Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread

If you love soft, fluffy sandwich bread but want the benefits of sourdough, this recipe is for you! Unlike many sourdough loaves that are rustic and chewy, this one is light, airy, and perfect for sandwiches or toast. This recipe is also no-knead, you don’t need a stand mixer or any special equipment. With just a few rounds of gentle stretching and folding, you’ll get a beautifully structured dough.

Why Sourdough Bread Is Worth the Hype?

Sourdough bread has stood the test of time, not just for its unique taste and texture but also for its potential health benefits. Unlike conventional bread made with baker’s yeast, sourdough uses a natural fermentation process involving wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. It’s loaded with benefits that set it apart from regular bread:

• It’s naturally more nutritious: The fermentation process breaks down phytic acid, which can block your body from absorbing minerals like magnesium and zinc. This means sourdough helps you get more of the good stuff from your bread.
• Easier to digest: Thanks to its long fermentation, sourdough breaks down gluten more effectively than bread made with baker’s yeast. This makes it gentler on the stomach, especially for those with mild gluten sensitivities.
• Better for blood sugar: Sourdough has a lower glycemic index, meaning it digests more slowly and is less likely to cause spikes in blood sugar levels.
• The flavor is unbeatable: That tangy, slightly sour taste and the perfect mix of crusty and soft textures make sourdough a joy to eat.

Sourdough Sandwich Bread Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Active sourdough starter: Make sure it’s active and bubbly. Your starter is your wild yeast.
• Water: just filtered water at room temperature.
• Olive Oil: Adds a touch softness.
• Flour: All purpose or bread flour works best.
• Honey: This helps soften the bread.
• Salt: Use any salt.

Tips for Success

• Give your starter time: Make sure your sourdough starter is bubbly and doubled in size before you begin. This ensures that your dough will rise beautifully.
• Go slow: Sourdough bread requires time and patience. Let the dough rest, rise, and work its magic.
• Temperature matters: If your kitchen is chilly, consider giving your dough a bit more time to rise. Warmth helps the fermentation process.

How To Make Sourdough Sandwich Bread

1. Mix the Dough

In a large mixing bowl, combine water, sourdough starter, honey, and olive oil. Stir well. Add flour and salt, then mix until combined. The dough will be shaggy. Cover and let it rest for 30–40 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate.

2. Stretch & Folds (Strengthening the Dough)

Perform 3 to 5 rounds of stretch and folds, resting 30 minutes between each round. To do a stretch and fold:

1. Grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over.
2. Repeat on all four sides (8 to 10 stretch & folds).
3. Cover and let it rest 30 minutes before repeating.

3. Bulk Fermentation

Cover the bowl and let the dough ferment at room temperature until it nearly doubles in size (4–8 hours, depending on room temperature).

After bulk fermentation, if it’s late at night and you don’t want to shape immediately, place the dough in the fridge overnight. This slow fermentation enhances the flavor and makes the process more convenient.

5. Shaping the Dough

1. Flour a work surface and turn out the dough.
2. Gently stretch it into a rectangle.
3. Fold one side toward the center, then the other side.
4. Roll the dough from bottom to top, creating a loaf shape.

6. Proofing

Place the dough in a greased loaf pan and cover. Let it proof at room temperature until puffy and nearly doubled (about 2–4 hours).

7. Baking

1. Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F).
2. Bake for 45–50 minutes, until golden brown.
3. Brush with butter, remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

8. Storing & Freezing

• Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Freezing: Slice and freeze in a bag for up to 3 months. Toast from frozen!

FAQ

Can I skip the overnight fridge fermentation?
Yes! But if it’s late at night, refrigerating the dough overnight makes baking more convenient.

Why is my bread dense?
This could be due to:

• A weak sourdough starter
• Underproofing the dough
• Overproofing before baking

Final Thoughts

This sourdough soft sandwich bread is an absolute game-changer! Light, fluffy, and naturally fermented, it’s perfect for everyday sandwiches, toast, and meal prep.

Give it a try, and let me know how it turns out in the comments!

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Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread (No-Knead & Fluffy!)

This soft and fluffy sourdough sandwich bread is naturally fermented, easy to make, and requires no kneading! Perfect for sandwiches, toast, and meal prep.

Prep Time 1 day

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 300 g water 1 ¼ cups
• 120 g active sourdough starter ½ cup
• 40 g raw honey 2 tbsp
• 20 g olive oil 1 ½ tbsp
• 500 g all-purpose or bread flour 4 cups
• 10 g salt 2 tsp

Instructions

Mix the Dough

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine water, sourdough starter, honey, and olive oil. Stir well.
2. Add flour and salt, then mix until combined. The dough will be shaggy.
3. Cover and let the dough rest for 30–40 minutes.

Stretch & Folds

1. Perform 3 to 5 rounds of stretch and folds, resting 30 minutes between each round.

2. To stretch and fold: grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over. Repeat on all four sides (8 to 10 stretch and folds).

Bulk Fermentation

1. Cover the bowl and let the dough ferment at room temperature until nearly doubled in size (4–8 hours, depending on temperature).

2. If it’s late at night, you can refrigerate the dough overnight and shape & bake the next day for convenience.

Shaping the Dough

1. Flour a work surface and turn out the dough.
2. Gently stretch it into a rectangle.
3. Fold one side toward the center, then the other side.
4. Roll from bottom to top, creating a loaf shape.

Proofing

1. Place the dough in a greased loaf pan and cover.
2. Let it proof at room temperature until puffy and nearly doubled (about 2–4 hours).

Baking

1. Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F).

2. Bake for 45–50 minutes, until golden brown.

3. Brush with butter, remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Storing & Freezing

1. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
2. Slice and freeze in a bag for up to 3 months. Toast straight from frozen!