bread baking guide

Any sourdough recipe can be baked in a loaf pan! Using a sandwich loaf tin is a great option for baking sourdough bread. It creates a uniform loaf of bread that’s perfect for sandwiches and doesn’t require a Dutch oven! This recipe fits into a 9 by 4-inch Pullman pan.

Sourdough Sandwich Loaf Recipe

sourdough starter (mature, unfed)

water

all-purpose flour

bread flour

whole wheat flour

sourdough starter (active)

salt

Activate your starter: Mix the unfed starter, water and all-purpose flour in a small container. Let your starter ferment until doubled or tripled in volume (about 4 to 6 hours).

Mix your dough:In a large mixing bowl, combine water and active sourdough starter. Stir until the starter is almost completely dissolved. Fold the whole wheat flour into the starter mixture. Add all of the bread flour and salt. Stir using a wooden spoon or your hands until no dry traces of flour remain.

Fold the dough:Complete a set of stretch and folds by picking up one side of the dough and folding it over itself. Repeat until all sides are folded. Transfer the dough to a lightly-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 1 hour.

Strengthen the dough and bulk ferment:As your dough ferments, perform 3 to 4 sets of coil folds inside the bowl at 30 minute intervals, cover your bowl with plastic wrap after you complete each fold. Your dough should appear smooth and pass the windowpane test after the last fold.

Bench rest:After your last fold, let the dough rest for 1 hour untouched in a warm place. Your dough should look puffy and should increase in volume during this period.

Shape the dough:Prepare your Pullman pan or loaf pan by greasing it with olive oil or butter, or lining it with a piece of parchment paper.

Turn your dough out on a lightly-floured work surface. Lightly flatten the dough out into a rectangle (be gentle so you do not pop the air bubbles build up during fermentation).

Fold the left and right corner of the dough towards the center.

Fold the tip down towards the center.

Roll the dough towards yourself into a tight cylinder.

Pinch the ends of the cylinder. Place the dough into the prepared pan with the seam-side down.

Cold proof:Cover the pan with plastic wrap. Place your dough inside the refrigerator and proof overnight.

Prepare for baking:Preheat your oven to 475 F with the wire racks positioned in the middle and bottom. Place pizza stone in the middle (if using). Allow oven to heat up for at least 1 hour.

15 minutes prior to baking, place a water pan filled with at least 1-inch of water on the bottom rack of your oven.

Score: Take the dough out of the refrigerator, uncover and cut a long slash on the top of the dough with a sharp knife or a lame.

Bake: Bake the dough cold directly from the refrigerator on the middle rack (on top of the baking stone, if using).

Add ice cubes into your water pan and quickly close the door. Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the water pan and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the center of the loaf registers at 190 F when probed with an instant read thermometer and the crust reaches your desired color.

Cool: Transfer the sandwich tin to a cooling rack. Let the dough cool for at least 15 minutes before turning it out of the pan.

Serve: Allow the loaf to cool for at least 2 hours, before slicing.

Store: Store any leftover slices in a ziplock bag for up to 5 days at room temperature.

This step-by-step guide will show you exactly how to make a crusty sourdough bread with a sourdough starter in your own home kitchen. 

Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe

g rice flour

Mix your dough: In a large bowl, combine water and active sourdough starter. Stir until the starter is almost completely dissolved. Fold the whole wheat flour into the starter mixture. Add all of the bread flour and salt. Stir using a wooden spoon or your hands until no dry traces of flour remain.

Fold the dough: Complete a set of stretch and folds by picking up one side of the dough and folding it over itself. Repeat until all sides are folded. Transfer the dough to a lightly-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 1 hour.

Strengthen the dough and bulk ferment: As your dough ferments, perform 3 to 4 sets of coil folds inside the bowl at 30 minute intervals, cover your bowl with plastic wrap after you complete each fold. Your dough should appear smooth and pass the windowpane test after the last fold.

Bench rest: After your last fold, let the dough rest for 1 hour untouched in a warm place. Your dough should look puffy and should increase in volume during this period.

Shape the dough: Prepare your proofing basket (you can use a small mixing bowl lined with a tea towel dusted with rice flour).

Fold the top of the dough towards the center and then fold the bottom of the dough over that, like you are folding a letter. Pick up the sides of the dough, fold it in half and place it in your proofing basket, seam-side up. Pinch the seam shut. Fold the tea towel over your dough.

Cold proof: Place your dough inside the refrigerator and proof overnight.

Prepare for baking: Preheat your oven to 500 F with a Dutch oven inside for at least an hour.

Score: Turn your dough out on a piece of parchment paper. Cut a long slash with a sharp knife or a lame on the dough to let the steam escape.

Bake: Place the dough with the parchment paper into the Dutch oven, turn. Bake for 30 minutes with the cover on and an additional 10 to 15 minutes with the cover off, depending on how dark you would like your crust.

Serve: Transfer your baked loaf to a cooling rack. Let the dough cool completely, at least 2 hours, before slicing.

Store: Store any leftover slices in a ziplock bag for up to 5 days at room temperature.

Hi Hannah, I am ready to bake my loaf and I wanted to know if I could use the bread function of my oven, which works with an automatic temperature and with steam. Would this be ok? I used it when I made your loaf with starter discard and it was perfect.

hi, your site is so helpful for someone starting out with sourdough! The first few steps worked out OK but my dough didn't stiffen up. if anything, it got stickier and looser with each stretch and fold. what may I have done wrong?

After the stretch and folds I noticed my dough was still sticky and the shape just want holding great. As of right now its bulk fermenting. I’m still going to bake with it and see what comes of it

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1698981367/fu6f1ccm9hruyr1rni4t.mp4

Basic Crusty Sourdough Bread with a creamy, airy crumb is one of the most rewarding bakes you will ever pull out of your oven. This step-by-step guide will show you exactly how to make a crusty sourdough bread with a few simple ingredients and your own sourdough starter in the comfort of your kitchen.

Basic Sourdough Bread Video

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Sourdough Sandwich Loaf Recipe

Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe

Top 2 bread baking guide recipes from across the web

The most viewed bread baking guide recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Sourdough Sandwich Loaf Recipe

Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe

The most viewed bread baking guide recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine