Easy, Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (1 Day)

This soft sandwich loaf made with sourdough starter is the easiest sourdough bread recipe I’ve ever made.

It ferments on the counter overnight and can be baked before lunchtime. The mixing happens in the stand mixer, and your hands-on time is literally less than 15 minutes.

If you thought an incredible loaf of sourdough that’s kid-friendly, perfect for sandwiches, and ideal for DIY Uncrustables would be hard and time-consuming, think again!

Developing This Recipe

I adapted the bread portion of The Clever Carrot’s cinnamon raisin bread recipe, but I’ve made so many changes at this point, that I feel bad pointing people to it. I have about 50 footnotes! 😂

That said, bookmark that recipe, because the cinnamon swirl version is to die for!

After making all of my tweaks to the bread portion of that recipe – and slowly cutting out steps to see how much I could simplify it – I’ve nailed it!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

You’ll love how easy this recipe is; it’s honestly the perfect beginner sourdough loaf. My kids say it’s their favorite bread I make.

• Low-stress bulk fermentation: this sourdough loaf recipe is so forgiving when it comes to the fermentation. You don’t have to nail it like you do with traditional artisan bread. Because you shape the proofed dough into a log – and it bakes in a loaf pan – it could be over-proofed, and you would not be able to tell in the final result.
• Overnight recipe: you mix this dough before bed and bake it around lunchtime. It’s the fastest sourdough bread recipe I’ve ever made.
• EASY: this recipe is incredibly easy. No stretch and folds, no autolyse, no pre-shaping. It’s as easy as a commercial yeast loaf but with all the added health benefits (and flavor) of sourdough starter.
• Perfect for DIY Uncrustables: this bread is soft yet strong; it holds up beautifully under a sandwich sealer!

Baker’s Timeline

Suggested Supplies

This recipe is so simple that you don’t need hardly any specialized equipment. However, since posting this on my Instagram stories, I got a lot of messages asking me about the loaf pans I use, so here’s a quick list of my supplies (these are affiliate links):

• 7-Quart KitchenAid Stand Mixer: You can do up to 3 loaves at a time in a 7-quart KitchenAid stand mixer. The stand mixer is optional but a massive relief for your arms. I’ve kneaded by hand and gotten the same result. I’ll include more tips in the FAQ section.
• 9×5 Stainless Steel Loaf Pans: I’m doing my best to remove all Teflon-coated products from my home, which is why I bought these pans. A big bonus is they’re extremely durable. We’ll have these for generations. Be sure to spray with oil or line with parchment, though – dough will stick.

Update: I’m a die-hard fan now of USA Pan items. Their 1 lb. loaf pans are incredible. They are nonstick but do not use Teflon – it’s a silicone coating that works like magic.

• OXO scale: I finally got rid of my sad scale from college, and this is my new favorite sourdough tool. I use it daily, and all of its bells and whistles make my life so much easier.
• Shower cap bowl covers: These are the least expensive bowl covers I could find and they’re perfect. They’re very stretchy and fit all of my bowls and bannetons. You can also pinch them up so the dough has plenty of room to rise in the loaf pans without touching the cover.

• Rolling pin: The rolling pin is entirely optional, but you will get a more evenly-shaped loaf if you use it during the shaping process.

That’s really it! You probably have these items – or close-enough variations of them – in your home. It’s just one more thing I love about this simple bread recipe.

FAQs

Here are the most popular questions I get about this recipe. If you have any of your own, please leave them in the comments and I will add them here with an answer!

Can I make this recipe without a stand mixer?

Yes, you can make this sandwich bread recipe without a stand mixer, but it’ll also double as your arm workout for the day. When you mix the ingredients, knead the dough for 5 full minutes. It should be soft and pliable when you’re done. Let it rest for 30 minutes, and knead again for 2 full minutes (more if you can do it).

What do you grease your loaf pans with?

I use an avocado oil spray to grease any loaf pans that aren’t nonstick. I’ve also used Pam because it’s so darn effective, but I am working hard to choose healthier ingredients. If you don’t want to use any oil, I’ve lined the pan with parchment paper, and that worked wonderfully.

Is there a cold proof?

This recipe doesn’t call for a cold proof. Instead, we do a second rise before baking. As the recipe is written, this bread does have a slightly sour flavor. If you want an even more sour flavor, you can incorporate a cold-proof. After you shape your dough and put it in the loaf pan, cover it with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge. Let it rest in the fridge for 12-18 hours (I don’t advise going more than 3 days). At that point, pull it out of the fridge and let it finish rising on the counter until the dough is about an inch higher than the loaf pan. Then, bake.

How much does the bread rise in the oven?

This bread doesn’t rise much in the oven, so make sure you let it rise sufficiently before you bake it. You want the dough to be higher than the top of the loaf pan, like so:

Why don’t you cover the loaf pan in the oven?

I’ve tested covering the loaf pan in the oven for the first 20 minutes of the bake. I hoped it would give the loaf a little more rise. However, that wasn’t the case. The only result was the top of the loaf had a much lighter color. So, if you prefer a very light-colored crust, you might consider covering your loaf pan with a second loaf pan for the first 20 minutes.

Why don’t you score this loaf?

I don’t see a need to score this particular sourdough bread. My goal is to have a sandwich-style loaf that I can use primarily in my kid’s lunches. I want uniform slices that come together well. A scored loaf would give a more irregular shape to the bread, which I want to avoid. This bread also doesn’t expand or rise much more in the oven, so it’s not necessary.

How do I make this bread less sour?

For a sourdough sandwich bread that isn’t sour, use a stiff, sweet starter instead of your regular sourdough starter. The account Healing Slice on Instagram has a fabulous tutorial that I followed. It’s so easy, too. Here’s my post explaining the tweaks I made to her recipe, plus what I found interesting about this sweet starter versus a regular one.

Easy, Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (1 Day)

Servings 1 loaf

This Easy, Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread is perfect for busy bakers and beginners alike. Ready in just one day with less than 15 minutes of hands-on time, it combines the rich flavor and health benefits of sourdough with the simplicity of a commercial yeast loaf. Fermenting overnight, the dough is forgiving and bakes into a tender, kid-friendly loaf with a soft crust—ideal for sandwiches and DIY Uncrustables.

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Resting Time 17 hours hrs

Total Time 18 hours hrs

Equipment

• Loaf pan, 1 lb. (8.5 x 4.5)

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• 240 g room temperature water
• 100 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration
• 10 g honey can substitute sugar or maple syrup; this is also optional
• 450 g King Arthur all-purpose flour 11.7% protein*
• 50 g King Arthur whole wheat flour 13.2% protein
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 10 g sea salt

Instructions 

1. Combine Ingredients: Add 240 g room temperature water, 100 g active sourdough starter, 10 g honey, 450 g King Arthur all-purpose flour, 50 g King Arthur whole wheat flour, 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, and 10 g sea salt to your stand mixer bowl. Mix on low speed for about 3 minutes until everything is combined.

   Note: You can do this without a stand mixer. See the FAQs section for tips.
   
2. Knead the Dough: Increase the speed to 2-3 and let the dough hook knead the dough for 5-10 minutes.
   
3. Rest the Dough: Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30-60 minutes.
4. Second Kneading: Turn the stand mixer back on to speed 2-3 and knead the dough for another 5-10 minutes. Alternatively, you can do stretch and folds until the dough resists being stretched any longer. When finished, the dough should be soft, supple, and not sticky at all.
   
5. Overnight Rise:** Cover the bowl again and let the dough rest overnight on the counter. It should double or more in size. **DO NOT PUT IN THE FRIDGE.**
6. Shape the Dough: In the morning, grease or line a 1 lb. loaf pan with parchment paper. Dump the dough onto a clean surface. The dough should be puffy and not sticky. Pat or roll your dough into a long rectangle, about 6"x12", ensuring the width is a little smaller than your loaf pan. Roll the dough up tightly and place it into the loaf pan.
   
7. Second Rise: Cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap or a shower cap bowl cover and let it rise in a warm place. This can take 2-6 hours depending on the temperature in your home. Don’t go off time, though – look at the height of the dough. Ensure it’s super puffy when you gently poke it, and it’s 1-2 inches higher than the loaf pan.

   Note: This sandwich bread doesn’t rise much in the oven. Make sure you get all the height you want in the bread BEFORE baking. Baking too early will result in a dense, short loaf.
   
8. Bake: Toward the end of the second rise, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake the loaf for 45 minutes. Your final dough temperature should be between 204-206°F (95-96°C). If it’s low, pop it back in the oven until you reach the desired temperature.
9. Cool and Enjoy: When finished, let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack. Let the loaf cool for about 1 hour before slicing.

   Note: I also like to turn these upside down to let them dry out a bit. If you oiled the pan to keep the dough from sticking, the bottoms of the loaves can be a little moist and soggy. A quick air dry will fix that within about 30 minutes.

Video

Notes

• There is wiggle room in this recipe for substituting flours. Feel free to substitute bread flour for the all-purpose flour. I like having a little whole wheat flour in the recipe to give more nutrition to the sourdough starter, but you could omit that and add more bread or all-purpose flour in its place.
• My home is typically 70-75°F, and the overnight proof (about 10 hours) works perfectly every time. The way this dough is shaped also makes it very forgiving – you don’t have to nail the bulk fermentation timing as much as you do with artisan bread. That said, please experiment! If your house is warmer than mine, try to put the bowl in a cool area, or consider mixing the dough with cold water. If your house is cooler than mine, you may need to let it proof for longer, or mix the dough with even warmer water (not to exceed 110°F).
• You can follow the process and see tutorials of this recipe in video format by visiting my sandwich loaf Instagram Highlight. I also filmed a YouTube tutorial (I messed it up but redeemed myself in the end – watch that to avoid my mistake!).

Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below!

Course: Bread

Conclusion

This simple sourdough sandwich bread recipe is so easy. And it’s so much faster than artisan sourdough.

My family loves it and it makes the best sandwiches. It’s even soft enough to make homemade Uncrustables!

Let me know if you try this recipe in the comment section below.

More recipes:

• Sun-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Sourdough Bread Recipe
• The Best Foolproof White Sourdough Bread Recipe
• Sourdough Discard Hamburger Slider Buns