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
Day 1 | |
Morning | Feed your starter (1:5:5 ratio is best to have it peaking by nighttime) |
Before bed (9pm) | Mix dough ingredients together in stand mixer; cover and rest (And refresh your main starter with a feeding!) |
9:30 pm | Knead dough in stand mixer for 5-10 minutes more. Cover and rest overnight |
Day 2 | |
8 am | Dump out dough and shape into log; place in loaf pan for a second rise |
11 am | Preheat oven |
11:30 am | Bake |
2:15 pm | Enjoy! |
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:
- 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.
- 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). You can be done with it as soon as the dough passes the windowpane test.
Windowpane test: stretch a small section of the dough. If it tears easily, the gluten hasn't developed enough yet. If it stretches thin enough that you can see light through it – and it doesn't tear – it's good to go and you can stop kneading.
What do you grease your loaf pans with?
I use an avocado oil spray to grease my loaf pans. 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)
Course: BreadCuisine: Bread, SourdoughDifficulty: Easy1
loaf15
minutes45
minutesThis 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.
Ingredients
450g King Arthur all-purpose flour (11.7% protein)*
50g King Arthur whole wheat flour (13.2% protein)
100g active starter (100% hydration)
240g warm water
6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
10g honey (can substitute sugar or maple syrup; this is also optional)
10g sea salt
Directions
- Combine Ingredients: Add all ingredients 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. - Knead the Dough: Increase the speed to 2-3 and let the dough hook knead the dough for 5-10 minutes.
- Rest the Dough: Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30-60 minutes.
- Second Kneading: Turn the stand mixer back on to speed 2-3 and knead the dough for another 5-10 minutes. When finished, the dough should be soft, supple, and not sticky at all. It should also pass the windowpane test.
- Overnight Rise:** Cover the bowl again and let the dough rest overnight. It should double or more in size.
- Shape the Dough: In the morning, dump the dough onto a clean surface. The dough should be puffy and not sticky. (I don’t need water or flour to help shape this dough.) Pat or roll your dough into a long rectangle, the width of your loaf pan. I recommend patting the dough out into a 6 x 20-inch rectangle. Roll the dough up tightly and place it into a greased or parchment-lined loaf pan.
Note: These are the loaf pans I use. I love that they’re stainless steel (no Teflon). I personally spray them with avocado oil to make sure the dough doesn’t stick. I’ve also tried lining with parchment, and that worked wonderful as well. - Second Rise: Cover the loaf pan with a plastic bowl cover and let it rise in a warm place until the dough is higher than the pan. For me, this takes 3-4 hours. 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. You can let the dough rise in the oven with the light turned on to speed up the second rise.
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. - Bake: Toward the end of the second rise, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). (If you let your dough rise in the oven with the light on, make sure you take it out before you preheat the oven!) 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.
- Cool and Enjoy: When finished, let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack. It’s ideal to let the loaf cool for 2 hours before slicing, but unlike traditional artisan bread, you can cut into this loaf when it’s hot, and it won’t be gummy or ruin the inside!
I also like to turn these upside down and 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.
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 74-75°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.
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:
So if I want to choose putting it in the fridge overnight, do I still do the second rise and then into the fridge the next morning? It is worded that you can put it in the fridge after you do the shaping and the shaping comes after the second overnight rise. I am a bit confused as the steps.
Thanks, Stephanie
If you want to do an overnight retard in the fridge, I’d suggest shaping the dough and putting it in the loaf pan. Then, cover it with a bowl cover and put in the fridge overnight. The next day, bring it back on the counter. If the dough didn’t rise any more in the fridge and the dough isn’t about an inch higher than the loaf pan, let it sit on the counter until it finishes rising the rest of the way. Proceed with baking!
The link for you scale takes you to link for your bread pans. . . .could you check it and provide link to the scale you use. Thank you. I need a new scale!
Yes I’m so sorry! I’ve just fixed that. Here’s the link to my scale: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079D9B82W?asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.1ZFFHE7A2HZWU&linkCode=ll1&tag=rebekahparr-20&linkId=01604e09a785795d8c7bc26ed8607171&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
I can’t find anything about doing this without a mixer if like to do it by hand?
The instructions are in the FAQ section!
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). You can be done with it as soon as the dough passes the windowpane test.
This is hands down my best sourdough ever. Thank you!! I found it forgiving because I decided to try on a whim and was not fully patient for the prep- I started midday with a fresh from the fridge starter (it had been fed and put away several days before). I ended up doing a mid second proof overnight in the fridge because I lacked all planning skills, and it came out beautifully. I smothered butter on the top of half of the loaf while it was still hot to see it it would make a difference, and there wasn’t a noticeable difference between sides.
Can’t wait to plan ahead and buy a metal loaf pan instead of stone (fyi for anyone using stone, baking at 350 helps it bake through without making the outside burn)
This made my day! I also love how forgiving it is.
The bowl rise was about 11 hours. 72° house. Looked great, definitely doubled but was a little dry on the top. Been setting in the loaf pans for 4 hours now and almost no rise. Still going to bake it.
Interesting that there was almost no rise in the loaf pans. When you say the dough was a little dry on top – did you cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a shower cap cover?
Hey Rebekah- I am extremely new too sourdough.
Can I use all white flour for this recipe?
And I’m thinking I’d have to cut back on water?
I have bookmarked your site, for its the way you’ve simplified everything……some things I haven’t understood (yet).
Thank you.
Van
Yes you can use all white flour. I’d keep the water basically the same since there’s not that much whole wheat flour.
Can I substitute the butter for olive oil?
I wouldn’t since olive oil has a flavor that may overpower the bread
Do you have any ideas of what I can substitute with the butter, since I am dairy free? Maybe a dairy free butter?