This sourdough sandwich bread recipe makes an amazingly super-soft bread with a flavor and texture that kids absolutely love. Once you make this easy no-knead sourdough bread, buying it from the store will be a thing of the past!
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Sourdough Sandwich Bread Video Tutorial
Why We Love This Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe
- It’s super soft inside and out – so everyone loves it!
Sourdough loaves typically have a sour taste and crunchy, chewy exterior that some people (and kids) dislike. However, this recipe is baked in a loaf pan for a wonderfully light crust and soft interior. - There is no kneading required!
Since this is a no-knead bread recipe, there’s no worry about “Have I kneaded the dough enough?” The recipe is literally fail-proof. - It tastes like “regular” sandwich bread – without the “sour” taste.
Even if your kids aren’t sourdough fans, they’ll love it! They probably won’t even notice the difference between it and store-bought. The kids might also like our grilled cheese on sourdough bread recipe or our sourdough breakfast sandwich.
Learn more about how sourdough is fermented in my overnight sourdough bread post.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Make this yummy soft loaf with just a handful of simple ingredients. There’s no yeast, eggs, or milk required!
- “Active” Sourdough starter – fed 12-24 hours before starting the recipe.
When we say “active,” we mean a mature starter that is at least a week old and always doubles in size within 4-6 hours of feeding. It doesn’t mean you need to use it at the peak activity after a feeding. This recipe uses an unfed starter or one that was fed 12-24 hours prior. - Bread flour – I prefer using unbleached King Arthur bread flour. Although you can use all-purpose flour, the higher protein content in bread flour creates a higher more airy loaf that’s perfect for sandwiches.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar or you can substitute the sugar with 2 rounded tablespoons of honey.
Do you lack a sourdough starter? My quick and easy sourdough starter recipe can make a fast starter in just five days. You can also make a loaf of our classic sandwich bread or whole wheat sandwich bread recipe, which uses yeast instead.
How to Make No Knead Sourdough Bread
This sourdough bread recipe requires just a few basic steps. Spoiler alert: the overnight rise makes a soft sandwich loaf that’s far better than anything you’ll find at the grocery store.
Start the recipe on a relaxing Saturday or Sunday evening, and then bake the next day. It will be ready to slice and stack with your favorite sandwich ingredients during the week.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
I recommend using a clear glass mixing bowl. This allows you to see the activity on the dough’s top and bottom. Often, the bottom of the dough will show a lot of activity, reassuring you that it’s properly fermented.
Mix the dough
- First, feed your starter 12-24 hours before starting the recipe.
- In a medium bowl, combine the starter with warm water, and then add flour, sugar, oil, and salt. I like using a dough whisk for mixing. Mix well to form a shaggy, sticky dough.
- Flour or wet your clean hands and use them to finishing mixing the dough. Then, cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow it to rise for 30-45 minutes.
- Coax the dough from the bowl, place it on a clean and lightly floured surface, then do a set of stretch and folds several times (see video below).
Overnight Sourdough Fermentation Process
The dough needs a long fermentation bulk rise, usually done overnight. This process is what rises the dough with wild yeast instead of commercial yeast. See our Fermentation Rising Guidelines in the recipe card for estimated rising times.
Looking for a shorter fermentation rise recipe to use up your sourdough discard? You’ll love our sourdough flatbread recipe! Use it for wraps, naan, or even pizza. Best of all, it only has a one hour rise so they’re ready fast!
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Tips for keeping dough warm during colder months:
Place the bowl in the oven with the light on and the door slightly open to create a warmer climate without actually turning the oven on. Before doing this, make sure to take the temperature of your oven with the light on to ensure this method doesn’t get too hot! Or, do a bulk ferment during the day when you can monitor progress until you know how your dough responds to your specific environment.
Use a heated mat (like those used for germinating seeds) for rising. See my Sourdough Tools list to shop what I use.
Use the “proof” setting of your oven (I set mine to 85ºF) and set a timer. This will speed up the rising process, so check it at 4 and 6 hours.
If there is a sunny room in the house that stays warm, keep the dough covered in that area.
- Cover the bowl with a damp towel and leave the sourdough to rise at room temperature overnight, approximately 8-10 hours (see recipe for a sourdough rise chart). If you live in a drier climate then I recommend covering the bowl with plastic wrap instead of a damp towel. The plastic wrap keeps the dough from drying out overnight.
- In the morning, lightly flour your countertop. Remove the dough from the bowl and roll up the dough into a log shape (as shown below). Cover with a damp towel and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.
Baking Instructions
- Lightly spray a 9” x 5” loaf pan with nonstick spray. Then tighten the loaf by gently rolling and pulling the dough, and transfer it to the prepared loaf pan seam side down.
Cover with a towel and let the loaf rise for another hour or two.
- When you’re ready to bake your loaf, preheat the oven to 375ºF. Then bake for 40 minutes, until the crust is a lovely golden brown color.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before carefully tipping it out of the pan onto a wire rack to cool.
Let the sourdough cool for at least one hour before storing it whole or sliced and enjoyed.
Serving Suggestion
This sandwich bread is incredibly versatile. Elevate your breakfast with an avocado sandwich spread on toasted slices. For a more substantial meal, consider a classic BLT with crispy bacon, ripe tomatoes, and a drizzle of mayonnaise.
If you want to add flavor to your sandwich bread, you might want to try our sourdough cinnamon raisin bread!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour, using the same amount of flour. Since all-purpose flour has a slightly lower protein content than bread flour, your loaf might be slightly smaller.
You can, but for the best texture (density) and softness, I recommend only replacing 1/2 of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour.
The dough needs a warm area for the bulk (overnight) fermented rise. Find a warm place (75º – 85º F) like an oven with the light on, a warm window, or above the dryer to extend the bulk fermentation rise for 2 more hours.
When the baking time is up, I check to see if the top of the loaf is golden and it sounds hollow when tapped on. If you are unsure, check the internal temperature which should be around 195º – 200ºF.
Let the bread cool completely. Store it in a plastic bag at room temperature. I use a plastic bread bag with a twist tie to seal it and it stays fresh for about 5 days. For the softest crust, we recommend storing it out of the fridge at room temperature.
To keep it fresher longer, put it in an air tight, freezer safe container and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it defrost at room temperature before slicing and using.
For more storage tips, see our post on how to store sourdough bread.
More Easy Sourdough Recipes…
- Double Chocolate Sourdough Bread
- Jalapeno Cheddar Sourdough Bread
- Sourdough Bread Bowls Recipe
- Sourdough Garlic Toast
If you tried this soft sourdough sandwich bread recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Equipment
- loaf pan - See notes for a 12' x 4.5" pan
- large bowl
- dough whisk
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (65 grams) sourdough starter discard or fed 12-24 hours prior *see notes below
- 1⅓ cups (300 grams) warm water, filtered 95º to 100º F
- ¼ cup (56 grams) granulated sugar can substitute with 2 rounded tablespoons of honey
- 3½ -4 cups (500 grams) bread flour or all-purpose flour. I recommend weighing your flour, see notes for using measuring cups
- 1½ tablespoons (20 grams) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons (9 grams) salt
Instructions
- Add the starter to a large bowl. Mix in warm water and sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add flour, oil, and salt. Stir with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until a thick, shaggy dough forms.
- Flour your hands or wet your hands, and finish mixing dough by hand until most of the flour has been absorbed. Don't worry if there is flour on the sides or bottom of the bowl. Cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Coax the dough from the bowl and stretch and fold the dough by stretching 4 inches then pushing it down the middle and turning 1/4 until you make a circle (see video below for how to do this).Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise at room temperature overnight (at least 8-10 hours) until double in size. Do not refrigerate dough.
- In the morning, lightly flour your counter top. Remove the dough from the bowl, gently stretching it into a rectangle, then your fingers to dimple the rough to release the air from the dough (as shown in photo). Roll up dough into a log shape. Cover and let the dough rest 10 minutes.
- Spray loaf pan with cooking spray. To bake smaller loaves, see Recipe Notes below for directions.Tighten the dough log by gently pulling it towards you along the countertop for 5-8". Place it in your loaf pan, seam side down. Cover and let rise for 1-2 hours, until the dough is about double in size.To see if it's ready to bake, press the corner edge of the dough in 1/2" and if the indentation remains, it's ready to bake.
- Preheat your oven to 375ºF. If desired, brush the top of the loaf with an egg wash.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 40 minutes. See Recipe Notes below for smaller loaves. The top of the loaf should be golden in color. Remove from oven.After 10 minutes, tilt the pan to remove the bread to cool on a cooling rack.
- Wait at least 1 hour before cutting (to prevent the loaf from deflating).
Video
Notes
- I recommend using a clear glass mixing bowl for fermentation. This allows you to see the activity on the dough’s top and bottom. Often, the bottom of the dough will show a lot of activity, reassuring you that it’s properly fermented.
- The recipe ingredients call for 3 1/2 to 4 cups of flour because cup measuring is less reliable than using a food scale to weigh the flour.
- Be sure to stir the flour, then use a spoon to add it into the measuring cup, and level it with a knife. Start with the lower amount of flour and add up to 4 cups, but only if needed.
- 80ºF about 4-5 hours
- 75ºF about 6-7 hours
- 70ºF about 8-9 hours
- For temperatures under 70ºF it can take up to 12 hours or more
- Place the bowl in the oven with the door closed and light on to create a slightly warmer climate without actually turning the oven on.
- Use a heated mat (like those used for germinating seeds) for rising.
- Use the “proof” setting of your oven (I set mine to 85ºF) and set a timer. This will speed up the rising process, so check it at 4 and 6 hours.
- If there is a sunny room in the house that stays warm, keep the dough covered in that area.
- Let the bread cool completely. Store it in a plastic bag at room temperature. I use a plastic bread bag with a twist tie to seal it and it stays fresh for about 5 days. For the softest crust, we recommend sorting it out of the fridge at room temperature.
- To keep it fresher longer, put it in an air tight, freezer safe container and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it defrost at room temperature before slicing and using.
- For more storage tips, see our post on how to store sourdough bread.
Nutrition
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Diana says
I’m going to try this recipe this weekend. Can I shape this loaf into a ball (boule) and cook it in a Dutch oven?
Renae says
You could, but I don’t think the crust will be soft. If you are looking for a traditional boule loaf recipe, I suggest looking at https://thefeatherednester.com/dutch-oven-sourdough-bread/ (all-purpose flour) or https://thefeatherednester.com/sourdough-recipe/ (a blend of all-purpose flour and bread flour) which are dutch oven sourdough bread recipes.
Roxanne says
Would I be able to use AP flour and/ or whole wheat flour? If I can’t get ahold of any bread flour?
Thanks
Renae says
Yes, you can use AP flour! The loaf rise might be a little less. I haven’t tested this with whole wheat flour.
Myrna says
I used my whole wheat starter and substituted 100g of BF with 100g of whole wheat and didnt have to change anything else. It turned out perfect.
Renae says
I’m so glad you shared this! I’m coming out with a whole wheat version (a blend of white flour and whole wheat flour) soon.
Ingrid says
Looking forward to the white and wholewheat flour version.
Renae says
It is coming soon!
Jazmin Schmidt says
Love this bread! So easy! So yummy
Renae says
It’s so easy that it’s a staple in our house! I’m glad you love it, too.
Elizabeth H says
I’m not sure what I did wrong but my bread is dense and my crust rock hard… the first time it tasted undercooked so I baked the second for an extra 10 mins, it’s tastes better and rose better but has an even harder crust than the first try. I let them rise for a good 12 hours and the dough looks and feels light and airy. I think where I’m going wrong is during the proofing? It doesn’t seem to double in size, it’s only a slight rise no matter how long I wait. Could this be due to not stretching the dough enough before letting it proof? I’m using the same flour you recommended, I also used your starter recipe, I’m on day 8 or 9 now. Any advice you can give would be appreciated, I’m feeling a little defeated. Thanks.
Renae says
Since your starter is young, it sounds like it might not be ready for baking yet. Although my sourdough starter was ready for baking at a week, depending on the environment your starter is in, it might not be ready. It takes a strong and active starter to rise a loaf of bread. Read this: https://thefeatherednester.com/homemade-sourdough-starter/#h-knowing-when-your-starter-is-ready-to-use . If your starter meets all those milestones, then I would look at the temperature of the room for your overnight (or bulk rise). Is it at least 75ºF?
Jenn says
I was wondering if this dough could be cold retarded in the fridge and if so, at what stage in the process could this be done. Thanks!
I made this today following the recipe exactly and the loaf was very good, but a bit sweet. Next time I might try cutting the sugar in half.
Renae says
I have not tried refrigerating the dough with this recipe. Since I’m not sure what your goal is by refrigerating the dough – for example, to bake it at a later time – perhaps you should just do a daytime fermentation rise rather than overnight?
The acidity and flavor of everyone’s sourdough starter is a little different, so if your starter makes a sweeter loaf then cutting the sugar in half would be fine.
Eve Lynn Brown says
I just made this recipe. I did put in refrigerator to retard overnight. I mixed ingredients late in morning (as I’m not an early riser!). I let it sit for 8 1/2 hours on counter in approx. 74° F kitchen. I then put in fridge overnight for about 11 hours. Took it out let it come to room temp for about 1 hour. Removed from bowl and continued with recipe. I let it sit for another 1 1/2 hours shaped in bread tin before putting it in oven. Worked out perfectly. Still had lots of rise. Thanks for the recipe!
Renae says
I’m glad you were able to adapt the recipe for your needs! I plan on modifying this recipe to make a new sourdough bread recipe with an overnight refrigerated (retard) rise soon. Your tips will definitely help me when I do my recipe testing, thanks!
Rita W says
I’m glad to see this. I’ve been thinking that 56 g. is a lot of sugar for me, but I wasn’t sure if it was needed outside of flavor. I think I’ll experiment by cutting it some next time. Thank you for the explanation! I’ve been baking sourdough bread for years, and this is my favorite recipe. It’s simple and user friendly, as well as a wonderful loaf!