Same Day Sourdough Sandwich Bread

This Same Day Sourdough Sandwich Bread is soft, fluffy, and so great to have on hand! This recipe makes two large loaves which makes all of the work totally worth it. There is nothing quite like the smell of bread throughout the house, and you’ll have a hard time waiting for this bread to cool before diving in.

If you are new to sourdough bread, this is a great recipe to start with! If you have never used your starter before, I would recommend starting with an easy recipe like these sourdough pancakes. It will build your confidence and give you a nice tasty breakfast!

Sandwich bread is one of my favorite things to make, and sourdough doesn’t mean it’s harder! The natural yeasts in the sourdough starter are what give this bread it’s rise, and delicious tangy flavor. It’s irresistible smothered in homemade jam or the perfect meat and cheese companion. 

The great thing about sandwich bread in comparison to a regular boule sourdough bread, is that the crust stays nice and soft. The crumb is tighter which means less holes for all of your fillings to slide through. I actually make sandwich bread way more than the traditional boule because we just use it more often for more things. It’s such a versatile and wonderful bread to know how to make. So let’s get to it!

How Long Will This Recipe Take?

This is a one day recipe! You will want to give yourself around 10 hours from start to finish, so I recommend starting this dough in the morning. There are a few rounds of stretching and folding that need to be completed in 30 minute intervals. I would plan your afternoon around being home so that you can complete the stretching and folding at the ideal times.

This dough is really forgiving, but because you are putting so much time into this sandwich bread I would follow my recommendations as closely as possible. You want a fluffy, beautifully risen bread of course! This recipe makes two large loaves so you won’t have to make this recipe as often as my other two day sourdough sandwich bread recipe.

How to Make Same Day Sourdough Sandwich Bread

You will be so happy with how this Same Day Sourdough Sandwich Bread turns out! It’s chewy, soft, and full of sourdough flavor. I’m confident that you don’t need to be a bread maker, or an experienced sourdough baker to make a successful loaf!

What You Will Need

This bread is so simple and calls for ingredients I’m confident you only have on hand. So get ready to make a beautiful loaf of sourdough sandwich bread!

Lukewarm Water: This helps the starter dissolve, it doesn’t have to be really warm but it shouldn’t be cold.

Active Starter: This is a must! Make sure you feed your starter 12-24 hours before starting this sandwich bread.

Oil: You can use your favorite, I love avocado oil.

Honey or Sugar: You can use either one, try both eventually to see the difference!

Sea Salt: A high quality salt makes a difference.

Bread Flour: You can use all-purpose, but I really recommend bread flour for this recipe because it has a higher protein content. If you do use all purpose you will want to add more flour, or your dough will be too wet.

Prepare the Dough

1. Add water and starter to a large bowl. Mix until the starter has dissolved into the water.

2. Add oil and sugar to the starter mixture and stir until everything is dissolved.

3. Then add salt and flour, and mix until ball starts to form. At this point you can use your hands and squeeze and massage until the flour is fully incorporated. This will take 3-5 minutes. The dough will be very sticky. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes covered with plastic wrap.

Stretch and fold

4. Do 3 rounds of stretching and folding. If the dough is too sticky, dip your hand in water to keep it from being too sticky to manage. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes covered with plastic wrap.

5. Do another 3 rounds of stretching and folding. If the dough is too sticky, dip your hand in water. If it is very unmanageably sticky, dip your hand in flour. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.

6. Do another 3 rounds of stretching and folding. If the dough is very sticky you can dip your hand in flour. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.

7. Do another 3 rounds of stretching and folding. You should notice the gluten developing and the dough becoming a firmer ball. Cover your dough and let it rise for 6 hours.

Cut and Fold

8. Now remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a floured surface. Divide the dough in half.

9. With one half of the dough, flatten the dough out so there are no pockets of air. Then take one end of the dough and fold it in half. Take the other end, and fold it over the piece you just folded, like an envelope. Then “stitch” the dough together over the seam and pinch it closed. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough.

Prep and Bake

10. Butter and flour 2 large bread pans. Then place the dough in the pans with the stitched side down. Cover the dough with oiled plastic wrap or a shower cap. Let the dough rise for 1-2 hours, or until the dough has risen to the top of the bread pan.

11. Bake at 400 for 35 minutes until golden brown and test done. When you take them out of the oven, butter the tops to keep them soft and remove from the pan to cool on a rack. Wait at least 2 hours to cool before cutting into it.

Tips for Making Same Day Sourdough Sandwich Bread

I know that bread can seem scary, and there may be a few words for processes that you don’t quite have a handle on. Or you have just never been shown how to do it. Here are a few tips to give you the confidence you need to have a great time making bread!

• How to Stretch and Fold: This is really simple. First you grab one side of the dough and stretch it away from the center. Then you pull it back over the dough towards the opposite side and press it down. Next, you rotate the dough and do it again with the next side. Think of the dough as having 4 edges. One rotation of stretching and folding is doing all 4 sides. Watch my youtube video for a visual demonstration of stretching and folding.

• How to Stitch the Seam: Once the loaf is in a log shape, there will be a seam (line) underneath the dough. You will grab on either side of the seam and bring the dough together in the middle of the seam or slightly past it. You do this the entire length of the dough, and it will tighten the loaf to give it a nice shape. Watch my youtube video for a visual demonstration of stitching.

• How to Tell the Loaf is Done: You can tell the loaf is done by the beautiful brown color on top. You will also be able to “thump” it and hear the doneness. If you flick your dough with a finger while it’s still in the oven and it sounds hollow, it’s done. If it still sounds dense or “full”, it needs more time. You will start to recognize the sound as you do it more often.

How to Store Sourdough Bread

It’s important to store your bread the right way because you just went through all that work to make it! After baking, you want to let it cool completely before covering it.

• You can store your bread on the counter in a plastic bag with a little crack in it to let moisture out. You could also store your fresh bread in a linen bread bag, or wrapped in aluminum foil.

• You can freeze your baked loaves for up to 3 months in a plastic airtight bag. To eat, leave them in the fridge to defrost for about a day.