The Easiest and Best Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (2024)

This bread is the easiest and best sourdough sandwich bread recipe! Homemade, buttery and soft, you will never buy sandwich bread from the store again! Serve this bread for sandwiches or enjoy by itself with some butter and honey drizzled on top.

The Easiest and Best Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (1)

Are you tired of buying store bought bread that has way too many extra ingredients and just ends up being dry when you open up the bag? Search no longer, because this recipe is hands down the BEST sourdough sandwich bread recipe you will ever make! This sourdough sandwich bread is golden on the outside and soft and fluffy in the middle. The method is SO simple and it turns out delicious every single time.

My kids are big PB&J lovers, and with two of them being in the thick of toddler world, I need lunches that I can count on them to eat. It seems like every day there is something they used to LOVE that they just will not touch anymore! Anyone else?! Just my kids??

The one thing I can ALWAYS count on them eating though, is a PB&J. Which is why I needed a really good sandwich bread recipe. They like the artisan loaf sourdough bread for lots of things, but this sandwich bread is just SO perfect for lunchtime sandwiches. I love that I can start it the night before I need to bake it and can have it ready and baked for lunchtime the next day.

Made with light and fluffy bread flour, sweetened slightly with some raw honey, and the perfect moisture with the creamy butter added in the dough, this sandwich bread just could not be better. Okay, maybe when it is warm and served with a bit of butter and drizzle of honey. It is just so good. You have to make it.

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Before we begin… a note on the kitchen scale

You will need a few kitchen tools. One of the most important tools you should become familiar with is a kitchen scale. I know, that sounds horrible. It took me FOREVER to finally start using my kitchen scale in bread baking. It sounded WAY too complicated and I just wanted to use my measuring cups and spoons and be left alone, thank you.

Well after MANY bread baking inconsistencies and failures, I finally decided I would try the old kitchen scale. And guess what I found?

MORE CONSISTENT RESULTS. Like, every time.. It was annoying. Because I didn’t want to use the kitchen scale!

But let my failed bread baking attempts save you the trouble. Get you a kitchen scale, or dust the one off you already have but never use, because in my experience, it is key to getting the perfect loaf every time.

OKAY, that’s enough talk about the kitchen scale.

Tools you may need for this sourdough sandwich bread recipe:

Ingredients for Sourdough Sandwich Bread:

  • Unbleached Flour, bread or all-purpose – I have been purchasing organic flour in bulk from Azure Standard and LOVE it! So affordable and amazing quality.
  • Unsalted Butter (also purchasing organic, grass-fed butter in bulk from Azure!)
  • Filtered Water
  • Sea Salt
  • Honey
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Let’s begin making this sourdough sandwich bread recipe!

Before you begin making this sourdough sandwich bread, you will need to make sure your sourdough starter has been fed in the past 4-6 hours and is nice and bubbly. If you don’t have a starter yet, check out my post on how to make your own sourdough starter in just 7 days! And then you, too, can bake your own homemade sourdough bread!

Once the starter is bubbly, you are ready to begin!

The evening before you want to bake your sourdough sandwich bread…

Zero out your mixing bowl for your stand mixer on the kitchen scale. *Zero out just means you place the bowl on the scale, push the zero button, and now the scale has subtracted the weight of the bowl. Set the measurement to grams.

Once you have zeroed out the scale, pour 500 grams of organic bread flour, 10 grams of salt, 90 grams of unsalted butter cubed (it’s about 6 Tablespoons). With the paddle attachment, mix together on low speed until the flour and butter is combined. It will be pretty dry.

Next, place the mixing bowl with the flour and butter combo back on your kitchen scale. Zero out the scale. Add 30 grams raw honey, 150 grams fed starter, and 230 grams filtered water (room temperature is best).

With the dough hook attachment, mix the dough until well combined and sticky. I usually let it run on low for about 6 minutes to make sure it is really well combined and the dough comes off the sides of the bowl.

Cover the bowl and let sit for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, pop the dough mixer back down and set your mixer on low and knead for about 2 minutes. This is all the kneading you will do, and if you had a stand mixer, all you had to do was turn the switch on! I am not lying when I say this is the easiest and best sourdough sandwich bread!

Shape the dough if needed so it is a little ball, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit and rise overnight! I let it rise in my Kitchenaid mixing bowl because it is less dishes and it works great.

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The next morning…

your dough should have risen and doubled in size. If your house is cold, this might take a little longer. The usual rising time in our home is around 12-14 hours since we keep our home cool at night.

Scoop the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape the dough into a rectangle – about 6″ wide x 18″ long.

Begin to roll the dough starting with the short end, tucking and pinching the outside edges as you go to make a log. Place the dough in an oiled loaf pan- I used coconut oil to coat the pan.

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The Easiest and Best Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (6)
The Easiest and Best Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (7)
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Cover the loaf pan and let sit/rise for another 2-4 hours until it has doubled. Again, this time will depend on your house temperature. Cooler means slower rise, warm and it will rise quicker.

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Once it has doubled, set your oven to 375℉. Bake the bread for 45 minutes until golden on the outside.

Slip the bread out of the pan as soon as you can (I usually wait about 10 or 15 minutes so I don’t burn myself) and let the bread cool on a baking rack so the sides stay nice and crispy. Let cool for 30 minutes and then it is ready to be sliced!

Tips for storing:

I only slice what I need right before I eat it. To keep the bread from drying out, wrap in plastic wrap, store in a ziploc gallon bag, or my favorite method- wrap in a tea towel or linen bread bag and store in a bread box. This truly is the best method and reduces waste!

Pin it for later!

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Want to try some more sourdough recipes?

  • Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Bagels with Pumpkin Cream Cheese
  • Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Pancakes
  • How to make a Sourdough Starter
  • Sourdough Croissants
  • Sourdough Cinnamon Brioche
  • Sourdough Orange Cinnamon Rolls
  • Artisan Rustic Sourdough Bread

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love to know! Come back and leave a review! Tag me on Instagram@oursimplegraces

The Easiest and Best Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (11)

The Easiest & Best Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Yield: 1 Loaf

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 45 minutes

Resting Time: 16 hours

Total Time: 17 hours 5 minutes

This is the easiest and best sourdough sandwich bread recipe! Homemade, buttery and soft, you will never buy sandwich bread again!

Ingredients

  • 500 g Organic Bread Flour
  • 10 g salt
  • 90 g unsalted butter, cubed
  • 30 g raw honey
  • 150 g starter
  • 230 g filtered water

Instructions

The evening before you want to bake your bread...

  1. Zero out your mixing bowl for your stand mixer on the kitchen scale. *Zero out just means you place the bowl on the scale, push the zero button, and now the scale has subtracted the weight of the bowl. Set the measurement to grams.
  2. Pour in the organic bread flour, salt, and unsalted butter cubed to mixing bowl. With the paddle attachment, mix together on low speed until the flour and butter is combined. It will be pretty dry.
  3. Next, place the mixing bowl with the flour and butter combo back on your kitchen scale. Zero out the scale. Add raw honey, fed starter, and filtered water (room temperature is best).
  4. With the dough hook attachment, mix the dough until well combined and sticky. I usually let it run on low for about 6 minutes to make sure it is really well combined and the dough comes off the sides of the bowl.
  5. Cover the bowl and let sit for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, pop the dough mixer back down and set your mixer on low and knead for about 2 minutes.
  6. Shape the dough if needed so it is a little ball, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit and rise overnight! I let it rise in my Kitchenaid mixing bowl because it is less dishes and it works great.

*if you don't have a stand mixer, simply knead by hand for about 6-8 minutes until dough is sticky and ingredients are well combined.

The next morning...

  1. After about 12-14 hours,your dough should have risen and doubled in size.
  2. Scoop the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape the dough into a rectangle – about 6″ wide x 18″ long.
  3. Begin to roll the dough starting with the short end, tucking and pinching the outside edges as you go to make a log. Place the dough in an oiled loaf pan- I used coconut oil to coat the pan.
  4. Cover the loaf pan and let sit/rise for another 2-4 hours until it has doubled.
  5. Once it has doubled, set your oven to 375℉. Bake the bread for 45 minutes until golden on the outside.
  6. Slip the bread out of the pan as soon as you can (I usually wait about 10 or 15 minutes so I don’t burn myself) and let the bread cool on a baking rack so the sides stay nice and crispy. Let cool for 30 minutes and then it is ready to be sliced!

Notes

I only slice what I need right before I eat it. To keep the bread from drying out, wrap in plastic wrap or store in a gallon ziploc bag.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6Serving Size: 2 slices
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 424Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 651mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 10g

The Easiest and Best Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good sourdough bread? ›

Top 10 Tips & Tricks for Making Sourdough
  • Use your sourdough starter at its peak. ...
  • Moisten the surface of the dough before baking for more rise. ...
  • Handle with care: be gentle with your dough. ...
  • Use sifted flour to make your sourdough less dense. ...
  • Soak your flour beforehand for a lighter loaf. ...
  • Just add water for softer sourdough.

Is sourdough bread good for sandwiches? ›

There is no limit to the kinds of flavour combinations you can make using your freshly-baked sourdough. While you can use sourdough slices to make all manner of sandwiches – from turkey to salad to iconic Aussie Vegemite and cheese sandwiches – you can also top toasted sourdough with a variety of ingredients.

What is the secret behind the sour of sourdough bread? ›

There are two main acids produced in a sourdough culture: lactic acid and acetic acid. Acetic acid, or vinegar, is the acid that gives sourdough much of its tang. Giving acetic acid-producing organisms optimal conditions to thrive and multiply will produce a more tangy finished product.

What makes the perfect sourdough? ›

A sourdough loaf made with 500g of good quality bread flour, 50g to 100g of sourdough starter, left to ferment for adequate time, will produce a light, airy loaf with a lacy, open crumb that is not wet or dense in any way.

What is the best flour for sourdough bread? ›

Whole wheat flour is an excellent choice for creating a sourdough starter due to its nutrient-rich composition and potential for fostering a robust microbial community. However, it's important to note that the quality of whole wheat flour can vary between brands.

What makes sourdough bread more flavorful? ›

Longer fermentation

As your dough proofs, the good bacteria eats up sugars and starches in the flour. This decreases the sweet undertone and creates a more sour undertone. The longer you ferment, the more starches and sugars the bacteria eats, and the more sour your bread will be.

What bread makes the best sandwiches? ›

The 6 Best Bread for Sandwiches
  1. Bread Rolls. A roll is a small and fluffy piece of bread that can be eaten on its own or used to make a sandwich. ...
  2. Brioches. Brioche is a sweeter option that works with almost everything. ...
  3. Wraps. ...
  4. Sourdoughs. ...
  5. Oil-Based Loaves. ...
  6. Baguettes.

What is the healthiest bread for sandwiches? ›

Bread made from whole grains, including whole wheat and sprouted whole grain, typically offers the most nutrients.

What flour makes sourdough more sour? ›

For more tang: Incorporate some rye flour and/or whole wheat flour early in the bread-making process, such as when feeding the mother culture and the preferment. Rye flour in particular will help your culture produce some acetic acid.

Why doesn't my homemade sourdough bread taste sour? ›

Using flours with more ash, or mineral, content, will yield more sour taste. If you can't get enough ash, adding a bit of whole wheat flour to your recipe, which is what is done with the 20% Bran Flour, will boost the sour of a bread. Conversely, using a lower ash flour will tend to produce a milder bread.

Is sourdough good for your gut? ›

Sourdough bread may be easier to digest than white bread for some people. According to some studies, sourdough bread acts as a prebiotic, which means that the fiber in the bread helps feed the “good” bacteria in your intestines. These bacteria are important for maintaining a stable, healthy digestive system.

How do you make sourdough more fluffy? ›

Here are some tips to help you make your sourdough bread less dense:
  1. Use a ripe sourdough starter. ...
  2. Knead the dough for the right amount of time. ...
  3. Proof the dough for the correct amount of time. ...
  4. Use the right type of flour. ...
  5. Add the right amount of water. ...
  6. Score the bread properly. ...
  7. Bake the bread at the correct temperature.
Sep 9, 2023

Does sourdough need two rises? ›

Final Proofing is the step after final shaping. Final proof is also known as the “second rise” where you let the dough continue to ferment and rise after shaping and before baking.

What is Overproofed sourdough? ›

Overproofed is when the dough has rested too long and the yeast has continued making carbon dioxide while the strength of the dough (gluten bonds) have begun to wear out. The dough will look very puffy, but when you touch it or move it you may notice it deflate or sag.

How do you make sourdough bread lighter and fluffier? ›

There are several ways to make sourdough bread lighter and less dense, such as:
  1. Increasing the hydration level of your dough, which means adding more water or using less flour. ...
  2. Switching up the type of flour you use, or using a mixture of different flours.
Nov 15, 2015

How can I make my sourdough rise better? ›

So don't leave your dough in a warm oven, on a radiator or in sunlight. It will likely be too warm and will dry out your dough too. Instead, find a cosy spot, with no drafts, for your dough to rise. And, if your sourdough starter is struggling to get going, consider finding it a warmer spot too.

Why do you put honey in sourdough bread? ›

Honey: Honey adds a sweetness to this dough and helps balance any sour flavor that comes through from the fermentation process. If you are looking for whole wheat bread without the honey, try this recipe. Salt: Salt enhances the flavor and helps tempers the fermentation.

What is the best proofing time for sourdough bread? ›

In my experience, the shortest final proof (at room temperature) that I prefer to do is one hour. The longest final proof (at room temperature) is about 3 hours. When going past 2-3 hours in a final proof, the crumb tends to get very gassy and opens up large gas bubbles with a longer countertop proof.

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