A simple sourdough pan loaf, baked in a normal loaf tin. This is a great recipe for sourdough beginners and anyone who doesn’t have a dutch oven.
While we have a sourdough sandwich bread recipe already on Baked, it includes eggs, oil, and milk. There were a number of requests from readers for a more basic sourdough pan loaf, so here it is! Four ingredients, super easy, and delicious.
If sourdough is new to you, or you’re not having the best results yet with boules, a pan loaf might be a great option. Since there’s nowhere for the dough to go but up, you won’t have some common beginner’s problems with too much spread and lack of an upward rise.
It’s a good way to go if you aren’t sure you want to invest in a large dutch oven as well. Or maybe you’d just like a square sandwich! With a slightly tighter crumb, this makes for a very nice sandwich bread (less risk of toppings falling through).
Please note than any sourdough bread baked in a tin, like this one, won’t have the same crisp, harder crust as a sourdough boule. It’s more of a thin, slightly crackly crust – equally delicious, just different.
Ingredients
- Active starter or levain
- Water
- Flour
- Salt
Method
TWO NIGHTS BEFORE
Make the levain: Take out 1-2 tablespoon of your starter from the refrigerator and mix with 50g of room temperature water and 50g of white flour. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave it on the counter to ferment overnight for approximately 8-12 hours.
ONE DAY BEFORE
Once your levain is ready, combine all of it with the 350g of water. Add the flour to the water mixture and, using your hands, mix to combine. Once the dough is mixed, cover with a tea towel and let it rest at room temperature for 40 minutes.
After the dough has rested, add the salt. Mix well until combined then cover with the tea towel and let the mixture rest again for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, it is time for the first fold.
Do the first fold: Here’s a tutorial on how to stretch and fold sourdough bread. Complete 6 folds (one fold every 30 minutes) for 3 hours total.
Shaping the dough: Begin by taking the dough out of the bowl and letting it rest on the counter for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare your loaf pan by brushing it with a little neutral oil or butter.
On a lightly floured surface, take your dough and flatten it to a rough rectangle. Roll it up like a burrito, being sure to press out any air bubbles. Place the dough in the prepared pan, cover with a tea towel or bowl cover and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.
Bake: The next day, take your loaf out of the fridge and let it rise on the counter for around 2 hours, or until the dough springs back when lightly touched with a floured finger. You can score the loaf if you desire, but it is not needed.
While the dough is proofing, set one rack in the middle and one on the bottom of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C).
Once the dough is proofed, reduce the temperature to 450°F (230°C) and place a cookie tray on the bottom rack. Fill it with about 2 cm (¾ inch) of water. Place your bread on the upper rack and bake for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes, remove the tray of water and bake the bread for another 20 minutes.
Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool fully on a rack before slicing.
Tips and Notes
Adding the pan of water to the oven during the first half of baking increases the humidity within the oven, and helps to improve the texture of the outer crust of the loaf. This is the same concept as baking in a dutch oven.
Scoring isn’t needed for this recipe, but if you want to control where the bread will go as it rises during baking, you may prefer to score. If not, the loaf will usually open more on the side near the top rather than across the top.
If using starter rather than levain, skip the two nights before step. This is the time needed for the levain to become active, the same as you would feed a starter one night before baking with it.
Substitutions
This pan loaf can easily take about half whole wheat flour with no trouble. You may be able to do 100% whole wheat sourdough, but we haven’t tried it.
Another lower gluten flour, like spelt or einkorn, would add a good flavour and can replace part of the all-purpose flour.
Active sourdough starter and levain can be used interchangeably for this recipe, so go for whatever your preference is.
More Sourdough Breads
100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
Sourdough Naan
Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
Sprouted Grain Sourdough Bread
Sourdough Dark Rye Bread
If you make this recipe, let us know by tagging @baked_theblog + #bakedtheblog on Instagram! We love to feel like we’re in the kitchen with you.
Recipe
Basic Pan Loaf
A simple sourdough pan loaf, baked in a normal loaf tin. This is a great recipe for sourdough beginners and anyone who doesn't have a dutch oven.
Ingredients
- 100g active starter or levain
- 500g all-purpose white flour
- 350g room-temperature water (20°C/68°F)
- 10g sea salt
Instructions
TWO NIGHTS BEFORE
- Make the levain: Take out 1-2 tablespoon of your starter from the refrigerator and mix with 50g of room temperature water and 50g of white flour.
- Cover the bowl with a plate and leave it on the counter to ferment overnight for approximately 8-12 hours.
ONE DAY BEFORE
- Once your levain is ready, combine all of it with the 350g of water. Add the flour to the water mixture and, using your hands, mix to combine.
- Once the dough is mixed, cover with a tea towel and let it rest at room temperature for 40 minutes.
- After the dough has rested, add the salt. Mix well until combined then cover with the tea towel and let the mixture rest again for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, it is time for the first fold.
- Do the first fold: Here’s a tutorial on how to stretch and fold sourdough bread. Complete 6 folds (one fold every 30 minutes) for 3 hours total.
- Shaping the dough: Begin by taking the dough out of the bowl and letting it rest on the counter for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare your loaf pan by brushing it with a little neutral oil or butter.
- On a lightly floured surface, take your dough and flatten it to a rough rectangle. Roll it up like a burrito, being sure to press out any air bubbles. Place the dough in the prepared pan, cover with a tea towel or bowl cover and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.
DAY OF BAKING
- Bake: The next day, take your loaf out of the fridge and let it rise on the counter for around 2 hours, or until the dough springs back when lightly touched with a floured finger. You can score the loaf if you desire, but it is not needed.
- While the dough is proofing, set one rack in the middle and one on the bottom of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C).
- Once the dough is proofed, reduce the temperature to 450°F (230°C) and place a cookie tray on the bottom rack. Fill it with about 2 cm (¾ inch) of water. Place your bread on the upper rack and bake for 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, remove the tray of water and bake the bread for another 20 minutes.
- Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool fully on a rack before slicing.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 152Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 325mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 4g
This is an approximation of the nutrition offered in this recipe, and is created using a nutrition calculator.
Christine Pappas says
Very new to sourdough experience. In fact, mine is 2 days young! If I were to begin with starter, how much would I need?
Alexandra Daum says
Congratulations on starting, Christine! You’ll need 100 grams of active (fed the night before) starter for this recipe, but I’d recommend giving it a few more days before you start baking loaves. Good luck!
Charlene Florence says
I’m making this recipe for the second time, it makes beautiful bread, the crust is flaky and chewy, the inside is creamy with a perfect texture. My husband is very happy I’ve added this to my bread recipes. Very happy with it.
Deb says
I made this and used my Emile Henry loaf pan, this recipe was excellent, wish I could share my photo.
Kelly Neil says
Amazing Deb! Thanks so much for letting us know! :)
Margaret says
Hi,
How big should the loaf pan be? I have a standard 9 1/2 long x 5 x 2 1/2
Kelly Neil says
Hi Margaret, yes a standard loaf tin is perfect!
Gale says
I burnt the crust on mine but still got the best crumb I’ve had so far! Will definitely give it another go
Ruthie says
I have a glass loaf pan, will this work?
Alexandra Daum says
Should be fine!
Terra says
What size loaf pans did you use? I wish that info was in the recipe to get a sense of how much rise and what shape I can expect using the loaf pan I have.
Alexandra Daum says
Hi Terra, a standard 9×5-ish pan is what’s pictured, though we also make this loaf with longer and thinner loaf tins. You can expect it to resemble whichever loaf pan you have.
Denise Tucker says
Hi expert,
I am in despair with sourdough, so I really hope this works! I’ve been battling with the sourdough demon for nearly 2 years, because my son requires sourdough for dietary reasons. Sometimes great, more often a miserable puddle after 2/3 days (the starter looks happy enough). It’s the great mystery of how long to prove etc. I’m trying your loaf tin idea, as batards/blobs are miserable. So I’m about to relax the dough, shape, place in tins overnight. Then hope.
Alexandra Daum says
Hi Denise, I’m sure you’ll have more luck with the pan loaf! Best wishes!
Denise says
It worked! I now have two loaves ready for boy’s packed lunch tomorrow! Maybe could have let it bake a little longer but it’s basically there! You are a lifesaver!
Taya B says
What would be the effects if I had left the dough in the fridge longer than 8 hours?
Alexandra Daum says
It might over-prove, depending on how long you leave it, but more likely you’d just get a much stronger sourdough flavour.
Taya B says
It turned out absolutely amazing!! Thank you 😁
Yehudit : ) says
I learned how to make a lavain from your blog and then made this recipe, thank you! I want to make your bagel recipe, but how do I figure out how much lavain to make, as it requires a cup of starter?
Is there a general formula for calculating ratio and the final amount after it rises?
Alexandra Daum says
Hi there, we recommend that you go by weight – an equal amount of 100g water and 100g flour will result in the correct weight of levain.
Yehudit : ) says
Thank you for your reply!… so also 100 g of my original starter?
Alexandra Daum says
Hi there – have you read our post on how to make sourdough levain? I think it’ll be very helpful for you. For levain, you just use a small quantity of refrigerated starter and add enough flour and water to make the necessary amount of levain.
Yehudit : ) says
In response to the above, do I also add 100 g of my starter to create the lavain for the bagel recipe?
Thanks for your patience!!! You are really helping to transform me as a baker!
Alexandra Daum says
Just a little bit of starter, about a tablespoon, is needed to make levain. Think of it as just how you’d feed your regular starter. You just need a bit left over, and then you add water and flour to make more starter. The concept is the same for levain.
Yehudit : ) says
Aw thanks 💕 you ladies are the best!!!!