Soft Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread

Soft and so easy to make, this Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread is ready in just a few hours and made with only a few ingredients! Make this loaf on the weekends and enjoy it for breakfast or lunch piled high with your favorite ingredients!

I think you'll love my whole wheat sourdough sandwich bread too!

I have to be honest with you, I've never had luck with sandwich bread until I figured out this recipe. I love making my sourdough discard bread, but it's shaped like a normal boule and baked in a Dutch oven. It's pretty fool proof.

When it comes to sandwich bread recipes, I have made them time and time again and I could never get that loaf right. It would always have a huge crack down the middle of it, even though it tasted great! It never looked as good as other sourdough breads that I have made.

Then, I nailed down this recipe and my sourdough sandwich bread! It has a super soft crumb and a perfect crust with a slight tang of sourdough. The best part is, it doesn't take hours and hours to make! You'll have a hot, fresh loaf of bread in only a few hours.

Can You Make Sandwich Bread with Sourdough Discard

Yes! Baking with my sourdough discard is one of my favorite things to do! The sourdough discard adds a tang to the bread like it does to sourdough biscuits, but the yeast does all the hard work of making the bread rise. I promise, this will become your new favorite loaf of bread to make. My family loves to spread Nutella on toast, but use it in your favorite sandwich, topped with mixed berry jam, or with apple butter.

Ingredients to Gather

• Warm water. The water should be slightly warmer than lukewarm. Too warm and you run the risk of killing the yeast.
• Yeast. Active dry yeast packets can be found right in your grocery store. Make sure the yeast is not expired or you will have dense bread.
• Sourdough discard. That means the the sourdough starter has not been fed and is not bubbly and active.
• All purpose flour. You can use bread flour if you have it on hand. A combination of both is great too. When thinking of all purpose flour vs bread flour, both will work in this recipe.
• Honey. Honey helps feed the yeast. You can use maple syrup or a little bit of sugar if that is what you have on hand.

Be sure to check out the printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the water and yeast. Let it sit for 3-4 minutes to activate the yeast.

Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl. Turn the stand mixer on slow speed for 1 minute and then increase the speed to medium for another 5-6 minutes.

Step 3: When the dough pulls away from the bowl, turn the stand mixer off. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 90 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Step 4: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.

How To Shape A Sandwich Loaf

Step 5: Flatten the dough into an oval. Grease a loaf pan with olive oil.

Step 6: Starting with the side closest to you, roll the dough into a log.

Step 7: Place the dough in the prepared loaf pan. Time for the bulk rise! Let the dough rise for 90 minutes to 2 hours or until the dough has risen to 1 inch over the loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the loaf pan into a preheat oven for 30-35 minutes.

Variations

There are countless flavor variations you can experiment with when making sourdough discard sandwich bread! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Herb and Garlic. Add some chopped fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, or basil, along with minced garlic, to the dough for a savory twist. You can also brush the top of the loaf with garlic-infused olive oil before baking for extra savory flavor.
2. Cheese and Jalapeño. Just like my cheddar jalapeno sourdough bread, mix shredded cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, or your favorite cheese) and diced jalapeños into the dough for a spicy and cheesy kick. This variation is perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches or for avocado toast.
3. Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato: Fold chopped olives and sun-dried tomatoes into the dough for a more Mediterranean-inspired flavor. This bread is fantastic with hummus, sliced turkey, or roasted vegetables.
4. Cinnamon Raisin. A classic breakfast bread! Just like sourdough cinnamon raisin bread, add cinnamon and raisins into the dough. This is great for toasted with butter or cream cheese.
5. Everything Bagel. Mix in everything bagel seasoning into the dough or on top of the bread to make it taste like your favorite bagel. It's perfect for making deli-style sandwiches or serving alongside smoked salmon and cream cheese.
6. Honey Whole Wheat. Substitute some of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour and add a few tablespoons of honey to the dough for a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. This variation pairs well with peanut butter and jelly or sliced ham and mustard.

Sample Baking Schedule

Storage Info

Store the leftover bread in an airtight container on your counter or in a bread box. Make sure the bread is wrapped completely, otherwise it will turn stale on the counter.

This bread is great to freeze too! Place the loaf of bread or bread slices into an airtight container or a gallon sized Ziploc bag. Freeze the bread for up to 3 months (but to be honest, I've kept bread for much longer than that!)

Sourdough Sandwich Bread FAQs

More Sourdough Recipes