Lightly sweetened, my overnight maple oat sourdough sandwich bread features whole rolled oats and whole wheat flour. It has a soft tender crumb and earthy flavor, ideal for sammies and toast! Use a fluffy, doubled in size Sourdough Bread Starter for the best crumb.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Recipe Review: “Found this recipe a couple of months ago and it turns out perfect every time! It’s my new go to for sandwich bread.” ~ Kris
Sourdough Love
There are many sourdough variations, and while I adore a crusty classic or multigrain sourdough, I can never pass up a softer loaf for toast, sandwiches, and French toast.
So I set out to create a softer loaf with earthy flavors in the shape of traditional sandwich bread. This loaf, my Soft Multigrain Sourdough Sandwich Bread and Fresh Sourdough Sandwich Bread are among my favorites. They all stand up to the sandwich test and taste delicious!
This Recipe Is
- made overnight with a short morning proof
- earthy, and lightly sweetened
- tender and so soft
If you make homemade sourdough bread recipes, you’ll love this reader favorite sandwich bread.
Need a sourdough starter? Follow my step by step guide to make Homemade Sourdough Bread Starter.
__________________________
How to Make Maple Oat Sourdough Sandwich Bread
step by step
The rolled oats are a nice surprise in this dough. They soften as the dough ferments, so they’re barely noticeable in the crumb yet add a soft, earthy flavor to this loaf.
Bulk fermentation (first rise) is complete when the dough no longer looks or feels dense, is tacky, not sticky, is jiggly when the bowl is shaken, and has about doubled in size. You may also see a few large bubbles on the surface of the dough.
_____________________
How to Shape the Dough
Fitting Sourdough into Your Schedule
When it comes to sourdough, fitting it into your schedule can be achieved through a little strategic planning and, if needed, using a technique I keep in my back pocket for when something comes up and I need to extend the time between mixing and proofing…
…because things come up, right?
Retarding the dough is optional but is a tool for bread bakers to manage the speed at which the dough rises. Retardation is simply the process of placing the dough in the refrigerator to slow down fermentation so the rise takes longer. This is handy for flavor development but also, as a time management tool.
When to Retard the Dough
I do this when I mix in the morning. I just pop it in the fridge for the day, then pull it to room temperature before I go to bed. It’s doubled in size by morning!
During Bulk: for this loaf, retard during bulk to slow down the rise allowing flexibility for when the dough will be shaped, proofed and baked. The dough still needs to double in size during bulk fermentation (first rise), so after refrigeration I pull it to room temperature, and let it finish rising, until it doubles in size. I’ve not tested the limits of this, but up to about 10 hours in the refrigerator generally fits my schedule.
When is the Second Rise (proof) Done?
When the dough has risen in the loaf pan to about 3/4″ – 1″ (2cm – 2.54cm) above the lip of the pan at the center. Have a ruler ready for this part! The amount of time it takes to proof will vary depending on ambient temperature. At 70F (21C) proofing takes about an hour. It can take up to twoish hours in a chilly kitchen (raises hand!).
If you’d like to speed this process along, you can put the loaf in a turned off oven with the light on. Just be sure to remove the loaf before preheating your oven for baking!
Traci’s Tips
- Whole Wheat Bread Flour: this maple oat sourdough sandwich bread calls for whole wheat bread flour, which can sometimes be hard to find. If unavailable, use regular whole wheat flour. The difference is subtle, but whole wheat bread flour yields a little bit stretchier dough and is easier to work with.
- Kitchen Tools: I recommend a digital oven thermometer for monitoring accurate oven temperature and weighing your ingredients using a digital kitchen scale for best outcome (affiliate link).
Overnight Maple Oat Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
For the Soaker:
- 1 C (100g) Whole Rolled Oats, plus 2 Tbs for the top
- 1/2 C (105g) Water, room temperature
For the Dough:
- 3/4 C (150g) Sourdough Starter, 100% hydration, previously feed and bubbly
- 1 C (230g) Milk, (nut milk or whole dairy milk) I use 1/2 diluted unsweetened cashew milk – 80F (26C)
- 1/4 C (80g) Maple Syrup
- 1 Tbs (14g) Olive Oil, + more for oiling the pan
- 1/2 C + 1 Tbs (100g) Whole Wheat Bread Flour , (see note**) or whole wheat flour
- 2 C + 3 1/2 Tbs (300g) Bread Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp (10g) Fine Sea Salt
Instructions
For the Soaker:
- Add the oats to a small bowl and pour the water over them. The water wont fully cover the oats – that's okay. Set aside.
For the Dough:
- Mix the Dough: In the evening, whisk the starter, milk, maple syrup and oil together in a large bowl with a fork. Add the flours and salt. First, mix with a fork, the dough will be shaggy. Then mix by hand, mixing, folding and pushing the dough until the flour is fully incorporated and no dry bits are present. It will seem dry at first, but the more you work the dough, the more hydrated it will become. The dough will feel stiff and it will stick to your fingers as you go. Do this for about 3-4 minutes. Use the fork to scrape off the dough on your fingers as much as you can. Cover bowl with a damp tea towel. Set a timer for for 30 minutes and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. Now is a good time to feed/refresh your starter.
- Incorporate the Soaker: After the dough has rested, mix in the soaker. To do this, dump the soaker on top of the dough and begin kneading and folding the dough over and on top of itself, incorporating the ingredients of the soaker. Do this for about 2-3 minutes or until the soaker is evenly distributed in the dough. It will seem like a lot of added bits, but as you work the dough and as the dough develops through fermentation, the soaker will incorporate. The dough will be stiff, wet and sticky. Cover bowl with a damp tea towel, set a timer for 30 minutes and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
- 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 a little less stiff and more workable at this point. Repeat, until you've worked your way around the dough. If the dough feels *too* stiff, you can always let it rest another 15 minutes. This is the first fold, and you can stop here and begin bulk fermentation, but If time permits, and optimally, you'll want to repeat this fold two more times as it improves the final dough's structure and crumb. Allow for about 30 minutes between the second and third fold.
- Bulk Fermentation (first rise): After the last fold, cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow to rise overnight at room temperature (see note* on optionally retarding the dough). This will take about 8-10 hours at 70F (21C), but in a cooler kitchen the dough can take up to 12-14 hours to rise – this is the norm in my chilly kitchen 66F (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, and has about doubled in size.
- Shape the Dough: In the morning, and with damp fingertips, coax the dough into 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, throughly coat the inside of a 9×5" (23cm X 12cm) loaf pan with olive or coconut oil. Set aside.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 (sort of a football/oblong shape if you can) by dimpling the dough (think focaccia), to roughly 6" wide and 8-10" long. Fold the dough lengthwise 2/3 over onto itself and crease it firmly using the pinky side of your hand. Fold the 1/3 piece left towards the crease and pinch the seam closed. Fold in the ends, coming in about an 3/4" – 1" and pinch the seam closed. Flip the bread over and rock it back and fourth 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. 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. If there's any misshapen edges that need tucking in, use a moist 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 rises to about 3/4" – 1" (2cm – 2.54cm) above the lip of the pan at the center of the dough. The amount of time will vary depending on ambient temperature. At 70F (21C) proofing takes about an hour. In my chilly kitchen, about two hours.Set an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat your oven to 450F (232C).
- Bake the Dough: Lightly spritz the top of your loaf with water and sprinkle 1-2 Tbs of Rolled oats over the top. Place the loaf into the oven and then, reduce the oven temperature to 400F (204C). Bake for 45-55 minutes, rotating and tenting the loaf at about 25-30 minutes so it doesn't get too dark. The bread is ready when the internal temperature 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 consumed 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.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
Nutrition
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!
The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications or helping other commentors.
is it normal for the dough to be wet and sticky in the middle of the folding process?
Hi Scout! In the middle of the folding process, the dough is still somewhat sticky. It should be able to hold somewhat of a shape at this point and should be more tackyish than wet. If it’s too wet, you can sprinkle in a tablespoon of flour as long as you’re doing another fold. I hope this helps!
outstanding!
So happy to hear, Abby! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note :D
Thanks for sharing! I bet kids love this recipe too!
It’s so soft and has a nice, slightly sweet edge!
This look so good! I love a good sweet bread! It’s so nice that it freezes too so you can make a couple at a time!
Thank you Suzanne! LMK if you give it a go!
I make a double loaf of this bread REGULARLY. It’s easily the best sourdough sandwich bread I’ve made and I’ve tried a LOT. Would love to see more sourdough sandwich loaf recipes! But in the mean time, I’ll keep making this tried and true recipe.
Hooray! Emily! Thank you for your note and giving the sourdough a go. So happy to hear! I’m working on more sourdough loaves… coming soon!
Thank you!! Made my first loaf of this – baked today.
This is a fabulous recipe and just may become my go to sourdough bread recipe!! Tastes great and looks great. Crust is very tasty but is softer than the artisanal style breads. Better for my expensive dental work ;-)
Hi Lesley! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go. So happy to hear you’re enjoying the sourdough, and that lighter and softer crumb!
It came out beautiful. I used a whole wheat starter and added 65g of whole wheat flour. Baked in a bigger Pullman loaf pan. Followed all the instructions as is – and it worked very well. I like the fact that it works with my schedule – a little work in the evening and then continue the next day, but not too early in the morning. I wish I could upload a picture of my bread here with the comment. Thank you for the recipe!
Hooray, Vera! Thank you for your note, sharing your tips and giving the sourdough a go! Isn’t it so nice how sourdough can fit into your schedule? I’d love to see a pic of your bread! Please send an email: traci@vanillaandbean.com
Love this recipe so much, thank you for sharing.
Thank you for your note Deb! :D
I am relatively new to sour dough bread baking but found this recipe to be way too labor intensive for the results. I appreciate the comprehensiveness of the directions and like using the oats soaker but found my bread to be kind of “doughy”. No complaints from the family and it will make great toast.
Hi Linda! I’m sorry this sourdough did not meet your expectations.
I was concerned that perhaps I made a mistake on the amount of flour because the dough was stiff and heavy throughout the stretch and folds. Although it did grow during fermentation, it never stopped being stiff. I went ahead and baked it — the resulting bread is slightly sweet, and moist yet light! A bit baffling but I will be making this again (though increasing amounts by 1/3 to better fit my sandwich mold). Great breakfast toast!
Hi Gabriela! Thank you for your note. I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying the sourdough! Indeed, the dough is a bit stiffer due to the amount of whole grains. But a more tender bread emerges due to the oats! Baffling but what a nice result. I added a note on the recipe regarding rest time. Feel free to give the dough an additional 15 minutes between folds to help the dough relax. That’ll make it a bit easier to stretch! Please let us know if that helps!