How to Make My Everyday Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe
This Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich bread is a weekly staple in our house and perfect for holding any toppings!
A Fluffy, Hearty Sourdough Recipe
This tasty Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread is a softer version of my Milled Grain-Whole Wheat Sourdough Loaf. We use this bread for toasting, sandwiches, and my daughter’s favorite, homemade pb & j uncrustables 😉 I’m satisfied in knowing we’re giving her bread with benefits and not just empty calories!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- It only takes 7 ingredients to get a hearty, great-tasting bread without any preservatives!
- The dough is great for freezing – I will usually double the recipe and freeze the second loaf for another time
- It’s softer and fluffier than our other sourdough recipes which makes it easy to pair with any sandwich topping
Making Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 tablespoon salt, 8 grams
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter, active and bubbly (113 grams)
- 1 1/4 cups water, 295 grams
- 1 cup whole wheat flour, 150 grams
- 3 cups all purpose flour, 420 grams
Optional: Egg for egg wash
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix all Ingredients
Start with a nice and bubbly active starter. Add all of the ingredients to a bowl of a stand mixer. I like to add the flour last, so I can add a bit less or more depending on my starter’s hydration.
Step 2: Knead Dough
Knead until dough is stretchy and smooth. You want it to pull away from the sides of the bowl and be smooth and elastic – about 10 minutes. It should pass the windowpane test (check FAQ’s).
Step 3: Bulk Rise
Place the dough in a large bowl with a little olive oil. Allow to bulk rise for 10-12 hours in a warm place like on top of a stove or refrigerator covered with a tight lid, beeswax wraps, or plastic wrap. The rise time will be dependent upon how active your sourdough starter is and the temperature of your home.
Step 4: Shape and Second Rise
Grease a loaf pan or add parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough by rolling it flat with a rolling pin into a rectangular shape. Then roll it up and add your shaped dough to the greased loaf pan. Cover with a tea towel.
Let the dough rest for the second rise for 2-4 hours in a warm spot, or until doubled. Again, this depends on how warm your house is and how active your starter is – this could be as little as 1 hour. You can add an optional egg wash to the top of the dough for more browning.
Step 5: Score your bread with a lame
This step is totally optional! Before baking, use a lame (a sharp razor blade or knife) to score the top of your dough. Scoring allows the bread to expand properly during baking and creates beautiful patterns on the crust. Hold the lame at a slight angle and make quick, confident cuts about ¼-inch deep.
Step 6: Bake
Bake at 375 for 45 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Baker’s Notes for the best results!
- If you would like to long ferment this recipe for digestion reasons, I would suggest placing the dough in the fridge after the bulk fermentation and after it has been shaped and placed in the loaf pan.
- Sourdough is an experimental process – if you are new to making Sourdough, I also recommend trying your hand at our beginner recipe. Check out our full beginner’s guide to Sourdough here.
- Plan ahead! The full Sourdough process can take up to a week, the starter alone takes about 5 days to become usable. Learn how to make your starter right now: How to make Sourdough Starter
Grab our Free Sourdough Recipe E-Book
Hildie (our starter) was born, then worked hard to make us our favorite pancakes, pizza crusts, bagels, English muffins, pretzel bites, cinnamon rolls, and weekly bread. Grab my FREE Sourdough Recipe E-Book Here.
FAQ’s about making Sourdough Sandwich Bread
What is the windowpane dough test?
Take a small chuck of your dough and flatten it. Using both hands slowly pull it apart, if your dough can stretch to where you can see light come through without tearing you can be done kneading the dough.
How long can my Sourdough Starter stay alive?
To get the best results, either use your starter right away or keep on feeding it. Our Sourdough Starter, Hildie, has lasted us for years now and yours can too if you feet it consistently. To me, it’s worth the upkeep to have a starter that’s ready to go!
What are the Sourdough tools mentioned in this blog? Where can I buy them?
Beeswax Wrap: Instead of plastic wrap or a tea towel, there is another reusable option to cover your bread while it rises. You can use beeswax wrap which is a made out of cotton, beeswax, and other organic ingredients like jojoba oil. In the Amazon link you will find beeswax wrap and bread bags.
Tea towels: Tea towels are made out of cotton. They are larger than a regular kitchen towel but thinner and allow for breathability.
Lame (for scoring): This link will take you to an all-in-one Sourdough starter pack – a proofing basket, dough mixer, and more!
Why is scoring necessary for some sourdough recipes and not others?
When making bread, you always have the option to score it with a lame and create beautiful designs and patterns to admire before eating your work because why shouldn’t food look pretty?! Nothing like a sourdough recipe to make you feel like an accomplished artist and baker all in one!
In bread recipes with a crusty exterior, like most sourdough, laming is essential to allow the dough to expand naturally in the oven. This recipe is a “sandwich bread,” meaning that because of its ingredients and the lower baking temperature, the dough won’t create the holes you would otherwise see in a standard sourdough recipe, and you don’t need to make room for expansion in the oven. The honey, butter, and two different types of flour allow for a denser loaf that will hold your toppings.
What can I pair my bread with?
Glad you asked! 😉
- Try a sandwich topped with our Homemade Giardiniera
- Have a sweet pb & j with our Strawberry Topping
- Enjoy a Marinated Ham Sandwich
- Just add a slab of butter!
Sourdough Sandwich Bread Printable Recipe Card
Whole Wheat Sourdough Loaf
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Butter softened
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1/2 tbsp Salt 8 grams
- 1/2 cup Starter – active and bubbly 113 grams
- 1 1/4 cups Water 295 grams
- 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour 150 grams
- 3 cups All Purpose Flour 420 grams
Instructions
- Mix all Ingredients: Start with a nice bubbly active starter. To a bowl of a stand mixer, add all of the ingredients. I like to add the flour last, so I can add a bit less or more depending on my starter's hydration.
- Knead Dough: Knead until dough is stretchy and smooth. You want it to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl and be smooth and elastic – about 10 minutes. It should pass the windowpane test.
- Bulk Rise: Place the dough in a large bowl with a little olive oil. Allow to bulk rise for 10-12 hours in a warm place like on top of a stove or refrigerator covered with plastic wrap, a tight lid, or beeswax wraps. Rise time will depend on the temperature of your home and how active your sourdough starter is.
- Shape and Second Rise: Grease a loaf pan or add parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough by rolling it flat with a rolling pin into a rectangular shape. Then roll it up and add your shaped dough to the greased loaf pan. Cover with a tea towel. Let the dough rest for the second rise for 2-4 hours in a warm spot, or until doubled. Again this depends on the temp! It could be as little as 1 hour if the house is warm and the starter active. You can add an optional egg wash to the top of the dough for more browning.
- Score your bread with a lame: This step is totally optional! Before baking, use a lame (a sharp razor blade or knife) to score the top of your dough. Scoring allows the bread to expand properly during baking and creates beautiful patterns on the crust. Hold the lame at a slight angle and make quick, confident cuts about ¼-inch deep.
- Bake: Bake at 375 for 45 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Pin for later!
Other Bread Recipes:
5 Ingredient Crusty French Bread
Banana Bread + Banana Bar Recipe
Baking Sourdough with Milled Grains
Affiliate Disclosure & Content Disclaimer
This post may contain affiliate links from a paid sponsor, Amazon or other program. When you use these links to make a purchase I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This allows me to continue creating the content that you love. The content in this article is created for information only and based on my research and/or opinion.
Emily T.
DAILY INSPIRATION ON THE GRAM @hearty.sol
it's hip to be square!
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