🥪 Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread

A soft, fluffy everyday sandwich loaf with a tender crumb and mild sourdough flavor.

🧰 Equipment

1 standard loaf pan (approximately 9x5 inches)

💡 The Two-Pan Trick: While you only need one pan to bake the actual bread, having a second identical loaf pan works best. Invert the second pan and use it as a lid to trap steam during the first half of the bake. If you don't have a second pan, aluminum foil works too!

🧾 Ingredients

150g active sourdough starter
325g warm water
30g oil (avocado oil or light-tasting olive oil)
25g honey
500g bread flour
10g salt
Butter (for brushing the finished crust)

🥣 Mix the Dough

In a large mixing bowl, combine:

325g warm water
150g active sourdough starter
30g oil
25g honey

Whisk until the mixture looks milky and slightly frothy.

Add 500g bread flour and 10g salt. Mix with a dough whisk or spatula until combined.

Using a slightly damp hand (or glove), continue mixing for a few minutes until no dry flour remains. The dough will look shaggy at first. That's normal.

Cover and let rest for 1 hour.

✋ Stretch and Folds

After the rest, perform 4 rounds of stretch and folds, spaced 30 minutes apart.

One round:

Wet your hand lightly
Grab one edge of the dough
Stretch it upward
Fold it into the center
Rotate the bowl and repeat on all four sides

Cover and rest 30 minutes between each round. Each round will help the dough become smoother and stronger.

🌤️ Rest & Rise

After your final stretch and fold, cover the dough and let it rest until it becomes light, airy, and puffy. This usually takes about 4-8 hours, depending on room temperature and starter strength.

👀 Your dough is ready when it has roughly doubled in size, looks smooth and puffy, jiggles when the bowl is gently shaken, and feels airy and full of gas.

🍞 Shape the Dough

Lightly dampen your work surface and gently turn out the dough. Pat or stretch it into a rectangle.

Fold one side into the center.
Fold the opposite side into the center so the edges meet.
Using lightly damp fingers, gently press out any large air bubbles.
Starting from one short end, roll the dough into a log.
Pinch the seam and ends closed.

Place the dough seam-side down into a greased loaf pan.

🧺 Final Proof

Cover the loaf pan and let the dough rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours. The dough is ready when it looks noticeably puffy and has risen to fill most of the pan.

🔥 Bake

Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).

When the dough is ready, use a sharp blade or bread lame to make 3 evenly spaced shallow cuts across the top of the loaf.

Lightly mist the top of the dough with water.

If you have two pans: Cover the loaf pan by inverting the second greased loaf pan directly on top of it to trap the steam.
If you have one pan: Tent the loaf pan loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil, ensuring it arches high enough that the rising dough won't hit it.

Bake for 30 minutes covered at 400°F (204°C). Remove the cover. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for another 15 minutes.

🌡️ The loaf is fully baked when the internal temperature reaches 205°F (96°C).

🧈 Finish

Remove the bread from the loaf pan immediately to prevent the crust from getting soggy, and place it on a wire cooling rack.

The Secret to a Soft Crust: While the loaf is steaming hot, generously brush the top crust with salted or unsalted butter.

Allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing.

Sourdough takes repetition, not perfection. Each bake teaches you something about your dough. 🤍