Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread

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Sourdough sandwich bread is a classic household staple. From melty grilled cheese sandwiches to juicy BLTs and classic PB&Js, these sturdy sourdough slices await a variety of delicious toppings. This sourdough bread recipe is easy to make and does not have big holes in it, making it perfect for sandwiches.

Making Sourdough Bread for Sandwiches

Here is everything you need to make this sourdough sandwich bread:

• Sourdough Starter: We have an easy sourdough starter recipe HERE. You’ll need to start this seven days before baking.
• Flour: Bread flour is best for baking this bread. I like to use a 50/50 mix of bread and rye flour for a whole wheat option.
• Water: You can use tap water to bake bread; I do. But if you prefer bottled or filtered, that works too!
• Salt: Unrefined sea salt, please! Just make sure your sea salt is unrefined and free from anticaking agents.
• Maple Syrup: My bread recipes use maple syrup instead of cane sugar. I like the results better.

Sourdough Bread for Sandwiches

I highly suggest doubling or tripling this recipe if you have a large family or eat a lot of bread (like Jon and I do).

Once you are ready to shape the dough, divide it in half (or in thirds), shape it, place it in the loaf pans, and bake the loaves side by side. Any extra loaves can be sliced and then frozen in plastic wrap. I have bread bags I saved from store-bought bread that I use for freezing.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread

To make this bread a whole wheat loaf, just sub half the flour with whole wheat flour. I like to use sprouted rye when making a whole wheat version.

Note that whole wheat flour absorbs more water than white flour, so you may need to add an extra tablespoon or two of water for the dough to come together.

Since sourdough ferments during a longer rise time than traditional bread, it’s much easier to digest and more flavorful. The flavor comes from the wild yeasts and bacteria metabolizing the sugars in the dough during the long rise times and producing acids as byproducts.

This is also why the bread is easier to digest! Essentially, the microorganisms do some of the digesting for you in this sourdough bread recipe.

Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe

I use a 9 x 5-inch glass loaf pan in this recipe, so you want to use the same size or something close to get a good sandwich loaf shape. You can use metal or glass; watch the bread to see when it turns golden brown.

Also, try preheating your oven to 500° F. Then, once you slide the bread pan in, reduce the temperature to 400° F and bake as directed. Starting the dough at a higher temperature often yields a better oven spring.

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