Description
This soft and fluffy sourdough sandwich bread is the ultimate homemade loaf—perfect for toast, lunchboxes, or stacking with your favorite sandwich fillings. With a tender crumb, golden crust, and that signature tangy flavor, it’s better than store-bought and surprisingly easy to make!
Ingredients
- ½ cup active sourdough starter (fed and bubbly)
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose or bread flour
- 1 cup warm water or milk
- 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted) or neutral oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the sourdough starter, warm water or milk, honey, and melted butter.
- Add flour and salt. Knead until smooth and elastic—8–10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in a mixer with dough hook.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise at room temperature for 4–6 hours until doubled in size.
- Gently deflate and shape the dough into a loaf. Place it in a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.
- Cover and let rise 1–2 hours, or until the dough is about 1 inch above the pan rim.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
- For a softer loaf, use warm milk instead of water and brush the top with butter after baking.
- Whole wheat flour can replace up to 50% of the all-purpose flour.
- To cold-proof: place shaped dough in the fridge overnight, then bake directly the next day.
- For added flair, sprinkle oats or seeds on top before baking.
