Sourdough Sandwich Bread
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Growing up, sandwiches were always the go-to for quick meals and snacks for our family. There’s something so nostalgic about a classic turkey sandwich or a PB&J. The downside, though, is we were always eating enriched white bread that contained no sort of nutritional benefit. This sourdough sandwich bread uses clean, simple ingredients and provides gut-healthy bacteria for you and the rest of the family. I feel good serving this to my family knowing it’s made with high quality and healthy ingredients.
- Prep Time: 12.5 hours
- Bake Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 13 hours
Meal Ideas
Here are a few great ideas for how to use your homemade sandwich bread:
- High protein turkey sandwiches
- Peanut butter and jelly
- Toast/French toast
- Grilled cheese (my personal favorite)
Some days are busier than others and on those really busy days, it’s nice to be able to throw a quick sandwich together. Sandwiches can easily be made high protein and nutrient dense by adding some protein-packed meat/cheese and some microgreens.
Homemade Bread Storage Options
- Room Temperature: Homemade sandwich bread can be stored at room temperature in a bread bag or bread box for 3-5 days before going stale.
- Frozen: Homemade sandwich bread can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. You can either freeze the loaf whole in a bread bag or pre-slice the bread. If you pre-slice the bread, you’ll want to lay the slices out on a baking sheet and for an initial freezing and then place the slices together in a bread bag to be stored in the freezer. This keeps the slices from sticking together. I personally use this method so I don’t have to worry about the bread going stale. Plus, if you want to make a single sandwich, you can just defrost 2 slices rather than defrosting the entire loaf. The image below shows how to freeze the pre-sliced bread:
Making your own sandwich bread does not have to be a daunting task and can even be enjoyable. Kneading the bread and shaping it with your own two hands can even be a relaxing and therapeutic process. Follow along for a delicious homemade sourdough sandwich bread recipe. Now, let’s get to baking!
Equipment
- Large glass or ceramic bowl or stand mixer (paid link) with attachments
- Silicone spatula
- 8×4 bread baking pan (paid link)
Ingredients
- 240 g (1 cup) water
- 150 g (3/4 cup) active sourdough starter
- 24 g (2 tablespoons) sugar
- 18 g (1 tablespoon) salt
- 28 g (2 tablespoons) butter, melted
- 510 g (2 1/4 cup) all purpose flour
- 510 g (2 1/4 cup) bread flour
Instructions
- First, add all ingredients to the bowl of your stand mixer or to a large glass or ceramic bowl.
- Then, using a silicone spatula or the paddle attachment on your mixer, mix the ingredients together until well incorporated.
- Allow the mixture to rest for about 5 minutes so the flour can absorb some of the liquid.
- Next, add the dough hook to your stand mixer (or knead by hand) for 8-10 minutes or until smooth.*
- Then, shape the dough into a nice ball with your hands. If in the stand mixer bowl, transfer the dough to a glass or ceramic bowl for the bulk rise.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and allow to rise for 8-10 hours/overnight or until double in size.**
- Next, remove the dough from the bowl and place on a floured surface.
- Then, roll the dough out flat until it is about 1 inch in thickness.
- Roll up the dough jelly-roll style and then tuck each end of the roll underneath the loaf ensuring all seams are facing down.
- Next, place the loaf seam-side down in the bread baking pan.
- Allow the dough to rise for an additional 2-4 hours or until double in size.
- Preheat your oven to 500 F.***
- Then, place the dough in the oven and immediately decrease the temperature to 400 F to continue baking.
- Next, bake the dough for 25-30 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the bread reads around 205-210 F.
- Allow the bread to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. I’ll explain why below.
- Finally, enjoy your hard work!
Notes
- *A cool trick I learned is to poke the dough gently with your finger. If it springs back quickly, it does not need additional kneading. If it is slow to spring back, it needs to be kneaded a little more.
- **Rise time will always depend on the temperature of your home. In a hotter home, the dough will rise much more quickly, so just keep an eye on it.
- ***Preheating to 500 F lends a crispier crust for your bread loaf.
Allowing the bread to cool before slicing into it is important for any bread product and important for a few reasons:
- The inside of the bread loaf will become more solid as the loaf cools – preventing tearing when slicing into it.
- The moisture fully distributes itself through the loaf while cooling.
- Cooling before slicing helps with flavor development.
The Best Easy and Structured Sourdough Sandwich Bread
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12.5
hours30
minutesIngredients
240 g (1 cup) water
150 g (3/4 cup) active sourdough starter
24 g (2 tablespoons) sugar
18 g (1 tablespoon) salt
28 g (2 tablespoons) butter, melted
510 g (2 1/4 cup) all purpose flour
510 g (2 1/4 cup) bread flour
Instructions
First, add all ingredients to the bowl of your stand mixer or to a large glass or ceramic bowl.
Then, using a silicone spatula or the paddle attachment on your mixer, mix the ingredients together until well-incorporated.
Allow the mixture to rest for about 5 minutes so the flour can absorb some of the liquid.
Next, add the dough hook to your stand mixer (or knead by hand) for 8-10 minutes or until smooth.*
Then, shape the dough into a nice ball with your hands. If in the stand mixer bowl, transfer the dough to a glass or ceramic bowl for the bulk rise.
Cover the bowl with a towel and allow to rise for 8-10 hours/overnight or until double in size.**
Next, remove the dough from the bowl and place on a floured surface.
Then, roll the dough flat until it is about 1 inch in thickness.
Roll up the dough jelly-roll style and then tuck each end of the roll underneath the loaf ensuring all seams are facing down.
Next, place the loaf seam-side down in the bread baking pan.
Allow the dough to rise for an additional 2-4 hours or until double in size.
Preheat your oven to 500 F.***
Then, place the dough in the oven and immediately decrease the temperature to 400 F to continue baking.
Next, bake the dough for 25-30 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the bread reads around 205-210 F.
Allow the bread to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Finally, enjoy your hard work!
Notes
- *A cool trick I learned is to poke the dough gently with your finger. If it springs back quickly, it does not need additional kneading. If it is slow to spring back, it needs to be kneaded a little more.
- Rise time will always depend on the temperature of your home. In a hotter home, the dough will rise much more quickly, so just keep an eye on it.
- Preheating to 500 F lends a crispier crust for your bread loaf.
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