Super Soft Sourdough Milk Bread

This recipe is the favorite sandwich bread of my pickiest child, and it’s no wonder why. It’s the fluffiest bread I’ve ever made. The secret is the milk and roux technique that creates this incredibly soft, pillowy texture that’s nothing like regular sourdough. Yes, it takes time and patience, but the actual hands-on work is totally manageable, maybe 30 minutes spread out over two days.

The key to getting that perfect fluffy texture is timing this right, and once you get the rhythm down, it’s actually pretty simple. I always start by feeding my starter Friday morning if I want fresh bread for Saturday lunch: that way the dough rises overnight and I’m shaping it Saturday morning. Your starter needs to be bubbly and active (if it’s sluggish, add a tablespoon of rye flour), and don’t skip the roux step. It’s what makes this bread so much softer than regular sourdough. The dough will feel sticky, but that’s normal. Just wet your hands when you’re handling it and trust the process.

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need

A healthy, active starter here is crucial to make your bread rise beautifully. If you have any questions about your starter, I’ll help you learn how to make it, use it, and maintain it. Add a tablespoon of rye flour if it’s slow to activate.

While you can knead this dough by hand, a stand mixer makes this much easier, since the dough is quite sticky. If you use your hands, wet them with water to stop the sticking.

This already makes two loaves, so you can freeze one if you want. But if you want to double or triple this recipe, or use metric measurements, you can make adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Just make sure your stand mixer bowl is big enough!

Equipment

• Stand mixer
• digital scale
• Bench Scraper
• Pastry brush

Ingredients

For the starter

• 25 grams sourdough starter
• 70 grams all-purpose flour, unbleached is recommended
• 70 grams water, filtered room temperature

For the roux

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole milk (If you use 1% or non-fat, reduce the amount of milk you use by 2 tablespoons and add 2 tablespoons of butter.)

For the dough

• 1 ½ cup whole milk, see note above
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups bread flour (You can use all-purpose, but the texture will be different.)
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 medium egg, room temperature
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
• Active sourdough starter, listed above

Egg wash (optional)

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Step by Step Sourdough Milk Bread

As always, adjust the recipe if you live above sea level. This website has some charts to help you.

Step One: Feed Starter Ahead of Time

Feed 25 grams of your starter with 70 grams each of flour and water. Just mix it up and leave it on the counter overnight (or throughout the day) until it doubles. If it’s slow to activate, add a tablespoon of rye flour.

Step Two: Make The Roux

Roux sounds fancy, but it’s not. Just whisk ¼ cup flour with ½ cup milk in a pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes until it gets thick and pasty. Add it to your mixer bowl and let it cool down. If you’re not using whole milk (like a 1% or non-fat), you need to cut the milk by 2 tablespoons and add 2 more tablespoons of butter instead.

Step Three: Make Milk Mixture

Heat up 1½ cups milk with ¼ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon salt – just warm, not hot. Add this to your cooled roux and mix it up. Same rule with the milk here as with the roux.

Step Four: Add Starter

Now add in your bubbly starter and stir.

Step Five: Add Bread Flour

Next, we add the bread flour. Start with 2 cups first, stir, then add the final cup.

Step Six: Add Egg

Add the egg to the dough and don’t panic! It’s going to look really wet and sticky, but this is normal.

Step Seven: Add All-Purpose Flour

Switch to your dough hook and slowly add 2½ cups all-purpose flour, about ½ cup at a time.

Step Eight: Add Butter And Knead

Once that’s mixed in, add ¼ cup soft butter and knead for 3 minutes.

The dough will still be sticky but should hold together.

Step Nine: Rest + Stretch And Folds

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel, and let it rest for 30 minutes. Now it’s time for stretch and folds. The dough will be sticky, so wet your hands with water. Grab one side, stretch it up, and fold it over. Do this to each side, then cover again. Repeat this whole thing 1-3 more times every 30 minutes.

Step Ten: Long Rise

Now comes the LONG wait – cover and let it rise for 6-12 hours until it doubles. Time this to happen overnight if you can. Place it in a warm spot to speed it up.

Step Eleven: Divide And Shape

When it’s ready (or the next morning), grease two loaf pans and line with parchment. Split the dough in half, then divide each half into 3 balls.

Flatten each ball into a rectangle, and take one end, gently roll it up about halfway, fold in the sides, then finish rolling it up. Do this to all the dough balls and place them in the loaf pan.

Step Twelve: Second Rise

Cover the pans and let the dough rise again for 2-4 hours until they’re puffy and doubled.

Step Thirteen: Optional Egg Wash

Heat your oven to 375°F. Brush the tops with beaten egg mixed with a tablespoon of water. You don’t have to do this, but I like how it makes the top look.

Step Fourteen: Bake And Cool

Finally, it’s time to bake! Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden brown. Let the loaves cool for at least 20 minutes before you slice into them (I know, more waiting).

Storage Instructions

Store in an airtight container for 3 days on the counter, or 4 days in the fridge.

You can also make some extra and freeze it. Slice it (or leave it whole), wrap it in plastic wrap, and then place it in a freezer-safe bag or wrap it again in foil. It will stay good for 3 months, and you can just thaw it overnight in the fridge when you’re ready. Or pop frozen individual slices right into the toaster.

Questions and Troubleshooting

More Sourdough Bread Recipes

If you just want to stick with this bread recipe for the rest of your life, that’s perfectly fine. BUT if you DO want to try other flavors, here are some good ones.

• Sourdough bread with gruyere cheese and caramelized onions sounds complicated, but it’s the same process, plus adding stuff to the dough. It’s a little weird, but so, so good!
• Carrot cake sourdough quick bread is a faster breakfast option using your discard.
• Another regular go-to bread option to add to your rotation is this soft honey wheat sourdough bread.
• These sourdough bread bowls are great for serving soup. They sound fancy, but it’s just like making a big roll.

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