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Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe

Bake this beautiful soft white sourdough sandwich bread recipe for your favorite sandwiches.

Soft Sourdough Sandwich bread is an easy sourdough bread recipe to make. This sourdough recipe is formed into soft and fluffy loaves that are perfect for sliced bread. Make this sourdough sandwich bread once a week to always have yummy sandwich bread on hand.

This dough has delicious sweet flavor and a soft and fluffy texture. We have a few tips and tricks in this post for making the best sourdough sandwich bread ever!

Soft Sourdough Bread As A Loaf-Cut
Sasha’s Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe

Sourdough artisan breads are famous for their crusty crusts and soft holy crumb. Perfect for dipping in soups and making paninis or crostinis. Who doesn’t love that shattery crust with a steak or plate of lasagna?

However, When you want a soft squishable sandwich with Mayo or a piece of buttery toast? Eat THIS sourdough sandwich bread.

More Sourdough Bread Recipes:

See our complete sourdough bread recipe tutorial and step by step guide for Beginners in our Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe .

How long does Homemade Sourdough Bread Last?

This bread will last about a week when stored in a proper airtight container. Homemade sandwich bread will mold quicker than store-bought bread. This is because homemade bread does not contain the preservatives that you will find in store-bought bread. Keep that in mind when making homemade sourdough bread. Store it properly to avoid a moldy and stale loaf of bread. This recipe makes two 1000 gram loaves of soft sandwich bread.

Is Sourdough Bread good for Sandwiches?

Regular Sourdough bread is great for sandwiches. Many restaurants use sourdough bread to make grilled cheese sandwiches, turkey, toasted sandwiches etc. A regular loaf of sourdough bread has a different shape than sandwich bread. It usually produces long and narrow pieces of bread. A sourdough sandwich bread will be shaped into a traditional bread loaf shape. This makes it easier to toast the sourdough bread in a toaster.

Soft sourdough sandwich bread is great for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, turkey, or traditionally shaped sandwiches. The great thing about this bread is it is really easy to work with and store.

2 Loaves Of Baked Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Baked Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Why is my Sourdough Sandwich Bread not Rising?

Sourdough Sandwich Bread not rising is usually due to a weak or inactive starter. Always ensure that your starter can pass the float test before using it to bake. It can be tempting to make the bread early before the starter is ready. Always wait until your starter can float in a cup of water before baking. There is no way to save a loaf of bread that turns out flat. It is worth it to properly prepare the starter for the best loaf of bread.

Do I need to score Sourdough Sandwich Bread?

There is no need to score a loaf of sourdough sandwich bread. This bread will rise and ferment without scoring it on top. If you wish to score the sourdough sandwich bread, you can do a gentle slice down the center of the loaf prior to baking. However, there is no need to score this type of sourdough bread. It will bake and rise just fine without going through the scoring process.

Watch our video tutorial to see all the techniques I use to make this bread recipe.

Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Sliced
This sourdough bread is easily sliced with a soft crust and moist dense crumb. Perfect for sandwiches.

Sasha’s Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe:

Sasha, our master baker contributor, created this sourdough recipe for her hubby. He wanted a soft white squishable bread with a soft crust. We all agree this bread makes great sandwiches.

Sasha’s family is incredibly lucky. And so are we. She is sharing her soft sandwich bread recipe with us so we all can benefit from her expertise.

Sasha also shared her Sourdough Milk and Honey Sandwich bread with us in case you missed it. Thank you Sasha!

Tips on making the Sourdough Sandwich Loaf:

This is a white bread recipe. However, you can mix whole wheat flour up to 50-50 with your white bread flour and still get good results.

  • Begin with an active fed sourdough starter for best results. You do NOT need active dry yeast for this recipe.
  • WATCH our video tutorial for ALL the techniques used in this bread dough making process. If you don’t know a term or technique the video will teach you.
  • Good Flour is critical to the outcome of any homemade bread recipe. Use a fresh high protein bread flour (at least 5% protein).
Soft Sourdough Sandwich Loaf
Brush the crust with a egg wash before baking to keep the crust soft and shiny.

How to Make a Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Loaf:

Here is a quick visual walkthrough of this recipe. The complete recipe is in our Printable Recipe Card. But here are the main points.

Sometimes a picture really helps. AND don’t miss our video tutorial (playing in the sidebar) if you need further examples of the techniques.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread Variation and Soft Cinnamon Sourdough Rolls:

Look at the bread baking in the oven (pictured above). The one closest to the front sideways is This soft sourdough bread made as Cinnamon Raisin Bread.

You will find This Complete recipe post for Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin bread has LOTS of tips. A complete walkthrough and guide for incorporating the plumped raisins, layering the cinnamon filling and forming the loaves.

Sliced Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Soft Sourdough loaf made as Swirled cinnamon raisin bread. It tastes amazing and holds together when cut and toasted too.

Soft sourdough made as cinnamon raisin swirl bread is pretty darn amazing breakfast food. Give it a try.

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Also make these Soft Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls from this bread dough recipe. They are absolutely scrumptious!

How to Shape A loaf of Bread:

You can bake this recipe in boules. However it is much easier to eat as sandwiches and toast when baked in pans.

Here’s how to shape the dough for baking in bread pans. I use two 9 x 5 inch bread loaf pans for this recipe.

Prepare the dough for Shaping:

  • Remove Dough From Fridge and allow to come to room temperature. This will take about 2 hours.
  • Divide and shape the dough into two 1000 gram balls of dough.
  • Bench Rest the balls loosely covered about 60 minutes until very elastic.
Degassed Dough Ready For Shaping.
Degassing means you take the air out of the dough. Do this by flattening with a rolling pin.

Shaping:

  • Choose one dough ball. Set the other aside to be next.
  • Flatten the ball on a floured board with your rolling pin to degass. This may take several passes. (You will notice my bread does still have a few small holes. It needed more degassing)
  • Shape the degassed dough into a rectangle and spritz with water.
  • Bring the long edges into the center and form a closed seam.
  • Fold the two front corners to the middle seam as shown below.
  • Roll the dough tightly. tucking it as you roll to avoid air pockets.
  • Pinch the ends of the loaf and flatten the seam.
  • Place the dough loaf into your OILED loaf pan.
  • REPEAT with second dough ball. Continue with the recipe.

The final rise is done in the plastic bags as shown. Allow the dough to rise to the pan top or slightly above.

Now when the oven is thoroughly preheated, remove one loaf from the fridge, score it deeply and bake as directed with a water bath.

Your Printable Recipe Card:

Read the complete recipe and instructions below. If you print this recipe the pictures will not print. This is to save you ink and paper.

NEW! We now have a complete video recipe demonstration of this bread in the sidebar and the bottom of the printable recipe card.

Soft Sourdough Bread As A Loaf-Cut
Yield: 2-1000 gram loaves of Sourdough Bread

Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe

Prep Time: 20 hours
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 21 hours 10 minutes

Soft Sourdough Sandwich bread is the perfect soft squishy bread for toast and peanut butter sandwiches. You can also grill this bread for amazing grilled cheese sandwiches. The flavor is outstanding.

Ingredients

  • 300 grams starter-freshly fed and active
  • 650 grams warm water
  • 50 grams honey
  • 40 grams avocado oil
  • 1000 grams White bread flour (high protein)
  • 20 grams Salt

Instructions

MIXING:

  1. Begin with a very active recently fed starter. It should pass the float test.
  2. Set a large bowl on a digital food scale set to grams and press the tare button. The scale should read zero.
  3. Pour in the water to weight of 650 g. Press tare.
  4. Pour in 300 grams of starter. Press tare. The starter should form a floating mass on the water.
  5. Add the oil. Press tare
  6. Add the honey. Press tare.
  7. Whisk together the starter, oil, honey and water until they are mixed.
  8. Add the 1000 grams of flour.
  9. Mix the flour into the water/starter with a dough hook, spatula and your wet hands until you have a shaggy ball of dough.

AUTOLYSE:

  1. autolyse 1 hour.
  2. Sprinkle salt across dough.
  3. spritz with water bottle and work in the salt with wet hands.
  4. Rest 30 mins

STRETCH AND FOLDS:

  1. Begin Stretch and Folds. You need 4 rounds of stretch and folds 30 mins apart. See video for technique.

LONG COLD RISE:

  1. Refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.

BENCH REST DOUGH:

  1. Remove from fridge and warm to room temperature. (ABOUT TWO HOURS)
  2. Divide the dough into two 1000 grams dough balls by weight.
  3. Bench rest 30 to 45 minutes until dough is elastic.

SHAPE AND FINAL RISE:

  1. Choose one dough ball. Set the other aside to be next.
  2. Flatten the ball on a floured board with your rolling pin to degass. This may take several passes. (You will notice my bread does still have a few small holes. It needed more degassing)
  3. Shape the degassed dough into a rectangle and spritz with water.
  4. Bring the long edges into the center and form a closed seam.
  5. Fold the two front corners to the middle seam as shown below.
  6. Roll the dough tightly. tucking it as you roll to avoid air pockets.
  7. Pinch the ends of the loaf and flatten the seam.
  8. Place the dough loaf into your OILED loaf pan.

REPEAT for second loaf. 

  1. Let sit on counter 2 to 4 hours until the dough reaches to the top of the bread pans. For best oven spring chill two hours in the fridge covered.

BAKING PREP AND INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven and water bath(any pan half full of water. Set it on the shelf UNDER THE BREAD) to 400° F.
  2. Remove the loaves from the fridge and score them deeply. (I do three slashes diagonally accross the top).
  3. Set the loaf pans in the middle of oven.
  4. Bake the loaves 15 minutes.
  5. Reduce the oven temp to 375 degrees F.
  6. Bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes.
  7. Using a digital thermometer check internal Temp of loaf. It is done at 200°. If you don't have a thermometer pop loaves out to test for hollow on bottom. Or thump the loaf. Does is have a hollow sound?
  8. Remove from oven and cool on racks to room temperature before cutting the bread.

Notes

  • Measure the ingredients CAREFULLY for best results.
  • THE SALT: I use Himalayan salt. All salt works. However, they have different volumes by weight. So you need to be careful. Weighing helps get it right.
  • THE OIL: Avocado oil is recommended for best health. Use any neutral flavor oil you prefer.
  • THE FLOUR: Use any high protein (On the label 12 % protein or 5 grams protein) organic white bread flour. You can make this loaf with 50/50 white and WHITE whole wheat.
  • The loaf will stay soft and have a great nutty flavor. Using 100 percent whole wheat or Hard red whole wheat will give you a different result. The recipe may need some adjusting. I suggest you stick with 100 percent white or 50/50.

    Conversion CUPS to GRAMS:


    I do NOT recommend volume measurements for best results with sourdough baking. There are differences in the starter and flours that make weighing by Scale a MUCH more reliable method. But if your not using a scale here are the approximate volume measurements of the ingredients.

    • 2 2/3 Cups -300 grams starter-freshly fed and active
    • 2 3/4 Cups 650 grams warm water
    • 2 3/8 Tablespoons -50 grams honey
    • 3 Tablespoons- 40 grams avocado oil
    • 8 Cups- 1000 grams White bread flour (high protein)
    • 1 Tablespoon-20 grams Salt


    Final NOTE:

    The video in this post is for those unfamiliar with the techniques I use. It is actually demonstrating our Beginner Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe. This soft sourdough sandwich bread process uses many of the same techniques.

Nutrition Information

Yield

24

Serving Size

1 slice

Amount Per Serving Calories 171Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 0mgSodium 325mgCarbohydrates 32gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 5g

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The Best Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe-Pin Image
This dough has delicious sweet flavor and a soft and fluffy texture. We have a few tips and tricks in this post for making the best sourdough sandwich bread ever!

Kalyn

Monday 29th of May 2023

After hours of research I discovered your recipe - actually, out of necessity. I'm in the middle of full mouth dental implant procedures and am on a mush/liquid diet for the next 3-4 months. I was going crazy, longing for my sourdough bread, which had always been the artisanal kind. So I began researching, looking for a recipe that would produce a bread soft enough that I could suck on and not hurt my delicate gums. Voila! I chose yours because it calls for 300 g of starter. I mean, how cool is that, no fake sourdough here! It produces the most awesome textured and tasty bread. THANK YOU so very much, it's such a comfort to have my bread back! xoxo

This bread is hands down my favourite soft sourdough recipe ever and the only one I will ever use going forward - and it's so much fun to make! I love the way it develops and changes with each S&F. The dough is such a joy to work with. I've made some variations that have been a huge success and I'd love to share them with you.

I use homemade browned grass-fed ghee in place of the avocado oil. 250 g coconut milk beverage as part of the water. Organic maple syrup in place of the honey. 150 g organic sprouted buckwheat flour and 150 g fresh ground organic einkorn, with 700 g organic AP bread flour. I also cold ferment for 36-48 hours. It seems to take longer to cook in the middle than the outside, so I usually lower the temp. to 350 the last twenty minutes or so and cover the loaves with parchment so they don't get too dark. When they come out I brush on more ghee and wrap them in a damp tea towel and voila - soft crust, too!

Thank you again, I'm so grateful. This implant journey is not fun, so having this one comfort food I can turn to is such a blessing... :-)

Diane

Monday 29th of May 2023

Hi Kalyn, I'm so sorry your implant journey is not so good. It sounds pretty awful. And I'm REALLY happy and grateful to hear our soft sourdough bread is a comfort to you when your miserable. I hope your implants are soon finished and you get all your favorite food again. I also want to thank you so much for sharing how you use this recipe, your substitutions and how you played with the method to get it just how you like it. Its so fun to share new ideas with sourdough. If you want to change this recipe up it does make tasty cinnamon rolls and yummy cinnamon bread too. If you look through our recipes you may find a few more that you can enjoy now and in the future. We wish you all the best and hope your out of pain soon!

Jann Holeman

Thursday 27th of April 2023

My family absolutely loves this bread! The two loaves are a little large for us so I divided the batch into three and am using smaller pans. How should I adjust the baking time?

Diane

Thursday 27th of April 2023

Hi Jann, I think the baking time should be reduced by about 10 minutes. However, your oven be different from mine. So be sure to check the internal temp with a digital thermometer before finishing the bake. That will tell you how long your loaves need to bake properly at that size. Each loaf should read over 200 degrees F. when it is done. We are thrilled to hear you love this bread. Happy Baking!

Dana

Sunday 12th of March 2023

I make this bread every week. My family loves it. Thank you for sharing.

Diane

Sunday 12th of March 2023

Hi Dana, We are delighted you love this bread. Its a favorite for sure. Thanks so much for letting us know. Happy Baking!

Lynne

Sunday 12th of March 2023

I made for the first time…cut recipe in half because I didn’t have 300g of starter on hand…but it was made yesterday afternoon and put in fridge after stretch and folds…got out at 9:30 this am…at 11:30 tried to shape to put in loaf pan but it is too wet…I didn’t add any flour but wasn’t able to flatten with rolling pin as it is a gooey mess…so flattened with my hands but had to almost “pour” it into the pan…? Hoping it will turn out ok but what did I do wrong?

Diane

Sunday 12th of March 2023

Hi Lynne, I'm not sure you did anything wrong. This dough is a bit wet and sticky. But your starter and flour hydration do matter. Local humidity does make flour more moist and heavy. Also, I tell you to use wet hands when making these no knead sourdough loaves. But wetting your hands will add hydration to the dough as well. If you prepped the starter as directed and it is a strong healthy active starter and the flour is strong flour with 5 grams of protein or more, I'd say the loaf will bake ok. It may have some holes in it though. Seeing how wet the dough is please don't spritz the loaves before baking. They should do better without adding more water. I hope this helps. Please let me know how the bake turns out.

Katrina

Sunday 5th of February 2023

Hi! I am really enjoying this recipe. I’ve made it a few times now, each time trying to refine my skills. I’m about to bake a couple more loaves tonight but have 2 questions: 1)After the final rise, would it be ok to refrigerate overnight and then bake in the morning? 2)a thin layer at the bottom of the loaf, after baked, has been consistently doughy…how can I fix this?

For the first question, sometimes I start the process too late and find myself starting the bake late at night.

For the second question, I plan to pull out the water bath after 15 minutes tonight and see if that helps…

Thank you for your wonderful recipe and all the help you’ve provided all of us who ask questions!

Diane

Sunday 5th of February 2023

Hi Katrina, Thanks for the questions! We are happy to hear your enjoying this bread. Here's the answers. This dough works just fine as an overnight bread. Thats how I most often bake it. After the bulk rise cover the bowl and set it in the fridge to up to 24 hours (even longer if you have a schedule issue). Then allow the dough to warm an hour and complete the recipe. For the doughiness, I suspect you may be too liberal with the misting before baking or you have a really tight oven. OR you have a slow oven that is not completely baking the bread. Be sure to check the interior of the loaves and be sure they reach about 206 degrees F.

If water is the trouble, try baking them with a small spritz or even eliminating the misting. Baking the loaves with a water bath may be all you need. Every oven is different. My daughter just moved and it took her awhile to learn the oven since it was very different from her old one. It's all just tweaking until you get the bread you are striving for. Happy Baking!

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