Fresh and irresistible, my Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread recipe features fluffy sourdough starter, olive oil for softness and a touch of earthy maple syrup for interest and golden color. This bread is soft yet sturdy enough for sandwiches and toast. You can make it the same day in about 7 hours (without added commercial yeast) or overnight and bake the next morning, ready in about 14 hours. It’s baked in a loaf pan until golden brown and fragrant.
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An Everyday Sourdough Sandwich Loaf
Since sharing other sandwich breads like this Sourdough Multigrain Sandwich Bread and, now a reader favorite, Maple Oat Sourdough Sandwich Bread, I wanted to add a simpler 5 ingredient white sourdough bread loaf to the V&B sourdough collection.
When testing this recipe, I began by making the bread from start to finish as an overnight recipe, but then started testing a same day version — and, it works beautifully!
This Recipe Is
- soft and fragrant
- simple to shape
- made with 5 basic ingredients
If you enjoy making homemade sourdough bread recipes, you’ll appreciate the flexibility of this irresistibly easy, soft and tender sourdough sandwich loaf.
“I have been making traditional sour dough bread for about 6 years. My family has been asking for at least two of those years for a sandwich bread. After looking at a bunch of recipes, this one seemed to be the most promising. I did a same-day loaf. It turned out beautifully. Thanks for such a great recipe with really clear instructions.”
Anette
This bread isn’t sweet but adding a touch of maple syrup adds complex flavor with underlying interest. It also aids in giving this bread it’s rich golden-brown color while also softening the texture.
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How to Make Homemade Sourdough Sandwich Bread
step by step
Bulk Fermentation (first rise)
For this recipe, I include two bulk options:
- For Overnight: if you don’t need the bread the same day you mix, this is more of a hands off approach.
- For Same Day: if you want the bread ready sooner than later, this is the best option. However, you have to watch the dough and the clock a bit more than the overnight method.
Once bulk is complete, it’s time to preshape the dough, rest again, shape, then pan. Once the dough is in the pan, you can move on to proofing.
Great sourdough bread starts with a strong sourdough starter. If you’re just getting started, check out my step by step How to Make a Sourdough Starter guide.
Proof the Dough (second rise)
The amount of time to proof this dough will vary depending on method:
- Overnight: a shorter proof of about one hour for this method.
- Same Day: a longer proof for this method at about 1 1/2 – 2 hours*.
*Note proof time is longer with the same day method even with a warmer ambient temperature. This is because we’re only bulk fermenting to 20-30% (for same day) in size which is another variable in the sourdough lexicon! The dough needs that extra proof time to develop further.
Store your sourdough at room temperature or in the freezer. Refrigerating bread dries it out.
Traci’s Tips
- Let the dough guide you through your process, not the clock. It’s ready when it’s ready.
- Got Discard?: If you have sourdough discard leftover, give my Moist Sourdough Zucchini Bread with Lemon a try. Its simply irresistible!
- Kitchen Tools: I recommend a digital oven thermometer for monitoring accurate oven temperature and weighing your ingredients using a digital kitchen scale (affiliate link) for best outcome.
Fresh Sourdough Sandwich Bread (Same Day Recipe or Overnight)
**Advanced Prep Required – you'll need a Sourdough Starter**Fresh and irresistible, my Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread recipe features fluffy sourdough starter, olive oil for softness and a touch of earthy maple syrup for interest and golden color. This bread is soft yet sturdy enough for sandwiches and toast. You can make it the same day or overnight. A Note on HYDRATION – Flours vary in their moisture content from brand to brand. Additionally, local humidity conditions will impact how your dough feels from one batch to another. Even if you weigh your ingredients (which I recommend), this is not uncommon. As you gain experience in making sourdough, you'll gain a better understanding of how your dough should look and feel. Time above is for same day method. It does not include time for the overnight method: for fermentation, shaping and proofing which takes between 12-13 hours (overnight). Use the times as a guide, not as a determining factor._______________________Bakers Schedules: Overnight: Friday-Saturday: feed starter. Saturday night: mix dough and ferment overnight. Sunday morning: shape dough, allow to rise (proof), bake.Same Day: Friday: feed starter. Saturday morning: mix the dough and ferment. Saturday afternoon: shape dough, allow to rise (proof), bake. ________________________Serving size depends on how thick or thin the loaf is sliced. I can get about 12 thick slices or 15-16 thinner slices out of this loaf.
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) Sourdough Starter, 100% hydration, previously fed, bubbly and active
- 1 cup (225 grams) Water, about 80F (26C)
- 2 tablespoons (40 grams) Pure Maple Syrup
- 3 tablespoons (40 grams) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 cups + 2 tablespoons (425 grams) Bread Flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (10 grams) Fine Sea Salt
Instructions
- Mix the Dough: whisk the starter, water, maple syrup and olive oil together in a large bowl with a fork. Add the flour and salt. First, mix with a fork, the dough will be shaggy. Then mix by hand, mixing, folding and pushing the dough in the bowl until the flour is fully incorporated and no dry bits are present. The dough will feel sticky and soft and it will stick to your fingers as you go. Do this for about 2-3 minutes. Use the fork to scrape off the dough on your fingers. Cover bowl with a damp tea towel. Set a timer for 30 minutes and allow the dough to rest. Now is a good time to feed/refresh your starter.
- Fold the Dough: After the dough has rested, fold the dough. To do this, grab a portion of the dough while it remains in the bowl, stretch it up and fold it over, pressing your fingertips into the center of the dough. You'll notice the dough is soft and more pliable (less sticky) at this point. Repeat, until you've worked your way around the dough. This is the first fold. Cover bowl with a damp tea towel and set a timer for 30 minutes and allow the dough to rest. Perform one more fold, then continue into bulk fermentation.
- Bulk Fermentation (first rise):Same Day: After the last fold, cover the bowl with two damp tea towels and allow to rise for three hours in a turned off oven with the light on (80-82 Fahrenheit (26-27 Celsius). When bulk fermentation is complete, the dough should rise between 20-30% in size. The dough will feel a little tacky, but it will be pliable and easy to work with at this point. You may see a few small shallow bubbles on the surface. It will not be jiggly. OROvernight: After the last fold, cover the bowl with two damp tea towels and allow to rise overnight at room temperature. This will take about 8-10 hours at 70F (21C), but in a cooler kitchen, the dough can take up to 10-12 hours to rise – this is the norm in my chilly kitchen 68F (18C). Use the time as a guide and not a determining factor. The dough is ready when it no longer looks dense, is jiggly when the bowl is shaken, has bubbles on the surface, and has about doubled in size.
- Pre-Shape the Dough: with damp fingertips, coax the dough onto a floured work-surface. With moist fingers, take a portion of the dough, gently stretch it towards you and fold it over towards the center, pressing it down gently. Repeat this process until you work the dough all the way around the dough. Using a bench scraper flip the dough over, cover with a tea towel. Rest the dough for 15-20 minutes. While the dough rests, thoroughly coat the inside of a 9 inch x 5 inch (23cm X 12cm) loaf pan with olive oil. Set aside. Shape the Dough: Flour the work surface and using a bench scraper, flip the dough back over. Use the photos in the blog post to help guide shaping. Gently shape the dough into a rough rectangle by dimpling the dough (think focaccia), to roughly 6 inches wide and 8-10 inches long. Fold the dough letter style 2/3 over onto itself and crease it firmly using the pinky side of your hand. Fold the 1/3 piece left, over the crease and pinch the seam closed. Fold in the ends, coming in about a 3/4 inch – 1 inch each, and pinch the seams closed. Flip the bread over, rock it back and forth a bit, and gently fluff the ends in. Cover with a tea towel and allow the dough to rest for about 5-10 minutes. Scrape your work surface area of any excess flour and very lightly spritz it with water (this will help increase surface tension as you do the final shaping). Place the dough on the spritz of water (seam side down) and using lightly floured hands, cup the back of the dough and gently pull it towards you until the surface is taught. Gently fluff the ends in again if needed to fit into the loaf pan.Once the surface is taut and with one swift move, use the bench scraper to scoop the dough up and, place the dough into the prepared loaf pan seam side down. If there are misshapen edges or a wrinkled top that need tucking in, use a moistened rubber spatula to gently finesse and shape the edges of the dough down into the pan.
- Proof the Dough (second rise): Cover the pan with a damp tea towel and allow the dough to rise until the dough has risen to about 1 1/4 inch (3.2 cm) above the lip of the pan at the center of the dough.Same Day Dough: Proof your dough in a turned off oven with the light on (80-82 Fahrenheit (26-27 Celsius). At this temperature, proofing takes about 1 1/2 – 2 hours. *Be sure to remove the pan from the oven before preheating the oven.*OROvernight Dough: Proof at room temperature. The amount of time this takes will vary depending on ambient temperature. At 70F (21C) proofing takes about an hour. In my chilly kitchen at 68F (20C), about an hour and 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, set an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425F (218C).
- Bake: Place the loaf into the oven and then, reduce the oven temperature to 400F (204C). Bake for 30-40 minutes. The bread is ready when the internal temperature (read on a digital food thermometer) of the loaf is between 190F – 205F (87C – 96C). When done, transfer to a wire rack. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool 1 hour before slicing.
- Storage Notes: Sourdough is best enjoyed on the same day it's baked, but it lasts for 3-4 days stored at room temperature. Store at room temperature cut side down on a cutting board. This bread freezes beautifully. Store baked bread in a freezer bag either whole or sliced for up to two weeks. Thaw at room temperature. This bread can go straight from freezer to toaster to make the most delicious toast!
Notes
This recipe was adapted from my Soft Multigrain Sourdough Sandwich Bread recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1loaf | Calories: 2143kcal | Carbohydrates: 357g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 33g | Sodium: 3514mg | Potassium: 493mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Made it? Leave a comment below!
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Been playing. Around with sourdough for quite a while, first sourdough, sandwich bread. loaf, I’ve made it is perfect. I am so proud of myself, so thank you. I did add a teaspoon of bread inprover.
Hi Greg! I’m so happy to read about your success and you’ve made a perfect loaf. That’s something to celebrate! Thank you for your note and five star review!
I love this recipe. I’ve made both versions and it turns out perfect.
One thing to note, if you put the light on and close the door of the oven, it’s often much hotter than 82 degrees (mine was over 100). My dough was practically overflowing after the three hours. The bread still turned out wonderful. I’m going to try with the light on and the door open a bit next time.
Hii Juliet! Thank you for your note and sending a smile! Definitely try to keep your bulk and proof temperature down, max 82F. If your kitchen is warm, you can proof it without putting it in the oven with the light on, or just in the oven without the light on. It’s all about temperature control. Our ovens are probably not the same, so my oven with the light on (and because I live in the cool PNW), runs between 80-82F consistently. Ambient temperature, seasons and oven light bulb temperature will create temperature variations. So glad the bread was still good!
This is the softest, tastiest bread I’ve made thus far!
Love hearing this Kristin! Thank you for your note and giving the sourdough a go!
I am new to sourdough bread making. This has been the easiest recipe to do and the most successful recipe to date! I shared with my brother, who is a long time sourdough bread maker. He loved it too!
That’s terrific news, Kate! Thank you for your note, and five star review. SO glad you and your brother are enjoying the recipe!
I am wanting to try a recipe with sweetener and oil. I usually Bake in loaf pans. Can I Bulk ferment until it’s about 80% Risen and then Pre-shape, Rest, Then shape and add to a loaf pan and cold proof overnight and bake with another loaf pan on top the next morning
Hi Susan! While I’ve not tried this approach, I think it could work. I’d love to hear if you give it a go!
I am curious if you tried this cold proof method and what you thought? The first time I made this I did the upside down pan and it was amazing! I was considering adding a cold proof this time.
Hi Summer! So glad you’re enjoying the recipe! I’ve not cold proofed this specific recipe, but have others. What I do is bulk ferment to 50%, then, shape, pan, cover and cold proof for 12-24 hours. I bake straight from the fridge. You may need to add a few more minutes to your bake. Keep us posted if you give it a go!
Fantastic recipe! I’ve made it over a dozen times and it always comes out perfect. Easy enough for beginners too. A couple changes I usually do are using honey instead of maple syrup and doing half butter half olive oil. Thank you for sharing- it’s our go to weekly sandwich bread.
Love hearing this SJ! Thank you for your note and tips about honey and butter (yum!). SO glad y’all are enjoying the sourdough!
My first sourdough bread with my new starter and it came out perfect! I love the detailed instructions and helpful hints. I’m definitely printing this out so I don’t lose it.
Hooray, Christine! Thank you for your note, feedback and giving the recipe a go!
This recipe is absolute perfection! I’m not the most confident sourdough baker, but I found this very approachable thanks to your detailed instructions and photos.
I’ve been looking for a sandwich loaf recipe that uses sourdough starter, and this one nails it.
I used Redmond Real Salt and added it to the wet ingredients first to help it better disperse before mixing the dough. I also lined my loaf pan with parchment, making clean up a breeze and no dough sticking to the pan.
You’re right when you say the dough is ready when it’s ready. Mine took a bit longer proofing in the pan using the same-day method, but man was this worth the wait!
I’ve been baking this weekly for a while now, completely obsessed…
That being said, my husband (chef) thinks it’s just a bit too dense….
Any suggestions on what i could be doing wrong / tips to try and make it a little ‘lighter’?
He totally loves this, we go through at least a loaf a week… just wondering if there is a tweak somewhere…
Hi Steph! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go. SO glad to hear y’all are enjoying the bread! Here’s a few things you can try to lighten up the bread. 1. extend your bulk fermentation – push it to its limit to double in size (without over fermenting – this is for the overnight method). This may take some trial and error. Also, you can try proofing your bread to reaching 1 1/2 inches above the lip of the pan at center. Keep us posted, okay?
Made this recipe today (one day) and it looks dang near perfect!!!❣️ Have only been making sourdough for a few months so had to read and reread the recipe numerous times to understand what to do next. But I’m pretty proud of how it turned out! Can’t figure out how to add a photo…sorry
Amazing, Lyn! I’m thrilled to hear about your success! Thank you for your note. I’d looove to see a picture of your sourdough – please email if you like – traci(at)VanillaAndBean(dot)com. After making the recipe once (and rereading all the detail), it gets easier!!