This sourdough sandwich bread is one of those bakes that earns a permanent spot in your weekly rotation. It’s soft, buttery, and slices beautifully. The mix of bread flour and sprouted whole wheat flour (I love this one from One Degree Organics!) gives it structure and a little extra flavor, while milk, honey, and butter make it rich and tender.

I use a stand mixer to save time and effort, but this dough is friendly enough for hand-kneading too. After a slow bulk ferment, you’ll shape the dough into two loaves and bake in standard 8.5” x 4.5” pans. 8″ x 4″ and 9″ x 5″ will work well too. If you’re using discard, you can add active dry yeast or instant yeast and the fermentation will go a lot faster.
Why it works:
- Sprouted whole wheat flour adds depth without weighing the dough down. I
- Butter and milk make it tender and rich.
- Sourdough starter gives it flavor and a gentle rise.
How I love to eat it:
I toast it in the morning and spread it with butter or jam—simple and perfect. It makes a great base for quick lunches too: turkey sandwiches, egg salad, you name it. My favorite though? Grilled cheese. The bread gets golden, crisp edges while staying soft inside thanks to its tender structure. Another go-to: toad-in-a-hole. The bread holds its shape beautifully while soaking up that runny egg yolk.


Bake schedule tip:
Start with an active starter in the morning and let it bulk ferment during the day so you can bake by dinner—or retard the final proof overnight for morning loaves.

Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Equipment
- 1 large bowl or stand mixer
- 2 loaf pans 8 x 4 or 9 x 5
- 1 kitchen scale
Ingredients
- 570 g bread flour
- 100 g whole wheat flour (I love the sprouted whole wheat flour by One Degree Organics)
- 150 g active sourdough starter (or 150g discard + 7g dry yeast)
- 150 g water
- 25 g water
- 200 g milk
- 25 g honey
- 15 g sea salt
- 80 g butter softened
Instructions
- Mix 150 g active sourdough starter, 25 g honey, 150 g water, and 200 g milk. Add 570 g bread flour and 100 g whole wheat flour and mix to a shaggy dough. Rest 30 minutes.
- Add 15 g sea salt and 25 g water. Mix to incorporate.
- Add 80 g butter gradually, mixing for about 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Bulk ferment until doubled (mine took ~7 hrs in a warm spot).
- Divide and shape into sandwich loaves. To shape, gently flatten each piece into a rectangle to press out large air bubbles. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter, then roll it up tightly from the short end. Tuck the edges under and create surface tension as you seal the seam.
- Grease your loaf pans with butter or a light spray of oil. Place the shaped dough inside and let it rise for 2–3 hours, or until puffy and just cresting over the rim of the pan.
- Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes.
- Remove from loaf pans and set on cooling rack to prevent soggy bottoms.
- Brush with melted butter while still warm for extra softness!


This is a more complicated shaping technique than I described in the recipe instructions, and honestly, I don’t recommend it! The simple tri-fold and roll actually resulted in a more uniform loaf and was much easier to do.





