Sourdough Sandwich Bread

The beginning stages of tending a a sourdough starter can be frustrating. You’re feeding your starter daily, you keep it in a warm place, you might even give it a name — but it’s still not robust enough to make you a traditional loaf without needing to add extra yeast.

Lean in, friend. I’m going to let you in on a little secret.

It’s okay to use yeast.

I know, I know, it’s not as “rustic” a sourdough if you use anything but the wild yeast God gave the starter — but who cares? You have to do something with your discard, and you (presumably) got into the sourdough game because you want to make some bread. Enter this recipe.

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This bread (adapted from The Taste of Lizzy T’s recipe) is pillowy soft, can be ready in less than 3 hours, and is the perfect shape for making sandwiches.

Start by heating your milk in a microwave-safe container. (My secret: sometimes the only dairy product in our house is the half-in-half my husband uses in his coffee. I’ve used half-and-half for this bread many times, and it works great.) The warmth of the milk will help your yeast become more active, giving your bread a stronger rise. I generally heat the milk in 30-45 second increments until it is warm to the touch, but not scalding. Pour warmed milk into bowl of stand mixer and then add your yeast. Allow the yeast to bloom while gathering the rest of your ingredients.

Mix in sugar. Then, add sourdough starter, canola oil, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined.

Mix in flour, one cup at a time. Once all flour has been added, allow the mixer to knead the dough at medium speed for approximately 5 minutes. The dough should be slightly sticky, but should pull cleanly from the dough hook and the sides of the bowl. If it seems too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour and mix in. Repeat until dough is the appropriate texture, but do not add more flour than necessary.

Transfer kneaded dough to a large bowl that has been greased. Cover. Place in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has doubled in size. Our home tends to be fairly cold in the winter, so my favorite dough-warming spot is the oven — turned off, with the light on.

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Once your dough has doubled in size, split it in half. Place each half in a greased loaf pan. I like to score the top of my loaves with a serrated knife, but this is optional.

Allow the loaves to rise in a warm place for another 20-30 minutes. While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. (Don’t set your loaves in the oven to rise while it’s preheating!) Once your loaves have risen, you may brush them with an egg wash (one beaten egg). This will give them a nice golden sheen once they have baked. It’s okay if your loaf hasn’t quite doubled in size this time – it will rise quite a bit while baking.

Bake the loaves on the middle rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes. The loaves should sound hollow when you tap their top, and their tops should have a golden sheen when they are done. Smaller loaf pans will require less time, and their corners may burn if baked for longer durations.

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Cool loaves in their pans for 10 minutes before carefully removing. Allow to cool for another 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Don’t cut them too soon – this bread is so soft you may crush the crumb!

This bread is perfect for sandwiches, French toast…really, for everything. When I bake this bread fresh, we eat it as dessert, spread with Kerrygold butter and raw honey from our neighbor’s bees. My friend Anna has an incredible recipe for a peanut butter spread on her Amish Heritage blog. It’s just like the peanut butter spread I remember as a kid growing up in a Mennonite community, and it would be perfect on this bread!

I hope you enjoy this bread as much as we do! If you make it at home, please tag @WhiskAverseBaking on social media, or leave a message in the comments below.