Soft Sourdough Egg Bread for Sandwiches

A recipe for sourdough egg bread that makes a soft sandwich bread that is still sturdy enough for slicing.

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

• Sourdough is very versatile. Every sourdough baker knows and loves the crusty artisan loaves, but sourdough has a different side. You can make just about any baked good with your starter, and soft sandwich bread is no exception.
• Bread that melts in your mouth. This recipe is a rich dough that makes a super soft bread: the richness of eggs and milk combined with a sweetness from the sugar and then a subtle tang of sourdough. It’s tricky to get such a rich dough to rise without any yeast, but keep it in a warm place and be patient.
• A simple hack for you. If you’re in a hurry, add a teaspoon of yeast when you mix up the dough. I won’t tell.

🧂 Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the printable recipe at the bottom of the page.

You’ll need the following for this soft sourdough egg bread:

• milk
• all-purpose flour
• active sourdough starter
• eggs
• butter
• salt
• sugar
• plus beaten egg for brushing the dough

🥣 Equipment

• loaf pan
• plastic wrap

🍴Instructions

Step One: Mixing the ingredients and rising the dough

Start by mixing all the ingredients, except the salt, in a large mixing bowl to form a shaggy dough. The order you add them is not important. Cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rise for 20-40 minutes. Then add the salt and begin to knead. The dough can be kneaded in a stand mixer, by hand, or in a bread machine on the dough cycle.

After 5-7 minutes of kneading, you will have a soft, smooth, dough. Because of all the wet ingredients, it will feel very dense and sticky. Lightly oil a large bowl and shape the dough into a ball. Place it into the bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel. Allow rising in a warm place for 3-4 hours, until visibly risen in bulk.

Step Two: Shaping, rising and baking the loaf

After rising, it’s time to place the dough into the loaf pan. There’s no use really trying to shape it; it’s so wet. I just sort of throw it in. It will smooth out perfectly as it rises.

Cover the loaf with heavily greased plastic wrap to avoid sticking and let it rise in a warm place. Check on it frequently, as it will flop over the sides of the pan if it overrises. Mine took about 3 hours in a turned-off, slightly warmed oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 towards the end of the rising time.

Once it has risen an inch or so over the edge of the pan, go ahead and bake! It will take about 50 minutes. The loaf will be very golden brown and the internal temperature should be about 200 degrees.

Let it cool for at least an hour or two before you slice!

🥫 Storage instructions

Sourdough egg bread can be stored in a paper bag on the counter for up to two days, or in the refrigerator for up to one week.

🔍 FAQs

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert tips

• Make sure your starter is active and bubbly before beginning.
• Let the dough rise in a warm place
• Be patient when shaping the dough. You want to be careful not to over-handle it, or your bread will be tough instead of soft.
• Allow the bread to cool before slicing and serving

📘 Related Recipes

• Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread
• Sourdough Bread on a Budget
• Easy Stand Mixer Sourdough Bread
• Classic Sourdough Banana Bread
• Jalapeno Cheddar Sourdough Bread

🍽 Serve it with

• Triple Berry Jam
• Strawberry Jam
• Bread and Butter Pickles

📖 Here’s the recipe

Print the recipe here!