Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread
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As I mentioned a few weeks, a number of requests about how to make my mother’s peasant bread with a sourdough starter encouraged me to dip my toe into the wonderful world of naturally leavened breads. You can read more about that experiment here, which led to this simple sourdough focaccia recipe, an adaptation of my favorite yeasted, refrigerator focaccia.
It also led to this sourdough toasting bread, which is essentially the same formula, just baked in a different vessel and without the slick of oil and sprinkling of sea salt on top. I’ve been making this bread even more often than the focaccia these days because I love the shape: it’s so nice for morning toast and for sandwiches.
PS: How to Build a Sourdough Strater from Scratch
PPS: How to Activate, Feed, and Maintain A Sourdough Starter
Simple Sourdough Toasting Bread: What You Need
- A sourdough starter. I recommend buying one (read why here). But if you’re up for it, you can make one from scratch in just about a week.
- Time. As with the focaccia, this bread rises first for about 6 to 18 hours (depending on the time of year and strength of your starter), then again for another 4 to 6.
- A large loaf pan. I’ve been using this 10 x 5-inch loaf pan. If you only have two smaller loaf pans, such as 8.5 x 4.5-inch pans, you’ll need to split the dough in half after the first rise.
That’s it! Ready? Here’s the play-by-play:
As always, when mixing sourdough doughs, it’s best to weigh everything with a digital scale. Start with 100 g starter. (If this looks familiar, it is: this is the same basic process for the sourdough focaccia.)
Add 10 g kosher (or other) salt.
Add 430 g water. (Or less, see recipe for notes.)
Stir to combine.
Add 512 g bread flour.
Stir to form a sticky dough ball.
Cover with a towel or bowl cover or, preferably, a lidded vessel, and let rest for 30 minutes. Then, perform a series of stretches and folds. See video for guidance. Repeat this 3 more times for a total of 4 sets of stretches and folds during the first two hours. Then, let rise for 6 to 18 hours* (see recipe notes) at room temperature:
After 6 – 18 hours, it will look something like this:
Drizzle the surface of the dough with a little bit of olive oil; then fold the dough inwards from the sides to deflate.
Transfer dough to loaf pan.
Let rise till dough just begins to crown the rim of the pan, about 6 hours.
Bake for about 45 minutes.
I baked this loaf in a tall-sided pullman loaf. Love the shape!
Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Total Time: 24 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf
Description
** UPDATE: VIDEO GUIDANCE IS HERE **
The makeup of this dough is the same as this sourdough focaccia. Here, the dough is baked in a loaf pan, and there is no sea salt on top.
This recipe yields one large loaf. You’ll need a 10 x 5-inch loaf pan, such as this one. If you only have two smaller loaf pans, such as 8.5 x 4.5-inch pans, you should probably split the dough in half after the first rise.
Plan ahead: This dough rises first for 6 to 18 hours (or less if it is super hot out or if you live in a humid area) or until the dough doubles in volume; then again for about 4 to 6 hour or until the dough crowns the rim of the baking vessel.
Troubleshooting: If you have issues with your dough being too sticky, please read this post: Why is my sourdough so sticky? The 4 common mistakes.
If you’re just getting started with sourdough, check out this post first. You’ll find tips there on procuring a starter as well as how to feed it and maintain it. If you’re up for making your starter from scratch, you can do so in just about 1 week.
Water: Chlorine in water can adversely affect sourdough. Leaving water at room temperature for 24 hours will allow most of the chlorine to escape. When I am in the habit of making sourdough bread, I fill a large pitcher with water and leave it out at room temperature. I use this for my sourdough breads and starter. Truth be told, I’ve used water straight from the tap and have not noticed a difference.
Water quantity: Also, depending on where you live and the time of year, you may need to cut the water back. If you live in a humid environment, for instance, I would suggest starting with 400 g or 420 g water. If you are not using bread flour, you also may need to cut the water back a bit. So much success with sourdough relies on getting the water quantity right.
Starter: I use a 100% hydration starter, meaning it is equal parts by weight flour and water. If you need guidance on how to maintain a starter, see this post.
Ingredients
- 100 g (about 1/2 cup) active starter, see notes above
- 10 g (about 2.5 teaspoons) kosher salt
- 430 g water, (or less, see notes above) room temperature
- 512 g (4 cups) bread flour, such as King Arthur Flour
- a few tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- room temperature butter, for greasing
Instructions
- Mix the dough: Place the starter, salt, and water in a large bowl. Stir with a spatula to combine — it doesn’t have to be uniformly mixed. Add the flour. Mix again until the flour is completely incorporated. If you have a straight-sided vessel, transfer the dough to it — it really helps monitor the rise and allows you to see the true growth in volume of the dough.
- Perform one (or more) “folds”: 30 minutes after you mix the dough, reach into the bowl and pull the dough up and into the center. Turn the bowl quarter turns and continue this pulling 8 to 10 times. See video for guidance. If time permits, repeat this “folding” step every 30 minutes for the first two hours. (Note: even if you perform just 1 fold, your dough will be in good shape.)
- Drizzle with a splash of olive oil and rub to coat. Cover bowl with a tea towel, bowl cover, or a lidded vessel, and set aside to rise at room temperature (70ºF/21ºC) for 4 to 18 hours — if it is super hot out or if you live in a humid environment, it may only take 4-6 hours. When the dough has nearly doubled in volume (or UPDATE: increased in volume by 50%, which is when I now end the bulk fermentation), it is ready. (Note: Do not use an oven with the light on for the bulk fermentation — it will be too warm. It is best to rely on visual cues (increasing in volume by 50% or doubling if you’ve had success with doubling) as opposed to time to determine when the bulk fermentation is done. A straight-sided vessel makes monitoring the bulk fermentation especially easy.)
- When the dough has nearly doubled, grease a 10 x 5-inch loaf pan with butter (or nonstick spray). Drizzle dough with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Rub your hands with a little bit of oil to coat. Use your hand to release the dough from the sides of the vessel, being careful not to completely deflate the dough. Video guidance here. Turn dough out onto a work surface. Quickly, shape the dough into a rectangle — I fold the dough envelope-style first; then I use a bench scraper to shape the dough into a rough rectangle. Transfer dough, seam-side down to prepared loaf pan and gently stretch into an oblong shape. (At this point, you can transfer the pan to the fridge if it makes sense with your schedule: rub the dough with oil and cover with a cloth bowl cover or plastic wrap or, preferably, a lidded vessel. Transfer to the fridge will the next day. Then proceed with the recipe.)
- Leave alone for 5 to 6 hours or until dough begins reaching the rim of the pan — this may take less time when it is very warm out. Do be patient with this second rise: to get good height, the dough should be near the rim of the pan before you transfer it to the oven.
- Heat oven to 425ºF. Transfer pan to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375ºF. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes more or until golden all around. If you have an instant read thermometer, it should register 206-210ºF or so before removing. Remove pan from oven and turn bread out onto a cooling rack. Cool at least 30 minutes before slicing.
- Prep Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Sourdough/Natural Leavening
- Cuisine: American
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1,137 Comments on “Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread”
Hello i want to try the sandwich bread but only have all purpose flour i know that i need to make some adjustments to the recipe can you help with this
All purpose flour is fine! It might make for a slightly wetter dough, but I wouldn’t make any changes unless you live in a particularly humid environment. Do you?
Thanks No I don’t
I’ll try the recipe as it is keeping an eye on the water as I add it to make sure it’s not too wet
Sounds good. Good luck with it!
Can’t wait to try this! Can I use a blend of unbleached all purpose flour and whole wheat flour?
Yes! What ratio are you thinking? This is a very high hydration dough, so it should be fine… if you were to use as much as 75% whole wheat flour, however, you may need to up the water. WW flour can be very thirsty 🙂
This made an incredible loaf! Very tender inside and nice crisp crust. The recipe was very easy to follow and the timing works well for my schedule
Great to hear, Ashley! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
I LOVE this recipe 😋
I have a question though can I use it in a Dutch oven?? I usually do it in the pan but I was hoping to have some nice dutch oven sourdough.
I LOVE this recipe 😋
I have a question though can I use it in a Dutch oven?? I usually do it in the pan but I was hoping to have some nice dutch oven sourdough.
So far this is my favourite recipe! Is the oven temp in a fan forced oven?
Great to hear! Not fan forced 🙂
How do you store?
At room temperature in an airtight vessel or bag for up to 3 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.
I have been making this bread 2-3 times/week for my family for the past several months. It is foolproof and delicious every time! The guide and linked YouTube video were so helpful as I was starting out. Thank you so much for this incredible recipe!! It is a staple in our family now for sure.
Great to hear, Anna! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂
Hi there,
Love your recipes!
Can I do the second rise overnight in the fridge like i do with your step-by-step recipe? Or does it need to be shorter at room temp?
thank you x
Yes! I like to tuck the entire loaf pan into a ziptop bag, refrigerate it, then let it proof at room temperature before baking. Unlike the other recipe, this one you’ll want to let proof at room temperature until it crowns the rim of the pan before baking.
What is the difference between “Simple Sourdough Bread, Step by Step recipe? By the way I really like Could I just do a loaf style bread recipe with that.
If I decide to do this recipe can I: place in a 9×5 pan? I would like to cold proof my dough. What percentage do I bulk? Can I bake from the fridge to the oven. How does the increase in water affect the texture of the loaf? Is it possible to take the simple sourdough recipe add olive and sugar/honey and make a sandwich loaf? Rita
This one is slightly higher hydration and so yields a softer loaf, better for sandwiches. I think you are better off using this recipe as opposed to the other one if you want a loaf style bread.
Yes, a 9×5-inch pan will work. Bulk fully, deflate, shape into a loaf, place in buttered loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap or tuck into an airtight bag; then stick it in the fridge.
Let the dough proof at room temperature until the dough crowns the rim of the pan before baking it.
Thank you! I will make the higher hydration loaf. It is similar to your focaccia recipe. I use that recipe all the time. Rita
So happy to find this recipe!
We live on your sourdough focaccia as often as possible! Would be eaten daily. Is so simple. I am trying for the first time, with ~8% rye flour, I know the focaccia doesn’t work out with heavier flours, so hoping it can perhaps be done….:) have never made a bread loaf, sd without sugar!
8% rye should be fine here! Apologies for the delay here. I hope it turned out well!
I’ve tried so many recipes! This by far is not only easiest but it tastes great and turns out great pretty much every time! The dough was way too wet a few times til I seen where you said to reduce the water if it’s humid ect.. Thank you ❤️
Great to hear, Jessi! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
Love this recipe and so does the family. Wondering if it can be safely doubled to make more than one loaf at a time though.
Yes! Go for it 🙂
If I put the bread and loaf pan in the fridge, when I take it out the next day, do I let it rise to the rim in room temp?
Yes!
I’d love to try this recipe but I have a 13″ large loaf pan. Can I do use this recipe? Tweak the flour and water measurements maybe?
Hi! I think you could make 1.5x the recipe for that size loaf pan.
Had a dough day yesterday using my 1 year old starter (happy Birthday, Sally) and let it bulk on the counter last night. Oh boy did it double… wondering why it is so wet and shapeless 🙁 For flour I used strong bread flour(90%) rye flour (5%) and whole wheat (5%), and decreased the hydration to about 80% using 410g of water. Gonna bake it anyway and see how it gets on. Fingers crossed!
How did it turn out Luke? It’s possible your dough over-fermented during the bulk fermentation over night… if it baked up very dense, it likely over fermented. Are you using a straight-sided vessel for the bulk fermentation?
My son is starting school next year, and I think this sourdough sandwich bread would be a great option for packing sandwiches for his lunch (since he LOVES our standard sourdough). I’m curious if you have any recommendations on the type of loaf pan to use? I’m worried that a standard non-stick loaf pan can’t handle the high heat. And a silicon pan might not hold its shape? Though I’d prefer it if silicon would work, because I feel like its versatile for banana bread and those other types of breads!
This is my favorite loaf pan: USA 9×5-inch pan (1.25 lb). This one is great for banana bread, too 🙂
I love this recipe. I add half stick of frozen shredded butter in the 2nd fold and the other half in the 3rd fold. I also use a loaf Dutch oven with a sling and it is perfect every time.
Thank you for this recipe 🍞🤎
Love this idea so much, Karen! Still dying to try it. Thanks for writing and sharing 🙂