Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread

This Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread recipe offers a soft, no-knead bread that is easy to mix up and full of nutrition.

Course Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Resting Time 12 hours

Servings 8

Feed your sourdough starter 4-12 hours before baking. Once starter is active and bubbly it is ready to use.

Mill the flour (optional): If you prefer freshly milled flour, mill 845g of wheat berries into flour.
Prepare the dough: In a large mixing bowl, add the sourdough starter and water. Mix until combined. To the mixture, add whole wheat flour, salt, honey, and melted butter. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated. The dough will be wet and sticky.
Rest the Dough: Cover the dough with a wet tea towel and let rest for 30-60 minutes. This allows time for the water to absorb before doing the stretch and folds.

Stretch and fold: Every 30-60 minutes, perform stretch and folds. To do this, gently stretch one side of the dough upwards, fold it over toward the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat this on all four sides.
Repeat the stretch and fold process 3-4 times over the course of the next few hours. This gradually strengthens the dough.
Bulk Ferment: Cover the bowl with a wet tea towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size. The rise time will vary based on the temperature and humidity. Colder, dryer weather takes longer; warmer, humid weather takes less time. Plan for anywhere from 8-12 hours.

Shape the loaves and rise: Grease loaf pans or line pans with parchment paper. Once dough has doubled, turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into two equal parts.
Use your hand or rolling pin to shape the dough into a rectangle. Roll the dough tightly into a log and pinch the seams together.
Second Rise: Place the shaped dough seam side down into loaf pans. Allow the dough to rise until doubled, approximately 1-3 hours. This also depends on the temperature and humidity of your home. Make sure to allow the dough to double. This really creates a soft light loaf.
Bake: Preheat your oven to 375. Brush the tops of the loaves with an egg wash or milk wash for a golden finish. Bake the loaves for 40-45 minutes. Tip: Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of the bread, it should reach 190-200°F when done.
Cool: Remove the loaves from the oven and rub the tops of the loaves with butter. Then allow them to cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Remove the loaves from the pans and let them cool completely before slicing.

To store homemade sourdough bread and keep it fresh:

1. Cool Completely: Let the bread cool on a wire rack for at least 1-2 hours after baking to avoid moisture buildup inside the loaf.
2. Short-Term Storage (1-3 days): Store the bread in a paper bag or a linen or cotton bread bag at room temperature. This allows the bread to breathe and helps maintain the crust's crispiness.
3. Long-Term Storage (up to a week): If you won’t eat the bread within a few days, wrap it tightly in a sealed container, airtight bag or bread box to retain moisture.
4. Freezing: To preserve bread for longer periods (up to 3 months), slice the loaf and place the slices in an airtight plastic bag. This makes it easy to toast slices directly from the freezer.

Tip: Avoid storing sourdough in the refrigerator, as this can cause the bread to dry out faster.

Day 1

8 AM-12PM – Feed your sourdough starter.
7 PM – Prepare the dough and let rest.
8 - 9:30 PM – Stretch and fold every 30 minutes.
Bulk ferment until doubled at room temperature overnight. The fermentation process can be slowed down by putting the dough in the refrigerator if needed.

7 AM – Shape the loaves and add to bread pans. Cover and allow to rise for 1-3 hours until doubled.
8:30 AM – Preheat the oven.
9 AM – Once doubled add egg wash to loaves. Bake at 375°F for 40-45 minutes.
9:45 AM – Cool the bread.