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Sourdough Sandwich Loaf

Soft, sliceable, and perfect for toast or a BLT.

Time: 20 hrYield: 1 loaf (9×5 pan)Difficulty: medium
sourdoughsandwichloafsoft

Everything great about sourdough — flavor, keeping quality, digestibility — in a soft, even crumb that actually fits in a toaster. The butter and milk make it tender; the long cold proof makes it complex.

Ingredients

400 gbread flour
50 gwhole wheat flour
280 gwhole milk— warmed to ~80°F
80 gactive sourdough starter
30 gunsalted butter— softened
20 ghoney
9 gfine sea salt

Method

  1. 1
    Mix
    Combine flours, milk, starter, honey, and salt. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Rest 30 minutes.
  2. 2
    Add butter
    Add softened butter in small pieces, squeezing it in until fully incorporated. The dough will look greasy then come together.
  3. 3
    Bulk fermentation
    Perform 3 sets of stretch-and-folds over 1.5 hours. Then let bulk ferment at room temperature until 50% grown, about 4–6 hours total.
  4. 4
    Shape
    Flatten the dough into a rectangle roughly the width of your pan. Roll it up tightly, pinch the seam, and place seam-down in a buttered 9×5 loaf pan.
  5. 5
    Proof
    Cover and refrigerate overnight (8–12 hours). In the morning, let it proof at room temperature until the dough crowns about 1 inch above the pan rim, 2–4 hours.
  6. 6
    Bake
    Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake 35–40 minutes until deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 200°F (93°C). Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then on a rack.

Tips

  • Milk enriches the crumb — don't substitute water or it'll be drier.
  • The loaf is done when it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
  • Slice after fully cooled for clean cuts.