowl because they fit perfectly and can be rinsed and reused!

Step 3: Stretch and Folds

After the dough is mixed, you will perform 4 rounds of stretch and folds with about 30 minutes in between each round. If you are unfamiliar with this technique, watch the video as it will help to see the process.

Get your hand damp then grab underneath the dough pulling it up to stretch it as far as it will go without breaking, then fold it down over itself. Go all the way around the bowl until it tightens up into a ball. Cover it and let it rest again before the second round.

Optional Step: Retard Dough in Refrigerator

If you want to bake your bread the same day you made it, you can skip this step. However, if you want to bake your bread later you can cover it and place it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This gives you more flexibility with your timeline and also increases the flavor of your bread.

Step 4: Bulk Ferment

After the dough is mixed, you will allow it to bulk ferment before it rises. If you are baking the same day it should take about 3 hours at 72 F (22 C) to finish bulk fermenting. If you refrigerated your dough, pull it out of the fridge to come to room temperature and finish bulking for about 5-6 hrs.

Your dough is done bulk fermenting when it is puffy and filled with air. There should be some bubbles on top and you should see some rounding on the sides of the bowl. It likely won’t double in size the way a yeasted dough does.

Step 5: Shape

Pour your dough out of your mixing bowl on a lightly floured surface and divide in half if you made a full batch of dough.

Stretch a piece of dough out to about a rectangular shape and very lightly flour the top. Don’t use too much or it won’t stick to itself.

Stretch the top of the dough out and bring it into the center pressing to seal. To the same with the bottom of the dough. Now to one side and then the other creating a log of dough.

I like to then gently seal each end of the dough and if the dough feels like it needs a bit more tension, I “stitch” the dough down the center seam pulling in pieces from each side to build a tighter loaf. See video for a demo.

Transfer the dough into a prepared loaf tin and then gently press down on it to press out any air pockets.

Step 6: Proof

Cover your shaped loaves and let them proof until they have crowned your loaf pan and are full of air. You can check to see if your loaves are done proofing by pressing in on the dough with a floured finger. If it bounces back quickly, give it a bit more time. If it slowly fills in and the tension feels relaxed then you are ready to bake.

If you press on your dough and it collapses or feels like it might collapse, you have likely over proofed your dough. You can still bake it, but it will be a bit more dense. Unfortunately there is no coming back from over proofed dough.

Step 7: Prep Oven

About 45 minutes before baking prep your oven. Place a baking stone on the center rack. If you don’t have a stone, use two sheet pans stacked together.

Place a metal roasting pan (do not use a glass pan) on the bottom rack and fill with about 2 cups of water. This helps create a steamy environment for your oven. Preheat to 400 F (205 C).

Step 8: Bake

Spray or sprinkle some water over the tops of your loaves before going into the oven. This helps then get a bit more rise.

Bake with steam for about 15 minutes, then remove the steam pan out of the oven being careful not to spill it. I put a towel over the oven glass so the glass doesn’t shatter if some spills.

Continue baking for about 20 more minutes.

Step 9: Cool Before Slicing

When your loaves come out of the oven, tip them out of the pan onto a cooling rack and let them cool COMPLETELY before slicing. This will ensure that your loaves do not stale too quickly.

The crust will be slightly crispy when it comes out of the oven, but it will soften as it cools. You can also rub a little butter on it right when it comes out of the oven for an even softer crust.

Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe
Yield: 2 Loaves

Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe

This sourdough sandwich bread recipe is soft and chewy and incredibly easy to make! You can bake it the same day you make it, or refrigerate the dough for up to 4 days!

Ingredients

For a Full Batch (makes 2 loaves)

  • 650 grams water at 90-95 F (32-35 C)
  • 300 grams mature sourdough starter
  • 1000 grams bread flour or unbleached all purpose flour
  • 50 grams oil neutral flavored oil (canola, vegetable, sunflower, or avocado)
  • 40 grams sugar or honey
  • 20 grams kosher salt or fine sea salt

For a Half Batch (makes 1 loaf)

  • 325 grams water
  • 150 grams mature sourdough starter
  • 500 grams bread flour or unbleached all purpose flour
  • 25 grams oil neutral flavored oil (canola, vegetable, sunflower, or avocado)
  • 20 grams sugar or honey
  • 10 grams kosher salt or fine sea salt

Instructions

*Note: Read the recipe through completely before starting. It is also highly encouraged to watch the video. Sourdough recipes are just guidelines and it is important to learn how to read your dough. The video highlights visual cues to look for in your dough.

*See Note Section for Example Timelines

  1. Get Starter Ready for Dough: If you are making a full batch of bread, you will need 300 gr of active fed starter to go into your dough. For this amount, I do a 1:3:3 feeding so that my starter is usually ready to go into the dough at about the 5 hr mark and can be used until about the 10 hr mark after feeding. I take 50 grams starter and feed that with 150 grams flour and 150 grams water to give me 350 grams total starter. 300 grams will go into the dough with 50 grams leftover for the next days feeding. You can use whatever ratios work best for you and your timing as long as you have at least 300 grams to go into your dough. If you are confused about how feedings work, please watch my video on understanding sourdough starter for clarification.
  2. Mix Dough: In a large mixing bowl measure out your slightly warm water. Add your starter, flour, oil, sugar or honey, and salt on top. I like to start mixing the dough with a silicone spatula or a dough whisk first. Once the dough is starting to come together, use clean hands to thoroughly mix the dough until all of the ingredients are very well incorporated and there are no dry patches of flour. This will take about 2-3 minutes of mixing to make sure it is well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, or a shower cap and let sit at room temperature (72-75 F, 22-23 C) for 30 minutes.
  3. Stretch and Folds: Over the 2 hours perform 4 rounds of stretch and folds (see video if you are unfamiliar with this technique) about every 30 minutes. The timing between the rounds does not need to be exact. Drizzle a tiny bit of oil over the dough after the last stretch and fold and cover it with plastic wrap or a shower cap to prevent it from drying out.
  4. Retard Dough (optional): If you would like to bake your bread the same day, you can skip this step. However, if you would like, you can refrigerate your dough at this point to increase flavor, sourness, and provide some flexibility with baking time. to do this, place your dough in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours and up to 4 days.
  5. Bulk Ferment: If you did not retard your dough, let it continue sitting at room temperature after your last round of stretch and folds for about 3 hours. If you did retard your dough, bring it out of the fridge and let it sit out for about 5-6 hours to finish bulking. Your dough will likely look like it hasn't risen much or at all when you first take it out of the fridge. You know bulk is finished when the dough is full of air and is rounding on the sides of the bowl. You can also perform the dough float test (see video) if you are unsure your dough is ready.
  6. Shaping: Oil your 8.5 x 4.5" (22 x 11 cm) loaf pans. Turn your dough out onto your very lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough in half if you made a full batch. Shape the dough into a tight sandwich loaf (see video for shaping demonstration). Be cautious about not using too much flour on the bench or on top of your dough as this makes it difficult to build tension and to get the dough to stick to itself. Transfer the dough to the loaf pan, seam side down. Gently press down on the dough to ensure it is evenly filling the pan and that no air pockets are trapped inside the dough.
  7. Proof: Cover the pans with plastic wrap or a shower cap and let proof until the dough begins to crown the pan and is full of air. This should take around 2 1/2 hours at a room temperature of about 72 F (22 C). Your timing will be quicker if your room is warmer, or longer if your room is cooler. You can also perform the dent test to see how far along your dough is with proofing. Take a well floured finger and gently press down into your dough about 1/2" down. If the dough immediately fills back in, then it needs a bit more time. If the dent very slowly fills back in, then you are well proofed. If the dough feels like it might collapse or does collapse, you have gone too far and your dough is over proofed. You can still bake it, but it will be very dense.
  8. Prepare Oven: About 30 minutes before baking, prepare your oven. Place an oven rack in the center position and another in the bottom of the oven. On the bottom rack, place a roasting pan or other metal pan (not glass or ceramic) in the oven and fill it with about 2 cups (480 ml) of water. Set a baking stone on the middle rack. If you do not have a baking stone, you can use 2 sheet pans stacked and turned upside down. Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Preheating with the water already in the oven will make your oven moist and steamy when your bread goes in and will help with a good oven spring.
  9. Bake: If you have a water spray bottle, spray the tops of the proofed loaves with water. If you don't, you can just sprinkle some water over the top of the loaves with clean hands. Transfer the loaves onto the preheated baking stone or sheet pans and bake for 15 minutes with the pan of water in the oven. After 15 minutes, very carefully remove the pan of water from the oven. Continue baking for 15-20 more minutes until the loaves are golden grown and sound hollow when thumped. The center of the loaf should also read 200 F (93 C) if you are unsure if they are baked through.
  10. Cool: Transfer the baked loaves into a cooling rack and gently tip out of the pans. Allow to cool completely before slicing. Cool a minimum of 2 hours before slicing, and preferably longer. Loaves of bread can have a gummy texture if sliced into before cooling and it will also cause them to stale more quickly.
  11. Store: After sliced, I keep my sandwich bread cut side down and unwrapped in my bread box. If you do not have a bread box, and your climate isn't extremely dry, you can keep it cut side down out on your cutting board in the open air. Or you can wrap it in a kitchen towel and place it in a paper bag as the next best option if your climate is very dry. If you would like to store it in a ziplock bag, make extra certain that it is cooled completely before you do so and that there is no moisture present before you seal it, otherwise it can get moldy. This is how I store the bread for up to 72 hours. After that, I slice what is left and transfer it to the freezer in a ziplock back. Toast to refresh.

Notes

Looking for a whole wheat version? Try my honey wheat sourdough sandwich bread!

Example Timelines

Same Day Bake (afternoon bake)

  • 11 pm (night before bake): Feed Starter
  • 9:00 am (day of bake): Mix Dough
  • 9:30-11:00 am: Stretch and Folds
  • 2:00 pm: Shape Dough
  • 4:30 pm: Bake


Same Day Bake (night bake)

  • 8:00 am: Feed Starter
  • 2:00 pm: Mix Dough
  • 2:30-4:00 pm: Stretch and Folds
  • 7:00 pm: Shape Dough
  • 9:30 pm: Bake

Schedule for Refrigerating Dough

  • 8:00 am Feed Starter
  • 5:30 pm: Mix Dough
  • 6:00-7:30 pm: Stretch and Folds (optional)
  • 7:30 pm: Into the Refrigerator
  • 9:00 (day of bake): Take out of Fridge
  • 2:30 pm: Shape
  • 5:00 pm: Bake


*Recipe adapted from Homemade Food Junkie's Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe

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