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Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread
By Alexandra Stafford
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Last Updated: 03/04/2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This 4-ingredient sourdough sandwich bread requires no complicated shaping, no scoring, and no preheated heavy Dutch oven. Grab your mixing bowl, pull out a spatula, and butter your loaf pan. This one is simple and delicious!
As its name suggests, this sourdough sandwich bread recipe is easy, a simple mix of flour, water, salt, and sourdough starter. In sum, it’s an adaptation of my mother’s peasant bread recipe with the sugar and yeast omitted and sourdough starter added. Like this sourdough focaccia, the dough is high-hydration, which yields a soft crumb, perfect for sandwiches when freshly baked and excellent for toast, too.
In the world of sourdough bread baking, crusty boules, open-crumbed rolls, and pillowy focaccia get all the glory. But I would argue a simple sandwich loaf deserves just as much praise, if not more, not only for its ease in assembly, but also its utility.
Find step-by-step instructions as well as video guidance below.
PS: How to Build a Sourdough Strater from Scratch
PPS: How to Activate, Feed, and Maintain A Sourdough Starter
How to Make Sourdough Sandwich Bread, Step by Step
First, place 100 grams of starter in a large bowl. As always, for best results, please use a digital scale to measure.
Add 10 grams of salt.
Add 430 grams of water. (You may need to use less water: see recipe box for notes.)
Stir to combine.
Then add 512 grams of bread flour.
Stir to form a sticky dough ball.
Cover with a towel or cloth bowl cover or, preferably, a lidded vessel, and let rest for 30 minutes.
Then, perform a series of stretches and folds. See video for guidance (skip ahead to 1:13). Repeat this 3 more times for a total of 4 sets of stretches and folds during the first two hours. Then, let rise for 6 to 18 hours* (see recipe notes) at room temperature:
Drizzle the surface of the dough with a little bit of olive oil; then fold the dough inwards from the sides to deflate.
Transfer the dough to a large, buttered loaf pan. I use this 10 x 5-inch loaf pan but a 9×5-inch loaf pan will also work.
Let the dough rise just until it begins to crown the rim of the pan, about 6 hours.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown all around.
Let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
It makes excellent toast, too.
I love this tall-sided pullman loaf pan, too:
Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Total Time: 24 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Description
This easy sourdough sandwich bread requires no complicated shaping, no scoring, and no preheated heavy Dutch oven. Grab your mixing bowl, pull out a spatula, and butter your loaf pan. This one is simple and delicious!
Notes:
Pan: You’ll need either a 10 x 5-inch loaf pan or a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
Plan ahead: This dough rises first for 6 to 18 hours (or less if it is super hot out or if you live in a humid area) or until the dough doubles in volume; then again for about 4 to 6 hours or until the dough crowns the rim of the baking vessel.
Troubleshooting: If you have issues with your dough being too sticky, please read this post: Why is my sourdough so sticky? The 4 common mistakes.
If you’re just getting started with sourdough, check out this post first. You’ll find tips there on procuring a starter as well as how to feed it and maintain it. If you’re up for making your starter from scratch, you can do so in just about 1 week.
Water: Chlorine in water can adversely affect sourdough. Leaving water at room temperature for 24 hours will allow most of the chlorine to escape. When I am in the habit of making sourdough bread, I fill a large pitcher with water and leave it out at room temperature. I use this for my sourdough breads and starter. Truth be told, I’ve used water straight from the tap and have not noticed a difference.
Water quantity: Also, depending on where you live and the time of year, you may need to cut the water back. If you live in a humid environment, for instance, I would suggest starting with 400 g or 420 g water. If you are not using bread flour, you also may need to cut the water back a bit. So much success with sourdough relies on getting the water quantity right.
Starter: I use a 100% hydration starter, meaning it is equal parts by weight flour and water. If you need guidance on how to maintain a starter, see this post.
Ingredients
- 100 grams (about 1/2 cup) active starter, see notes above
- 10 grams (about 2.5 teaspoons) kosher salt
- 430 grams water (or less, see notes above), room temperature
- 512 grams (4 cups) bread flour, such as King Arthur Flour
- a few tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- room temperature butter, for greasing
Instructions
- Mix the dough: Place the starter, salt, and water in a large bowl. Stir with a spatula to combine — it doesn’t have to be uniformly mixed. Add the flour. Mix again until the flour is completely incorporated. If you have a straight-sided vessel, transfer the dough to it — it really helps monitor the rise and allows you to see the true growth in volume of the dough.
- Perform one (or more) “stretches and folds”: 30 minutes after you mix the dough, reach into the bowl and pull the dough up and into the center. Turn the bowl quarter turns and continue this pulling 8 to 10 times. See video for guidance. If time permits, repeat this “folding” step every 30 minutes for the first two hours. (Note: even if you perform just 1 fold, your dough will be in good shape.)
- Let it rise. Drizzle with a splash of olive oil and rub to coat. Cover bowl with a tea towel, bowl cover, or a lidded vessel, and set aside to rise at room temperature (70ºF/21ºC) for 4 to 18 hours — if it is super hot out or if you live in a humid environment, it may only take 4-6 hours. When the dough has nearly doubled in volume (or UPDATE: increased in volume by 50%, which is when I now end the bulk fermentation), it is ready. (Note: Do not use an oven with the light on for the bulk fermentation — it will be too warm. It is best to rely on visual cues (increasing in volume by 50% or doubling if you’ve had success with doubling) as opposed to time to determine when the bulk fermentation is done. A straight-sided vessel makes monitoring the bulk fermentation especially easy.)
- Prepare the pan. When the dough has nearly doubled, grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or 10 x 5-inch loaf pan with butter (or nonstick spray).
- Let it proof. Drizzle dough with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Rub your hands with a little bit of oil to coat. Use your hand to release the dough from the sides of the vessel, being careful not to completely deflate the dough. Video guidance here. Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Quickly, shape the dough into a rectangle — fold the dough envelope-style first; then use a bench scraper to shape the dough into a rough rectangle. Transfer dough, seam-side down to prepared loaf pan and gently stretch into an oblong shape. (At this point, you can transfer the pan to the fridge if it makes sense with your schedule: rub the dough with oil and cover with plastic wrap, or tuck the whole pan into a 2-gallon ziptop bag. Transfer to the fridge till the next day. Then proceed with the recipe.) Leave the pan alone for 5 to 6 hours, or until the dough reaches the rim of the pan — this may take less time when it is very warm out. Do be patient with this second rise: to get good height, the dough should be near the rim of the pan before you transfer it to the oven.
- Bake it. Heat oven to 425ºF. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375ºF. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes more or until golden all around. If you have an instant read thermometer, it should register 206-210ºF or so before removing. Remove the pan from the oven and turn the bread out onto a cooling rack. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
- Prep Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Sourdough/Natural Leavening
- Cuisine: American
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
1,405 Comments on “Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread”
Hello!! I’m in the 3rd round of fold and stretch right now and first time making a sandwich sourdough bread. After I put in the loaf pan, do I leave it outside, uncovered to rise?
Hi! Yes, leave it at room temperature. You don’t need to cover the pan but if you notice the dough at all drying out, you can cover the pan.
Thank you for the previous response. I’ve transferred it now to the lagoon after proofing over night. I couldn’t quite shape it as it was quite jiggly 🙂. What did I do wrong?
Hi! It is definitely a wet dough. Did you use a scale to measure? What type of flour? It’s possible given your environment and the flour you are using that you need to hold back some water from the start.
Thank you! I used bread flour and a digital scale. I will make a note to reduce the water next time.
Great re scale and bread flour 🙂 Yes, I think reducing water from the start will help. Try holding back 50 grams of water next time around.
This is a wonderful loaf! As recommended I decreased the water a bit as I used AP flour. I did 380 grams. It’s perfect! I’ve made it 3 times now all with great results. My favorite way to eat this is to get it nice and toasty, spread with Nutella, and a sprinkle of sea salt. Perfect breakfast with coffee!
Great to hear, Dana! Thanks so much for writing and sharing all of this. Nutella + sea salt sounds heavenly 🙂
I’m hooked on your regular easy sourdough and focaccia. I’m making this for sandwiches and have an oval dutch oven but not a bread pan. How do I need to adjust time and temperature to make it work? Thanks.
Hi Debbie! Great to hear 🙂 So are you planning to shape it as best you can into a log/loaf, then transfer it to your oval Dutch oven for the second proof? The dough will spread out considerably in the pan, if so, which is fine. Just let it rise until it doubles, then I would use the same time and temperature, though you might need to reduce the time slightly due to the more spread out shape of the loaf. Start checking after 30 minutes.
I am really excited to make this. Do you have any recommendation on how to double this recipe? I have used formulas for regular bread dough before, but wondering if you had any advice on doubling this recipe or sourdough recipes in general. Thanks!
Hi! Just double all of the ingredients, including the sourdough starter. Ideally you are using a scale to measure.
This worked out so well and was so tasty.
Great to hear, Heather! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
Love this recipe. I’ve made it multiple times, all with good results. As suggested, after a few days if any remains, I slice it, wrap in parchment paper and freeze in silicone bags. When ready to eat, just remove a slice, let it sit 30 minutes or so, then toast. It’s so good!
I wonder if you can use this recipe to make mini-loaves? I have 5.5 X 3.25 X 2.25 pans and would like to make small loaves for gifting.
Great to read all of this! Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes. Definitely use the dough to make mini loaves! The only that will change is the baking time. I would imagine the loaves will be done in 30 minutes or less. You can use an instant read thermometer if you have one to test for doneness: 205ºF or above is about right.
Thank you for this! I’m fairly new to the scene, so to speak. I noticed you’re not using a “dome” to cover the bread when it’s in the oven, using the bread pan. Would you please comment on that? How does that affect the end result of the bread compared to covering it for part of the bake? I’m currently using 500g bread flour, 375g water, 100g starter 10g salt. Cooking at 450 for 30 minutes covered, then 400 to brown for roughly 15 minutes. At 375g of water I’m already struggling with sticky dough and decided to cut back a little. I get mixed results. I’m using King Arthur’s bread flour, but I’ve also used the Member’s Mark bread flour because I can get it in a 25lb bag. I usually make up to 8 loaves, then throw them in the freezer so I can share with family. OH. . . when you say you let your bread rise overnight, from a time standpoint, how many hours is that for you and what temp is your kitchen? Sorry for so many questions, but this stuff can get complicated! LOL
Hi Sylvie!
I use a preheated Dutch oven when I make crusty boules as with this recipe: Homemade Sourdough Bread, Step by Step I’ve never used a dome for my loaf pan loaves, but I’ve heard that using a dome can be helpful… I don’t really have an opinion on it, as I’ve never tried.
Is it very humid where you live? Are you using a straight sided vessel for the bulk fermentation?
My kitchen is on the cold side: 64ºF or so.
I have made this recipe SO many times and it ALWAYS turns out perfect! ❤️
Great to hear, Rebecca! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂
Just made! So easy and it came out fantastic!! Thanks for sharing!!!!
Great to hear, Nichole! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂
I noticed the hydration of this loaf is high can I possibly decrease water to 340-370g. Will this affect the process of making the loaf and will it require measurement adjustments?
Hi Lisa, out of curiosity, why do you want to lower the hydration?
I just find the dough easier to handle and prefer a more tighter crumb.
Got it. Yeah, that should be fine. No change in the process.
Are you at all familiar with the Emile Henry bre as d loaf maker? https://www.emilehenryusa.com/products/bread-loaf-baker?variant=7686310625327 I got one for Christmas. I usually make your sourdough boules, but am trying to figure out a sourdough recipe for sandwich bread to make in my new toy. I’d love to try this recipe for it, but I worry that the recipe is too big for the pan. Thoughts?
Outer Dimensions: 9.4″ x 5.9″ x 4.9″ 24cm x 15cm x 12.5cm
Inner Dimensions: 8.66″ x 2.76″
Capacity: 2.1 qt (2 L)
Thanks!
Hi! I think it will work! Definitely worth a shot. Do be sure to grease it well with butter — the underside of the lid, too. I worry about sticking.
You’re so good at getting back to readers quickly! Thank you! I’ll let you know how it goes!
This was my first ever attempt at making sourdough and it was a success! Thank you for the thorough, easy-to-follow instructions.
Great to hear, Becca! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂
Hi, I am very excited to make this amazing recipe. I am new to baking sourdough. Can I use my 50% starter? And when I measure the amount of starter needed for the recipe do I mix my starter first? Thanks!
Hi! Can you clarify? Do you mean your 50% hydration starter?
I am about to put my dough into the pan. (Step 3.) The instructions are a little unclear as to whether it sits in the pan during the second proof or goes straight to the fridge. Seems like from some of your answers to questions, it needs to sit out at room temp until ready to bake?
I meant to say I am about to do step 4 and 5. My dough has risen nicely overnight and now about to put in the pan for second proofing.
Hi! It should sit at room temperature now until the dough crowns the rim of the pan; at that point it will be ready for the oven. You may want to cover the pan initially but as the dough approaches the cover (whether it’s a towel or a lid) you’ll want to uncover it.
I have a 13×5 bread loaf pan and am wondering how to change the recipe in order to fit this pan size.
Hi Eric, I think 1.5x the recipe would work well for that size pan.
I started with sourdough a few months ago and have tried this recipe many times, unfortunately it always kind of deflates when baking (sometimes quite much). It is very tasty but it ends up a bit dense. I wonder if it is because I have an electric oven. I tried with a tray full of boiling water during the first half of the baking, and that helps a bit.
The starter seems to be fine since it doubles around 4 hours after feeding. The only change I do to the recipe is that I do not use oil (it changes the taste of the bread), but cover with a plastic wrap to prevent the dough from drying. Any thoughts?
One question, I bake the bread when the dough is near the rim of the pan as the recipe states, should I expect the dough to rise above the rim while in the oven? Best case scenario for me is that it remains at the same height (but most commonly it deflates a bit). Thanks!!
Hi! Roughly how long is the second rise for you? And what are the dimensions of the pan you are using? It shouldn’t deflate in the oven.
You are using a scale to measure, yes? And what type of flour are you using?
So, of course now that I wrote to you, I finally got a nice loaf 🙂 I will respond to your questions and tell you what I did differently this time.
My pan is 11”x3.5”x3” and I scale the recipe to 0.85x. I am using a digital scale to measure the ingredients. I tried many types of flours, two were specifically for sourdough and one was all-purpose. This time that worked, I used a bread flour: https://www.finax.se/en/produkter/mjol/manitoba-creamsiktat-bagerivetemjoel/
The second rise, after taking the dough from the fridge, takes around 8 hours. I leave the plastic wrap while it is rising, because I read somewhere about the dough dehydrating (since I do not cover with oil). So the dough tends to stick to the wrap, and the top of the dough breaks a bit when removing the wrap. This would not deflate the dough (except for a few “broken bubbles”), but maybe was the culprit. This time I was very careful (it took like 5 minutes to remove the wrap) and didn’t break the top of the dough. And the loaf didn’t deflate at all while baking. Could this be the issue? That some gas was escaping through small tears/cracks on the top of the dough even though the dough appeared “stable” before baking?
Perhaps I need to try removing the plastic wrap before the dough reaches it, and maybe spray it with water so it doesn’t dry. What do you think?
I really appreciate you taking the time to read this extremely long comment!!!! Thanks a lot!
Great to read all of this! Yes, I do think the dough sticking to the plastic wrap could have potentially caused the deflating-in-the-oven issues. Next time, you can remove the plastic wrap when the dough gets close to it. It will not dry out if it is uncovered for less than an hour or so. So, leave the dough uncovered for roughly the last hour, then transfer to the oven when the dough crowns the rim of the pan.
I will try that! Thanks 🙂
Hi! Is it possible to bake this the same day? If so, how? Thank you!
If you have a very active starter, yes, you can: you’d have to mix the dough first thing in the morning, and you’d bake it later in the evening.
Hi,
Great recipe, what do you do if you want to add inclusions, like seeds for a seeded loaf or cheese for a cheesy loaf, does the recipe differ?
Thanks!
Hi Martina! I have a post on how to do that here: Rosemary-Olive Sourdough Bread (+ A Better Way to Add Inclusions to Your Sourdough Bread)
I’m making a loaf right now and I wonder if the dough is soft enough to leak through the 3 tiny vent holes in the bottom of my Pullman tin; I like the shape better than my other bread pans. I doubt the answer will come in time to affect my decision…
So sorry just seeing this… what did you end up doing? You can always line the pan with parchment paper for future reference.
Hello there! Your recipes are fantastic and have turned me into a dough maniac! Haha!
I wanted to clarify, with this sourdough sandwich bread recipe- can I bake it directly from the fridge? Or do I need to take it from fridge and let it sit 4-6 hours before baking?
Melissa, hello! Apologies for the delay here. For this one, it all depends on where the dough is in the pan — if it hasn’t risen much in the fridge (which it likely won’t have), you’ll want to let it sit at room temperature until the dough crowns the rim of the pan (which might take 4-6 hours). Keep the pan covered during this time until the dough approaches the rim. If the dough is already crowning the rim of the pan when you remove it from the fridge, you can put it directly in the oven.
Hi! Love that this recipe feels approachable as my first venture with sourdough. Can you clarify if the olive oil should be added before the step 3 – let it rise and step 5 – let it proof or only when following step 5? The video, if I remember correctly, only showed when shaping the loaf, and now I’m wondering if I’ve messed up my loaf as a padded prior to the long proof. Thanks!
Hi! Sorry for the confusion here… just know that you can’t mess it up. Sometimes I rub my dough with olive oil before it rises, sometimes I don’t. Olive oil protects the dough from drying out, but I always use a lidded vessel now for the bulk fermentation so it’s not as critical to use. If you use a towel to cover the bowl, I think you’ll find the olive oil helpful; if you use a lid, don’t worry about it. I do always like to use a little bit of oil when I’m shaping — I find it prevents sticking and makes the process easier.
I came home for lunch and my final rise in the bread pan went a lot faster than I anticipated. I’m going to throw it in the fridge until
I can come back and bake it, do I need to let it come back to room temp before doing so?
I was wondering the same thing. I’m a bit confused with the refrigerator instruction with this recipe. Following for her reply.
I put it directly from the fridge to the preheated oven and it came out okay! Delicious loaf, and my family loves it!
Great to hear, Nikki! Thanks for circling back with your results 🙂
Hi! If the dough is crowning the rim of the pan, there’s no need to let it sit at room temperature again… it can go straight in the oven.
Hi Alexandra, I am making this bread now and following your recipe precisely. After bulk fermentation, my dough looks exactly like yours does in the video. So that’s a win-win for me! My question is: why do you not score the loaf before putting it into the oven? I love the appearance of sourdough bread that has expanded through the score on the top and I’m wondering if I should or should not do it on my loaf. Thank you!
Hi! Great to hear 🙂 I score all of my loaves that are baked in a covered Dutch oven — scoring allows the dough to expand properly and prevents the dough from “blowing out” in places you don’t want it to (like the sides). Free-form loaves like the ones baked in a DO, rely on hot temperatures and a fast oven spring to set their shape. Sandwich bread loaves that are confined by a loaf pan, are baked at slightly lower temperatures and don’t spring as quickly/dramatically, so scoring is unnecessary.
Im a little confused. After the time in the fridge do I let it rise more at room temperature and then bake? I find that usually my dough doesn’t rise much in the fridge.
Hi! Yes, if your sourdough doesn’t move much in the fridge (it shouldn’t move much), you’ll want it to sit at room temperature until it crowns the rim of the pan; then transfer it to the oven.
great sandwich bread recipe, which is saying a lot!!!!! Question, what’s the best way to store the loaf once it’s been cut into?!?! Thanks
Great to hear, Kate! If you want to store the bread at room temperature for 3 to 4 days, I think the best method is in a ziplock bag. I’ve tried other reusable/environmentally friendly options, but nothing seems to keep bread freshest — the crumb the softest — better than a ziplock bag.
If you intend to keep the bread for longer, I would stick the ziplock bag in the freezer, and pull out slices or hunks as you wish. I often slice bread as soon as it cools completely, transfer the slices to a ziplock bag, then freeze. This way, I know the bread was frozen at its freshest.
A ziplock bag will not prevent the crust of bread from turning soft, which is why I suggest always reheating day-old bread. I use a toaster at breakfast for slices of bread, and I reheat half or quarter loaves in the oven at 350ºF for 15 to 20 minutes when serving for dinner.
Bread revives so beautifully in the oven or toaster.
I am new to sourdough. I made this bread today and it is a bit denser than the pictures although the outside looks beautiful. The dough was a little moister than it probably should have been, but without experience I wasn’t sure. I baked for 46 minutes and it seems to be a little underdone. Do you use a baking stone or pan under your bread?
Hi! Did you use a scale to measure? What type of flour are you using? Are you confident in the strength of your starter? Do you live in a humid environment?
I made this yesterday, and it is delicious, but not that much better than your original no knead bread (“my mother’s recipe) which I have shared with all my family and friends. I have made that one 3 times a week since the Pandemic. I have been trying to get back into baking sourdough because my son in Texas makes beautiful loaves and gave me some of his starter. I have decided that sourdough is just not worth the time commitment to me. Yeasted bread is just as delicious to me and my daughter and I don’t have to rearrange my days. I have successfully made some different breads using discard which require less time, so I need to figure out a way to maintain my supply of discard. Can you recommend a way to feed my starter the least amount so I don’t lose it in case I find myself with more time? I do love your sweet bread recipes, and your cinnamon roll focaccia is awesome!
I hear you Barbara! Sourdough requires more attention for sure and is definitely less forgiving that yeast leavened breads. In terms of feeding your starter, you can honestly store it in your fridge and leave it there unattended for months — I have left my starter for 3 months without feeding it, and upon pulling it from the fridge and feeding it, it revived beautifully. It will look terrible: there will be layer of murky grey liquid sitting on top of the starter… just pour that off, discard most of it, and feed it. If you want to feed it every 2-3 months, I would do as I just suggested, feeding it with 75 grams flour and water. Let it rise until it doubles; then repeat this discarding/feeding process one more time. When it doubles the second time, store it in the fridge.
Hi there! I just made your sourdough boule recipe for the first time and loved it. It was the first time I’ve ever successfully made a boule that rose properly, tasted great, and had good oven spring! I’m so grateful!
Two questions on this recipe: can I easily double it, and would you change anything if I do? Also, I have two Pullman loaf pans with lids. Any advice on whether to use the lids for baking or not?
Great to hear, Aubry! Yes, you can double everything. For best results, please use a scale when doubling. Regarding the lids, I think it all depends on what shape you are going for. If you want that perfectly square/rectangular loaf, you can use the lid; otherwise leave it off. I have not used a lidded pullman pan here, so I can’t really speak to how it will turn out.