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The Best Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread for Beginners

A freshly baked loaf of sourdough sandwich bread, showing a soft, even crumb structure and golden crust.
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This recipe delivers a soft, sliceable sourdough sandwich loaf with a mild tang, perfect for everyday meals and picky eaters. It is straightforward enough for new bakers.

Ingredients

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  • 150g active sourdough starter
  • 325g warm filtered water
  • 20g avocado oil
  • 25g honey
  • 500g unbleached bread flour
  • 10g salt

Instructions

  1. Combine the starter, warm water, avocado oil, and honey in a large bowl. Mix until the liquid looks slightly milky.
  2. Add the bread flour and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix everything by hand until no dry flour remains. The dough will be shaggy.
  3. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 1 hour (autolyse/initial rest).
  4. Perform four sets of stretch and folds, spaced 30 minutes apart. To do this, gently stretch one side of the dough up and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat until you have stretched all four sides.
  5. After the final set of folds, cover the dough and allow it to bulk ferment at room temperature for 4 to 8 hours, or until it has increased in volume by about 30-50% and shows signs of activity. The exact time depends on your kitchen temperature.
  6. Gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into a tight log or oval suitable for a standard loaf pan (approximately 9×5 inches).
  7. Place the shaped dough seam-side down into a lightly greased loaf pan.
  8. Cover the pan loosely and allow the dough to proof (final rise) at room temperature for 1 to 3 hours, or until it has risen about 1 inch above the rim of the pan.
  9. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) about 30 minutes before baking.
  10. Bake the loaf for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 200-205 degrees Fahrenheit (93-96 degrees Celsius).
  11. Remove the bread from the pan immediately and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. This step is crucial for a non-gummy crumb structure.

Notes

  • Use an active, recently fed sourdough starter for best results in this recipe.
  • For a buttery crumb sourdough bread texture, you can substitute the avocado oil with melted, unsalted butter.
  • Allow the bread to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing to achieve the perfect sliceable sourdough loaf.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://dishicious.com/sourdough-sandwich-bread-recipe/