Same day Sourdough Sandwich Bread
If you are anything like me, you sometimes forget to get your bread on the night before to ferment, but, you need a loaf of bread the same day. I have figured the perfect recipe for same day sourdough sandwich bread and I’m excited to share it with you! This bread is mixed up early in the morning, and left to rise all day, and, then be baked off in the late afternoon or evening.
There are only a couple of adjustments you need to make to have a same day sourdough bread. This can make it so convenient if you didn’t have time to put the dough together the night before, or, you’re just the type of person that likes to have your bread baking in one day alone.
I find myself forgetting my sourdough more and more recently because of other things taking my attention until bed time. When this has happened in the past, I would just make a hybrid sourdough with a little instant yeast.
I really wanted a same day loaf that was purely sourdough. And, after some tweaking, I have finally came up with the perfect loaf!
2 changes I made to this recipe to allow for it to be same day are:
- Use lukewarm water. This “jumpstarts” the starter and the fermentation process.
- Adding more sourdough starter than usual. To shorten the rising time, I am adding double the usual amount of starter.
I use freshly ground whole wheat, but, you can certainly use store bought whole wheat or unbleached all purpose flour.
If using whole wheat, the end dough should be slack and moist. This will result in a moist loaf.
To get started, add the lukewarm water to the bowl of a stand mixer. (Of course, you can hand mix the dough, it will just take a bit longer.)
Add the starter (fed/active), oil, salt, and 3 cups of the flour. Start the mixer.
Add additional flour in 1/4 cup increments just until the dough releases cleanly from the side of the stand mixer bowl.
Knead for 6-8 minutes, or until it is stretchy and smooth.
Shape the dough and add to a greased loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap or a wet dish cloth. If using a wet dish cloth, periodically check if it needs to be dampened again. You don’t want the dough to dry out.
Place in a warm place to rise all day. This can take anywhere from 4-8 hours depending on the temp of your home and how mature your starter is.
Once the dough tops over the pan, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake the loaf for 40 minutes. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Variations:
You can brush the top with an egg wash and sprinkle with seeds or oats prior to baking for an artisan feel.
You can certainly add honey to the recipe if you wish. Add 1/4 cup. You will need to add a bit more flour if you use honey.
I hope you will give this recipe a try!
See you soon!
Same Day Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer optional
- 1 Loaf Pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 1 cup active/fed sourdough starter
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3-4 cups flour (I use freshly milled hard white wheat) can use store bought whole wheat or unbleached all purpose
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add water, sourdough starter, olive oil, salt and 3 cups of the flour.
- Start mixer, add remaining flour 1/4 cup a time until the dough releases from the mixing bowl.
- Knead 6-8 minutes.
- Shape dough and place in greased loaf pan, covered.
- Place in a warm place to rise for 4-8 hours depending on the temperature of your home.
- Once the dough tops over the pan, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
This was my very first sourdough loaf. I was very impatient and didn’t want to wait for a loaf tomorrow when my starter was ready today. This was PERFECT! It was soft and fluffy and literally exactly what I wanted. Thank you!
That’s great! I’m so glad!
Mine dough never rose over the top of the pan .🤷🏻♀️. I’ll give it another try, but wondering what went wrong 😞
How old is your starter?
I watched your videos on making a new sourdough starter. My grandson,
Leo and I started ours on leap day so we named it “Froggy”. Today is my first day to make anything with it. I’m making this bread recipe! I just recently came across your channel and love it so much! I can’t wait to taste it! Thank you for all your helpful hints! 💖😍💖
*I put mine in my bread machine on the dough setting; then will bake in the oven.
The same thing happened to me and I just left it overnight and baked it in the morning. Actually it was 14 hours later and it was delicious.
I’ve been baking bread for over 50 years and this has become my go to recipe! I’ve used it for sandwich bread, dinner rolls (this recipe “demanded” at all family gatherings lol), hotdog and hamburger buns, pizza crust and all!
I love making this recipe for sandwich bread every week. How do you use it for rolls, buns and pizza crust?
Mine rose very slow, however, I think my starter wasn’t as active as it should have been. The bread still came out fantastic and my family loved it. I put some “Everything Bagel” seasoning on it. Thanks for this easy recipe. Will try again with my starter more active.
I did the same! It was so soft. I added 30g of honey. Thank you
I made this bread yesterday. It turned out fantastic. I sat the bread dough to rise on my fireplace hearth. It did take about 7 hours to rise but it was a beautiful loaf of bread. This recipe will be my go to sourdough recipe.
What size loaf pan is best?
I like an 8.5×4.5 or 9×5. Usually classified as a 1 pound loaf pan.
Thank you thank you thank you. I have always struggled with sourdough starter and using it. Your videos on starting, maintaining, and using sourdough starter are wonderful. I use the “same day” recipe and my bread turns out beautiful. I guess the old saying about teaching old dogs new tricks ISN’T true because at age 70 I’m still learning a lot from you.
Great beginners recipe
We have just begun the sourdough experience and have been experimenting with several different recipes. We made this today and we are so excited. This recipe was just what we needed !! The bread turned out delicious and it will be one that we make often. Thanks so much for all your hard work and sharing !!!!!!
What size loaf pan do you use?
9×5.
I made this loaf once already but I added too much flour since it was all-purpose flour so it was a little dense (still tasty though). I’ll monitor it next time by adding less flour then adding in small increments until it gets to the “pulling away from the bowl” stage. I’ll be making it again tomorrow. Your videos are great, by the way!
This was my second loaf to make and it turned out really amazing. The recipe is super easy and beginner friendly unlike most other sourdough recipes that tend to be complicated. My loaf was so soft and fluffy, I sprinkled it with everything bagel seasoning, and it was delicious.
This is the recipe I used for my first loaf a month ago and I’m now sharing it with my daughter in-law who got her first starter today. Thank you for this simple recipe.
This has become my go to bread recipe. This is what has now replaced our sandwich bread completely. Also I have played with additions to this. Our favorite is cinnamon raisin with honey.
Thank you so much!
Exactly what I was looking for! Simple but so soft and yummy!
Thank you
I made this yesterday substituting butter for the oil, and my whole family loved it! Thank you so much for an easy, delicious bread recipe that we will be enjoying over and over.
This was my first attempt at sourdough bread and it turned out beautifully. Simple, tasty, and hearty, which is exactly what I was looking for. I did go with the egg wash and everything bagel seasoning toping, which is sheer perfection. This is a keeper.
I was so excited about trying this recipe because it seemed very simple in comparison to other recipes I’ve seen. I did one loaf with Ap flour and one loaf wheat flour. I let rise over night but I did use a larger loaf pan which may have contributed in the result. I used a 15″ bread pan instead of the 9″ pan in the recipe. The AP loaf rose pretty well and went to the top of the pan, the taste is great and probably would have been a perfect loaf if made in the 9″ pan. However the wheat loaf was dense and did not rise very much.
What a great find! Sourdough in a day! I have super active starter so it only took 4 hours to rise. Light, fluffy, and tasty! I wish I could post a pic! It’s a franken-loaf! It was just over the pan when I put it in the oven. When it came out it’s more than twice the height of the pan.
Mine has been at 70-75 degrees and not rising after 8 hours. My active is very old and very established. Unsure why it won’t rise? It’s definitely gotten bigger but not anywhere near the top of the pan. 🙁 it’ll be a bake tomorrow after like 14 hours loaf.
Thank you Mary!! I love this recipe! I used the egg wash with “Everything Bagel” seasoning blend. Yum! I love your channel!!
This came together so easily I started it tonight to bake in the morning. I hope it turns out, I have been successful with other sourdough recipes such as biscuits, English muffins and pizza crust but have yet to have a decent loaf of bread. It always turns out so heavy/dense. Would that be too much/not enough kneading or too much flour? Thanks for sharing:) I love your accent by the way:)
I’ve made this 3 times now, and it has come out great every single time! It is my new go-to sandwich bread recipe! Thank you!
Hello,
Can you use unbleached bread flour instead of all purpose?
Yes, that will work just fine.
Can I form this into a loaf and bake in a durch oven to get a crisp crust? I’m very new at this! 🙂
Sure, you can do that. I have made loaves like that before.
I have a KitchenAid and usually start off using the paddle and then changed to the dough hook. Should I do the same with your recipe?
Yes, that will work great.
I was so nervous to start sourdough, this recipe was fantastic! Thank you
I have a Nutrimill Artiste Mixer: Could you tell me what speed to mix the dough also instead of 1/4 of oil can I substitute it with butter and how much?
I made the bread 3 weeks ago I don’t think I was on the correct speed. The minutes was longer
Thank you
I use speed 2. The butter would be the same amount.
Thank you Mary!
I have couple of more questions: To speed up the 4 hr proofing, can I put the dough in the oven and then add hot water in a pot and place it in the over with the dough to rise. Will that cut my time so that I can bake the bread sooner. 2. Do I double the ingredient to make 2 loafs of bread. 3. If I don’t have time to proof my bread that day can I put the bowl that has the dough in the refrigerator? if so how long will it take for the dough to rise.
Made this loaf for the first time today and it tasted great although not really a sour flavor, any way to make it more sour? I kneaded by hand, no mixer and not sure I kneaded it long enough. Any specific time to hand knead it for good results? It did not rise as much as yours did but it did look lovely and as I said tasted great. Thanks!
Can I use a 1 pound Pullman loaf pan
(9x4x4) I want it square like sandwich bread..
Sure, that would work just fine.
Recipe says mixer optional, what steps do I use if I do not have a mixer? Thank yiu
You can knead it by hand. Kneading by hand is just working the dough until it is soft, smooth, and stretchy. You can add flour to the work surface sparingly to help it not stick to your hands. I recommend kneading by hand 6-10 minutes. When I kneaded by hand, I would take breaks and come back after a few minutes to resume. I made bread without a mixer for years and it will turn out the same with hand kneading.
Great flavor and easy recipe to follow. It was a little dense so I wonder if I added just a titch too much flour or didn’t let it rise quite enough. I will definitely try it again and make those adjustments. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I love how simple and forgiving this recipe is! I started my sourdough journey about 2 months ago and was overwhelmed by all the different recipes and techniques. I randomly chose this one to begin and I’m so glad I did. Six sandwich loaves later, I still love this recipe. I even have a loaf in the oven right now!
Thank you for this recipe, I’ve been looking for a same day recipe, without any yeast. This is perfect. My house is cooler so I used my oven with the light on to let it rise for about 5 hours. I used half whole wheat and half AP flour. Absolutely perfect, so fluffy, unlike the other recipes I tried that turned out dense! I plan to try with honey next time too, for extra flavor.
I have tried several recipes and I have never ever tried one as simple and as easy as this!! This bread turned out phenomenal!! I used an egg wash with everything bagel and it’s DELISH 🙂 And absolutely beautiful ❤️❤️❤️
Oh, that’s wonderful! Thank you for letting me know you like it!
I love this recipe but have a question. One time I make it, the loaves come out beautifully smooth on the top, the next time they split. I always double the recipe & both loaves come out the same. When the loaves split, am I over pricing to dough? We live this quick & easy bread. Thank you for the recipe.
You may be under proofing. What happens is if you don’t let it rise long enough the yeast is still very active and when it hits the heat it kind of explodes the loaf. The best way to prevent this is to score the top of the loaf with a very sharp knife. You can just split it down the center. Not only does it stop the random splitting, it makes a beautiful loaf as well.