Sourdough Sandwich Bread with a Soft Crust
Sourdough Sandwich Bread is made with milk, butter & active sourdough starter. This soft crust sourdough bread has a tender crumb and awesome flavor. It makes a perfect sandwich.
Table of contents
Why this is the best Sourdough Sandwich Bread
White Sandwich Bread doesn’t have to have the lackluster taste and squishy texture of a certain “wonderous” bread that many of us ate growing up. This sourdough sandwich bread has deep flavor, a beautiful texture and a soft crust.
Milk, butter and a whisper of sugar create a perfectly soft white bread that is ideal for making a great PB&J or BLT.
Although this recipe takes a good 8-12 hours from start to finish, the vast majority of the time is hands off.
To make this recipe even more convenient, you can let the dough rise over night. A long rise in the refrigerator does only good things for the bread.
If you don’t already have one, I can show you how to make a sourdough starter and how to feed a sourdough starter.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Sourdough Starter – This recipe was developed using 100% hydration starter. You will need to adjust the liquid or flour in the recipe if you’re starter isn’t at 100% hydration.
- All Purpose Flour – Medium protein AP flour makes a bread with a soft crumb yet develops enough gluten so the bread rises high in the oven.
- Milk – Scalding denatures (breaks down) proteins in the milk which can interfere with gluten development.
- Butter – A little fat softens the crumb of the bread.
- Salt – For flavor.
- Sugar – Enhances browning and make the crumb soft and slightly sweet.
How to make Sourdough Sandwich Bread with a soft crust
- Mix the dough and set it aside for the initial fermentation.
- With each hour of fermentation the dough will rise higher, become more active and more elastic.
- After the initial fermentation you can continue on to shape and bake the loaf, or you can refrigerate the dough overnight and continue the next day. A long, cool rest in the refrigerator enhances the flavor and texture of the dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Without kneading out the air, gently form the dough into a rectangle.
- Roll the rectangle into a log and set into a lightly greased loaf pan.
- Cover the pan and set the loaf aside to rise.
- The dough will expand to almost fill the pan.
- Slash the top of the loaf to promote even rising in the oven.
- Brush the loaf with egg wash and bake until the interior temperature is 200F.
- Cool the loaf completely before cutting.
A timeline for making Sourdough Sandwich Bread:
- If your starter needs feeding, do that the night before or early in the morning of the day you want to make the dough.
- Mix the dough in the afternoon, allow it to ferment for 3-4 hours then refrigerate the dough before going to bed.
- Take the dough out of the refrigerator first thing in the morning, shape the loaf and set it into the pan.
- To warm up the dough, turn on the oven just until it’s barely warm. Turn off the oven and set the pan with the cool dough in the oven. Remove the pan once the dough is back to room temperature. You can skip this step, but it does speed up the rising time.
- Leave the loaf to rise for 1 1/2- 2 hours, or as long as is needed to almost double in size.
- To make and bake the dough in the same day, feed your starter the evening before so it’s active by morning. Start the dough early in the morning and it should be ready to bake by late afternoon or early evening.
Storage
Sourdough Sandwich bread will keep at room temperature for 2-3 days. The bread (sliced or whole) can be frozen for up to a month.
I know you hate to throw away that sourdough discard. Check out these recipes that use sourdough discard.
More great sourdough breads
- Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
- Sourdough Hoagie Rolls
- Sourdough Multigrain Bread
- Sourdough Semolina Bread
- Sourdough Rye Bread
- Crusty Sourdough Bread
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Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe
This white bread has a soft crust, tender crumb and awesome flavor. It makes a perfect sandwich. This recipe makes 1 large loaf. The exact number of servings will vary based on how the loaf is sliced.
servings
Ingredients
- 8 oz whole milk (1 cup)
- 1 oz unsalted butter
- 8 oz active sourdough starter (1 cup, 100% hydration)
- ½ oz granulated sugar (1 tablespoon)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 12 ½ oz all purpose flour (2 ½ cups, see note)
- 1 large egg (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Warm 8 oz whole milk in the microwave to until scalding hot (just before it comes to a boil.) Stir 1 oz unsalted butter into the warm milk to melt. Set the milk aside to cool until it's slightly warmer than body temp.
- In a mixer bowl, combine the warm milk with 8 oz active sourdough starter, ½ oz granulated sugar and 1 ½ teaspoons salt and stir to combine. Add 1 ½ cups of the flour and stir until the batter looks like thick pancake batter. If using a stand mixer, change to the dough hook.
- With the mixer running, slowly add the remaining flour until the dough gathers on the hook and clears the sides of the bowl. Knead for 5 minutes. If mixing by hand, stir in as much flour as you can then turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead in the remaining flour.
- Remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Knead to form a smooth ball. If the dough is very sticky sprinkle a little more flour as you knead.
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning once to coat the dough. Cover the bowl and set it aside at room temperature.
- After 60 minutes uncover the bowl, lift one side of the dough and fold it into the middle of the dough. Repeat with the other three sides of the dough then flip the dough over. You're basically turning the dough inside-out to redistribute the yeast and strengthen the gluten. Cover the bowl and after 60 minutes repeat the procedure.
- Cover the bowl and after 60 minutes fold the dough one more time. By now the dough should be lively, elastic and airy. If the dough is still sluggish give it another hour or two at room temperature. If you want to finish making the bread in the morning return the dough to the bowl, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. The next morning continue with shaping. Otherwise continue shaping the loaf on the same day.
- Grease a 9"x 5" loaf pan with a very light film of vegetable oil.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and without kneading out the air, gently push the dough to a 9" rectangle. Tightly roll the dough to form a log.
- Set the dough into the pan and cover with a damp kitchen towel or oiled plastic wrap. Set in a warm place and rise until the dough is doubled in size, about 1-1½hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Use a sharp knife or razor to cut a 1/2" deep slash down the center of the loaf. Brush the loaf with egg wash.
- Bake about 30-35 minutes until golden brown and and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The interior temp should be 200 °F.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Finish cooling to room temperature before slicing,
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Notes
If measuring the flour by volume use the “dip & sweep” method. That is, dip the measuring cup into the flour bin, overfill it, then sweep away the excess.
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When I sliced don’t the middle before bakin, it deflated the beautiful puffy loaf. Is it super to do that?
The loaf was probably over-risen and that’s why it deflated. Did you bake it anyway? For the future, an over-risen loaf can be reshaped. To test if a loaf is ready to bake poke the dough. If it springs right back it’s not ready. If the dent slowly fills in the loaf is ready. If the dent remains and doesn’t fill in the loaf is over-risen.
Hi, Is this recipe easily doubled to make two loaves at a time; any changes needed?
Thanks!
Sure, as long as your mixer can handle it.
Which step do you split the dough to make 2 loaves?
When you are shaping the loaves.
I just found this recipe and I am anxious to try it as I have been trying many different sourdough sandwich recipes. Haven’t found one I’m thrilled with.
I am curious about one thing. Is the bread better with putting it in the fridge over night? Does it actually change the texture/ flavor of the bread or that purely a convenience?
Wanted to ask before I make it
Hi Jane, refrigerating the bread overnight is a convenience, but it is also great for the flavor and texture of the bread. The longer and slower the rise, the more complex the flavor of the bread. That being said, if you mix and bake the bread over the course of the day, and as long as you let the fermentation do it’s work, the bread will still be good. The fermentation time can vary based on how active your starter is, the room temp, dough temp, etc. Just make sure that the dough is nice and elastic and rising well before shaping and baking.
Baked this up today! It came together wonderfully and rose perfectly with my sourdough starter. I loved the texture and the ability to bake a sourdough loaf in under 8 hours total time.
Thanks for the feedback, Karlee! I love this bread and I’m glad you like it too.
Love this recipe, but find a discrepancy that has kept my loaf a little too dense. Step 7 says to knead the dough, refrigerate, etc. Step 9 says without kneading out the air, shape the dough. Today, I’m baking this start to finish and realize why my bread is on the gummy side. I am also suspecting I fail to let my dough warm back up before timing rise. Never gets to double and I have limited time on workdays. Any suggestions?
Hi Carol, Are you saying when you refrigerate the dough overnight it doesn’t rise to full volume the next day? The time for rising will vary based on how warm your kitchen is, etc. Did you see the note in the “Timeline” section in the post? It explains how I jump start warming up my dough. I’ll put it in the notes section of the recipe too. Not sure about your limited time on workday. But what I sometimes do is set my alarm for very early, take the dough out and leave it on the counter and go back to bed. Timing with bread, especially sourdough, is always variable.
Do you check the temperature of the loaf? I noticed mine takes longer then 35 minutes. I use a Thermometer to be sure I’m over 190. I also don’t refrigerator. I make it on the weekend slice and freeze so I can enjoy it during the week.
Oh no. I just put an egg in (made your amazing hamburger buns last week). Am I doomed? It’s a bit sticky but I didn’t want to add too much extra flour. Bulk rise happening now. Wish me luck.
You’re not doomed. The texture will be a bit softer and more cakey, but it sill still be delish.