Easiest recipe to make fluffy & beautiful Sourdough Sandwich Bread. A vegan recipe for Sourdough Sandwich Bread with step-wise pictures.
Long time, no Sourdough updates. I have been baking a loaf of this beautiful Sourdough Sandwich Bread for more than 8 weeks now and I finally got around to sharing the recipe here. The first time I made Sourdough Pav Buns, it opened the potential to use the same dough many different ways. I ended up making Sourdough Cinnamon Buns and Sourdough Burger Buns. I wanted to use the same dough build to make Sandwich bread. In the past, I have made yeast-based Sandwich bread recipes using All-Purpose Flour and also using Semolina with great success. So during one of the weekends, my Sourdough starter was due its feed, I decided to make a simple Sandwich Bread using Sourdough starter.
Before we move onto the recipe and how I made it, let us talk about the flour first. I have been experimenting with flours ever since I started the Sourdough journey. My starter is based on whole-wheat flour (atta) and tap water. However, most of my bakes have been done using All-Purpose Flour. Why? Read below.
Sourdough Baking with Whole Grain Flours vs All Purpose Flour
Whole grain flours are made with whole grain which contains the bran layer, endosperm and the germ layer. All-Purpose flour, made from refined grains don’t have the bran or germ layers as they are refined. This means that there are not as many nutrients in refined flours compared to whole grain flours. However, it also ensures that the refined flours have longer shelf-life. Since bran and germ are part of the whole grain flour, they tend to be denser and don’t develop gluten easily or even raise properly. It should fairly easier to work with refined flours like APF. That said, loaves or bread made from whole grain flour is as much delicious, even if the looks are not great. I chose to make my Sourdough Sandwich Bread using all-purpose flour – so it is white Sandwich bread that is lighter, fluffier and has a beautiful raise.
Choosing the right flour for your Sourdough Baking
In Sourdough baking, it is very important to use the flour with higher protein content. Higher the protein % in the flour, the easier it is for the dough the develop gluten and it will have a beautiful oven spring too. In India, most of the all-purpose flours we get are super refined. Maida – our own version of APF has no mention of protein % and it makes it difficult to make it work for Sourdough Breads. I got lucky finding a brand of refined wheat flour (maida) that has 11% protein and has been a life saver. I found Bhagyalakshmi brand to work for me, but I know Bluebird also has a similar product. I would highly recommend using a flour with higher protein % to get better results.
Folding vs Kneading
As with most of my Sourdough recipes, I am still a novice with handling a wet dough and kneading it to perfection. My go to approach is to make envelop folds every one hour during the bulk raise. This helps in developing the gluten and help the dough raise evenly. Not the traditional approach, but it is what works for me. I stopped going for longer proofing time or proofing in fridge and I bake the bread the same day! The natural wild yeast brings an amazing flavor and the same time, Sourdough Sandwich Bread is not too sour.
Schedule for Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Take out the starter from fridge and leave it on the kitchen counter between 8-9am on Day 1.
I start by creating a levain out of my mother starter at 12.30pm on Day 1.
In 3hrs, my levain doubles in size. I mix the dough without salt.
After 20-30mins, I mix in the salt. Let the dough proof at room temperature on kitchen counter for 3 hrs. I do 4 envelop folds within the bowl every 30-45 mins totaling to 16 folds at the end of 3hrs. The dough is very smooth and soft at the end of folding.
Shape the loaf and set it in bread baking pan, leave for proofing on the counter until it is an inch above the rim of the pan. It took me about ~2 hours. Bake it until golden brown on top.
How to Make Sourdough Sandwich Bread
📖 Recipe
Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Equipment
- 9"x4" bread baking pan
- OTG/Oven
MEASUREMENT
1 cup = 250ml, 1 tablespoon = 15ml, 1 teaspoon = 5ml
Ingredients
Sourdough Starter –
- 60 grams Sourdough Starter Ripe & Mature
- 60 grams Whole Wheat Flour or the flour base of your starter
- 60 grams Water at Room Temperature
Sourdough Sandwich Bread –
- 180 grams Sourdough Levain with above ingredients
- 290 grams All Purpose Flour
- 130 grams Water Room Temperature
- 30 grams Olive Oil
- 30 grams Sugar
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- 12.30pm: begin making the Sourdough Starter from your mother starter. To make 180 grams of Ripe Sourdough Starter, I mix equal amounts – 60 grams of starter, flour and water and let it double in 3 hours.
- 3.30pm: measure all the ingredients and keep them ready. In a mixing bowl add all-purpose flour, sourdough starter, oil and sugar. Add room temperature water.
- Mix the dough roughly and knead for 4 mins gently. If using kitchenaid stand-mixer, run it on the lowest speed for 2-3 mins until the dough comes together. Make it into a ball and add salt on top. Leave it covered for 20-30 mins. This is called autolyze.
- 4pm: knead the salt into the dough. Fold multiple times to incorporate salt into the dough.
- For the next one hour, keep it covered with a clean shower cap and let it raise at room temperature. It increases in size, although not drastically.
- 5pm: Now pick the dough from below and pull it over to the top, called as envelop fold. We will do exactly 4 folds. Overturn the dough and let it raise again.
- 5.45pm, 6.30pm, 7.15pm: Tuck the dough, smoothen and let it rest for 45mins. Again, we will do 4 folds. Repeat this over next 1.5 hours with two more folds. In total, we will do 16 envelop folds on the dough. The dough should look very smooth and shiny at the end of this. Leave it to rest for 30-45mins. The dough should be airy and light. Make sure not to knock out the air while folding.
- 7.45 to 8pm: Carefully remove the dough from bowl and onto a lined/lightly floured kitchen counter.
- Spread it into a circle of even thickness.
- Start rolling the loaf from one end and press it tightly as you go along.
- Pinch the ends together.
- Tuck the other two ends in making the loaf shape.
- Tightly roll each piece of dough into a ball as smooth as possible without any creases.
- Carefully transfer the loaf into a lined bread baking tin. I used my 9x4 inch pan.
- Leave it to proof on the kitchen counter for about 2 hours or until the loaf is doubled up in size and is raised 1 inch above the rim. It is important for the dough to raise up in volume for soft and fluffy loaf.
- In the last 20 mins of proofing time, Preheat the oven at 180°C. Bake the bread at 180°C for 25-30 mins until the sides are golden. Remove from oven. Apply a layer of oil/ butter (if no restrictions) on top.
- Bake again for 5 mins on broil (both top and bottom filaments turned ON) to get the golden color. Remove from oven.
- Let the loaf rest for 3-4 mins and then loosen it up from the tin, remove onto a wire rack. Let it come to room temperature and cool completely before slicing the loafers. To store it, place in airtight container in fridge. Toast it before serving! It has stayed good for 10 days without losing freshness when stored in fridge.
Nutrition
Detailed step-wise picture recipe of making Sourdough Sandwich Bread
12.30pm: begin making the Sourdough Starter from your mother starter. To make 180 grams of Ripe Sourdough Starter, I mix equal amounts – 60 grams of starter, flour and water and let it double in 3 hours.
3.30pm: measure all the ingredients and keep them ready. In a mixing bowl add all-purpose flour, sourdough starter, oil and sugar. Add room temperature water.
Mix the dough roughly and knead for 4 mins gently. If using kitchenaid stand-mixer, run it on the lowest speed for 2-3 mins until the dough comes together. Make it into a ball and add salt on top. Leave it covered for 20-30 mins. This is called autolyze.
4pm: knead the salt into the dough. Fold multiple times to incorporate salt into the dough.
For the next one hour, keep it covered with a clean shower cap and let it raise at room temperature. It increases in size, although not drastically.
5pm: Now pick the dough from below and pull it over to the top, called as envelop fold. We will do exactly 4 folds. Overturn the dough and let it raise again.
5.45pm, 6.30pm, 7.15pm: Tuck the dough, smoothen and let it rest for 45mins. Again, we will do 4 folds. Repeat this over next 1.5 hours with two more folds. In total, we will do 16 envelop folds on the dough. The dough should look very smooth and shiny at the end of this. Leave it to rest for 30-45mins. The dough should be airy and light. Make sure not to knock out the air while folding.
7.45 to 8pm: Carefully remove the dough from bowl and onto a lined/lightly floured kitchen counter.
Spread it into a circle of even thickness.
Start rolling the loaf from one end and press it tightly as you go along.
Pinch the ends together.
Tuck the other two ends in making the loaf shape.
Carefully transfer the loaf into a lined bread baking tin. I used my 9x4 inch pan.
Leave it to proof on the kitchen counter for about 2 hours or until the loaf is doubled up in size and is raised 1 inch above the rim. It is important for the dough to raise up in volume for soft and fluffy loaf.
In the last 20 mins of proofing time, Preheat the oven at 180°C. Bake the bread at 180°C for 25-30 mins until the sides are golden. Remove from oven. Apply a layer of oil/ butter (if no restrictions) on top.
Bake again for 5 mins on broil (both top and bottom filaments turned ON) to get the golden color. Remove from oven.
Let the loaf rest for 3-4 mins and then loosen it up from the tin, remove onto a wire rack. Let it come to room temperature and cool completely before slicing the loafers. To store it, place in airtight container in fridge. Toast it before serving! It has stayed good for 10 days without losing freshness when stored in fridge.
Judy
Prefer standard measurements (cup, tsp etc. Grams/oz/make me keep searching)