A simple and easy recipe for homemade sourdough sandwich bread.
Made with all purpose flour and just a touch of butter. I like to make the dough at night so we can have fresh bread in the morning.
This loaf freezes well (whole or sliced). I recommend this loaf pan.
Ingredients
- 500 g (4 cups) all purpose flour
- 60 g (4 tbsp.) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
- 12 g (1 tbsp.) sugar
- 9 g fine sea salt
- 50 g (1/4 cup) bubbly, active sourdough starter (100% hydration)**
- 270 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) warm water
Helpful Tips:
** If the weather is not warm enough, sometimes the second risecan take longer than expected. To speed up the rise, use an 8.5×4 inch loaf pan (instead of a 9×5 inch pan), increase the amount of starter and decrease the amount of water for best results. Please choose one of the following adjustments below, keeping the rest of the ingredient quantities the same:
- 100 g starter + 255 g water
- 150 g starter + 250 g water
Additionally, because temperature controls time you can also increase your surrounding temperature for the bulk or second rise, as needed. Place the dough in a proofing box set to 75-80 F. Or, preheat your home oven to 75-80 F and then shut it off immediately (use an oven thermometer to make sure it’s set to exactly 80 F and not higher!). Place the covered dough inside until it bulks up. Do no use this option overnight- it will be too warm.
Instructions
Baking Schedule: this is an overnight dough which takes approximately 10-12 hrs to rise @ 68 F. Start the night before, in the evening, and plan to bake the following day. If it’s warmer than 68 F the dough will take less time to rise. Alternatively, start in the morning and bake in the afternoon or evening.
Mix the Dough
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, butter, sugar and salt. Mix on low speed until combined; the butter should look like crumbs.
Add the starter and warm water. Mix until the flour is fully absorbed (get in there with your hands to finish mixing). The dough will feel slightly sticky and elastic at this stage. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, replenish you starter with fresh flour and water.
After the dough has rested, switch to the dough hook and run the machine on medium-low (#3 on a KitchenAid) for 6-8 minutes. The dough will feel soft and supple and not stick to your hands. If it does, add a dusting of flour.
Note: If you do not have a stand mixer, the dough can be made by hand. After mixing and resting for 30 minutes, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes, or until smooth, soft and elastic. Do not worry about under/over kneading. Relax into the process and focus on the texture, not the time.
Bulk Rise
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise overnight at room temperature (68 F) until double in size, about 10-12 hrs. Please refer to the Baking Schedule above for additional rise time options.
Shape the Dough
In the morning, coat an 8.5×4 inch loaf pan with butter.
Remove the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently flatten the surface to release any large air bubbles.
Roll the dough into a log tucking the ends underneath. Rest for 5-10 minutes. With floured hands, gently cup the dough and pull it toward you to tighten its shape. Using a bench knife, place the dough into the loaf pan seam side down.
Second Rise
Cover the dough with lightly oiled or buttered plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature until it has risen to about 1-inch above the rim of the pan (check the height by looking at the domed center portion of the dough). You are not looking for it to double in size. For timing, this can take anywhere from 1 1/2-2 hours (or more!) depending on temperature and the amount of sourdough starter used. Remember, the warmer it is, the faster the dough will rise. Refer to the “helpful tips” at the top of this post.
Preheat your oven to 375 F. Note: For higher oven spring, preheat to 500 F instead. Reduce to 375 F once the dough goes into the oven and bake as directed.
Bake the Dough
Bake the dough on the center rack for about 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
This sandwich loaf will stay fresh for up to 3 days, stored in a plastic bag at room temperature.
Notes
For best results, please weigh your ingredients with a scale instead of using measuring cups.
Here’s why: weight and volume measurements are not equal, only approximate! This is especially important regarding the sourdough starter. If your starter is very bubbly, 1/4 cup might only weigh 30 g which is too little for this recipe (you need 50 g). The dough will take forever to rise! Same goes for the flour… 4 cups might end up weighing way over 500 g depending on how tight the flour was packed into the cup. You’ll end up with dry dough.
I used Whole Foods 365 Everyday all purpose flour for this recipe. King Arthur and Trader Joe’s ap flour will work as well. If using another brand with a lower protein content (i.e. Gold Medal, Pillsbury, Heckers) consider reducing the total water amount by 15 g.
What is the starter please? I see loads of sour dough recipes but no recipe or explanation on what the starter is, I would love to have ago at this and yes, I am a newbie but, I don’t think I am the only one that as looked at several of these and felt gutted because we have no idea of what a starter is. Also, what is all purpose flour? I live in the UK
Please help us out and explain to me/us what the starter is and the recipe if there is one.
Kind Regards
Sue (really need to make this) xx
Hi Susan!
A sourdough starter is basically a live mixture of water flour and active bacteria. You start off by mixing flour and water together and overtime by feeding it (adding more water and flour), the active bacteria gets stronger and it allows for that amazing sour flavor in the bread. You can search on YouTube on how to make one. It’s relatively simple and it’s actually harder to kill a starter than it is to make your own. This is the base of any sourdough bread. 90 percent of sourdough bakers I’ve encountered include a discard routine in their starter. I don’t do discard. However in the earlier stages of creating a starter, you will. Hopefully that helps.
A starter is basically your yeast. It’s where you are taking a ratio of flower and water and letting it rise and fall and feed it another ratio flower and water. This goes for anywhere a week or longer till you get a strong “starter” to start using to make bread. That is the what makes sourdough.
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/sourdough-starter-recipe
Here is a recipe to get a starter going. You can also ask around perhaps on fb if anyone near you will give you some starter. Good luck!! Well worth it. 💕
Google Sourdough Starter. Lots of recipes. I cheat due to heat here and use a Starter using yeast, but feed for 10 days so it becomes a pure Starter.
Sourdough starter is a fermented wheat product that is used in place of wheat. You can make one yourself, but it takes 14-30 days from creation to be usable. Alternatively you may be able to get established starter from a local bakery. If you search online for “sourdough starter” there are lots of good guides.
All-purpose flour is the same as plain flour or white flour in the UK. Make sure you use unbleached flour.
Happy Baking
Sourdough starter is a fermented wheat product that is used in place of yeast. You can make one yourself, but it takes 14-30 days from creation to be usable. Alternatively you may be able to get established starter from a local bakery. If you search online for “sourdough starter” there are lots of good guides.
All-purpose flour is the same as plain flour or white flour in the UK. Make sure you use unbleached flour.
Happy Baking
Use Pinterest and search how to make a starter
Its the sourdough starter you make.
Look up sourdough starter. You can make your own, purchase it or be gifted some by a friend,etc.
Please Google sourdough starter recipe. And Google sourdough bread.
Study up a bit and you will be ready to make some bread.
Wild yeast, you can buy or ask someone for it, who bake sourdough. All purpose flour is the flour you would probably use for any other recipe. But for best results I would recommend good quality one, not bleached (usually it says on the packaging or the website of producer)
“Starter” is specifically a “Sourdough starter.” They are created with flour and water and the natural yeast from the air around us. You can purchase Sourdough starter online if you do a online search or you might even find a local bakery that has someand would be willing to sell or give you some. It is usually inexpensive.
Sour dough starter. It’s basically fermented flour and water. If you search on Google or YouTube, you can learn more about how to make your own starter.
What you can do is make a poolish prior to making the recipe.
25g water: 25g flour: 1g Instant Dry Yeast, well mixed in a clean jar. It will activate overnight. You can take another 25g H2O :25g Flour from the recipe and do a second feed on the starter, let that proof/activate for 8hrs and by the time you are ready to start the bread, your starter/poolish will be ready to go to work.
A sourdough starter is just like the poolish, but you don’t add any yeast, you are trying to let the natural yeast in the flour go to work. And it is something you have to keep feeding and using… but try using the poolish as above and you can use it while you are learning the process.
I purchased my starter from King Arthur Flour, and then followed the instructions to feed it to get it going. I started mine in 2020 along with most of the world and it’s still going strong. But King Arthur also has instructions for how to start your own starter on their website. https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/sourdough-starter-recipe
Also, AP flour is probably plain flour or white flour. Essentially, not wheat flour, not self-rising flour.
Hi Sue,
A starter is a fermentation process of flour and water that is fed until it becomes what’s called active ( bubbly and floats on water) you can purchase dehydrated starter online or at a shop that may have it. Then feed it to become active. Google sour dough starter. Ap flour is plain flour. Hope this help and good luck
Can I use some wheat flour, (33%) and honey instead of sugar with this recipe?
I don’t see why not. Make sure to dissolve the honey in the warm water before adding starter, flour etc.
This is the recipe that my mother used to use haven’t seen it in a long time thank you for it
Can you send the recipe to my email are
Is there a printable page for this recipe?
How do you get a starter
Exactly. That has been my issue.
You can purchase dried starter online then you will have to follow instructions to hydrate and ‘feed it.’ You might also find a local bakery that uses a Sourdough starter and be willing to give/sell you some.
Do you have helpful hints regarding beginning a starter? Thank you…
I put 1/2 cup king arthur bread flour and 1/4 cup room temp water in a Mason jar mix until you see no bits of flour. Scrap sides I cover the lid with plastic wrap and just the rim of the lid. Put a rubber band lining up where your starter is to track the growth process. Make sure to place it in a warm spot. There are many recipes. This is the only one I have had success with. You don’t have to use bread flour. You can use all purpose flour.
Also need starter instructions
Do you have a recipe for the ‘starter?
Do you have a recipe for the sourdough starter
It’s easier to buy a starter from someone. But you can start from scratch and it takes about 2 weeks to get a good active starter. It’s just flour and water but please google how to make it. It’s a long process and caring for it until it’s strong.
Need starter recipe please
For everyone asking about the sourdough starter, it is usually just an equal mix of flour and water that is left to ripen Ave ferment over a couple of days/weeks. It will rise with the growth of yeasts and then drop when it’s out of food so you either dump most of it it in the compost or else use it for “discard recipes”, and continue to add fresh flour and water to the main jar with about a 10gr or more of the “old starter” with about 50 grams or so of fresh flour and water. Here’s more info and detail instruction on how to get a starter going: just search “easy sourdough starter guide, Brian Lagerstrom” on YouTube.
You can google starter recipe. It will take weeks to get a good started or purchase one from King Arthur’s.
A starter recipe would be nice!
Susan this is what I use for my sourdough sandwich bread 115 g unbleached all-purpose flour, 115 g of warm water, and 115 g of sourdough starter. Mine always turns out really yummy and moist.
I followed Weissman’s instruction on The Ultimate Sourdough Starter Guide
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTAiDki7AQA
Google sourdough starter
Would love to give this a try. Would you be willing to give your starter recipe out so I could get that made? Thank you.
Would like to have the recipe for sourdough?
Do you have starter recipe. Thank you
What you can do is make a poolish prior to making the recipe.
LOW Yeast Poolish Starter:
25g water: 25g flour: 1g Instant Dry Yeast, well mixed in a clean jar. It will activate overnight. You can take another 25g H2O :25g Flour from the recipe and do a second feed on the starter, let that proof/activate for 8hrs and by the time you are ready to start the bread, your starter/poolish will be ready to go to work. This is going to be a nice and slow fermenting starter and one can make even a kilo of flour, in a recipe, fully proof.
A sourdough starter is just like the poolish, but you don’t add any yeast, you are trying to let the natural yeast in the flour go to work. And it is something you have to keep feeding and using… but try using the poolish as above and you can use it while you are learning the process.
Is there anything I can substitute butter for and have same result!?
Google Paul Hollywood on You Tube, for a sour dough starter. Basically,
100 grams flour and 100 milg water,well mixed together into a container with a lid that closes. Everyday stir and feed same as above. On 3rdday take out a cupful.you may use these once the sour dough bubbles get big enough. Feed everyday. See Paul