Description

This easy sourdough sandwich bread recipe yields two soft, flavorful loaves perfect for sandwiches or toast. It uses a pre-ferment made from a fed sourdough starter which ferments overnight to develop complex flavors. The dough is enriched with fat, sweetener, and warm milk for a tender crumb and golden crust. The step-by-step method combines traditional sourdough fermentation with a stand mixer for ease, resulting in homemade bread with a delicate texture and slight tang—ideal for everyday use.

Ingredients

Scale

Starter and Pre-ferment

1 cup active sourdough starter
1 cup water (milk or buttermilk optional)
1 1/2 cups flour

Dough

2 tbsp fat (butter, oil, melted coconut oil or beef tallow; warm is best if house is cool; or 1 egg)
2 tbsp sweetener (honey or sugar)
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups milk or buttermilk (any kind, warm in winter, cold in summer)
4 1/2 – 5 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour

Instructions

Feed Sourdough Starter: Start with about 1/4 cup of your sourdough starter, then feed it by adding about 1 cup of flour and 2/3 cup of warm water. Mix it well and let it sit at room temperature to become active and bubbly. This step typically takes place in the morning before baking.
Combine Pre-ferment Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine 1 cup of the active starter, 1 cup of water or milk, and 1 1/2 cups of flour. Mix on low speed for about one minute until combined. Cover the bowl and ferment the dough overnight at room temperature. This develops flavor and improves the dough’s texture.
Mix the Bread Dough: The next morning, add to the pre-ferment the chosen fat (butter, oil, coconut oil, beef tallow, or an egg), sweetener (honey or sugar), salt, 1 1/2 cups warm or cold milk or buttermilk depending on season, and 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups of all-purpose or bread flour. Mix on the stand mixer until partially combined, then continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic.
First Rise: Once mixed, cover the dough and allow it to rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size. This can take several hours depending on the ambient temperature.
Shape Loaves: After the dough has doubled, divide it into two equal portions. Shape each portion into a loaf and place them into greased bread pans.
Second Rise (Proofing): Cover the pans and let the dough rise once more until it has risen to just above the top of the pans, creating a nice dome shape.
Bake the Bread: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the loaves for about 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown on top and the internal temperature reaches about 190°F (88°C). The bread should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Cool the Bread: Remove the bread from the pans and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. This prevents the bread from becoming gummy inside.

Notes

You can scale this recipe up to make more loaves if needed.
Feeding your sourdough starter generously before baking helps ensure strong fermentation.
Using warm ingredients helps accelerate yeast activity in cooler environments.
Fat choice can be varied between butter, oils, or egg depending on dietary needs and flavor preferences.
Milk or buttermilk can be substituted; buttermilk adds a slight tang to the bread.
Adjust flour quantity as needed based on dough consistency; the dough should be soft but not sticky.
Allow bread to cool fully before slicing to maintain crumb structure.

Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus starter feeding and overnight fermentation)
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Baking
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: sourdough bread,sandwich bread,homemade bread,sourdough starter,bread baking,easy bread recipe