Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread – Easy Recipe

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This soft sourdough sandwich bread has a fluffy texture, a soft crust and makes the perfect sandwiches!  It’s easy to make, and is great to have on hand for avocado toast, french toast and of course sandwiches.  Sourdough sandwich bread stays soft for several days after being baked, and includes all the probiotic health benefits from the long fermentation process of the sourdough.  This bread is made without commercial yeast, and depends on the wild yeast from active sourdough starter to raise the bread.   This recipe is very flexible and you can adjust the amount of sugar or honey in it, and substitute eggs, melted beef tallow or oil for the butter depending on what you have readily available.  The recipe makes 4 loaves of bread, but if you don’t need that many loaves, you can also shape it into hamburger buns or cinnamon rolls.  You can also freeze it the same day you bake it and it will taste nice and fresh.  Once you try this sandwich recipe, it will be your go-to sourdough sandwich bread.  

sourdough sandwich bread

Simple and Easy

I like to make this recipe because it is so simple.  There is no stretching and folding or difficult steps to follow.  I just put it into my Bosch mixer, mix it up, and then let it rise a couple times and bake.  The entire process takes about 24 hours from start to finish, but it takes less than 10 minutes of active time, as most of the time it is just fermenting or raising.  The timing of this is also flexible and can be adjusted to almost any schedule.

No Scale Needed

This recipe can easily be made without a scale as everything is measured in cups.  It starts by feeding your starter, then mixing up a pre-ferment mixture of flour, water and active starter.  Then all the ingredients are combined in a mixer until bread dough is smooth and glossy and not too sticky.  You allow it to rise, punch it down and shape into loaves.  Allow it to rise again and bake.  It’s really that simple

bubbly sourdough starter

Why Make Sourdough Sandwich Bread

So why would you want to take the time to make sourdough sandwich bread anyway?  Well there are several reasons.

  1.  It’s wise to know how to make bread without having to purchase yeast at the grocery store in case it is ever not available for some reason.
  2. The taste and texture of this sourdough sandwich bread will be unlike any other sandwich bread you will make.  It’s soft, not crumbly, and will stay soft and moist for several days.  
  3. It will stay fresh longer on your counter without molding because it is already inoculated with the beneficial bacteria from the sourdough making it harder for mold to grow.
  4. Because this bread is made with active sourdough starter, and allowed to long ferment over several hours, it will be much easier for your body to digest and get nutrients from.  See below for more information.
  5. Sourdough bread has a lower glycemic index than other breads, making it a better choice for diabetics than most breads.  More info on that here.
loaves of sourdough sandwich bread

What Are The Health Benefits Of Sourdough?

Anytime you add a fermented element like sourdough to a recipe, it becomes more nutritious because it contains live probiotics and good bacteria that help with gut health and digestion.  Gluten and phytic acid are naturally present in wheat, and are usually what is to blame for people not being able to digest gluten well.  When the grain is fermented through the sourdough process, the gluten and phytic acid are broken down, making it easier to digest.  A lot of people that struggle with gluten intolerance (not people with celiac), can digest food made with sourdough without any issue, especially if the recipe is allowed to sit out for a few hours and “long ferment”.   

In addition, phytic acid is an anti-nutrient that blocks absorption of the nutrients found in wheat. During the sourdough fermentation process, the phytic acid gets broken down and the nutrients are more bio-available to the body. This is why baking with sourdough is so important for our health.

Be sure to watch our full tutorial on how to make your own sourdough starter here.

loaf of sourdough sandwich bread

Simple Sourdough Bread Ingredients

Flour, water, and salt is all that is needed to make traditional artisan loaves of sourdough bread, but what makes this sandwich bread so soft and beautiful is the addition of fat, sweetener, and milk instead of the water making it an enriched dough that makes a soft and pliable bread.  These five simple ingredients can be adjusted depending on what you have available and whether you want your dough warm in the winter, or cool in the summer for the best fermentation.

Flour

for best results I recommend using all or mostly white flour in this sourdough sandwich bread as it will make a softer and more beautiful dough.  Bleached or unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour works the best.  Unbleached flour is obviously healthier for you and bread flour will make a more beautiful loaf than just all-purpose flour because it has a higher protein content, but any of these flours will work.  If you use whole grain or whole wheat flour, I suggest using at least half all-purpose or bread flour when making your bread for best results.  A loaf made with 100% whole grain flour will be more dense than you will like for sandwiches.  

I like to get my high protein bread flour in bulk from Azure Standard.  You can check it out here.

Milk

You can use any kind of milk in this recipe.  I like to use raw milk or buttermilk from my Jersey cows, but you can use any kind of milk that you like.  The milk helps to give the bread a softer texture.

adding milk to bread mixture

Fat

Here’s where it gets fun because this recipe is so flexible.  If you’re making this bread in the summer, it’s a good idea to keep the dough close to room temperature so it doesn’t ferment too quickly and possibly overferment.  I like to use room temperature eggs or butter for my fat during the summer.  

In the winter, it’s a good idea to keep your dough a little warmer so it doesn’t take quite so long to rise.  In this case, I like to use melted butter, coconut oil, or beef tallow as my fat.  The warmth from melting the fat helps the bread to raise faster.  

Any of these fats will work at anytime however, and you can adjust it based on what you have on hand and the amount of time you have to make the bread.

Sweetener

You can use honey, sugar, or anything similar in this recipe.  I like to make it with a small amount of sweetener, but you can certainly increase the amount of sweetener if you’d like the bread to be more sweet.  If you add more sweetener, the bread will taste less sour which is more appealing to some people.  My family likes this recipe when I make it with the same amount of sweetener as my Amish white bread recipe, which has 1 1/3 cups of sugar for a 4 loaf batch of bread.  Yes, that’s a lot of sugar, but it makes a really yummy sweet bread, and is still much better for you than store-bought bread.

Salt

I like to use redmond real salt, but you can use whatever salt you have on hand.  Salt is what gives the bread it’s flavor, and it’s really important not to leave it out.  

Ways To Enjoy Sourdough Sandwich Bread

  • Slather it with butter and jam when it’s still warm from the oven. This is my favorite!
  • Sliced with mayo, avocado and microgreens for some amazing avocado toast.
  • With canned or leftover chicken and a few other ingredients for quick and easy chicken melts on a busy day.
  • For easy sandwiches on a hot day, try my favorite beef salad sandwiches on this sourdough sandwich bread.
  • Make egg sandwiches with toasted sourdough bread, eggs, cheese, ketchup and homemade mayonnaise for a quick and easy meal.
  • Toasted with peanut butter and applesauce.
  • With butter, garlic salt and cheese and toasted in the oven for garlic bread to go with spaghetti.
sourdough sandwich bread with jam

Basically any way you would normally enjoy bread, this sourdough sandwich bread is delicious.

We like to make lots of sourdough recipes.  You can find them here.

Tips For Making This Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe

Don’t over ferment the dough.  You want to let it raise close to double, but don’t leave it for hours and hours because it will turn into a wet sloppy mess and you won’t be able to shape it into loaves.  If this happens, you can still bake it and turn it into breadcrumbs. 

Use a stand mixer if possible, as it will make this bread so fast and easy to make.  You can also make this without a mixer, and just use your hands, but it will be more work of course.

You can use different kinds of fat depending on what you have and if it’s winter or summer.  In the winter, you’ll want your dough to be a little warmer so it doesn’t take so long to raise if it’s cooler in your house.  In the summer, you’ll want your dough to be a little bit cooler so it doesn’t raise and ferment too quickly, especially when you’re busy.

This bread freezes well, so if you won’t be able to eat all four loaves right away, you can just put some in the freezer, or shape some of the dough into cinnamon rolls or hamburger buns and bake it up that way.

Be sure to use an active sourdough starter to ensure that your bread will rise properly.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here

Tools You May Need

Stand mixer – my favorite mixer is a Bosch.  They are very heavy duty and a good investment if you plan to cook from scratch.  They pay themselves off in no time especially with the high cost of groceries.

Measuring cups and spoons

Large bowl

Bench scraper

Loaf pans – I like to use these large bread pans

Bread Bags

Example of Timing For Making Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Sourdough bread is so flexible, it can fit into any schedule.  Here’s a couple of examples of how you could fit sourdough baking into the margins of your day.

Option 1

  • In the morning, or sometime before noon, feed sourdough starter
  • 9:00 p.m. mix up the pre-ferment ingredients of starter, milk and flour
  • Anytime before 9:00 a.m. add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Allow to rise.
  • 11:00 a.m. if dough has risen enough, punch down and shape
  • 1:00 p.m. if dough has risen enough, bake.

Option 2

  • 7:00 a.m. Feed your sourdough starter
  • 12:00 p.m. Mix your pre-ferment ingredients
  • 9:00 p.m.  Add the rest of your ingredients and mix.  Place in refrigerator or other cool place for a slow overnight rise.
  • 7:00 a.m. Shape and allow to raise for a couple of hours.
  • 9:00 a.m.  If dough has risen enough, bake.

How To Make Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Feed Sourdough Starter

To a small amount of starter (no more than ½ cup), you’ll want to add at least 2 cups of flour, and about 1 ⅓ cups warm water.  I like to feed my starter lots of flour and water when I prepare to make bread, and then I save the extra starter in my refrigerator to use in all my favorite sourdough discard recipes.  Feel free to add more flour and water to your starter if desired, but you’ll want to feed it at least 2 cups of flour, as you’ll need 2 cups of starter for the bread recipe.  I like to complete this step in the morning.

feeding sourdough starter

Allow fed starter to become active while sitting out at room temperature.  When starter has risen all the way to the top and is happy and active, proceed to the next step.

Combine Pre-ferment Ingredients

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2 cups liquid (this can be water, milk or buttermilk – and it should be warm if it’s winter), 2 cups active sourdough starter, and 3 cups all purpose or bread flour.  Mix on low speed for a minute or so using the dough hook attachment.  Cover and allow to ferment in the bowl of the stand mixer overnight.  I like the Bosch mixer because it is so heavy duty, and also because it has a lid that can easily be put on while the bowl is on the stand mixer.  I like to complete this step in the evening before going to bed.

adding sourdough starter to mixer

Mix Up The Bread

The next morning, add your fat of choice (I prefer butter and like it to be warm in winter and room temperature in summer), sweetener, salt, milk (warm in winter and cold in summer).  Turn on the mixer and allow to partially combine.  

Then add 5 cups of all purpose or bread flour and mix on medium speed for about 5-10 minutes.  This will help to develop the gluten and make the bread soft and pliable.  Then add another 4-6 cups of flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  Continue to mix another couple minutes.  Turn off mixer and check to make sure dough isn’t really sticky.  You want it to be a little sticky, but not so sticky that you can’t handle it.  (See video below).  I like to stretch the dough upwards to see if I can see through it without tearing it, this is sometimes called the windowpane test.

windowpane test

First Rise

Put dough into a large oiled mixing bowl, cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 2-3 hours or until close to double.  If it’s winter and your house is cold, it may take longer to raise.  That’s okay, let it raise as long as it needs to until it gets close to doubling in size.  

Once dough has risen, punch it down and dump it out onto a lightly floured surface.  Shape into loaves by dividing dough into four pieces using a bench scraper.  Flatten each piece of dough into a rectangle.  Take each corner of dough that is closest to you and place in the middle of the rectangle forming a triangle.  Take tip of triangle that is closest to you and roll away from you until the dough has formed into a loaf.  Tuck the edges under if needed and place in greased loaf pans.  (See video below).

punching sourdough down

Second Rise

Allow dough to do it’s second rise until its just above the edges of the loaf pans.  This usually takes another 2-3 hours, but watch them closely if your house is warm so they don’t raise too far and over ferment.

shaping sourdough sandwich bread

Bake

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Using a bread lame or razor blade, slash the tops of the loaves to allow more room for the loaf to expand.

scoring sourdough sandwich bread

Place loaves into oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread is 190 degrees.

Remove from the oven and bread pans, and place on cooling rack.  Brush the golden brown crust with butter to keep it nice and soft, and allow bread to cool.

loaves of sourdough sandwich bread

Enjoy

Slice and enjoy a couple of slices with fresh butter and strawberry jam. There’s nothing better!

Can be stored in a plastic bag on counter or refrigerator for up to a week, or frozen for up to three months. You can even slice and freeze a few slices in separate bags so you only have to take out a little bit of bread at a time.  It’s best to freeze bread the same day that it is baked for the freshest taste.

If you try this recipe and love it, please come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @wagonwheelhomestead21.  I can’t wait to see what all you make!

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best sourdough sandwich bread
Yield: 4 Loaves

Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread - Easy Recipe

sliced sourdough sandwich bread

This soft sourdough sandwich bread has a fluffy texture, a soft crust and makes the perfect sandwiches!  It’s easy to make, and is great to have on hand for avocado toast, french toast and of course sandwiches.  I like to make this recipe because it is so simple.  There is no stretching and folding or difficult steps to follow.  I just put it into my Bosch mixer, mix it up, and then let it rise a couple times and bake.  The entire process takes about 24 hours from start to finish, but it takes less than 10 minutes of active time, as most of the time it is just fermenting or raising.  The timing of this is also flexible and can be adjusted to almost any schedule.

Prep Time 15 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 6 hours
Total Time 21 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cup active sourdough starter
  • 2 cup water, milk or buttermilk
  • 3 cup flour
  • ¼ cup fat - butter, oil, melted coconut oil or beef tallow (warm is best if your house is cool)
  • ½ cup sweetener - honey or sugar
  • 4 teaspoons Salt
  • 3 cups milk or buttermilk (any kind of milk - warm is best if your house is cool)
  • 9-11 cups all purpose or bread flour

Instructions

    Feed Sourdough Starter

To a small amount of starter (no more than ½ cup), you’ll want to add at least 2 cups of flour, and about 1 ⅓ cups warm water.  I like to feed my starter lots of flour and water when I prepare to make bread, and then I save the extra starter in my refrigerator to use in all my favorite sourdough discard recipes.  Feel free to add more flour and water to your starter if desired, but you’ll want to feed it at least 2 cups of flour, as you’ll need 2 cups of starter for the bread recipe.  I like to complete this step in the morning.

Allow fed starter to become active while sitting out at room temperature.  When starter has risen all the way to the top and is happy and active, proceed to the next step.

Combine Pre-ferment Ingredients

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2 cups milk or buttermilk (warm if it’s winter), 2 cups active sourdough starter, and 3 cups all purpose or bread flour.  Mix on low speed for a minute or so using the dough hook attachment.  Cover and allow to ferment in the bowl of the stand mixer overnight.  I like the Bosch mixer because it is so heavy duty, and also because it has a lid that can easily be put on while the bowl is on the stand mixer.  I like to complete this step in the evening before going to bed.

Mix Up The Bread

The next morning, add your fat of choice (I prefer butter and like it to be warm in winter and room temperature in summer), sweetener, salt, milk (warm in winter and cold in summer).  Turn on the mixer and allow to partially combine.  

Then add 5 cups of all purpose or bread flour and mix on medium speed for about 5-10 minutes.  This will help to develop the gluten and make the bread soft and pliable.  Then add another 4-6 cups of flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  Continue to mix another couple minutes.  Turn off mixer and check to make sure dough isn’t really sticky.  You want it to be a little sticky, but not so sticky that you can’t handle it.  (See video below).  

First Rise

Put dough into a large oiled mixing bowl, cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 2-3 hours or until close to double.  If it’s winter and your house is cold, it may take longer to raise.  That’s okay, let it raise as long as it needs to until it gets close to doubling in size.  

Once dough has risen, punch it down and dump it out onto a lightly floured surface.  Shape into loaves by dividing dough into four pieces using a bench scraper.  Flatten each piece of dough into a rectangle.  Take each corner of dough that is closest to you and place in the middle of the rectangle forming a triangle.  Take tip of triangle that is closest to you and roll away from you until the dough has formed into a loaf.  Tuck the edges under if needed and place in greased loaf pans.  (See video below).

Second Rise

Allow dough to do it's second rise until its just above the edges of the loaf pans.  This usually takes another 2-3 hours, but watch them closely if your house is warm so they don’t raise too far and over ferment.

Bake

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Using a bread lame or razor blade, slash the tops of the loaves to allow more room for the loaf to expand.

Place loaves into oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread is 190 degrees.

Remove from the oven and bread pans, and place on cooling rack.  Brush the golden brown crust with butter to keep it nice and soft, and allow bread to cool.

Enjoy

Slice and enjoy a couple of slices with fresh butter and strawberry jam. There's nothing better!

Can be stored in a plastic bag on counter or refrigerator for up to a week, or frozen for up to three months. You can even slice and freeze a few slices in separate bags so you only have to take out a little bit of bread at a time.  It’s best to freeze bread the same day that it is baked for the freshest taste.

Notes

Example of Timing For Making Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Sourdough bread is so flexible, it can fit into any schedule.  Here’s a couple of examples of how you could fit sourdough baking into the margins of your day.

Option 1

  • In the morning, or sometime before noon, feed sourdough starter
  • 9:00 p.m. mix up the pre-ferment ingredients of starter, milk and flour
  • Anytime before 9:00 a.m. add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Allow to rise.
  • 11:00 a.m. if dough has risen enough, punch down and shape
  • 1:00 p.m. if dough has risen enough, bake.

Option 2

  • 7:00 a.m. Feed your sourdough starter
  • 12:00 p.m. Mix your pre-ferment ingredients
  • 9:00 p.m.  Add the rest of your ingredients and mix.  Place in refrigerator or other cool place for a slow overnight rise.
  • 7:00 a.m. Shape and allow to raise for a couple of hours.
  • 9:00 a.m.  If dough has risen enough, bake.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

40

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1319Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 263mgCarbohydrates: 260gFiber: 9gSugar: 4gProtein: 44g

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118 Comments

  1. This looks so delicious! I really need to get back into sourdough again, I let my starter go! But will keep this recipe in mind and can’t wait to give it a try!

  2. This looks so yummy! I have been making sourdough bread using a “potato flake starter” and adding yeast. We love it. I would like to try this no yeast version but I have a question. Where do I get the starter that requires to be fed only flour and water. Is there a recipe for it or do I have to buy it. Thank you.

  3. Oh thank you! My recipe for a loaf is rather hard. Good for toast. I’m looking forward to making your recipe. Love me some nice soft bread!

  4. You make this look so very easy. I have my certified sourdough from around 1790 out on the counter, so I skipped your ‘feeding’ step, as mine is out of the fridge and active. I cut the recipe in half, just me and grandpa, don’t need 4 loaves. But my dough is very heavy, I’ve been letting it sit and nothing is rising. I’ll check again in the morning.

    Would you be able to re-right this for someone who already has active sourdough, don’t need to feed it as it’s ready to go? I think I may have messed it up. I have a Delongi mixer, very tough and sturdy, but the dough was so heavy it was struggling with just 3 cups of four! I began hand kneading, but no way at age 64 I can hand knead for 10 minutes. I don’t want this to be a failure, can you send me some instructions? Thank you.

    1. Hi Melissa, so when you say your sourdough is active, do you mean that it had risen to it’s peak? If it’s at it’s peak, then you can mix up the “leaven” which is the first step after feeding the starter. Then after the leaven sets overnight you can add the rest of the ingredients. It shouldn’t be heavy at all. Let me know, I’m here to help 🙂

      1. Jamie, thanks for your comment, that’s a great point, especially if you’re using a KitchenAid. I used my kitchenaid for bread making for a long time, but it would only ever mix it for about 2 minutes before overheating, and then I would have to finish kneading it by hand, ugh!! I’ve never had any issues with my Bosch, and it will mix it for what seems like forever. It’s really important to just start with what you have…like a kitchenaid, and find ways to make it work :-). But maybe add a Bosch mixer to your Christmas list (wink wink). If you make a lot of bread, the Bosch is a really great investment!

  5. This recipe was really easy. We made dinner rolls with it and they were soft and fluffy like you would want sandwich bread. It needed more salt though. It will be fine to make sandwiches with but I will add at least two more teaspoons of salt the next time I try it. It was so much easier than any other sourdough recipe and had such great texture that I will make it again. Thank you for the recipe.

  6. What size of loaf pans do you use? Do you have an Amazon link or somewhere I can go to find the exact ones? Thank you!!

  7. I’m a newbie to sourdough and was a bit anxious about weighing everything to the exact gram. This is the easiest recipe and I appreciate your explanation as you go along. No scale needed and proportions for starter are flexible, unlike any other recipe I’ve seen. They baked perfectly and were delicious! I will try adding more salt as one other reviewer suggested.
    Next, I’ll try the traditional boules in a dutch oven.
    Many thanks!

    1. You’re welcome. I’m glad you were successful with this recipe! Yes, sourdough doesn’t have to be as hard as some people make it. I like that it’s a flexible way of baking. Let me know if you have any questions as you continue your sourdough journey!

  8. LaRee,
    I was going to try to make your sourdough sandwich bread recipe. After I cut the dough into 4 piles, I would make 2 breads then I was going to try to make hamburger buns out of the other 2 dough piles. Do you know how much dough I would use per hamburger bun?

    I’m excited to try your recipe and thank you for sharing it.
    Linda

    1. Hi Linda, thanks for following along! So I tend to make large hamburger buns because it’s what my family likes, so you can probably make them smaller or bigger depending on what you like. But if it were me, I would make 6 buns out of each loaf and start with that. If they aren’t as big as you’d like after rising and baking, then make 4 out of each loaf next time. Let me know how it goes 😉

  9. How long does it usually take your starter to rise for this recipe? I’m new and this is my first time trying to get such a large amount of starter to rise.

    1. Hi Nicole, it depends on the temperature of my house. If it’s summertime, then it usually rises within 4-6 hours if the starter has been recently fed. In the winter, it’s more like 8-10 hours. If I’m pulling cold discard straight out of the refrigerator and feeding it, then it usually takes 8-12 hours because it’s more dormant and cold so takes it awhile to become active. Sometimes, if your starter has been in the refrigerator for awhile, it may need to be fed a couple of times before rising in the normal time frame. Let me know if you have more questions, I’m happy to help you. You can also message me on instagram or facebook and send me pics of your starter. @wagonwheelhomestead21

  10. I wanted to Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I’m new to sourdough, I created my starter in 2/24, it’s stronger now and I wanted to try this recipe making more than one loaf at a time. I used my 5 qt stand mixer and realized it was not going to be big and strong enough to handle that much dough, I regrouped and made it through, the loaves came out beautifully. The video helped me so much and I wanted to let you know I appreciate your talent and for sharing your tips and knowledge.

  11. Just starting the sourdough journey. In the recipe you state to use no more than 1/2 c of starter and then add 2c of flour and the water as well. Once you let it sit, do you use all the product that has risen even though it’s more than 2c or do you remove just 2c from this step amd use any extra in a discard recipe.

    1. Hi there! Congrats on starting your sourdough journey. I do the latter, so I just take 2 cups of the active starter to use in mixing up the pre-ferment for the recipe, and the rest I use in a discard recipe :-). Let me know if you have any other sourdough questions, I’m here to help!

  12. My starter is ready and I can mix it now but I will be gone all day tomorrow. Can it sit in the fridge longer, like say 24 hrs+ and it still work?

    1. Yes, your starter can stay in the refrigerator as long as it needs to until you’re ready to bake. Your other option would be to feed it before you leave, and then it would be ready to mix up your pre-ferment tomorrow night when you get back. But the refrigerator is a fine option too. Let me know if you have other questions.

      1. I have another question. When you use the amount of starter you need, do you save the rest and feed it and let it set out for a few hours and then put in the fridge for next time??

  13. Your recipe is the easiest I’ve made so far
    Loved the fact all cups measurement. Turned out perfect, first time. Did by hand, my mixer is a kitchen aid. Thank you for sharing, so thorough and your tips are excellent.

  14. This bread reminds of a batter bread in flavor, but it is much lighter and fluffier. My family and I LOVE it. The recipe is definitely a keeper, but I’m worried my result may not be repeatable because starter needs to be measured by weight due to the varying amount of air bubbles in it. Could you please comment on this? Thank you, LaRee!

    1. Ginger, I’m so glad you love it as much as we do! The reason you don’t have to measure the starter by weight is because you add a variable amount of flour at the end (9-11 cups total) until the dough is tacky but not sticky and comes away from the side of the mixer bowl. Sometimes I only have to add 9 cups of flour and sometimes I have to add 10 or 11 cups depending on how wet my starter was. So yes, the starter will be a little different consistency every time depending on how you mix it up, but you make up for it when you finish the dough. I’ve never had this bread not turn out, even if the dough was a little wetter or dryer, and I’ve made it 100’s of times. Let me know if you have any questions on it in the future and I’ll be happy to help you!

  15. I’m new to sour dough. My goal is to create a sandwich loaf that my kids will want to switch to for their lunches. So far no luck. I tried this recipe and the recipe performed just how it was prescribed. The rise was beautiful and came out soft. However it was still denser than I want. I used AP flour in pre-ferment and bread flour for remainder of the recipe. I think I’m closer with this recipe , but any advice for an airier inside?

    1. Hi Ellen, thanks for following along and for your question! Try kneading it for a full 10 minutes when mixing up the dough to fully develop the gluten, and make sure it’s rising long enough (which it probably did from your description). It can be tricky to get kids to switch happily, I know from experience :-). The trick for my kids was making it sweeter. It can be hard to replace storebought things with homemade in general, and most of the reason is because of the flavor enhancers and dough conditioners that they add. My experience has been that with time their taste buds change and they start to like it. But if you’re just talking about how dense it is, I would knead it longer and see what that does for you. Please let me know how it goes, I’m here to help you figure this out!

  16. This bread is delicious. I have now made it twice and it will be my go to recipe for sandwich bread from now on. Having a scale has made all the difference in my sourdough starter, it is now so successful every time. I do not have a Bosch mixer so I knead the bread by hand and it is still so good, light and fluffy and absolutely delicious.

  17. Omgoodness the most awesome dough and th he bread is amazing just out of the oven!! Can get wait to slice one. Thank you LaRee.

  18. After the first mix of starter, 2 cups of milk, and 3 cups of flour, you say to leave it in the mixer bowl. Should it be refrigerated? Seems odd to leave it at room temp with milk in it.

    1. No, it does not need to be refrigerated. The good bacteria in the sourdough starter will keep any bad bacteria from developing. The starter needs this overnight time to ferment the additional flour and it needs to do it at room temperature.

  19. Hello, working on the last mix of the dough and I am stuck. I don’t know if I should add more flour, mix longer or add water. It is separated from the sides but when I pull up like your video is tears like iam trying pull some off. What should I do please?

    1. Just mix longer. Don’t add more water, and it doesn’t sound like it needs more flour either. The longer you mix it the better the gluten will develop so you can pull it up without it tearing.

    1. Yes. You’ll want to knead it thoroughly for 10 minutes or you could also try doing some stretch and folds on it instead of the kneading. The important thing is to fully develop the gluten in the dough so it gives it a nice soft crumb.

  20. Hello LaRee
    I watched the video twice followed directions but my loaves are very dense and sour tasting, I am just starting with sourdough and want to make a go of it but not sure what I did wrong. Before baking the top of the loaf seemed to have crust.
    Any info would be appreciated. Thank you.

    Irene

    1. Hi Irene, so how old is your starter? It could be that it’s not quite strong enough to make bread yet. Also, how long did you have to let the loaves sit out before they rose? You can cover them with a damp tea towel instead of just a towel, and that will help to prevent a crust on top, but mine always raise fast enough that they don’t have time to develop a dry crust on top. That all comes from a nice, strong starter. Let me know and I’m happy to help you more if you need it 🙂

  21. I am excited to try this recipe! If I am only making one loaf, do I just do 1/4 of all the ingredients (like 1/8 c of sweetener)? How much butter/fat would that be?
    Also, do you think a nondairy milk would work? We have milk allergies 🙂
    Thank you!

    1. I haven’t, but if I did I would shape it after the first rise, and place it in a parchment lined bread pan. Then freeze it, and you could put it in a plastic bag once frozen. Then you could take it back out and put it in a loaf pan to thaw and rise before baking.

  22. Very interesting ! Can I use my freshly ground whole wheat flour in this? Or use a portion of whole wheat along with the unbleached flour?

    1. Yes you certainly can! I would start out with 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 unbleached all purpose, and then you could increase the amount of whole wheat from there. It depends on how fluffy you like your bread. Whole wheat will always be a little bit heavier, but obviously healthier:-)

  23. i tried this recipe for the first time today and i have to say it was so easy and the bread turned out amazing! i made one cinnamon loaf and three regular. i did use my pullman pan for two of them and i will definitely be using this recipe again!

  24. LaRee you are awesome. I’ve learned so much about sourdough from you. I’m proof you can teach an ole lady new tricks. I make this wonderful sandwich bread at least once a month. I freeze 3 and we use one at least once a week. My husband and I love it and it has proven to improve our heath and well being. I’ma retired RN 5 years now and I’ve taught myself to quilt. I paint and craft more often and now a sourdough lover. My starter is awesome. I call her Audrey. 😊 Happy as ever on a river in the woods in our dream home in the Bitterroot, Montana. Thank you
    Dolly

    1. You are so welcome, and I’m SO glad you’re enjoying the bread! I loved hearing more about you and all the things you enjoy doing. Montana is beautiful also! One of my favorite states!

  25. Hi! So I am super new to sourdough! I have done several discard recipes and love them. But with this I have let my dough sit for 12 hours. But now I don’t know if I have the motivation to whip up multiple loaves of bread at 8 in the evening. Can it sit for a period of time? Or will this ruin my bread

    1. Hi Emily, great question, so you mixed up your dough in the morning? Or the levain? Or the starter? I’m not sure which you mean. The starter and levain can wait, but the dough would need to be shaped and refrigerated to wait until morning. 12 hours is a long time to let the dough sit, it would probably be overfermented if left that long. Let me know and I’m happy to help you.

    1. No, baking with gluten free flour is very different. I’ll be sharing more on that soon. Keep in mind though, that if you long ferment sourdough made with regular flour, that most of the gluten will be out of it by the time you bake it. So if you are gluten intolerant, long fermented sourdough might work for you. If you are celiac, then you will need to bake bread with gluten free flour.

  26. Thank you for sharing this recipe! Made a half recipe today with whole milk and butter. We have been making sourdough since start of COVID and I love trying new SD recipes. Now that I have made it once, I look forward to trying some options you mention!

  27. I am a total sourdough beginner. I have been experimenting with different recipes, focusing on long-fermented sandwich bread. I just made your recipe today (cut in half) and they are definitely my best loaves yet!! Granted, I may be getting better at it, but it also may be the way you explain the steps…easier for me to understand, maybe. But, I am totally happy with this recipe and will be using it alot! Thank you!

      1. I appreciate that! I do have a question… would you be able to give me more specifics such as:

        1. In the first step, feeding the active starter, you say to let it rise to the “top.” To the top of what? Are you letting it rise in your Bosch mixer? How many hours does it take usually? Right now, it’s winter and 20 degrees out, so I mix it in my mixing bowl with a loose lid in the oven with the light on.

        2. Can you put more exact(ish) hours between each step so that I can create my own “schedule”?

        Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe and wonderful blog 🙂 🙂 🙂

        1. Sure!

          1. So when I was referring to feeding the starter, that is the very first step, which is before I mix up the leaven in the bowl. So I feed the starter in a jar, and let it rise until “double”, which is usually the top of the jar for me because the jar is usually half full to start with.

          2. Feed starter – let rise until double (probably about 6-8 hours in the winter). I feed mine in the sometime between morning and mid-day.
          3. Mix leaven – in the bowl of your stand mixer, or a regular bowl, mix up your leaven using some of your active starter you fed earlier. I do this in the evening before bed.
          4. Mix bread dough – I do this the following morning usually around 8 a.m. Allow to rise until at least 1 1/2 times or even double it’s size. (This usually takes 2 hours for me, but could take a little longer if you kitchen is cold).
          5. Shape the bread into loaves (usually around 11 a.m.). Let it rise until double etc.
          6. Bake the bread (usually around 1 p.m.)

          Let me know if you have any questions, LaRee.

  28. I replaced the buttermilk with kefir, and also increased the 2nd waiting/rising time to 24 hrs in the fridge in loaf pans, to get an extra long ferment. They turned out soft and delicious. Thank you!!!

  29. Hi LaRee,
    I’m so excited! I’m making this bread right now. We are in need of hamburger buns….you mentioned using this recipe for that…..in the YouTube video?? How exactly would I do that? I’m going to divide my dough into 4 and with one sections I thought I could just make bun shapes and put them in a 9X13 pan to rise…..what do you think?
    Also, I followed the link for the Bosch mixer…..I did the 2nd half of the recipe by hand, whew! LOL! Anyway, Amazon doesn’t carry the one that you linked to anymore. If I’m going to buy it, I’d rather you get some income from my purchase….so, fix that link!
    Have a blessed day!

    1. Hi Tonia,

      Yes, just divide a loaf into 6 or 8 balls, and shape into buns. Put them on a baking sheet or 9 x 13 pan and bake for 15-20 minutes. Thanks for telling me about the link, I am an affiliate for Bosch and you’ll get $20 off your order using this link: https://nutrimill.com/wagonwheel. I’ll definitely fix that link, thanks.

  30. I’m new to sourdough! After mixing the pre-ferment ingredients and covering the bowl… Should this be left to ferment in the refrigerator overnight or just on the counter? I suppose it can’t ferment in the fridge… haha. I’m new and learning. Thank you

    1. If you’re talking about the leaven that sits on the counter overnight, it should be like the consistency of a thick sourdough starter. If you mixed up the dough last night, and let it raise on your counter overnight, it should be soft and fluffy. If your dough is too hard you either added way to much flour, or your starter isn’t strong enough to raise it.

    1. Leaven
      1 cup active sourdough starter
      1 cup water, milk or buttermilk
      1 1/2 cups flour
      Combine together and let sit out at room temperature overnight.

      2 Tbl. fat
      1/4 cup sweetener
      2 teaspoons salt
      1 1/2 cups milk
      4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups flour
      Add to the leaven mixture and mix for 10 minutes. Allow to rise. Shape and rise again. Bake for 30 minutes.

    1. That information is estimated and automatically figured by Nutritionix based on the ingredient list. It doesn’t take into account the fact that it’s made with sourdough and long fermented, which breaks down a lot of the gluten and sugars. So no, I don’t believe one slice of this bread contains that many calories.