Sourdough sandwich bread is a soft, squishy loaf with a hint of tang. Perfect for your favourite sandwiches or morning toast and jam!
We love crunchy, crackly sourdough boules as much as the next, however, sometimes you just want a soft, squishy slice for a sandwich, you know? Enter sourdough sandwich bread! Using a no-knead sourdough technique, and a slow 8-hour ferment, we bake this bread in a classic loaf tin for that familiar sliced-bread look.
What Do You Need To Bake Sourdough Sandwich Bread?
- milk
- active, bubbly sourdough starter
- 1 egg
- flour
- sugar
- salt
- olive oil
White Flour Sourdough Starter Vs. Whole Grain
Some people make sourdough starter with regular all-purpose white flour. Others maintain sourdough starters with whole grain flours like rye, whole wheat, or spelt. Any flour with gluten content will work, however, all yield different results when added to sourdough bread recipes. White flour sourdough tends to be lighter, while whole grain loaves are generally more dense. We baked this recipe with rye flour sourdough starter.
If you don’t have your own on the go just yet, visit this post called How To Make Sourdough Starter. Your starter will need about a week, maybe a bit longer, before it will be ready to bake with!
Best Flour To Use In This Recipe
White flour or bread flour is best to use for a light fluffy loaf – we used white all-purpose flour. Feel free to substitute up to 50% whole grain flour like whole wheat or spelt, however, note the texture and density of the crumb will change.
Baker’s Schedule:
- Mix Ingredients (30 to 60 minutes) – Mix ingredients and do three sets of stretch and folds either every 10 minutes for 30 minutes, or every 20 minutes for 60 minutes.
- First Rise (8 hours) – First bulk rise at room temperature, 8 hours or until doubled in size.
- Second Rise (2 to 4 hours) – Shape dough and place in loaf tin lined with parchment paper or greased with butter. Cover with a tea towel and rise in a warm, draft-free place 2 to 4 hours.
- Bake (40 to 45 minutes) – Bake loaf at 350ºF / 180ºC for 40 to 45 minutes.
- Cool (4 hours) – Cool loaf for a minimum of four hours before slicing.
Tips & Suggestions For Making This Recipe:
- If you don’t have olive oil you can substitute any other neutral or light-tasting oil you have on hand.
- Make this recipe dairy-free by substituting plant-based milk in the loaf and vegan butter to grease the tin.
- You can substitute up to 50% of the all-purpose flour for any whole grain flour you like, however, this will result in a more dense loaf of bread.
- If you prefer a tangier, more sour flavour let your dough ferment at room temperature for longer than the recipe instructs.
- To store this bread keep it in a container with a lid, or wrap it in beeswax wrap. You can also wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap or foil and store it in the freezer for up to one month.
More Of Our Favourite Sourdough Recipes:
New York-Style Sourdough Bagels
Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread
Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Description
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons or a digital kitchen scale
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon
- Tea towel
- Bread tin
- Parchment paper
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup active sourdough starter
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup olive oil*
- 3 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
Instructions
Day One: Mix and First Rise
- Add the milk and sourdough starter to a large mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Add the egg and olive oil and mix again until incorporated.
- Add flour, sugar, and salt to the bowl. Use a wooden spoon to stir until a soft, shaggy dough forms.
- Let the dough rest, covered with a tea towel, for 10 minutes. After the initial rest period, perform a series of 3 stretch and folds over the course of 30-60 minutes, leaving at least 10 minutes between each round.
- Cover the bowl well with a tea towel and plate, then leave it at room temperature to rise for about 8 hours, or until doubled in size.
Day Two: Shape and Second Rise
- Line a bread tin with parchment paper or grease very well with butter. Set aside.
- Once the dough has gone through the first proof and doubled in size, it’s ready to be shaped. Lightly flour a clean surface with flour and tip the dough out onto it.
- Do a couple of stretches and folds to add a bit of tension to the dough and make it easier to work with, then shape a rough rectangle with it, making sure one side is about the same length as your bread tin.
- Roll the dough into a rough spiral, making sure you’re rolling from the side that’s the length of your tin, then place it seam down into your prepared tin. Don’t worry if the spiral is loose or imperfect.
- Cover the dough with a tea towel and set in a warm, draft-free place to rise again for 2-4 hours, or until the dough is about 1 inch (3 cm) over the top of the tin in the centre.
Day Two: Bake
- Once your loaf has risen, it's ready to be baked! Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Place the bread onto the centre rack and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top of the loaf is golden.
- Remove from oven and cool in the tin for 10 minutes before carefully removing and cooling fully on a wire rack.
- Don't cut the bread until it's completely cooled down, at least a couple of hours. It keeps well in a container or wrapped in beeswax wrap for a couple of days and can be frozen for up to a month.
Notes
Nutrition
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.
Brenda Wilkins says
I have a starter that I’ve maintained in the refrigerator, feeding once a week for the past month..yea me !! In this recipe do I start with the refrigerated starter straight out of the refrigerator or do I have to feed it 1st and let it bubble and double on the counter and then start the recipe? It’s get confusing as to what to do with different recipes! One minute I think I’ve got it then I have a brain fart..omg!! What a learning process with this sourdough!! Thanks for your help.
Alexandra Daum says
Hi Brenda! This recipe calls for active starter, so that means it should be fed about 12 hours before using it : )
Orit says
Hi
Your recipe looks really good, however,
I am concerned about leaving egg dough unrefrigerated. What are your thoughts?
Sophie Mackenzie says
Hey Orit, we have never had issue with it——and in many places in the world they don’t ever refrigerate eggs. I guess how you feel about it will also depend on where you live (and it is never too hot in Canada). If you have concern, you can always try out sourdough pan loaf that doesn’t have eggs.
sophie says
Do you think this recipe would work well as a boule in a Dutch oven? I like the combo of ingredients and am seeking a softer sourdough loaf but am used to making my loaves in a boule! Thanks!
Alexandra Daum says
Hi Sophie! Baking in a Dutch oven will generally result in a crustier, harder loaf. This should have a softer crust even baked in that way, but I don’t think it’ll be super soft using a typical Dutch oven method.
Sophie says
Wanted to report back now that I’ve made this in a boule with a Dutch oven and it was exactly what I was after! Hits the sweet spot between a softer loaf with a crisp exterior (if that’s what you’re after). Thank you!
Gavriella says
I wonder what is the loaf tin you are using for this recipe.
Alexandra Daum says
Hi Gavriella, I’m afraid I don’t know the brand name or anything like that, but the size is 30cmx13cm.
Kavita Ramakrishnan says
I don’t eat eggs. How do I substitute eggs in this recipee
Alexandra Daum says
Hi Kavita, there isn’t an egg substitute for this recipe, but you can try our sourdough pan loaf!
Don says
Did this recipe used to be by weight??
Alexandra Daum says
Hi Don, the recipe card has changed. If you click ‘metric’ above the ingredients, it will show the weights.