Perfectly Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread

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This recipe combines the flavor and benefits of sourdough with the soft texture of traditional sandwich bread. This sourdough sandwich bread is perfectly soft and easy to slice. Below is a comprehensive guide to making your own sourdough sandwich bread at home.

Ingredients

*Note: This recipe is for 2 9×5 loaves. Half the quantities if you only want to make one*

To make a perfect loaf of sourdough sandwich bread, you will need the following:

• 250g sourdough starter (make sure it’s bubbly and ready to use)
• 1000g all purpose flour
• 500g room temperature water
• 25g salt
• 42g honey
• 30g olive oil
• Oil or butter for greasing

Equipment

• Oven
• Stand Mixer
• Wooden spurtle or dough whisk
• 2- 9×5 loaf pans
• Large mixing bowl
• Plastic wrap or beeswax wrap

9×5 Loaf Pan

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Bread Knife

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Acacia Wood Cutting Board

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Dough Whisk

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Stand Mixer

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Dough Hook

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Instructions

Prepare the Starter

1. The night before (or 4-6hrs minimum) add to a small mixing bowl:

• 100g of unfed starter (I keep mine in the fridge)
• 100g all purpose flour
• 100g room temperature water

Mix well, cover, and leave it on the kitchen counter overnight. In the winter time when it’s cold, place it in the oven with just the light on for extra warmth.

Make the Dough

2. Mix Wet Ingredients: In the stand mixer bowl, combine the active sourdough starter, water, honey and olive oil. Use a dough whisk or wood spurtle to give it a light mixing.
3. Add Dry Ingredients: Add the flour and salt to the wet mixture. Using a dough whisk or wood spurtle, mix until a rough dough forms.

4. Knead the Dough: Using a stand mixer with a dough hook, knead for about 7 minutes on level 2. Alternatively, to hand knead, transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

First Rise

5. Shape into a Ball: Place the kneaded dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat with oil.
6. Cover and Let Rise: Cover with plastic wrap, beeswax wrap, or a damp towel. Let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 4-6 hours depending on the ambient temperature. When it is cold, place it in the oven with just the light on for extra warmth (or use the proof function if your oven has it).

Shape the Loaf

7. Deflate the Dough: Gently deflate the risen dough and transfer it to a lightly floured surface.
8. Shape into a Loaf: Using a bench scraper, split the dough in half. Roll the dough into 2 tight log shapes with the seam side down.

** TIP: Weigh your bowl + dough before transferring it to the floured surface. Then, weigh the bowl once again when it’s empty and subtract it. Then, divide by 2 to get the exact weight for each loaf. (Example: 4375g total weight- 2575g bowl weight= 1800 dough weight. 1800g/2= 900g. Each loaf is 900g)

Second Rise

9. Place in Pans: Place the shaped dough into the greased loaf pans. I like to use coconut oil or butter.
10. Cover and Let Rise Again: Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise at room temperature until the dough has risen just to the rim of the pan. About 1-2 hours. Once again, if your kitchen is cold, place it in the oven with just the light on.

Bake the Bread

11. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
12. Bake: Bake the loaf for 60 minutes, until it is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, or take the internal temp with a meat thermometer. When it reaches about 195-200°F the bread is fully cooked.
13. Cool: Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Alternative Schedule

Lately I have been using 250g unfed starter straight from the fridge and adding it to my Kitchenaid mixing bowl along with all of the other ingredients the night before, kneading with the dough, and following all of the instructions as stated above.

Once the dough ball is placed in the oiled bowl and covered, leave it on the counter overnight (or in the oven with just the light on if it’s cold).

The next morning, the dough should be approximately doubled in size. Then, follow the instructions for shaping, second rise, and baking as detailed earlier.

Sourdough doesn’t have to be complicated. The schedules can be a bit flexible. You can add warmth to speed things up and likewise utilize the fridge to slow things down.

Tips for Success

• Active Starter: Ensure your sourdough starter is active before using it. This is crucial for a good results.
• Room Temperature: The rising times vary depending on room temperature. Colder rooms will require more time or the use of some additional warmth (in the oven with just the light on or a proof function if you have one)
• Storage: Store the cooled bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. I like to store mine inside of a linen bread bag placed inside of my bread box.
• Baking with Unfed Starter: I have forgotten to feed my starter the night before and used unfed starter in this recipe. The rise times will be much longer but the dough should be ready for shaping by night time. Then, cover and cold proof them in the fridge overnight so you can bake first thing the next morning (or up to 2 days later).

Bread Box

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Linen Bread Bags

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