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.
Table of contents
❤️ 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
Yes, you can make this bread using whole wheat flour.
The dough is ready to shape into loaves when it has doubled in size and has a soft, elastic texture.
Yes, you can add other ingredients to this recipe if you like. Some possible additions include nuts, seeds, or dried fruit.
👩🏻🍳 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
🍽 Serve it with
📖 Here’s the recipe
Print the recipe here!
Soft Sourdough Egg Bread for Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup fed starter
- ½ cup milk
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- For topping
- 1 beaten egg
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the salt. Mix to form a shaggy dough. Cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rest at room temperature, for 20-40 minutes.
- Add the salt and knead the dough, by hand, stand mixer, or bread machine on the dough cycle. Knead for at least 5 minutes until the dough is very soft and elastic. Shape into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel, place in a warm spot, and allow to rise for 3-4 hours, until puffy.
- Shape the bread into a loaf (it is very slack and won't hold its shape well, just place it into loaf pan the best you can). Cover with heavily greased plastic wrap and allow to rise another 3-4 hours in a warm place, until dough has risen 1 inch over the edge of the loaf pan. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake for 45 minutes, until very golden brown and baked to an internal temperature of 200. Allow to cool completely before slicing. Stays fresh for 1 day at room temperature, but freezes very well.
Notes
By Katie Shaw
Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.