Want to make the super soft sourdough sandwich bread, but you don’t have a stand mixer? Or perhaps you’ve tried to make it in yours and the texture never seemed right.

You can totally make this recipe by hand, and you won’t break your back (or arms) doing it – promise. In fact, if you’ve made artisan sourdough bread, the process is pretty much the same! A little upfront kneading followed by spaced-out stretch and folds.

Note: This article is dedicated to walking you through the hand mixing instructions in detail. So, I’ve spared you all the additional details, including FAQs, substitutions, etc. To get that information, please reference the original recipe post, which is filled to the brim with that info! If you prefer the original, 2-day recipe and want to mix by hand, use the same exact method explained here.

Disclaimer: Some of the products I recommend in this post are affiliate links – if you choose to purchase after clicking one of my links, I may earn a small commission, which helps fund this website, recipe development, and monthly giveaways. I sincerely appreciate your support.

Baker’s Timeline

This timeline is so simple! But here’s a quick glance to help you schedule your bakes:

The Evening Before (7-8pm)	Feed your starter
In the Morning (8am)	Make your tangzhong & mix your dough
8:45am	Stretch & fold
9:15am	Stretch & fold
9:45am	Stretch & fold
Mid-day (12-1pm)	Shape your dough
Evening (6-7pm)	Bake your bread

How to Make Same-Day Sourdough Wonder Bread by Hand

Step 1: Make the sweet starter.

The stiff sweet starter is the secret to reducing sourness.

In a small jar, combine 30g sourdough starter, 30g sugar (or honey), 60g water, and 120g bread flour.

Mix until it comes together, then turn it out and knead it briefly until it forms a smooth ball.

Place it back in the jar, cover loosely, and let it ferment at room temperature overnight. By morning, it should have tripled in size and smell sweet and yeasty. If it hasn’t, put it in a warm place to speed things along.

Step 2: Make the tangzhong.

In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together 35g bread flour and 175g milk until completely smooth.

Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring vigorously with a whisk between each round. For me, this usually takes 3-5 rounds.

You’re looking for it to thicken to a gel-like consistency and reach 150°F (65°C).

If you prefer, you can make this on the stovetop over medium heat, whisking constantly. Don’t walk away, or it will overcook!

The tangzhong can be made up to 2 days ahead. If you make it on the morning of, wait about 30 minutes for it to cool down. If it’s still hot, it could kill the microbes in your sourdough starter.

Read more about tangzhong: Tangzhong: The 3-Minute Secret to Softer Sourdough

Step 3: Mix the dough.

Once the tangzhong has cooled down, add all of the dough ingredients into a large glass mixing bowl:

• All of the stiff sweet starter
• All of the tangzhong, cooled down
• 195 g cool water
• 40 g sugar
• 45 g avocado oil
• 515 g high-protein bread flour
• 12 g salt

Mix them together with a Danish dough whisk (if you have one); then, switch to your hands. Squeeze and knead the dough to incorporate all the ingredients.

I like switching to slap and folds as it’s less of an arm workout and brings the dough together much more quickly.

After a couple of minutes, put the dough back in the bowl and cover for 30 minutes.

Step 4: Stretch and Folds

After the 30-minute rest, it’s time to strengthen the dough with stretch and folds. You’ll do several rounds, each spaced about 30 minutes apart.

How to do stretch and folds: Wet your hands, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up and fold it over to the opposite side. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Continue until you’ve folded all four sides. You can also tack on some extra kneading or slap and folds! The dough should feel noticeably stronger after each round.

First round: Your dough will be shaggy. Do your stretch and folds, cover, and rest for 30 minutes.

Second round: The dough should already feel more cohesive. Stretch and fold again, cover, and rest for 30 minutes.

Third round: The dough should be getting quite smooth and strong. After this round, test for a windowpane – stretch a small piece of dough thin enough to see light pass through it without tearing.

When to stop: Most doughs will be ready after 3 rounds, but some may need a 4th. You’re done when the dough passes the windowpane test and feels smooth and elastic. If your dough still feels weak or shaggy, do one more round and test again.

Step 5: First Rise

Put your dough in a very warm place – ideally, between 80-90°F (26.5-32°C) for about 3-5 hours.

Here are some options:

• Brod & Taylor proofing box (affiliate link) – I set mine to 85°F (30°C)
• Oven with the light on
• Oven with a cup of boiling water in the corner (if the light doesn’t produce any warmth)
• Preheat your oven for a couple of minutes; then, turn it off
• Warming mat
• A warm spot in your home – perhaps a sunny area, near a heater, or in an area that doesn’t get good A/C
• The garage
• Outside on a warm day (make sure to cover your bowl with plastic wrap so bugs don’t fly in)

The dough should rise by around 30% and have bubbles forming around the sides and bottom of the bowl. If you poke the surface, it should feel aerated and pillowy.

Step 6: Shape.

Once the dough has shown signs of fermentation, it’s time to shape it and place it in the loaf pan.

I like to lightly flour my surface with bread flour, but that’s optional.

Turn out your dough and stretch it into a rectangular shape, being careful not to tear the dough. Use a rolling pin to smooth out the dough, pop big bubbles, and stretch the dough into a long rectangle that’s slightly narrower than your loaf pan.

Then, roll up the dough into a log, doing it as tightly as you can to prevent any gaps. Pinch the seams on the edges and place in a lightly oiled loaf pan.

If you notice any bubbles on the surface, pop them with a toothpick! If you don’t, they will continue growing and may potentially burn in the oven later on.

If your loaf pan is nonstick, you don’t need to oil it if you don’t want to.

Step 7: Second rise & bake!

Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for another 3-5 hours in a warm spot, or until it is even with or slightly higher than the edge of the loaf pan.

Then, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Bake, uncovered, until the internal temperature reaches 200-205°F (93-96°C). If the top of the loaf is getting too dark, cover with foil.

Here are bake times for different-sized loaves:

• Mini loaf pan: 25-30 minutes
• Regular loaf pan (around 8.5×4.5): 30-35 minutes
• Sandwich bread loaf pan (around 13×4): 40-45 minutes

Once done, immediately brush the top of the loaf with butter. I take a stick of butter and just glide it across the top!

Let it cool for a few minutes; then, turn it out onto a cooling rack. Let it cool for about an hour before slicing!

Loaf Pan Size Calculator

Not using a 13×4 loaf pan like me? Use this calculator to get a revised ingredient list for different loaf pan sizes.

Conclusion

If you try this hand-mixed version of the sourdough Wonder Bread copycat recipe, please let me know how it went in the comment section! I’d especially love to hear if you found the hand mixing easier or harder than expected.

I love seeing your photos and hearing about any changes you made.

Happy baking!

Other soft bread recipes you might like:

• Fluffy, Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls Recipe
• Pillowy Soft Sourdough Hamburger Buns (with Tangzhong)
• Overnight Sourdough Hot Dog Buns (Super Soft & Easy)