Soft Honey Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread
INGREDIENTS
Stiff Sweet Starter
- 30 g sourdough starter (ideally, fed within the last 24 hours - needs to be healthy!)
- 30 g honey (or sugar)
- 60 g water
- 60 g whole wheat flour
- 60 g bread flour
Tangzhong
- 35 g whole wheat flour
- 175 g whole milk
Main Dough
- All of the stiff sweet starter (from above)
- All of the tangzhong (from above)
- 240 g cool water
- 50 g honey
- 50 g avocado oil
- 258 g high-protein bread flour (see Notes)
- 257 g whole wheat flour
- 12 g salt
- 1 tbsp butter (for buttering the baked loaf)
Before You Begin
This recipe is written for a 13x4 loaf pan. If you are using a different size, use the calculator above this recipe card for a revised ingredient list. If you are mixing by hand (no stand mixer), see Notes.
Equipment
- 3/4 L Weck jar (for the stiff sweet starter)
- Stand mixer with dough hook (can mix by hand - see Notes)
- 13x4 long loaf pan (USA Pan is a great one)
- OR 11x5.5 long loaf pan (Kuha's cast iron is awesome)
- Proofing box (totally optional)
Instructions
Make the Stiff Sweet Starter
- In the early evening (5-8pm), whisk together 30 g sourdough starter, 30 g honey, and 60 g water. Then, add 60 g whole wheat flour and 60 g bread flour until a ball forms. Knead outside of the jar to fully incorporate the ingredients. Cover loosely and let ferment in a warm place until morning. See Notes for timing and tips.
- Note: You can make the tangzhong (see next step) right now and refrigerate it overnight, if preferred.
Make the Tangzhong
- In the morning, mix 35 g whole wheat flour and 175 g whole milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until thickened and reaches 150°F (65°C). For me, it usually takes 3-5 rounds to finish.
- Let rest on the counter (or in the fridge) until the mixture has cooled down to below 80°F (26°C). If it's too hot, it can kill your starter.
Make the Dough
- In stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook, combine All of the stiff sweet starter, All of the tangzhong, 240 g cool water, 50 g honey, 50 g avocado oil, 258 g high-protein bread flour, 257 g whole wheat flour, and 12 g salt. Mix on low speed 2-3 minutes until incorporated, then medium to medium-low for 7-15 minutes, or until smooth. Periodically check the dough strength – we want at least a weak windowpane before moving forward. Hand mixing instructions are in the Recipe Notes.
- I tested this recipe in several stand mixers, including KitchenAid and Bosch, and got a smooth, strong dough within about 15 minutes on all. If the dough heats up over 85°F (30°C), stop the stand mixer and cover the bowl for 20 minutes. Then, resume with mixing on a low speed until the dough has fully strengthened.
- The dough should feel slightly tacky and smooth after mixing. If it's very loose and wet, add additional flour in 1 tbsp increments. If it's very stiff, add additional water in 1 tbsp increments. Small adjustments may be needed depending on the exact flours you use, so don't be afraid to adjust!
Shape
- Spritz your loaf pan with a nonstick oil spray. Line with parchment if desired. Mist your hands and work surface with water. Dump dough onto work surface.
- Using your hands, gently stretch the dough into a rectangle slightly narrower than the pan width. Thin the top edge for a more invisible seam. Roll up the dough tightly, turning the ends in slightly as you roll to minimize end seams. Place your dough log seam-side down in loaf pan.
Proof
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot (78-85°F/25-29°C) until the dough rises to be even with (or even slightly above) the rim of the loaf pan (about 6-9 hours). It should feel aerated and bouncy when you tap the surface.
- (Optional) Long-fermented option: Once your shaped dough has risen, you can transfer it to the refrigerator for a cold retard (instead of baking now). You can bake it any time within the next 1-3 days. For best results, don't let it cold proof longer than 3 days.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Note: you can score the top of your loaf if desired (for aesthetics), but it will not expand much, so it's not necessary.
- Bake uncovered 40-45 minutes until internal temperature reaches 200-205°F (93-96°C). (See Notes for different loaf pan size baking times.) If the top of the loaf is getting too dark, cover with foil.
- Once done, immediately brush hot loaf with 1 tbsp butter. Cool in pan 5-10 minutes, then turn out onto rack. Cool completely before slicing (1-2 hours).
Video
Notes
Some Bread Flour Options:
- Bread flour: Ballerina Farms (14% protein), Central Milling High Mountain (13.5% protein) or King Arthur unbleached (12.7% protein) - no adjustments needed
- All-purpose: Costco AP flour - add ~25g extra flour to main dough
- Canadian options: Arva Mills Daisy flour or Boreal Organic All Purpose (Costco) work perfectly (thanks to follower Amanda Steele for this tip)
- Heritage Whole Wheat Bread Blend from Sunrise Flour Mills (20% off when clicking my affiliate link)
- Organic Whole Grain Expresso Bread Flour from Cairnspring Mills (affiliate code TSG15 for a discount)
- King Arthur whole wheat flour
- 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
- Cast iron loaf pan: Up to an hour
Nutrition Facts
Soft Honey Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Serving Size
1 slice
Amount per Serving
Calories
165
% Daily Value*
Fat
4
g
6
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
6
%
Trans Fat
0.02
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
2
g
Cholesterol
3
mg
1
%
Sodium
241
mg
10
%
Potassium
96
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
28
g
9
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
4
g
4
%
Protein
5
g
10
%
Vitamin A
34
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
0.02
mg
0
%
Calcium
20
mg
2
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
