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A freshly baked sourdough sandwich bread sits on a counter.
Sourdough

Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Soft sourdough sandwich bread — perfect for melty grilled cheese, juicy BLTs, and classic PB&Js. Easy, sturdy slices without big holes, ideal for sandwiches!

Prep: 6 Hours
Cook: 1 Hour
Total: 7 Hours
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Recipe Index | Ferment | Sourdough

Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Soft sourdough sandwich bread — perfect for melty grilled cheese, juicy BLTs, and classic PB&Js. Easy, sturdy slices without big holes, ideal for sandwiches!

A freshly baked sourdough sandwich bread sits on a counter.

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. For a whole wheat option, I like to use a 50/50 mix of bread and rye flour.
  • Water: You can use tap water to bake bread; I do. But if you prefer bottled or filtered water, 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.

A freshly baked sourdough sandwich bread sits on a counter.

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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A freshly baked sourdough sandwich bread sits on a counter.
Sourdough

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5 from 12 reviews

Learn How to Make A Loaf of Sourdough Sandwich Bread

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 soft, easy to make, and it does not have big holes in it, making it perfect for sandwiches.

  • Prep: 6 Hours
  • Cook: 1 Hour
  • Total Time: 7 Hours

Ingredients

  • 500 grams bread flour
  • 100 grams active, bubbly starter
  • 275 grams warm water
  • 10 grams sea salt
  • 25 grams maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon butter softened

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients until just combined and let sit for 20 minutes.
  2. After 20 minutes, knead the dough into a uniform dough ball.
  3. Place your dough ball in a large bowl.
  4. Allow to rise at room temperature covered for 6 hours, and periodically stretch and fold the dough
  5. During the rise time, stretch and fold the dough once each hour. Using your hands, stretch up the bottom of the dough, without breaking it, and fold over the top of the dough. Stretch and fold side over side, then top over bottom. As you do this you’ll notice there is more resistance stretching the dough.  If you need help with this step there are a lot of great tutorials on YouTube.  
  6. After the rise time with stretching and folding, on a well-floured surface, gently shape the dough into a loaf shape by stretching and folding once more, then tucking under the sides.
  7. Place the seam side down in a parchment paper lined bread pan. 
  8. Let rise for 1-2 hours at room temperature. the dough should be just below the rim of the loaf pan.
  9. (optional) overnight proof in the fridge for 12 hours.
  10. Preheat oven to 500° F. 
  11. After the final rise time, score the dough down the middle, egg wash the top and add toppings.* 
  12. place the pan in the oven and reduce the heat to 400° F.
  13. Bake for 40-45 minutes until crust is golden brown. Time may be adjusted depending on your oven. I rotate the pan halfway through.
  14. Remove from oven and pan and cool on cooling rack for 30 minutes. 

Notes

  • Adding seeds to the top of the loaf is optional. To add seeds, brush the loaf with an egg wash and top with sesame, sunflower, and poppy seeds before baking.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a 5-star review below if you loved it! Tag @cultured.guru on Instagram

 

Nutrition information is auto-calculated and estimated as close as possible. We are not responsible for any errors. We have tested the recipe for accuracy, but your results may vary.

author avatar
Kaitlynn Fenley Author, Educator, Food Microbiologist
Kaitlynn is a food microbiologist and fermentation expert teaching people how to ferment foods and drinks at home.
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hey i’m kaitlynn, i’m a microbiologist and together with my husband jon we are cultured guru.

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  1. Dwana
    12|06|2019

    My favorite recipe for loaf sourdough.

    Reply
  2. Sarah
    01|22|2020

    Two questions
    If you use a bread maxhine to knead, do you do the whole dough cycle?

    How often do you stretch and fold during the rise time and how many times?

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      01|22|2020

      I don’t use the whole dough cycle on my bread machine. I pull the dough out before the rise portion of the dough cycle. Sorry for not having the amount of stretch and folds in the recipe card! I didn’t realize that was missing! I’ve updated it. It’s three stretch and folds during the rise time.

      Reply
      1. Sarah
        01|22|2020

        Thank you for the clarification!!

        Reply
  3. Dwana Lashover
    02|21|2020

    If you are hand kneading, about how long do you knead?

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      02|21|2020

      When I hand knead, it takes about 7-10 minutes for it all to come together into a dough ball.

      Reply
  4. Julia
    04|03|2021

    Delicious sourdough loaf!

    Reply
  5. Sophia
    04|05|2021

    Hi! I notice you’re using a glass baking container instead of tin… will that make a difference on the cook time/temp that you know of? Thanks!!

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      04|06|2021

      Hey there,

      It shouldn’t make a difference, the time and temp should be about the same no matter what pan you use. Maybe just check at 20-30 minutes and every 10 minutes after just to be sure.

      Reply
  6. Margaret
    05|16|2022

    Do use active starter or can I use the starter right from the refrigerator?

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      05|17|2022

      Hey there! your starter should be bubbly and active before using in this recipe.

      Reply
  7. Mellisa
    06|04|2022

    Hello,
    If you were to use granulated sugar instead of syrup, how much would you use?
    What is the difference between bread and all purpose flour in this recipe?

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      06|06|2022

      Bread flour is generally easier to work with because it contains a little bit more gluten than all-purpose flour. The extra gluten helps the bread rise better and hold its shape. All-purpose will work in the recipe though. You can sub granulated sugar, just use 1 tablespoon.

      Reply
  8. Marianne
    07|18|2022

    Can I use the same measurements for fresh milled hard red or white wheat?

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      07|18|2022

      Fresh milled flours contain the wheat bran and wheat germ, thus absorb more water, so the measurements wont be exactly the same. You will probably need more water or you’ll end up with a dense loaf.

      Reply
  9. Shannon
    07|25|2022

    Can the dough be refrigerated and finished the next day? If so, at what point in the process can this be done?

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      07|25|2022

      Hi! Yes, the sandwich loaf can be refrigerated, but it may not rise up as well in the oven. You can refrigerate it after step 8.

      Reply
  10. Lauren Rogers
    08|01|2022

    The best sandwich bread I’ve ever had, and I cannot believe I made it. This easy to follow recipe produces stunning results. Won’t be able to go back to store bough after this! So yummy.

    Reply
  11. Esther
    08|03|2022

    My husband loves soft bread. My typical sourdough loaf is hard crusted and chewy inside. But THIS is perfectly soft! I’ve been looking for a soft loaf, long-ferment sourdough recipe for a long time. Thank you Kaitlynn!

    Reply
  12. Melissa
    09|18|2022

    This is our favorite sandwich bread that I make a couple of times a week. Highly recommend! This absolutely trumps store bought bread!

    Reply
  13. Allison
    09|24|2022

    I’ve made this several times now and it is always consistently stunning and oh so delicious! Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      09|24|2022

      I’m happy you are enjoying this recipe time and time again 🙂

      Reply
  14. William
    09|25|2022

    What exactly should the texture of the dough be? On the first stretch, mine is pretty firm while the videos I watched show it kind of loose and sticky.

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      09|26|2022

      Not sure what video you are watching, as I do not have a video for this recipe. The dough is somewhat firm but still comes together easily. The loose and sticky doughs are usually for boules, and this is a sandwich loaf.

      Reply
  15. Ashley
    10|24|2022

    This is a staple in my house for our daily bread use. We love it. the perfect sourdough loaf for our family of 7. I make 5-7 loaves a week minimum. So soft and perfect for everything.

    Reply
  16. Ashley
    10|24|2022

    This is a staple in my house for our daily bread use. its the perfect sourdough loaf for our family of 7. I make 5-7 loaves a week minimum. So soft and perfect for everything.

    Reply
  17. Elena
    11|02|2022

    I don’t ever leave reviews .cause I don’t have time . But boy this one is soooooo good!!! We loved it . Thank you for this easy simple recipe. I already make sourdough but it’s always too fluffy for sandwiches . But this one is a hit.

    Reply
  18. Kate
    05|03|2023

    If I use 50% rye flour, do I need to adjust the amount of water?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      05|08|2023

      It should be okay with the same amount of water. You can drizzle a tablespoon more water in the beginning if you find the dough dry.

      Reply
  19. Leah
    08|22|2023

    We make this recipe every week! We love it so much! Its a staple in our house!

    Reply
  20. Carol
    11|26|2023

    I was uncertain about this dough- I was already writing it off as a fail! The dough was too stiff, hard to fold. But, it’s in the oven now, and good gosh- it’s so beautiful! I’m sure it’s gonna taste as good as it looks!

    Reply
  21. Kelsey
    01|24|2024

    Hi! If I choose to do the optional step 9, do I also do step 8? Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      01|25|2024

      yes you still do step 8.

      Reply
  22. Cindy Reed
    05|15|2024

    hello 🙂 I am finishing the dough and will be putting it in the frog overnight. Can you please tell me how long I should let it sit out before baking – or do you put it directly in the oven and bake ?
    Thank you !
    Cindy

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      05|16|2024

      I put it directly in the oven!

      Reply
  23. Cindy Reed
    05|15|2024

    lol, the *refrigerator …
    Cindy

    Reply
  24. Deb
    01|30|2025

    If I want to bake this loaf in a cast-iron pullman pan would that change the oven temp or bake time ?

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      01|30|2025

      It shouldn’t, though I’ve never baked in one of those so I don’t know for sure.

      Reply
      1. Deb
        01|31|2025

        Kaitlynn—–It worked perfectly as written in the cast iron pullman—no modifications at all !
        What a great recipe 🙂

        Reply
        1. Kaitlynn Fenley
          02|02|2025

          yay!! Thank you for letting me know and for leaving a review! so happy it worked 🙂

          Reply

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