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Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread

ByAmy Posted on: Last Updated
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My family loves soft sourdough sandwich bread. Pillowy soft, tender and light, this sourdough sandwich bread is incredible with just a slight tang from the sourdough. We use it for sandwiches, french toast, making breadcrumbs, etc., and we love adding cinnamon chips or cheese. It’s so versatile and delicious. I’ve spent months working on perfecting this bread and it’s finally delicious every time I make it, which is almost weekly around here. This is 100% natural yeast sandwich bread and I know you will love it too.

Sample Sourdough Baking Schedule

This sample baking schedule is what works for me. I keep my dough warm in the 78-80ºF range for this schedule to work. I mix up the levain the night before I make this bread and while my kids are eating breakfast in the morning I can mix up the dough. The bread is usually ready to bake in the evening – who doesn’t love a nice hunk of warm bread with their dinner?! I’ll let it cool and slice it in the evening to use for sandwiches and toast throughout the week. Your schedule could definitely look different than mine, and that’s okay – do what works for you. A more detailed explanation of each step is further down in this post.

7:00 PM – 7:00 AMMix Levain. Cover and ferment for about 10-12 hours until doubled in size, bubbly and ripe.
7:00 AMKnead dough in a stand mixer for 8-10 minutes until smooth.
7:15 AM – 11:15 AMBulk Fermentation
Optional: After the bulk fermentation, the dough can be covered and stuck in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours if needed. Pull it out, shape it and continue with the recipe, allowing a little extra time for rising if you choose this option.
11:30 AMDivide and shape. Proof in a warm place (78-85ºF) The temperature you choose will determine how quickly your loaves will rise.
4:00 PM – 8:00 PMBake: ONLY once the dough has doubled in size and risen above the loaf pan. This can take a long time, depending a lot on temperature and how active your sourdough starter is. If the dough is too cold, it won’t rise quickly – move it to a warmer location and wait for the bread to rise. Don’t bake the bread until it has properly risen.

Ingredients in Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread

  • Levain: A mixture made from your active sourdough starter. This will cause the bread to rise.
  • Honey: Honey adds a sweetness to the dough. You could also substitute sugar.
  • Coconut Oil: I love the soft texture coconut oil gives the dough. You can add cold or liquid coconut oil to the mixing bowl. The heat from the mixing will help the coconut oil absorb fully into the bread dough. You can substitute any neutral flavored oil.
  • Egg: One large egg is about 50 grams. This recipe makes two loaves of bread; if you want to make one loaf instead, mix up the egg in a bowl and then use 25 grams in the recipe.
  • Water: Depending on the temperature of the other ingredients and the temperature inside your kitchen, you’ll want to use either cool, warm or room temperature water. This strongly influences how well your dough will rise (especially in the winter).
  • Salt: Salt enhances flavor. Don’t forget to add it!
  • Bread Flour: I use a good quality bread flour that I buy from my local mill. It’s around 12.5% protein content.

How to Make Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread

A Note on Temperature before you begin

I am still learning to be patient – it’s not my strong suit, and I have failed many times in baking sourdough sandwich bread because I didn’t want to wait for this bread to rise. Natural yeast sourdough bread takes time and requires a warm environment to rise. The temperature of the dough throughout the mixing/kneading process should be around 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit for the yeast to properly activate. Get yourself a food thermometer and take the temperature of the levain. Add warm water to your dough if it’s winter and your kitchen is cold. If your dough’s temperature is under 75 degrees, know it is going to take much longer for the dough to rise. Read more about how temperature affects sourdough here.

Pro Tip: Do NOT bake this bread if the dough has not risen ABOVE the pans. It really needs to rise and fill the pan before you bake it.

Use Active Sourdough Starter

This recipe uses active sourdough starter. If your sourdough starter has not been fed recently, pull it out a day or two before making this bread. Feed it once in the morning and once at night, making sure it doubles or triples in size. The more active your starter is, the better this bread will rise. If you already have a very active starter and feed it frequently, you can mix your levain from that active starter.

For example: If I wanted to bake this bread on Saturday and my starter lived in the refrigerator, I would pull my starter out of the refrigerator on Thursday. I would feed it Thursday with 30 grams starter, 100 grams water and 100 grams flour. Let it sit and feed again on Friday morning. Use this active sourdough starter to make the levain on Friday evening.

Mix the Levain

You can read more about why I use the levain process here. This dough takes a long time to rise thanks to the honey, egg and oil in the dough, so I like to mix my levain the night before I’m going to use it, let it rise overnight and then mix my dough in the morning. To do this I mix:

1:10:10 Levain (ready in 10-12 hours/overnight if kept at 78 degrees F)

  • 20 grams of ripe/mature sourdough starter
  • 200 grams white all-purpose or bread flour
  • 200 grams water
  • 20 grams sugar (optional – for more mild bread)

Alternatively you can mix a 1:1:1 levain (or any that fit your schedule)

1:1:1 Levain (ready in 3-4 hours/same day)

If you forget to mix the levain the night before or prefer to mix the levain the day of mixing the dough, you can mix up this levain which should take about 3-4 hours, assuming 78 degrees F, until it’s ready to be mixed with the dough. Adjust the sample schedule accordingly.

  • 140 grams of ripe/mature starter
  • 140 grams of warm water
  • 140 grams of all-purpose or bread flour
  • 20 grams granulated sugar (optional for more mild flavor)

Mix the Dough

To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the ripe levain, honey, egg, warm water, coconut oil, salt and bread flour. Mix for about 10 minutes until the dough is tacky and strong. Remove dough to a bowl or container. Cover with a plastic shower cap (the best tip!) or a kitchen towel and place in a warm place (75-80 degrees Fahrenheit) for bulk fermentation.

Tip: The temperature of the water can have an effect on how quickly the sourdough ferments. If you are baking this bread in the summer, you will want to use cooler water to balance out the warmer ambient temperature in your kitchen. If you bake during the winter, a warmer water (nothing over 98ºF) can help increase the activity and fermentation process of the sourdough culture. 

Bulk Fermentation

The total bulk fermentation time should be about 4-5hours, with the dough’s internal temperature staying around 78-80º Fahrenheit throughout the bulk rise. You are looking for the dough to fill the bottom of the container and rise just a bit.

Shaping Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Prepare two loaf pans. Pat one of the portions out into a rectangle. Starting at the edge closest to you, roll up the dough. Take care to press in the dough at the seam after each roll and pinch the seam closed at the end. Pinch and round the ends of the dough just a bit to get a uniform loaf. Place in a greased 8.5-by-4.5 loaf pan and cover. Repeat with remaining portion of dough. You can watch a shaping video here.

Proofing Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Proof the loaves of bread for about 4-8 hours at around 80º Fahrenheit. This bread can take A LONG time to rise thanks to the honey, oil and egg in the dough. Temperature also plays a big role in this. When I want to speed it up I like to proof my loaves in my oven with the light turned on (don’t turn on the oven). This gives the loaves warmth to rise. Before baking this bread, make sure that the sandwich bread has risen up over the bread tin AND has filled out the tin.

Don’t be discouraged if the dough isn’t rising quickly – I’ve had bread that’s taken 4 hours to rise and loaves that have taken 8-10 hours. If you notice the bread is not rising, put it somewhere warmer to encourage a rise. I’ve found keeping the dough temperature around 85ºF will help speed up the rising process. Gently press a finger into the dough and see if the dough springs back. If it springs back quickly, the bread needs to keep rising. If it springs back just a little, it’s time to bake.

Baking Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Bake sandwich loaves at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. Top the hot loaves with melted butter. After about 5 minutes, gently release them from the pans. Allow the loaves to cool completely before slicing and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I store leftover Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread?

Let your sandwich loaves cool completely. Once cooled, turn them on their side and slice them. Store in a bread bag on the counter for 48 hours or stick them in your freezer. When you want a loaf of bread, pull it out and let it thaw before eating. I also like taking the frozen slices and toasting them individually as needed.

Can you add mix-ins to this sandwich bread?

Yes. I love adding cinnamon chips for a delicious cinnamon bread. I also like adding garlic and grated parmesan into the bread dough while mixing for a savory bread.

My soft sourdough sandwich bread is gummy inside. What happened?

Unfortunately it sounds like your sourdough didn’t rise enough. This can be so disappointing. You want to make sure the sourdough bread rises above the loaf pan before baking. Use the poke test: poke your finger into the bread gently. If the bread springs back with no indentation, it needs to rise more. If it leaves a small indentation and doesn’t spring back, it’s time to bake the bread. I’ve experienced “gummy” sourdough bread when I didn’t let my dough rise properly.

My sourdough bread didn’t rise. Why?

Most likely this is a temperature or sourdough starter issue. Make sure that the temperature of the dough is between 78-80 degrees F while it’s rising. You may also need to proof this dough in a proofing box or oven with the light on if your kitchen is cold. Another issue could have been your sourdough starter: was it rising and falling predictably before you made the bread? Did you take starter at its peak ripeness to make the levain? Did you use the levain at the peak ripeness (when it has the most active yeast in it)?

Is this sourdough bread tangy? Or mild?

This bread is meant to be more on the mild side because my kids prefer their sandwich bread that way. You will notice that I’ve created this recipe to get it that way:
1. Using a sweet levain
2. Using a lot of levain (more than usual)
3. Honey in the dough to counterbalance the tang

You can adjust any of these if you prefer a more sour flavored bread.

A few images that show the importance of letting the bread rise fully in the pans. When properly risen, the dough will fill the pan and rise over the top of the pan. If you don’t let the bread properly rise, it will have a tighter crumb and not be as light and fluffy.

Recipe

Soft Sourdough sandwich bread

Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Amy Coyne
Soft, fluffy and absolutely delicious, sourdough sandwich bread is made with 100% natural yeast and results in the most delicious tender sandwich bread. This white bread is perfect for sandwiches, french toast, toast or just to enjoy hot out of the oven. This recipe makes 2 loaves of sandwich bread.
4.97 from 54 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Fermentation Time 1 day
Total Time 1 day 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Servings 28 slices (2 loaves)
Calories 170 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Levain (1:10:10 overnight, takes 10-12 hours to ripen at 78-80ºF)

  • 20 grams sourdough starter bubbly and active, see recipe notes about 4 teaspoons
  • 200 grams all purpose or bread flour about 1 ⅓ cups
  • 200 grams water see recipe notes, about ¾ cup plus 1 Tablespoon
  • 20 grams granulated sugar about 4 teaspoons

Sourdough Sandwich Bread

  • 400 grams levain about 1 ¾ cup
  • 330 grams water see recipe notes, about 1 ⅓ cups
  • 160 grams honey about ½ cup
  • 1 large egg about 50 grams
  • 50 grams coconut oil melted, or any neutral flavored oil, about ¼ cup
  • 20 grams salt about 2 Tablespoons
  • 950 grams bread flour about 6-7 cups, see recipe notes

Instructions
 

Levain (1:10:10, overnight, ready in 10-12 hours at 78ºF)

  • The night before you mix the dough, mix together the levain. To a small bowl, mix together active starter, flour, water and sugar (optional for more mild flavor in the bread). Cover and let sit overnight for 10-12 hours in warm 78-80F place until ripe, bubbly and active.
    Alternatively if you prefer mixing the levain the morning of, mix: 140 grams starter, 140 grams flour, 140 grams water and 20 grams sugar – this should take about 3-4 hours to rise at 78ºF. Ripe, bubbly, active sourdough starter can also be substituted for levain if desired.

Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread

  • Mix: To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the ripe levain, water, honey, salt, egg, coconut oil and most of the flour. I like to reserve a little of the flour (a little less than a cup) and add it in as needed. Knead for 10-15 minutes until the dough is smooth, soft and cohesive. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl or gather all together as it kneads. It will feel tacky to the touch, but should not be overly sticky. If it is very sticky, add a little bit more flour 10-20 grams at a time until it feels tacky and workable. This dough can also be kneaded about 10-20 minutes by hand.
  • Begin Bulk Fermentation: Transfer the dough to a large container and cover with a plastic shower cap (the best!) or kitchen towel.
  • Bulk Rise: Let the dough rise until puffed up and aerated. The dough will not have doubled in size at this point but should have filled the bottom of the container and risen a small amount. If it hasn't, let it sit in a warmer place for another hour or two. At this point you can also stick the dough in the refrigerator after a couple of hours for a long cold bulk rise. See recipe notes.
  • Divide and Shape: Turn the dough out onto the counter. Separate into two equal portions of dough. Pat one of the portions out into a rectangle. Starting at the edge closest to you, roll up the dough. Take care to press in the dough at the seam after each roll and pinch the seam closed at the end. Pinch and round the ends of the dough just a bit to get a uniform loaf. Place in a greased 8.5-by-4.5 loaf pan and cover. Repeat with remaining portion of dough. You can watch a shaping video here.
  • Rise: Let the bread rise in the pan for 4-8 hours until the dough has risen up qne over the edge of the loaf pan. Depending on time of year, temperature and how active your yeast is, the rise could be shorter or much longer. If you notice no change and no rise, put the bread in a warmer place (oven with a light on or bread proofer). Press in gently on the dough with a finger. If the dough springs back immediately, it needs a little more time to rise. If it leaves a little indentation and springs back just a little bit, it is ready to bake.
  • Bake: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake loaves of bread for 40 minutes. Spread melted butter on the tops of the loaves if desired. Let bread cool completely before slicing for sandwiches. Enjoy!

Notes

Water Temperature: The temperature of the water can have an effect on how quickly the sourdough ferments. If you are baking this bread in the summer, you will want to use cooler water to help with the ambient temperature in your kitchen. If you bake during the winter, a warmer water (nothing over 98 degrees–temperature of baby’s bath) can help increase the activity and fermentation process of the natural yeast. 
Sourdough Starter: This recipe needs active sourdough starter. If you are using sourdough starter from the refrigerator, pull it out a day or two before making this bread. Feed it once in the morning and once at night, making sure it doubles or triples in size. The more active your starter is, the better this bread will rise. 
Overnight Refrigerated Bulk Rise: After the bulk fermentation is completed, stick the dough in the refrigerator overnight (or up to 18 hours). The next morning, proceed with the recipe by pre-shaping the dough, resting, shaping the dough, letting it rise and bake the bread loaves.
Honey/Sugar: If you substitute sugar for honey, you will use LESS flour in this recipe. I like to reserve about 1 cup of flour and add it in as I go to make sure the dough is the right consistency. The amount of honey in this recipe can also be cut in half if you find this bread is a little too sweet. Use 80 grams of honey instead of 160 grams. You will need to adjust the flour a little bit, reserving some of the flour and adding it in only as needed while mixing the dough.
Flour: I use a 12.5% protein content bread flour in this recipe. If you use flour with a stronger protein content than this, you will want to increase the water in the recipe. I like to reserve about 1 cup of flour (around 140 grams) and add it in as I go to make sure I get the correct texture of dough. Many things can affect dough–humidity, type of flour, egg size, etc… You are looking for tacky, not overly sticky dough. Add the remaining flour and mix as you go.
Update #1: Originally this recipe called for 60 grams of honey and 850 grams flour. We prefer this bread sweet from the honey and make it with the 160 grams. As I’ve made it over the years I’ve increased the flour to 950 grams and the honey to 160 grams. If you want to decrease the honey back to the original posting, it will work well too. The bread won’t be quite as sweet and may have a few more sour notes.
Update #2: The more that I’ve made this bread, I’ve changed a few things about how I do it. I no longer use the stretch and folds. I also used to use a morning levain, but now use an overnight one for easier timing with the rise of the bread. I like being able to mix the dough when I wake up in the morning. I’ve changed the recipe instructions to reflect this. 
For those asking for the previous version:
Levain, mix 1:1:1 ratio (3-4 hours before ripe at 78-80ºF)
    • 140 grams of ripe/mature starter
    • 140 grams of warm water
    • 140 grams of all purpose or bread flour
    • 20 grams granulated sugar (optional for more mild flavor)
After 3-4 hours, add ingredients to the stand mixer. Knead dough together in stand mixer for 5-7 minutes. Perform sets of stretch and folds every half hour for the first 2 hours. Let the dough continue to rest and bulk ferment for about 2 more hours. Then shape the dough and let rise, according to the recipe instructions.

Nutrition

Calories: 170kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 5gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gTrans Fat: 0.001gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 281mgPotassium: 39mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 10IUVitamin C: 0.03mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 0.4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
4.97 from 54 votes (14 ratings without comment)

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167 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I used extra virgin olive oil instead of coconut oil because I didn’t melt the coconut oil in time. I did not notice a strong taste (other than the honey and sourdough). The bread came out super soft! I will definitely make this recipe again.

    Reply