Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread
If you’ve been searching for a soft, reliable sourdough sandwich bread that’s easy enough for everyday baking, you’re in the right place. This recipe creates a fluffy, tender loaf that’s perfect for everything from a simple breakfast toast to a hearty cold beef sandwich recipe piled high with your favorite fixings.
One of the best things about this soft sourdough sandwich bread is its versatility. It slices beautifully, holds up well to spreads and fillings, and makes an incredible base for both classic and creative meals—whether you’re making a comforting chicken patty melt, a melty caprese grilled cheese with fresh tomatoes and basil, or even learning how to make sourdough French toast for a cozy weekend breakfast.
Whether you’re new to sourdough or just want a no-fuss sandwich loaf your whole family will love, this recipe delivers consistent, delicious results every time.
Quick Look: Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 15 hours
- 🍳 Cook Time: 30 minutes (plus 15 minutes to rest)
- 🕒 Total Time: 15 hrs, 45 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 24
- 📊 Calories: ~38 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- 🔥 Cook Method: Oven-baked in bread pans.
- 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: Slightly tangy, not super-sweet, not sour.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy, making it great for making weekly.
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This bread is made without commercial yeast, and depends on the wild yeast from an active bubbly sourdough starter to raise the bread. The recipe is very flexible, and you can adjust the amount of sweetener in it, and substitute eggs, melted beef tallow, or oil for the butter, depending on what you have readily available. 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.
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Why Make Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Key Ingredients
- Example of Timing For Making Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- How To Make Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread (Step by Step)
- Helpul Tips
- Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread FAQ
- Other Recommended Sourdough Bakes
- Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread - Easy Recipe
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Simple and Easy - this 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. You can switch the recipe card to grams if you prefer to measure that way.
Why Make Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- The addition of fat, sweetener, and milk to this sandwich bread make it an enriched dough that makes a soft and pliable bread.
Key Ingredients
- Flour - 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, including coconut or almond milk to make it dairy-free. The milk helps to give the bread a softer texture.
- 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 rise faster. Any of these fats will work at anytime, 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 sweeter. If you add more sweetener, the bread will taste less sour, which is more appealing to some people.
- Salt - I like to use redmond real salt, but you can use whatever salt you have on hand. Salt is what gives the bread its flavor, and it’s really important not to leave it out.
Example of Timing For Making Sourdough Sandwich Bread
How To Make Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread (Step by Step)
**PLEASE NOTE: After many requests, I updated this recipe to only make two loaves instead of four, as many people wanted to make less than four loaves. If you want to make more loaves, you can scale the recipe up in the recipe card as needed.
- Feed the 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 of warm water. I like to complete this step before noon so the starter has plenty of time to rise before evening.
- Happy bubbly starter: allow the fed starter to become active while sitting out at room temperature. When the starter has risen to the top of the container and is happy and active, proceed to the next step.
- Mix up the preferment: 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 to complete this step in the evening before going to bed.
- Add more ingredients: The next morning, add your fat of choice, sweetener, salt, and milk (warm in winter and cold in summer). Turn on the mixer and allow to partially combine.
- Mix up the bread: then add 9-11 cups of all-purpose or bread flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Mix on medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes to fully develop the gluten in the dough. Turn off the mixer and check to make sure the dough isn’t too sticky. You want it to be a little sticky, but not so sticky that you can’t handle it. If the dough is really sticky, add more flour ¼ cup at a time until it's less sticky. 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.
- First rise: Put dough into a large oiled mixing bowl, or leave it in the bowl of your stand mixer, cover, and let the dough rise in a warm place for 2-3 hours or until close to double in size. If it’s winter and your house is cold, it may take longer to rise. That’s okay, let it rise as long as it needs to until it gets close to doubling in size.
- Shape the bread: Once the dough has risen, punch it down and dump it out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into loaves by dividing the dough using a bench scraper. Flatten each piece of dough into a rectangle. Take each corner of dough that is closest to you and place it in the middle of the rectangle forming a triangle. Take tip of the 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.
- Second rise and score: Allow the dough to do its second rise until 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 rise too far and over-ferment. Preheat your 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 while baking. Place the loaves into the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread is 190 degrees.
- Remove from the oven and cool: Remove the bread from the oven. Immediately take it out of the bread pans, and place it on a cooling rack. Brush the golden brown crust with butter to keep it nice and soft, and allow bread to cool.
- Enjoy and store: Be sure to enjoy a couple of slices with fresh butter and strawberry jam.
Helpul Tips
- Don’t over-ferment the dough. Watch it closely in the summertime, as it will rise a lot faster than in the winter.
- Be sure to use an active sourdough starter to ensure that your bread will rise properly.
- Use a stand mixer if possible, as it will make this bread fast and easy to make. The Bosch stand mixer is my favorite heavy-duty mixer
- This bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. It can be sliced and frozen in smaller portions if necessary.
Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread FAQ
Soft sourdough sandwich bread is perfect for everyday meals. You can use it for toast, sandwiches, grilled cheese, or even breakfast recipes. It works especially well for a cold beef sandwich recipe, chicken patty melt, or a caprese grilled cheese, thanks to its soft texture and sturdy crumb.
To make sourdough French toast, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and a pinch of cinnamon. Dip slices of sourdough sandwich bread into the mixture, then cook on a buttered skillet over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. The slight tang of sourdough adds incredible flavor.
Yes! Sourdough sandwich bread is excellent for grilled cheese because it crisps up beautifully while staying soft inside. It’s especially delicious in recipes like a caprese grilled cheese or even a savory chicken patty melt.
You can make a wide variety of sandwiches, from a simple turkey sandwich to a loaded cold beef sandwich recipe. This bread is sturdy enough for layered deli sandwiches and soft enough for warm melts.
Store your bread in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also freeze slices and thaw as needed to maintain freshness and softness. Whole loaves of sourdough sandwich bread can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Yes, leftover sourdough bread makes great croutons because it has a tangy flavor and can easily be tossed with some beef tallow and seasonings and toasted in the oven for deliciously crunchy homemade sourdough croutons.
Other Recommended Sourdough Bakes
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!
Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread - Easy Recipe
Ingredients
Preferment Ingredients
- 1 cup active sourdough starter
- 1 cup water milk or buttermilk
- 1 ½ cup flour
Dough Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon fat butter, oil, melted coconut oil or beef tallow (warm is best if your house is cool), or 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon sweetener honey or sugar
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups milk or buttermilk any kind of milk - warm is best if your house is cool
- 4 ½ - 5 ½ cups all purpose or bread flour
Instructions
- **PLEASE NOTE: After many requests, I updated this recipe to only make two loaves instead of four, as many people wanted to make less than four loaves. If you want to make more loaves, you can scale the recipe up in the recipe card as needed.
Feed Sourdough Starter
- To a small amount of starter (about ¼ cup), you’ll want to add about 1 cup of flour, and about ⅔ 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 1 cup of flour, as you’ll need 1 cup 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 the pre-ferment ingredients. 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 or an egg), sweetener, salt, milk (warm in winter and cold in summer). Turn on the mixer and allow to partially combine.
- Then add the flour until the dough pulls away from the bowl and mix on medium speed for about 5-10 minutes. This will help to develop the gluten and make the bread soft and pliable. 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
- 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. If you're making several loaves, it's best to take it out of the bowl of the stand mixer, and put it into a bigger bowl to raise.
- Once dough has risen, punch it down and dump it out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into loaves by dividing dough into two 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 beeswax wrap on counter or in 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.
Video
Notes
- Be sure to use an active sourdough starter to ensure that your bread will rise properly.
- Don’t over-ferment the dough. Watch it closely in the summertime, as it will rise a lot faster than in the winter.
- Use a stand mixer if possible, as it will make this bread so fast and easy to make. The Bosch stand mixer is my favorite heavy-duty mixer
- This bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. It can be sliced and frozen in smaller portions if necessary.
- Make a DIY beeswax wrap for storing your bread in on the counter. This will help to inhibit any mold growth on the bread.
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!
Awesome! I'm so glad!!
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?
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:-)
This recipe is the best! Easy to follow and the result is amazing!! Thank you so much!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
Have you made this dough ahead and frozen it? If so, do you freeze after the first rise?
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.
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!
Hi Annie, yes just do a 1/4 of all of the ingredients. Just use 1 Tbl. of fat. And non-dairy milk works great! Let me know if you have any other questions!
Thank you!
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
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 🙂
Do you let your starter sit out on the counter uncovered in your first step to rise?
Yes
Can this recipe be done without a stand mixer?
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.
Thank you so much.. I am trying it tonight
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?
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.
How many loaves is this for ?
This recipe makes four loaves
What size of bread pans do you use?
9 X 5 https://amzn.to/3BUz6oW
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.
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.
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.
You're so welcome!
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.
I'm so glad it's working so well for you without using a mixer!! It really is so good!
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?
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!
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!
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!
That makes sense-- thanks, LaRee! So glad my girlfriend found your site! Hope you are on Instagram; I'll look for you.
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.
I'm so glad! You're welcome!
I want to try your sourdough bread recipe. I’m wondering what size pans you used??
Hi Peg, I used the 9" x 5" loaf pans. https://amzn.to/4gtA4br
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??
Yes I do.
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?
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.
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.
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!
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.
Thank you so much Sherry! You're very welcome and thanks for following along. Let me know if you have any questions as you continue your sourdough journey.