Sourdough Sandwich Loaf

A soft, airy, naturally leavened loaf made for real sandwiches.

I've baked a lot of sourdough. The blistered boules, the chewy baguettes, the focaccias glistening with olive oil. But it was this simple, unassuming sandwich loaf that turned my household into true believers. Sliceable, soft, and just a little sweet — it's the bread that disappears in 2 days.

This isn't a difficult bread. It asks for no Dutch oven, no banneton basket, no elaborate scoring choreography. What it does ask for is time — and a little forethought the evening before you want fresh bread. The overnight cold fermentation is what gives the crumb its complexity and the crust that subtle tang you can't quite explain but immediately recognize as real sourdough.

The honey (or agave, if you prefer) and olive oil aren't an affectation — they soften the crumb and enrich the flavor in a way that sets this loaf firmly apart from lean sourdoughs. Think of it as the bread that bridges your love of artisan baking and your need for something that actually works in a sandwich.

Sourdough Sandwich Loaf recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 125 g active sourdough starter

• 260 g water, room temperature

• 25 g honey or agave syrup

• 25 g olive oil

• 500 g white bread flour

• 1½ tsp kosher salt

Makes 1 loaf | Active time: ~40 minutes | Total time: ~1½ days (including overnight ferment)

METHOD

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Step 1 — Mix the Dough

In a large bowl, combine your starter, water, honey (or agave), and olive oil. Add the bread flour — and here's the key: add the salt directly into the flour, not the liquid. Trust me on this! This recipe doesn’t do better with adding the salt later, like my other recipes. So, you can add it now, but not in the liquid! If you do, the starter will start getting very gummy and sticky, I am not sure why, but it might be a reaction with the oil and sugar… add your salt together with the flour!

 Mix everything together until you have a shaggy, rough dough with no dry patches. It will look a little rough. That's exactly right.

Let rest, covered, for 30 minutes.

Step 2 — Knead Until Smooth

Knead the dough intensely for about 5 minutes until it becomes very smooth and supple. You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook, knead by hand on the counter, or use the slap-and-fold method: pick up the dough and slap it against the counter, fold it over itself, and repeat rhythmically. You're looking for a dough that's smooth, slightly tacky, and holds its shape when you stop.

Step 3 — Stretch & Fold

Cover the dough and begin bulk fermentation at room temperature. During the first 2 hours, perform 2 to 4 sets of stretch and folds, spaced 30 minutes apart. For each set: wet your hand, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up as far as it will go without tearing, and fold it over to the opposite side. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat four to eight times around. This builds structure without degassing the dough.

Step 4 — Bulk Fermentation

After your final stretch and fold, leave the dough to ferment undisturbed at room temperature. You're waiting for the dough to rise 30 to 50% above its starting volume — look for a dough that's puffed, jiggling with gas bubbles, and slightly domed on top. Depending on how warm your kitchen is, this can take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours. Don't rush it; this fermentation is where the flavor lives.

Step 5 — Shape the Loaf

Line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gently pre-shape it into a rough rectangle, building some surface tension as you go. Then fold the dough like a jelly roll: starting from one short end, roll the dough tightly toward you, keeping the width just slightly shorter than the length of your pan. Place it into the pan seam-side up — this helps it expand evenly as it rises.

Step 6 — Second Proof & Cold Ferment

Cover the loaf loosely with a plastic shower cap or plastic wrap. Let it rise at room temperature until the dough just crests the top of the pan — this usually takes 1 to 3 hours. Once it's there, slide the pan into the refrigerator for an overnight cold ferment. This slows everything down, deepens the flavor, and makes the loaf remarkably easy to handle come baking time.

Step 7 — Bake

Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Take the loaf straight from the fridge — no need to bring it to room temperature. Score the top with a razor blade (bread lame): one long slash down the center works beautifully. Place a second loaf pan of the same size upside down on top to trap steam (or use your preferred steaming method). Bake covered for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 15 minutes until deeply golden. Check that the internal temperature reads at least 200°F (93°C) before pulling it out.

Baker's note: Cool the loaf completely on a wire rack before slicing. Cutting into a hot loaf releases steam before the crumb has set, leaving you with a gummy interior. The wait is worth it.

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A FEW NOTES FROM EXPERIENCE

On flour: Bread flour, with its higher protein content, gives this loaf its chewiness and structure. You can substitute all-purpose flour in a pinch — the crumb will be slightly softer and the rise a little less dramatic, but still excellent. If you want whole grain character, swap out no more than 20% of the bread flour for whole wheat.

On honey vs. agave: Honey adds a subtle floral warmth. Agave is milder and vegan-friendly. Either gives the crumb that soft, slightly enriched texture that makes this a proper sandwich loaf. Don't skip it — and don't increase it, either.

On your starter: It should be active and bubbly — fed within the past 4 to 12 hours and at or just past its peak. A sluggish starter will give you a sluggish loaf.

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Slice it thin for a proper BLT, thick for avocado toast, or just eat it warm with good butter and a little flaky salt. This is the loaf I keep coming back to — nothing fancy, just genuinely, deeply good bread.

SEE PRINTABLE VERSION HERE